James Kelly, Jimmy Bartel and Joel Corey of the Cats celebrate their win in the AFL 2nd Preliminary Final match between the Geelong Cats and the West Coast Eagles at the MCG, Melbourne. Slattery Images
As a die-hard Collingwood supporter, Saturday’s result was hard to swallow. But that is now in the past. The best team prevailed, but the time has come, already, to look towards 2012.
Also hard to swallow is the notion that the mighty Geelong Cats may not be done quite yet.
We can write off the Cats at our peril even with up to four of their stalwarts departing.
You need only look at the situation twelve months ago to understand why.
Of Cameron Mooney, Darren Milburn, Brad Ottens, Cameron Ling and David Wojcinski, the first two have hung up their boots, and at least one of the latter three is likely to follow suit.
Mooney and Milburn had limited game-time in their final season, with Allen Christensen, Travis Varcoe and Andrew Mackie emerging as the future, so it is hardly as if the club will be clutching at straws for replacements come round one next season.
Ottens has ready-made replacements in Trent West and Nathan Vardy, so that department is covered, and while Ling and Wojcinski will be sorely missed, the Cats have plenty of reserve to call upon.
They will also regain young gun, Daniel Menzel, in the latter half of next season, and suddenly it looks as though Geelong will be hanging around the top of the ladder, for at least another twelve months.
Matthew Scarlett has flagged his intentions to retire at the end of next season, and Paul Chapman, Corey Enright and Joel Corey won’t be any younger.
Perhaps their desire to go out as back-to-back premiers, something which has eluded the club despite their unparalled success, will drive them to continue the legacy.
Then again, perhaps it won’t, and the first Saturday in October probably turned out to be Geelong’s last hurrah.
But we might as well turn ourselves over to a mental institution and don a straitjacket, if we were to believe this!
kick to kick
Guest
The Cats will be competitive next year, though they may lack all the hunger they had this year, having been written off and wanting to prove the doubters wrong. Collingwood may not have Malthouse but they will have the kind of hurt pride that propelled Geelong this year. The great thing about a new season is that every one starts even, with supporters' hopes undiminshed by reality. Hawthorn will believe they canwin another flag in 2012. The Blues will be equally hopeful. West Coast and Sydney seem on an upward trajectory, with young players coming through. Freemantle will fancy a Ross Lyon's dividend, and Melbourne may at last have the professionalism to exploit all that young talent. Bombers, Bulldogs, Tigers, Crows, and Kangaroos will all predict a top 8 finish. Lions and Suns will see a rapid climb up the ladder ahead. Hard to be bullish about the Saints and virtually impossible about Port Adelaide and GWS in the short term. But who knows?
chloe
Roar Rookie
Also, wIth the younger players we did see a bit of this year (Menzel, Duncan, Christensen, Vardy, West) there are also a few other good young players coming through like Billie Smedts (first round draft pick last year and is spoken very highly of), Steven Motlop, Cameron Guthrie, Taylor Hunt who was in the cats best 22 at one stage, Mitch Brown, and a few others too. The future of Geelong sure does look exciting. I also find it amazing that with being so high up the ladder each year, Stephen Wells and his team continue to find such great players with low picks in the draft.
Greg Mac
Guest
They might not go through 2012 with the type of 19-3 win/loss season they enjoyed this year, but I think most would conceed they'll at least be top-4 material... 'Hands up' those teams wanting to play a seasoned Geelong side in a Prelim final? Not many...
Jamie
Roar Rookie
"Those who don't ackowledge history are doomed to repeat it" - I can not believe there has been ongoing debate over Geelong's chances next year within days or even hours of their premiership. Have we collectively forgotten that the Cats were given little chance this year, especially with the abence of Mark Thompson and Gary Ablett. Apparently their premiership window had closed, how embarassed those people including myself must feel, we were wrong, totally, and utterly wrong, this team is made of special stuff. The cats have blooded Menzel, Duncan, and Christianson and further develpoped the likes of Tom Hawkins and Trent West. They will have the combination that everyone yearns for next year, one of experience and youth. This team looks unlikely to lose the hunger for success, given Scarlett and Chapman spoke of another flag directly after the game. The group is reinvigorated by a new coach,new players and drive to continue proving us all wrong. The window is still very much open and could stay ajar beyond 2012.
Matt F
Roar Guru
It all depends on their older players. If many of them retre, or the ones with question marks over their heads elect to play on but play for one season too long then it's hard to see them winning the flag again next year (though you would never write them off!) It could be that many of their veterans stay on and continue to play at their current high level and they contend again, we will just have to wait and see. Even if they do lose some players though, you won't see them collapse to the bottom 4 any time soon. They've got some good kids coming through and their backroom staff (in all departments) is second to none. Whenever the inevitable decline/rebuild comes (which may be next season but could be longer) I expect it will result in them finishing 5-8 for a few seasons with maybe 1-2 years outside the finals (but only 10-12th) before coming back up. I highly doubt we'll see them clogging up the bottom 4 like some other old premiership teams have.
TomC
Guest
I'm sure they'll be hanging around the top of the ladder, but to my mind the biggest quality that made them a premiership team in 2011 was their extraordinary depth. With a few key retirements that won't be such an advantage next season so I'm not sure they'll be able to repeat the performance. I'd also bet against Buckley being able to get Collingwood back. Lots of great players, but Malthouse was a specialist at getting the most out of his list. This isn't Buckley's team. My early prediction is a Hawks-Blues grand final in 2012.