Underrated yet again!

[cynical]

gerald healy has us finishing 2nd

wouldn't worry about the media they probably only watch a few games a week and are too busy looking for stories instead of doing thorough analysis of teams

most of them just throw up last years ladder with 1 or 2 teams moving up or down depending on hype and age analysis

 

[you pick one]

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 silly who doesn't rate the Cats. Go and eat a dick!!!

In a Kim Duthie kind a way?

 

[Silverado]

I'm happy for the Cats to be rated as no chance. It seems the bookies get their info from the media too, this makes the odds very favorable when having a bit of a punt.

Cats at $13 for the flag was irresistible!

 

[Armo7]

I'm happy for the Cats to be rated as no chance. It seems the bookies get their info from the media too, this makes the odds very favorable when having a bit of a punt.

Cats at $13 for the flag was irresistible!

Take a look at the 2013 predictions by the channel 7 team of commentators as follows. Quite the contrary, I think we are being well and truly rated highly, certainly as defying the usual gravitational decline associated with a successful ageing team.

The experts at SEVEN have come together to give their big predictions for the AFL season in 2013.
Tom Harley, commentator
Premiers: Geelong
Brownlow medalist: Trent Cotchin
Coleman medalist: Lance Franklin
Player to watch: Harley Bennell
Top 8:
Geelong
Sydney
Hawthorn
West Coast
Fremantle
Adelaide
Carlton
Richmond
Brian Taylor, commentator
Premiers: Hawthorn
Brownlow medalist: Scott Pendlebury
Coleman medalist: Lance Franklin
Player to watch: Brandon Ellis
Top 8:
Hawthorn
Collingwood
Geelong
Sydney
West Coast
Adelaide
Carlton
Richmond
Cameron Ling, commentator
Premiers: Adelaide
Brownlow medalist: Patrick Dangerfield
Coleman medalist: Jack Reiwoldt
Player to watch: Stephen Hill
Top 8:
Adelaide
Hawthorn
Fremantle
Sydney
West Coast
Collingwood
Geelong
North Melbourne
- the big unknown is Essendon!! (I would have had them in but who knows!)

Matthew Richardson, commentator

Premiers: West Coast
Brownlow medalist: Trent Cotchin
Coleman medalist: Lance Franklin
Player to watch: Harley Bennell
Top 8:
West Coast
Hawthorn
Fremantle
Sydney
Carlton
Collingwood
Geelong
Richmond
Bruce McAvaney, commentator

Premiers: Collingwood
Brownlow medalist: Trent Cotchin
Coleman medalist: Tex Walker
Player to watch: Josh Caddy
Top 8:
Collingwood
Carlton
Hawthorn
Geelong
North Melbourne
West Coast
Sydney
Adelaide
Dennis Cometti, commentator
Premier: Hawthorn
Brownlow: Sam Mitchell
Coleman: Lance Franklin
Player to Watch: Alex Rance
Top 8:
Hawthorn
West Coast
Geelong
Sydney
Collingwood
Fremantle
Richmond
Adelaide
Sandy Roberts, 7News sport presenter
Premiers: Collingwood
Brownlow medalist: Trent Cotchin
Coleman medalist: Jack Riewoldt
Player to watch: Jaeger O'Meara
Top 8:
Hawthorn
Collingwood
Carlton
West Coast
Sydney
Geelong
Fremantle
Adelaide
Nathan Templeton, 7News sport journalist
Premiers: Hawthorn
Brownlow medalist: Trent Cotchin
Coleman medalist: Lance Franklin
Player to watch: Lewis Jetta, Stephen Motlop
Top 8:
Hawthorn
Sydney
West Coast
Collingwood
Adelaide
Carlton
Geelong
Fremantle
Tom Browne, 7News sport journalist
Premiers: collingwood
Brownlow: Gary Ablett
Coleman medalist: Jack Riewoldt
Player to watch: Andrew Carazzo, Brendon Goddard
Top 8
Hawthorn
Collingwood
West Coast
Sydney
Adelaide
Fremantle
Carlton
Geelong
Sean Sowerby, 7News sport journalist
Premiers: Hawthorn
Brownlow medalist: Joel Selwood
Coleman medalist: Lance Franklin
Player to watch: Allen Christensen
Top 8:
West Coast
Hawthorn
Collingwood
Geelong
Sydney
Fremantle
Adelaide
Carlton

 

[funk44]

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

We're not flag favourites nor should we be. Calm down

 

