Today we look at Geelong, one of the most successful teams of recent times. The Cats have just loaded up on firepower ahead of the 2015 season.
Once again making the finals and sending shivers down the spine of the big teams in 2014, will 2015 be the season the Cats finally tumble?
Last season
Many predicted the Cats to tumble in 2014 but they did the opposite, finishing the home-and-away in third spot. Even more amazingly they used 35 players throughout the season giving experience to the next crop of stars.
They bombed out of the finals in straight sets after almost running over the Kangaroos in the semi to fall a goal short of a preliminary final. Some young guns stepped up to become important cogs in the Geelong 22 while captain Joel Selwood was outstanding again. What didn’t work was finding support for Tom Hawkins, as Jimmy Bartel and Selwood were next in line for the leading goalkickers.
Next season
Geelong aggressively went after talls during the trade period, securing the signature of Mitch Clark from Melbourne and Rhys Stanley from the Saints.
This looms as a gamble that could have a huge return. Clark attacks the contest and has great marking ability – making him one of the most formidable forwards in the competition on his day.
Stanley can play all over the ground and may relish less responsibility to become a third tall forward or a Matthew Richardson-style wingman.
The question mark will be whether the next crop of midfielders steps up to provide opposition coaches with more headaches than shutting down Selwood and Bartel. I expect the Cats to be right in the hunt again, pushing for the third to sixth positions. With extra forward line presence they might be a force come finals time.
Who to look out for
Cam Guthrie looks like the heir apparent to Corey Enright off half-back, but may find himself utilised through the midfield as well next season.
His ability to shut down and find his own ball will have him close to first picked by coach Scott each week as he joins Selwood, Horlin-Smith, Caddy, Duncan, and Motlop as the next crop of midfield guns.
Needs a big year
Dawson Simpson and Nathan Vardy sit in a precarious position, with the Cats bringing in two genuine talls.
They might be battling it out this season for a position on the 2016 list. With Hawkins, McIntosh, Clark, Stanley, and Blicavs all ahead of them in the tall forward or ruck pecking order, the two giants will need to be knocking the door down in the VFL to remain in list consideration at the season’s end.
Best 22
FB: Taylor, Lonergan, Mackie
HB: Enright, Rivers, Guthrie
C: Caddy, Horlin-Smith, Kelly
HF: Johnson, Clark, Stokes
FF: Bartel, Hawkins, Motlop
R: McIntosh, Duncan, Selwood
I: Murdoch, Stanley, Smedts, Kersten
Shane
Guest
Most at Geelong know that their second half fade outs last year were due to poor fitness management programs. That is why the club cleaned out the department. Nothing to do with form or being on a slide - our older playerrs had the most consistent output through those fade out games.
John Ascenzo
Guest
As a Cats fan since 1953, I agree.with you. Bartel: great in the past but now too old, too slow and a disaster in the back line. Johnson ready to fall off the cliff as well. Enright might find in August thet finals are beyond him ; Lonergan only ever beats Franklin, Rivers a marginal success. What! No Varcoe, no Christensen and we delist a quartet of similar players. I just hope Selwood doesn't lose his head literally or that Caddy doesn't go surfing. If Hawkins goes missing, we will struggle to kick 10 goals a game. Thank heavens for 2007 and good luck for the future.
me, I like football
Guest
As a Cats fan I would be happy if we make the finals in '15. we are in a rebuild stage but hope we don't sink to the depths of St Kilda or Bulldogs with their rebuild.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
yep - it's like my buddy who thinks he knows about horse racing when he wins on the 100/1 donkey. Little does he know we are all laughing at him when he loses the other 99 times - as are the Bookies :) Mike Sheahan is the ultimate jump on/off bandwagoner in the business.
andyl12
Guest
They also won a lot of games in 2014 by narrow margins and barely won a second half all season. It all points to a side barely hanging on to their era, a bit like Hawthorn were for a few years after their 1991 flag until they dropped to 15th in 1995. (Although our '91 flag already had good youngsters who simply couldn't rediscover their form in the years that followed)
Paul D
Roar Guru
The pundits writing off Geelong’s chances are like the guy who keeps slapping his chips on number 28 on roulette, and then claims he’s a genius when it eventually comes up. Probability dictates they will be right eventually, as you say. But regardless of when it eventually happens, this has been a fantastic, golden era for the club, even if they’re out of flags for the time being.
Brian
Guest
They have enormous raw talent which is under 21 and also quite a reliance on some veterans. They could rise again in 2-3 years but in the immediate terms there seems more holes to fill then natural improvement. Lonegran, Mackie, Enright, Johnson, Bartel, Kelly, Stokes. There's still an aging core. Selwood and Hawkins are at their peak but its hard to see them being more impressive then they were in 2014. 5-8 seems about right and a great effort in a rebuilding era. However they just don't have enough guys around their peak to win the flag in 2015.
Lewis Stewart
Roar Rookie
Top four a very realistic chance. Geelong love being written off. With the depth in talent, it will be up to the coaching staff to get the right mix week to week. What the hell....Cats 2015 Premiers! Too old, too slow...too good.
alicesprings
Guest
I think the Cats will finish the year somewhere between 5th and 8th…so much hinges on how the forward line clicks.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Bit early to be predicting much, other than saying Geelong have been on the slide now for the past 5 years according to most experts in the media. The ironic thing is one day these so called 'experts' are going to be right and you cat bet they will be the first to tell-you-so, despite being wrong 90 per cent of the time.
andyl12
Guest
Geelong have an unhealthy reliance on a select few, who are all becoming older than prime age now. Unless a few of their youngsters turn into A-graders then Top 4 is out of the question in 2015. Top 8 wouldn't be a certainty either.
TheBlackCat1859
Guest
Guthrie played exclusively as a midfielder (mostly tagger) in 2014 already.
Dean
Guest
Forget who they draft. Even if they get a game, first year players aren't going to change much. January/February heroes on the training track is always misleading and there will be more injuries in each week of pre-season matches than during the whole training period. Summer hype is just to sell memberships. Everybody is always flying. I think this is a pretty good assessment of where Geelong's at. Really wanting the extra tall forwards to work as well as really needing some guys to step up from B to A grade. I think they've got the leadership and examples to follow.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Great to see Blicavs doing well, one of my favourite players. Although I'm sure whoever has to try and follow him round the ground each week isn't a fan.
Brent Ford
Roar Guru
I find it's hard to do these previews until January. So many unknowns like who will they draft? Who will pick up an early injury there are so many unknowns. :)