The AFL premiership race is wider open than most think, with Sydney having shown that sides in the bottom half of the top eight are genuine threats, says Geelong coach Chris Scott.
Scott said there were areas the Cats needed to fix after being upset 15.9 (99) to 12.14 (86) by the Swans at Skilled Stadium on Saturday.
But he said the result was more due to Sydney’s sustained pressure than the Cats having a particularly bad day.
“I didn’t think we were horrendous today, I thought the opposition were very good and we weren’t quite at our best and that’s enough,” Scott said.
“We know that that will be the situation in finals as well.”
While the ladder suggests a gulf between the top five and the rest, with Collingwood the clear standouts, Scott said the Swans’ form should stand as a warning.
“People have a tendency of looking at the ladder and seeing where the gap is and making sweeping generalisations,” he said.
“I don’t think Collingwood are miles in front of everyone else either.
“I don’t think it’s beyond the realms of possibility that the side that finishes seventh or eighth could really trouble the top sides, all those things are very real.
“We need to play somewhere near our best to win every week and if we’re a little bit off and the opposition are good we’ll get beaten.
“It’s the same for Collingwood, it’s the same for Hawthorn, Carlton and West Coast.”
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Could Patrick Dangerfield be winging his way back to Adelaide? The Crows are reportedly set to target the veteran star for 2024 to help…
One of the worst games of the star forward's whole career!
When people say a home-and-away match is finals-like, they're usually referring, at least in part, to its quality. That was far from the case…
What on earth was this from Jobe?
Last, year in the second showdown, Adelaide destroyed Port by 47 points with a staggering 20 marks inside 50 with Tex Walker the main star.
