Well, that’s it – premiership favourites Geelong have been brushed aside with ease by a rampaging Sydney in a one-sided preliminary final, ending the Cats’ promising season of redemption on the sourest of notes.
After missing out on the finals in 2015, 17 wins and five losses on paper marks a marvellous season.
This was a shocking loss which raised plenty of eyebrows, but how far should we be reading into it?
Was it just a bad night or were some major problems exposed on (almost) the biggest of stages in front of all to see?
With Dangerfield in their arsenal and more experience under the belt, most would expect improvement from the Cats again next year, or at least more of the same, but I’m not so sure.
Despite the superstar performances, thrashing victories and emphatic qualifying final triumph, there’s been a strange feeling throughout the season that something’s a bit fishy down at the Cattery – a strange feeling that rose to the fore as the Swans piled on goal after goal on the helpless Cats in front of stunned footy fans all around the country.
Remember, the Cats only suffered five losses in the regular season. Two of those were to fellow top four dwellers, the Swans and the GWS Giants; fair enough.
But the other three, as small a number as that is, had much bigger implications.
Round 9 versus Collingwood. Geelong forget to show up, are absolutely belted in the first quarter and never put themselves in any real position to recover. Lost by 24.
The following week: Round 10 versus Carlton – last year’s wooden spooners. Billed as the perfect chance for redemption, Geelong go in as heavy favourites. The Cats assume the win before the first bounce and look uninterested all day. Once they realise the game has begun, the Blues have won comfortably by 21 points.
Four weeks later, with those two shock losses still fresh in the memories of everyone, the Cats take on their next bottom-10 opponent: St Kilda. Surely it couldn’t happen again? All night Geelong drifts in and out of second gear and the Saints take a thoroughly deserved three point win.
Hardly the exploits of an elite football side.
Some of those 17 wins weren’t exactly convincing either.
Take the Richmond game in Round 21. In a severe case of history repeating, the reactive, indifferent Cats find themselves down by almost seven goals at the final break, destined for another embarrassing shock loss to a far less fancied opponent. It took an incredibly poignant choking act from the even-more-disappointing Tigers for the Cats to steal a last-gasp four-point win.
The result of the Essendon game was also far from ideal. Only five goals separated the top-four Cats and the 18th placed Bombers. In a season where percentage came at a premium, the Cats truly failed to fire.
Of course, there was also the (missed) shot heard round the world, the two-point qualifying final triumph over the Hawks. We all know the story.
Obviously Isaac Smith was more than capable of drilling that goal, and would do so nine times out of ten. We also all know that he didn’t – but he never should have been allowed to try.
Why weren’t the Cats smarter in the final minutes? Where was the pressure on the Hawthorn ball carriers? Where were the extra men helping out in defence? Why, with only a few seconds left, was Isaac Smith alone inside 50?
More question marks than the Riddler’s jumpsuit.
There’s no doubt that the Cats still had some remarkable wins. The season opener against Hawthorn, strong road wins against both South Australian teams, and a couple of triple-figure demolition jobs on the hapless Demons and Suns were all tremendously encouraging.
Still, to borrow the words of a certain cartoon French nun, something was not right. A few somethings, actually.
The list has issues.
As harsh as it may sound, the Cats have too many players who are not as good as they think they are. While we can never get inside the head of these athletes, body language and behaviour on the field can be a pretty damn good indicator, and a few blokes showed some pretty ordinary signs as the year rolled out.
First off – Steven Motlop. He seems to be a lightning rod when things don’t go so well, but unfortunately for Stevie, recently it hasn’t been undeserved.
Unpredictable and exciting has translated to undisciplined and frustrating all too often this season, in victory and defeat alike. While he has put in a few virtuoso performances along the way, he has failed to become a better player this than he was the last. Too often he tries for the miracle play, losing awareness of what’s around him and the poise the situation requires.
Mitch Duncan had a fairly consistent season, but did he improve? The same can be asked of last year’s best-and-fairest, Mark Blicavs. Good – but was it good enough?
Josh Caddy is possibly the most interesting – and maybe, disappointing – case of this at the Cattery.
Landing the young gun from the Suns was a huge get: he was a top end draft talent yet to hit his straps, coming to one of the most successful clubs of the modern era to master his craft. In his first couple of years he was right on track; building steadily towards becoming a star of the competition, but in recent times, he’s become a conundrum, occasionally appearing arrogant and listless.
For every time he’s broken a tackle, he’s missed one himself. For every amazing goal, there’s an infuriating turnover. He needs to fix a lot of areas in his game if he’s going to be the player he’s capable of becoming – but will he?
Are any of these players truly indispensable? Would the Cats benefit from perhaps making a few shock trades next month?
Patrick Dangerfield was no doubt a killer acquisition, but the star’s incredible ability to dominate games has also served to show that his backup cast aren’t always up to scratch.
Add to that the list of veterans that still march out each week in the hoops. Corey Enright was sensational all year and deservedly earned his spot in the All-Australian team, but at 35 years of age surely cannot continue much longer.
Jimmy Bartel and Andrew Mackie are both 32 now, and while still can play their roles, they’re not consistently having the impact they once did.
Forgive me for delving into the sad, harsh reality of professional football, but could someone ten years younger with room to grow not do the same?
Tom Lonergan, 32, and Harry Taylor, 30, are also inching closer to the end of their careers, noticeably slowing down as they do so. They can hold the fort for a short while longer, but what then? Who’s being groomed as their replacements?
The questions keep on coming.
As for the coach, Chris Scott doesn’t escape the interrogation room either.
From the outside looking in, it appears as though Chris is yet to learn the difference between perseverance and stubbornness. Scott hesitates to make changes until it is far too late, too often leaving fans wondering ‘what if?’ well into the hours after the final siren has sounded.
For example, why, after a solid season playing defence, was Lachie Henderson used (ineffectively) as a forward against the Swans? Are the players as frustrated as the fans?
His position at the top seems safe, but if ill-fate were to befell the Cats in the near future, those pickaxes and torches might be out sooner than you’d think.
Geelong, 2016. A curious year culminates in a very curious finish.
Who stays? Who goes? Who comes in? Who’s the trade bait?
Will they rise or will they fall?
Is this all too harsh or not harsh enough?
Too many questions? Not enough?
Let me know, and watch this space.
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