[Senatorguesty]

Robert Shaw writing previews for Inside Footy had us finishing first (premiers?) and I've seen others say we will win the flag, but I've seen just as many say we will just scrap into the 8 based on nothing more than our all time great veterans.
The problem alot of people have is they just dont watch games, similar to players and the AFLPA MVP, most of the time they go by who they *think* or heard is the best because they just dont know.
So people will put the hawks as favourite because everyone says they should, they will have the eagles and swans up there aswell and likely the pies with the "too old and too slow" Cats moving down the ladder.
Fact is we are better placed at this time this year than what we were last year (by a considerable amount) and probably 2011 aswell.
But like others have said I just dont care, I hope they continue to under-rate the Cats and give us juicy odds throughout the year so we can all make some nice coin on the way to another flag.

 

[sarah.13]

If as Geelong supporters we are realistic a top 8 finish is expected.
If we have a good run with injuries especially to key players and turn a few close losses into wins then top 4 is achievable, from there anyone can win it!

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

They were seriously lucky last year and their best two
Mids - Bolton and mcveigh - are a year older, as is goodes.

Their best two midfielders, based on last year, are Kennedy and Jack (24 and 25 years old respectively). McVeigh has a minimum of four years left in him (turns 28 next month) and Bolton is probably no higher than sixth on the pecking order of midfielders for the Swans (behind the aforementioned, plus Hanneberry and O'Keefe). Craig Bird is valuable for them as a tagger and is under 25. And they have young talent like Luke Parker (who played in last year's premiership) and Tom Mitchell (taken as a father son pick in 2011) coming through. I just don't see any reason why they shouldn't be right in the mix again this year.

 

[jazzee]

odds for the 2008 season (01/01/08) from Sportsbet:
Port Adelaide $10.00

I guess they'd just made the gf but... wow.

 

[Partridge]

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.

The more I've followed footy, the less I've cared or rated the opinion of 99% of the football media. Most are ex-players and are either shockingly biased or hopelessly incompetent (or both). The genuine journalists are too lovestruck by the ex-players they wish they were to be impartial anymore. The predictions truly are worth dogshit and little else.

Happy to not be in the press all year long. For one thing it means the club aren't run by used car salesmen that need attention (Terry Wallace), it's being run by competent people focusing on developing a better football team. Everything else - everything - is irrelevant.

 

[Partridge]

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.

Brilliantly said. The one flaw with our board (and it's still the best) is that too many fans overlook negative results as some kind of aberration. We didn't finish 7th last year due to a conspiracy or bad luck - we just weren't good enough. We did manage to beat Hawthorn both times in thrilling encounters, but we played Collingwood twice and lost both, lost to Fremantle of all sides twice, got thrashed in Adelaide, easily beaten by North and conceded a 7 goal start to Sydney which not surprisingly they couldn't reel in.

Their best last year was almost as good as ever. But not nearly often enough. Until they can regain that consistency they won't be rated as a premiership threat. And that's fair enough.

 

[Partridge]

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.

Every football fan should read that sentence. Superb post.

 

[AM]

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.

It's a neat saying, but just doesn't cut it in my view.

Like many here I’m not big on speculating top four at this time of year. However basing it on the last game last year is nonsense.

Way more important is looking at how things are, not how they were. Trying to get a fix on the development of the young players; any perceived weaknesses; depth; what players will be missing; the recruits and how quickly they look like fitting into the team culture and game plan; the effect of long term injuries particularly to key players; team growth; confidence in the group and so it goes. They’re the sorts of measures the so-called experts should be looking at.

Anyone who draws a conclusion about a teams prospects this year based on the last game six months ago is highly likely to be way off the mark in my view.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

We didn't finish 7th last year due to a conspiracy or bad luck - we just weren't good enough. We did manage to beat Hawthorn both times in thrilling encounters, but we played Collingwood twice and lost both, lost to Fremantle of all sides twice, got thrashed in Adelaide, easily beaten by North and conceded a 7 goal start to Sydney which not surprisingly they couldn't reel in.

I think that's the thing. In the 2007-2011 period, we might have had one really bad loss a year that made you think 'What the hell happened there?' And within the next week, or fortnight, we'd be back to blowing teams off the park again.

In 2007, it was the North game.
In 2008, it was the Collingwood game.
In 2009, people will say it was the Brisbane game, but I'd probably say it was the loss to Carlton.
In 2010, the Collingwood loss in Round 19 pretty much showed that we (or anyone for that matter) would have to be very lucky to get near them for the premiership.
In 2011, it was the Sydney game at Kardinia.

