Underrated yet again!

[catman 71]

It is that time of the year again. The time where fans look forward to spending the next few months cheering their team.

However, it is also the time for people to predict who they tip for the flag, the GF, and who will make the finals.

The media often do this, and, like the last six years, again Geelong are not considered flag favourites.

I read an article in the H-S by Paul Roos. He said that the premiership team will come from Sydney, Hawthorn, Collingwood or West Coast. No, forget the team who has dominated the league and won more flags in the last decade than any other.

What is it that Geelong are so underrated? In most sports, winning three championships would be seen as being the team to beat, and most experts would put you right up there. Yet, most media people don't rate Geelong. Hell, Carlton is being tipped for the flag by some!!!

This has happened every year of our run. Here are some comments I read about our flag chances in the last few years.

2008:- It was said that Geelong had broken through for our flag in 2007, and that we wouldn't win it again, since we had broken our drought (and would be satisfied with that).
(We finished runner-up in 2008)

2009:- Hawthorn had overtaken us, and the Hawks would be the team to beat.
(Geelong 2009 Premiers, Hawthorn didn't even make finals)

2010:- Geelong had won two of three flags. They had proven to be a great team, but Collingwood will move ahead, and Geelong are too old, too slow.
(Geelong finished third in 2010).

2011:- No Ablett, No Bomber, No Hope
(Geelong won 2011 Premiership).

2012:- Despite Geelong winning three flags, Hawthorn were certainities on being 2012 Premiers (based on their finals record (2009NP,2010:3rd, 2011:3rd, 2012:2nd)). Also Hawthorn were certain to beat us in Round 19, despite not being able to beat us in the nine games before that).

Now, we had knobs like Roos underrate us again. Sure, we had a poor season last year, but we have been underrated for the last six years, despite being the team of the decade!

Looks like it is time to prove the critics wrong yet again!(Will they ever learn?)

 

[footscore]

baffles me, you only have to read posters predictions on the main boards to see how underrated Geelong truly is.
Many have us finishing in the bottom part of the ladder while a very large group have us sliding completely.
They seem to rate many of the teams which the media talk about though which may explain the sheep following the leader factor.

Media has a huge influence on people's judgement I guess

 

[Scottland2007]

baffles me, you only have to read posters predictions on the main boards to see how underrated Geelong truly is.
Many have us finishing in the bottom part of the ladder while a very large group have us sliding completely.
They seem to rate many of the teams which the media talk about though which may explain the sheep following the leader factor.

Media has a huge influence on people's judgement I guess

And the media employ past favourites from Melbourne based teams. Surprised Paul Roos is allowed to write for a Melbourne based paper! Listen to how many ex Hawks players have a gig calling games for radio. That explains the huge hawks influence.

 

[BotsMaster]

2009:- Hawthorn had overtaken us, and the Hawks would be the team to beat.
(Geelong 2009 Premiers, Hawthorn didn't even make finals)

The media had the Grand Final as St Kilda and Collingwood near the end of the season when we had a bit of a slump after round 14.

2010:- Geelong had won two of three flags. They had proven to be a great team, but Collingwood will move ahead, and Geelong are too old, too slow.
(Geelong finished third in 2010).

I guess this one is kind of true as the Pies certainly did move past us in the last half of the year and I was at St Kilda/Pies game where they eventually went above us on the ladder. Cringeworthy roar that was.

2008:- It was said that Geelong had broken through for our flag in 2007, and that we wouldn't win it again, since we had broken our drought (and would be satisfied with that).
(We finished runner-up in 2008)

You could even go back one year and say that the media didn't have us finishing in the top 8.

 

[vinum coupe]

It's that time of year again when you get the sooks.

Who cares, really?
It's like you're the sibling that craves attention.

Positive results will take care of themselves.
Predictions mean absolutely nothing. From critics or Geelong supporters.

 

[SuperCats9]

I'm not really bothered by what the media say, i only care about what Geelong do on the field and let the rest take care of itself. We always makde them look stupid so i hope this year is the same. Since 2008, Hawthorn have been flag favourites every year i think, god knows why, it baffles me.

There's no doubt that we are looking much better than last season, we are up there and are good enough to win it again.

 

[rooie]

at the end of last year i had us finishing 6th this year, but i feel we can push for top 4 for sure. The issue is that we showed good pre-season form, and that can give you a false sense of quality.

i dont really rate WCE outside of Perth, but they are everyones favorite, and will be there abouts because they get their 12 games in perth, plus will win a few against easy teams interstate.

Collingwood and Hawks will not be as dominating this year as i think they have little room to improve, where as everyone around them can improve, like us, with our youth.

Sydney i still feel were lucky to get to the GF, then caught the Hawks with their pants down, just like the Hawks did to us in 08.

