As a proud Geelong man, it’s been a tough month of viewing.
Cats fans have become accustomed to Geelong’s slow play style in the last four or five years. Fans have been promised that the coaching panel just need a big recruit or two and the dream of another flag will be just around the corner.
However, as the last few years have shown us, no matter who plays in the mighty blue-and-white hoops, Geelong just can’t seem to get past the roaring pressure of the Tigers as well as other teams that have adapted to the modern game and chosen the speed and chaotic style of game.
The Geelong brand has changed too far away from what the Cats are and what they have tried to be as a club for decades. From the era of the Geelong flyer to the excitement of Gary Ablett, Geelong have been a team that may not have always got the chocolates, but boy, were they fun to watch.
You only have go back to the mid 2000s when Sydney and West Coast were defensive beasts and experts everywhere were asking how sides were going to score against them. The answer? Just straight down the Geelong highway. That to Geelong fans was what we’ve always wanted. Fast, skilful and quick game styles gave us something to cheer about.
We now sit through games bored and frustrated at this rigid, structured game style that’s truly taken all the entertainment and joy out of watching the game and team we love so much.
(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Ironically, the game style Geelong now play is in the same mould of the club we love to hate in Hawthorn. It’s become too much for the supporters to bare. We are a very understanding group, we know key players are out, we understand we have had a shorter pre-season than most and we get that the start of the season can show some sides are a bit more ready.
We can handle these excuses, but what we can’t handle is the same thing, year in and year out, expecting a different result. That is the definition of insanity.
This style has not been able to work under high pressure for the last four years, whether that pressure be the intensity of a finals game or the pressure placed on the ball carrier. As we have seen time and time again, it does not work against teams that heap pressure on Geelong, especially in the Cats’ back half.
Geelong have a defensive unit skilful enough by foot to be chipping the ball around, maintaining possession, and if the Cats did, I’m sure there would not be so much talk around it. Geelong need to make a change and they need to make it now.
It isn’t just the ball movement that’s the issue. Geelong have seemingly got no spark and unfortunately, it’s in a number of areas. There’s no zip in the Cats’ ball speed or leg speed. Sides are seemingly outpacing the Cats in both facets.
There is also no aggression or ferociousness to the team. Sides don’t fear Geelong when they have the ball. They are fending the Cats off, and running through Geelong’s lines and zones of coverage, and it’s because they’ve identified that Geelong don’t cut off the ball at the source.
Geelong run away from the ball carrier into their defence to try and intercept the long kick inside their 50. You’ve seen too many forward 50 entries from the opposition where the leader is coming to the direction of the kicker, which is catching the Cats off guard.
I would love to see Geelong try to be more aggressive when it comes heaping pressure on the opposition around the contest and allow less inside 50s altogether. Geelong need to find a way to get aggressive and put that fear back into sides that if they try to run and carry the ball through the Cats, someone will be there to apply pressure or a tackle.
That’s a Geelong team I want to see – not this clean-cut, high-possession nonsense that the Cats are playing now. The potential inclusions for this week should help this week and the farewell of some of the club’s past champions will hopefully inspire the team to put on a great show for us all.
Let’s hope this Sunday is a catalyst.
Aaron Paul
Roar Rookie
the tigers have only played one bad game, and lost one game against the other contender side for the year by 2 points
Real Cats Fan
Roar Rookie
Nobody's content with just competing! I'm bitterly disappointed Geelong hasn't won the flag every year since 1979. Some of us lift the bottom lip and come out next year barracking even harder. Some don't. That's just opposing views I guess.
Mark
Roar Rookie
Rejoice!? Bit of a Daggy Dad, Scomo, Happy Clapper idea, that one!
Windrince
Roar Rookie
Finishing below the eight isn't exactly the worst thing in the world mate - more half of afl teams do it every year and it's a miracle geelong have been able to stay in the eight for so long
JB
Guest
A little too harsh this early on. Can Mooney write a interesting column last week & to me it makes sense. Cats and Tigers batted an extra 4 weeks later than most clubs and had a much shorter pre-season. He suggested that their pre-season won’t effectively finish for a few more weeks. They aren’t match fit yet, so they are chipping and holding possession because they can’t yet run out 4 qtrs. I expect we will see a very different Cats team from around round 7 or 8. They just need the run in the legs before they can take the game on. Have faith!