One true stinker of a performance each year was about it. In 2012, we were blown off the park by North Melbourne (the scoreboard truly flattered us), we weren't up to it in our games against Collingwood (particularly the second), we were blown away by Adelaide and the never-say-die spirit wallpapered over the cracks in games like Fremantle, Sydney and Gold Coast (we won that game, but geez what an awful performance...). It wasn't an anomaly: we weren't up to it. And pretty much all of the contenders can be justified in thinking they've improved in the offseason. Which means we need to jump two levels to keep up.

 

[vinum coupe]

The more I've followed footy, the less I've cared or rated the opinion of 99% of the football media. Most are ex-players and are either shockingly biased or hopelessly incompetent (or both). The genuine journalists are too lovestruck by the ex-players they wish they were to be impartial anymore. The predictions truly are worth dogshit and little else.

Happy to not be in the press all year long. For one thing it means the club aren't run by used car salesmen that need attention (Terry Wallace), it's being run by competent people focusing on developing a better football team. Everything else - everything - is irrelevant.

Yep. I just tried to find David Schwarz ladder for this year.
Not because he has us on top but because it's a perfect example of how pretty much everyone is a lemming when it comes to ladders.

In that, his looks fanciful until you think about it and realise he hasn't been sucked by the rest of the media.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

It's a neat saying, but just doesn't cut it in my view.

Like many here I’m not big on speculating top four at this time of year. However basing it on the last game last year is nonsense.

Way more important is looking at how things are, not how they were. Trying to get a fix on the development of the young players; any perceived weaknesses; depth; what players will be missing; the recruits and how quickly they look like fitting into the team culture and game plan; the effect of long term injuries particularly to key players; team growth; confidence in the group and so it goes. They’re the sorts of measures the so-called experts should be looking at.

Anyone who draws a conclusion about a teams prospects this year based on the last game six months ago is highly likely to be way off the mark in my view.

I'm not saying that "you're only as good as your last game" is necessarily valid, I'm saying that it is how people perceive a team based on their showing in a final. You can disagree with that based on your own criteria all you like but the fact remains that Geelong looked terribly out of their depth against Freo. Factor injuries, inexperience, change of game plan and all variables as a supporter of the club - but don't expect outsiders or mainstream media writing for outsiders to be as discerning as yourself. You're only as good as your last game.

 

[Senatorguesty]

Do you remember some of the reasons he gave as to why we would finish 1st?

Off the top of my head, quality veterans, excitingly talented kids and the hunger from guys who wont be around all that much longer to do it just ONE more time.

 

[AM]

I'm not saying that "you're only as good as your last game" is necessarily valid, I'm saying that it is how people perceive a team based on their showing in a final. You can disagree with that based on your own criteria all you like but the fact remains that Geelong looked terribly out of their depth against Freo. Factor injuries, inexperience, change of game plan and all variables as a supporter of the club - but don't expect outsiders or mainstream media writing for outsiders to be as discerning as yourself. You're only as good as your last game.

I’m generally not a big fan of the commentariat either. Much of what is written is superficial. However I give them more credit than you do. I haven’t read one comment from even the most lightweight of commentator who has based his/her assessment of where we’ll finish in 2013 solely, or even substantially, on one game six months ago – final or no final. There is an understanding that sporting predictions are, by their very nature, imprecise and should be more about how things are, than how things were. Especially when the intervening period is six months.

I don’t agree our poor elimination final performance was to do with us being out of our depth either. More an effort and intensity issue for mine. I can’t recall the coach being more disappointed with one game than he was after that one. Had we won we would have been on the softer side of the draw. I think he felt the silverware was up for grabs and we let an opportunity to be at the big dance slip. If anything I think it will be a motivation for us this year.

As with many footy sayings “we’re only as good as our last game” is more footy jargon than a comment of substance in my view. Particularly when the last game was six months ago and, in our case, there have been a number of significant changes to our list.

This is one we’ll agree to disagree on.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

I’m generally not a big fan of the commentariat either. Much of what is written is superficial. However I give them more credit than you do. I haven’t read one comment from even the most lightweight of commentator who has based his/her assessment of where we’ll finish in 2013 solely, or even substantially, on one game six months ago – final or no final. There is an understanding that sporting predictions are, by their very nature, imprecise and should be more about how things are, than how things were. Especially when the intervening period is six months.