Freo lacks the depth in their list, but their game plan is threatening to us...

i really think it will be a very even year, but a handful of teams will win all their close ones, whilst another handful will lose all their close ones, so my guess is the top 8 will all be in a clump, around 18-14 wins, then the rest will be 10 wins or less, but it wont mean the top 8 are way better than the bottom 8, just better at winning the close ones, as we have been over the journey. so your dons, blues, tigers, lions, saints, roos etc. will all be in a big clump just not quite getting over the line against the pies, hawks, cats, wce, freo etc. even though results will largely be close.

my guess is we will finish 3rd or 4th if we win our close ones, or 7th or 8th if we lose them. Games interstate will be the key, we lost them last year by a goal or so against eagles, dockers and swans, if we can win them this year, we are top 4, lose them 7th or 8th.

 

[THE CAT WRANGLER]

Happy to be underrated yet again

 

[bulletproof]

Baffles me why people care what the media say. I reckon we got plenty of attention when we were winning every week. Most pundits predicted us to fall last year and we did. No one issued apologies in here for saying they were going to be top 4 did they?

Get over it.

 

[Turbocat]

What would you expect them to do , put us as #1 after last year.

Their mindset is something like......
They are on the way down , The Cats old guys are washed up or satisfied , the kids can't be any good as GFC haven't had any early picks since Moses was in nappie's and to top of that, Geelong have broken away from their methodology of developing their own. Desperately they have brought in an underpreforming , perinially injured , ruck. A backman from a hack club that has tought him all the wrong habits and then traded in a selfish kid that spat the dumby cause he was away from his family. Hey , its not personal , its just Newtons law of socialist football and me as a media personalty doesn't get paid for sticking my neck out. Geelong has had their time and its over. They're finished. Kuput. Goneski. To be honest , good riddance cause its boring having the same players/teams/clubs winning all the time , especially if its not the club I played for......

Really we are lucky they have us in the finals at all. Without the preseason form we have shown we probably would be pencilled in for 10th or worse. But have no fear , if things go right , by the end of the year , the bandwagon will be loaded with more freeloaders.

 

[Ruddeger07]

Why do people get upset over where journos rate clubs or over so called experts Top 50 players lists ?
It's just one persons opinion.No need to get your knickers in a knot over it and start a hissy thread.

 

[supahoops]

Maybe we are a bit bullish about our prospects as we can see the talent coming through having watched more closely than others.

Happy to fly under the radar.

In a pretty even year, a mix of the following needs to occur, but it can be done:

The old guard of Chappy, Bartel, SJ , Kel, Boris and co. being injury free and near their best

Hawk dominating f50

Duncan, Bundy becoming top-liners

Vardy and Menzel staying on the park

Just add luck

 

[SuperCats9]

at the end of last year i had us finishing 6th this year, but i feel we can push for top 4 for sure. The issue is that we showed good pre-season form, and that can give you a false sense of quality.

i dont really rate WCE outside of Perth, but they are everyones favorite, and will be there abouts because they get their 12 games in perth, plus will win a few against easy teams interstate.

Collingwood and Hawks will not be as dominating this year as i think they have little room to improve, where as everyone around them can improve, like us, with our youth.

Sydney i still feel were lucky to get to the GF, then caught the Hawks with their pants down, just like the Hawks did to us in 08.

Freo lacks the depth in their list, but their game plan is threatening to us...

i really think it will be a very even year, but a handful of teams will win all their close ones, whilst another handful will lose all their close ones, so my guess is the top 8 will all be in a clump, around 18-14 wins, then the rest will be 10 wins or less, but it wont mean the top 8 are way better than the bottom 8, just better at winning the close ones, as we have been over the journey. so your dons, blues, tigers, lions, saints, roos etc. will all be in a big clump just not quite getting over the line against the pies, hawks, cats, wce, freo etc. even though results will largely be close.

my guess is we will finish 3rd or 4th if we win our close ones, or 7th or 8th if we lose them. Games interstate will be the key, we lost them last year by a goal or so against eagles, dockers and swans, if we can win them this year, we are top 4, lose them 7th or 8th.

That's a good point to bring up. We were average at times last season but were also very good in stages. We did finish 6th but if we had of won those games against those teams we would've finished top 4, possibly top 2 (I think Hawthorn only won 3 more games than us and finished on top). The close ones are crucial, we wern't very good at winning them last year, except for the Hawthorn games.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

People are within their rights not to rate us based on a meek showing in an elimination final last year. If Geelong are good enough to win the flag in 2013, then expect to be rated again in 2014 but otherwise - you're only as good as your last game.

 

[AM]

I’m quite happy to be flying under the radar. Let’s be honest, we went out with a whimper in our last game and many of the pundits don’t have the capacity to see past that effort.

I remain more upbeat this year than last. If we can keep our best or near best unit on the park all year we will cause some damage in my view.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

My recollections are that the OP is not quite accurate. There's absolutely no reason why we wouldn't have been extremely short-priced favourites this time five years ago (a historically dominant season, combined with no obvious challenger and minimal departures). If the odds here are accurate (as at the end of February, 2008), we were $3.15, with no-one else better than $9.

In 2009, I remember it being neck and neck between us and Hawthorn, again fair enough, considering the still young playing groups and the two clubs being head and shoulders above anyone else the previous year.

