The scary part? Geelong’s only just getting started

 
Michael DiFabrizio Columnist

By , 15 Apr 2009 Michael DiFabrizio is a Roar Expert

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Max Rooke of Geelong & Nick Maxwell of Collingwood chase the ball during the AFL Round 03 match between the Geelong Cats and the Collingwood Magpies at the MCG. Slattery Images

Max Rooke of Geelong & Nick Maxwell of Collingwood chase the ball during the AFL Round 03 match between the Geelong Cats and the Collingwood Magpies at the MCG. Slattery Images

The hype right now might be about how good St Kilda have been or how bad Richmond have been, but Geelong’s quiet yet unbeaten start to the season is a story in its own right. If you include the NAB Cup, this year the Cats have eight wins from eight matches.

In the season proper, they’ve reversed last year’s grand final result against Hawthorn, withstood a surprisingly-hungry Richmond (if only the Tigers played like that every week!) and last weekend overcame the closest thing they’ve had to a bogey team in recent years, Collingwood.

The latter performance was described by Gary Lyon as the “best win of the season” so far.

It’s a fine start, and it is one made all the more remarkable by the side’s pragmatic approach to early season matches.

You could hardly call it vintage Geelong footy, but the Cats are simply doing whatever they have to do – and little else on top of that – in order to come home with the four points. It’s obvious that, for the most part, they’re not playing at their full capacity.

The aim of peaking around September must be firmly in their minds.

This approach has, admittedly, led to some unconvincing periods of play – such as Collingwood’s first quarter or Richmond’s third – but Geelong’s ability to close out games like few others has made it possible to keep on winning.

You can’t help get the feeling during games that at any moment, their intensity will lift and their opposition will be blown out of the water.

The only real problem areas – not that there have been many – appear to be the club’s defensive stocks and the accuracy of its forwards.

The former may end up being nothing more than a result of the side’s injury woes.

Josh Hunt’s season-ending knee injury has been cause for adjustment and captain Tom Harley is due back in the next couple of weeks, so an end to those troubles may be near.

The accuracy concern has been lingering since the loss to the Hawks last September. However it must be said the Cats have been running extra goal kicking sessions since the pre-season and it may take some time for these to bear fruit. We’ll have to wait and see.

But as extra insurance, the Cats have a wildcard in the form of third-year player Tom Hawkins. The “Tomahawk” showed early signs last week of assuming a role not too dissimilar to Nathan Ablett’s in 2007 – Ablett’s third year at the club.

Evidently, the so-called “problem areas” are another example of the side’s room for improvement.

So far, they’re just getting the job done. It’s scary to think what may lie ahead.

As the season rolls closer to September, their intensity is only going to lift. Add to that the expected return of Harley and Brad Ottens, as well as a couple of young guns taking their games up a notch, and it seems like another stellar Geelong season is on the cards.

Just one question remains, though: can they go one better than last year’s efforts?

Follow Michael on twitter @mdifabrizio
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