Round 14 confirmed we are witnessing a shift in the balance of power in the competition, and Geelong’s reign at the top of the AFL is coming to an end.
Yes it was only one game. Yes the Cats are still a top-six team, and may still be an outside chance to be a player in September.
But the days of pencilling in Geelong as a preliminary finalist are well and truly over.
Just look at their four losses this season – all interstate against fellow top eight teams. Of course, one could argue that such form is perfectly acceptable, and in the case of almost any other club, such sentiment would be accurate. But more is expected from Geelong.
The Cats since 2007 simply would not lose these games. The Cats that we know were always eager to prove themselves against top opposition on the road, and even in the most trying of circumstances, we would be left to marvel at their ability to get the job done.
The demise of Geelong as a serious premiership threat has been predicted by all at some stage over the last two or three years, and they have made the doubters look stupid each time. Not this time though. It is the end for the Cats. The mystique is gone.
However, while one story ends, another begins.
The Suns have well and truly risen, and are showing signs they will indeed become the team we were adamant they would be since their inception.
We very rarely realise it at the time, but every great team has that a clear turning point game on its path to greatness. For the Cats, it was Round 5, 2007, when they lost to the Kangaroos at Kardinia Park, leaving them with a record of 2-3 and questions surrounding Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson’s future at the club.
We all know how that turned out.
The Suns will probably not reach the level of greatness the Cats have achieved over the last seven years, but if they even come close over the next few seasons, this weekend’s win against Geelong will be viewed as that turning point.
It won’t show this season, but the Gold Coast have officially overtaken Geelong, and it is no longer outrageous to think that the Suns will win their first premiership before the Cats add another to their collection.
With Gary Ablett at the peak of his game and showing no signs of slowing down for at least another two or three seasons, a bevy of young stars developing around him, and the finals experience that these young stars are likely to gain this season, is there any reason the Suns can’t compete for a premiership in 2015 or 2016?
Such a standard should be the bare minimum for a club that has been handed so many high draft picks since 2010, but it takes a lot of work to meld such talented individuals into a successful team. This is where credit must be given to Guy McKenna and his coaching staff, for building a team that will be a genuine force for years to come.
When the Suns are a perennial top-four team, we will remember Round 14, 2014, as the moment they arrived.
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