Again a two horse race in 2010, with the dominant St Kilda and Geelong favoured (maybe St Kilda slightly ahead) and Collingwood emerging as a smokey, with the arrival of Jolly and Ball.

In 2011, I agree, we were dismissed as a chance (Collingwood were probably about as short as we were in 2008). Still in the top four chances, according to this, which isn't too shabby.

And then in 2012, I'd say we were probably still one of the top three chances to win it all.

You could easily argue that we were overrated in 2012, so it's hard to get too annoyed about being underrated (equal fifth) in 2013.

As for the talking heads, who cares? If I was making my predictions in a newspaper, or on TV, I'd just copy the results from a more famous name. That's why every man and his dog is taking West Coast. If they bomb out, how can anyone have a go at them for picking the Eagles to win the flag, if dozens of others have done the same?

 

[flatcat]

The media and especially bigfooty posters from other teams get confused between what they think will happen and what they subconsciously hope for. They want to believe success can be gained from rorting the priority pick system (ala Hawthorn, Collingwood and St Kilda). Or by extra salary cap (Sydney). Or even from an injection. Today's culture can't believe or don't want to believe that recruiting people of substance and hard work can bring sustained success above those who get all the high draft picks and salary cap concessions. In 2009 and 2011 GFs the Geelong team was just about gonski. Every other team would have folded. But through force of will from a few players in particular they reached the summit. Its about heart more than anything. I'm not sure how they will do this year. It will be difficult playing without a ruckmen and the young midfielders need to step up. But I know as long as some of those people of substance remain, the GFC is not going to fold and slide down the ladder like everyone hopes.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

We finished 7th last year. Why would we be a flag chance? And it's incredible hard to go back to back so after we won a flag, odds where against us to back it up so we wouldn't be favorites. And even for our great side we couldn't do it.

It was our worst finish since 2006. Right now, we are looking to stay in the top 8 let alone get back into the top 4 and be flag contenders.

Maybe in years past, you may have had a case. But we haven't even played a game to show our improvement from last year.

Let everyone else talk shit about other clubs, and let us go about out business that's the way the GFC operate.

 

[you pick one]

To old to slow and our kids are over rated,no Scarlett no Geelong and Tomapork is a big fat inaccurate pig.Couldn't beat Freo last year,Chris Scott to be the first coach sacked in 2013,bottom half of the ladder is where we belong.
Hawks odds on favorite for the flag pump um up,won't drop a game all season.

 

[cayze]

like the last six years, again Geelong are not considered flag favourites.

Such a baseless whinge, we were deservedly pumped up as being one of the best teams of all time from late 2007 until the end of 2009 by several media figures yet you think we deserve the tag as premiership favourites this year after a sub-standard year last year in comparison to our flag years.

odds for the 2008 season (01/01/08) from Sportsbet:
Geelong - $3.20
Collingwood - $10.00
Hawthorn - $10.00
Port Adelaide $10.00

Odds for 2009:

1/ Geelong - 3.35
2/ Hawthorn - 3.50
3/ Bulldogs - 14.00
4/ Collingwood - 15.50

Odds for 2010:

Geelong $3.50
Hawthorn $3.75
Collingwood $7
Bulldogs $8

It's completely irrelevant who is flag favourite at this time of the year anyway.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Come to think of it, I'm actually yet to see any media person who's left us out of their top eight.

 

[darren forssman]

People are within their rights not to rate us based on a meek showing in an elimination final last year. If Geelong are good enough to win the flag in 2013, then expect to be rated again in 2014 but otherwise - you're only as good as your last game.

big footy is no place for rational thought!!!

 

[catman 71]

Come to think of it, I'm actually yet to see any media person who's left us out of their top eight.

I've yet to see any media person tip us for the top four.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I've yet to see any media person tip us for the top four.

There's been plenty on Fox Footy (don't remember who exactly). David Schwarz has us winning the flag...etc...etc.

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

A) don't care what a mercenary flog like Roos thinks. Lets not forget he abandoned Fitzroy when they were on their knees. He was MR FITZROY at that point. Him leaving ripped what heart that club had left out of the joint. And I can tell you that for fact as I was let's just say "involved" with the lions at the time. He has no thought for anyone but himself. That he has Sydney in there says it all. They were seriously lucky last year and their best two
Mids - Bolton and mcveigh - are a year older, as is goodes. And Tippett will
Never be the saviour they make him out to be.

Back to us though - feeling have improved their list dramatically this year.

Rivers is a better player than the shadow of himself that Scarlett was fr
Most Of last year.

Macintosh will be a jets and I love that they're taking their time, reay getting him right. It's gold.

Caddy improves our midfield by 20%. Him plus a year older and another preseason into bundy and Duncan= a midfield that won't e beaten very often.

Throw Varcoe in and you're top 4.

So I say. Paul Roos and David king and mickey malt house and every other campaigner who doesn't rate the Cats. Go and eat a dick!!!