I don’t agree our poor elimination final performance was to do with us being out of our depth either. More an effort and intensity issue for mine. I can’t recall the coach being more disappointed with one game than he was after that one. Had we won we would have been on the softer side of the draw. I think he felt the silverware was up for grabs and we let an opportunity to be at the big dance slip. If anything I think it will be a motivation for us this year.

As with many footy sayings “we’re only as good as our last game” is more footy jargon than a comment of substance in my view. Particularly when the last game was six months ago and, in our case, there have been a number of significant changes to our list.

This is one we’ll agree to disagree on.

Again you're not reading my post. I didn't say we were out of our depth, but the perception that we were out of our depth has been intoned in the media many times. The perception is what motivates comment and why Geelong is not rated. Perception is not actual reality but as far as Joe Sixpack's opinion is concerned, Geelong are finished. Obviously you being a Geelong supporter you will look more closely but the media who you give more credit to than I is always looking for the next new dominant force. The media will confirm Joe Sixpack's bias that Geelong is finished and that West Coast, Carlton, Richmond etc. will be the flyer of 2013. They always add the lazy caveat "Geelong is not to be trifled with" as an escape clause if Geelong kicks off but every year they expect the Cats to drop away. 2012 did nothing to dissuade that view and the elimination final was the lingering memory of that.

 

[AM]

Again you're not reading my post. I didn't say we were out of our depth, but the perception that we were out of our depth has been intoned in the media many times. The perception is what motivates comment and why Geelong is not rated. Perception is not actual reality but as far as Joe Sixpack's opinion is concerned, Geelong are finished. Obviously you being a Geelong supporter you will look more closely but the media who you give more credit to than I is always looking for the next new dominant force. The media will confirm Joe Sixpack's bias that Geelong is finished and that West Coast, Carlton, Richmond etc. will be the flyer of 2013. They always add the lazy caveat "Geelong is not to be trifled with" as an escape clause if Geelong kicks off but every year they expect the Cats to drop away. 2012 did nothing to dissuade that view and the elimination final was the lingering memory of that.

Not so sure about your slight change of language to lingering memory either.

If there is one single standout preoccupation with those I’ve read in the commentariat it’s how much weight they place on who we’ve lost and how little weight they place on who we’ve gained and who we’ve developed. That has way more to do with their rating of us in 2013 than a distant lingering memory of a final six months ago.

 

[darren forssman]

Take a look at the 2013 predictions by the channel 7 team of commentators as follows. Quite the contrary, I think we are being well and truly rated highly, certainly as defying the usual gravitational decline associated with a successful ageing team.

sounds like 7 asked all and sundry (even the work experience kid) but ole romping wins didnt even get a prediction gig.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

Not so sure about your slight change of language to lingering memory either.

If there is one single standout preoccupation with those I’ve read in the commentariat it’s how much weight they place on who we’ve lost and how little weight they place on who we’ve gained and who we’ve developed. That has way more to do with their rating of us in 2013 than a distant lingering memory of a final six months ago.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/geelong-cats-season-preview-for-2013/story-fnelctok-1226597243275

The Cats uncharacteristically limped out of the finals race last season off the back of an elimination final loss to Fremantle that had them looking vulnerable.

http://blog.tomwaterhouse.com/geelong-2013-season-preview/

After a disappointing elimination final loss last year, there will be many lining up to write off the Cats in 2013.

http://www.footytragic.com/blog/list-analysis/list-analysis-geelong-cats/ - Much mention made of the elimination final in this opinion piece.

Now, not all of these articles suggest that Geelong is finished and I have cherry picked here to prove a point, but you are completely incorrect when you assert that the elimination final loss is a "distant lingering memory". That you give the media more credit than me, yet refuse to pay attention to the perceptions that it throws about in critique of Geelong's chances and performance indicates that you are not speaking objectively when you refute my opinion. This is an 18 team competition remember, and Geelong is not the only team to have made improvements and recruitments in the offseason. Past performance counts for plenty when the trend of your win/loss ratio is downward.

 

[Grizzly_82]

Might want to read the Norf flog proclaiming that North are a far better team.

Delusion at its finest... Really hoping we win the flag so they can eat their deluded words

 

[The Casey Cat]

Seriously who gives a shit? What an utterly embarrassing topic.

 

[LifeSpan-Void]

Seriously who gives a shit? What an utterly embarrassing topic.

To be honest I don't even understand why AM is arguing about it, it's pretty clear that the media is under no obligation to fellate us.