Alphonse Caprice
Roar Rookie
Hi Kick to Kick, this is 100% a great call. It truly depends what side of the fence you sit on in my opinion. Geelong have won a lot of games during the season, yes, but what does it really count for? When a team is in contention for a flag for many years, only missing the finals once since 2007, not all but some fans patience does begin to wear thin. Are we crying over spilt milk, absolutely. We have been in a privileged position for the last 18 years making finals nearly every season and that's something other clubs would dream of. But this game is only about one thing and that is winning Premierships. If you're going to play finals you want to win the whole thing, not just be there and have a chance. Now let's be honest, flags are not easy to win in the slightest and I'm not going to sit here and pretend that they are, but when you have won as you point out the amount of games we have during the season during Scott's tenure, it's hard for us to not feel hard done by if we aren't going all the way. Take it from this perspective, if we can win so much during the season, why can't we get it done during the finals series? That's the question we've been asking. Yes we made it last year, but in the "Richmond Era" we've only been able to beat them once, and let's be honest we got lucky with Harry Taylor kicking 4 that day. They are the team we haven't been able to get past, and you look throughout history when one team is dominant against another, the club who loses usually tries to come up with an alternative way of combating them. That is something we haven't done, yet. I appreciate what view you take Kick to Kick, you're the glass half full type. Unfortunately, I'm the glass half empty. But that's this forum is great for, to discuss our opposing views. And for those saying stop your whining, just because this article is from a pessimistic side, doesn't mean I'm am anti Geelong. I will be writing more pieces on them, from a much more positive perspective soon. I love emyc club and I barrack harder than most for them. And if you're content with competing thenn I'm not sure you've got a grasp on what playing sport is all about. As the cliché goes, winning isn't everything, winning is the only thing.
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
The lower the Cats finish the better! Richmond have their first round draft pick at year's end. Thank you very much!
okapiman
Roar Rookie
Good article. One element for me is both Longmire & Chris Scott won GF's off their predecessor's game plans. Both have ultimately failed when creating the opportunity off their game plan. So as much as people rave about both as coaches - they are not Clarkson's, Simpson's or Hardwick's. Good coaches - but not close to great. Longmire could have re-invented himself this year with Pyke. Scott is walking a well-worn road that we all know will not lead to a premiership.. The good news for everyone else is that Geelong's chance to win the GF if they are to make it, and it looks like no chance at this stage - really fall down to the other team choking in the GF - which again is highly unlikely.
Real Cats Fan
Guest
You're a dead set legend Kick to Kick. I genuinely hope whoever your side is finishes runners up to Geelong this year. To all those negative Cats fans, stop your whinging, barrack for your side, and start appreciating your club has far and away been the most competative and consistent team in the competition for the last 15 years. And still are!
2dogz
Roar Rookie
Why can’t we all just Rejoice in the success Geelong as a club. The Tigers were a terrible club for 50 of years +
Kick to Kick
Roar Rookie
Hey Alphonse. Cool nom de plume and photo. I reverse searched the image and found it on a couple of other Twitter handles I’m but not sure who it is. Sort of Salvador Dali meets Hercule Poirot. Your Geelong analysis, while equally fictional doesn’t have quite the same flair. Maybe some fans are just hard to please. No Geelong hasn’t won a flag since 2011, but the Cats have probably been the most consistent team in the league over recent years. Just look at the numbers. At 69% Chris’s Scott has the best win/loss ratio of any coach in the AFL era. And it’s hard to argue his approach is dour or defensive. In the past 5 seasons the Cats are number one for total points scored . That’s more goals to enjoy than for any other club membership. The Giants are a fairly distant second. Maybe you wanted those goals to be scored differently but that’s a bit of a first-world problem don’t you think? Over those same 5 years the Cats have a percentage of 132%. Phenomenal to sustain that. Next best over the stretch is West Coast at 125%. Richmond only managed 110%. Sounds to me like a pretty good dose of enjoyment for Cats fans. And I’m not one of them. Maybe they’re due for a slide this year but have a thought for fans who have genuinely gone through tough times - at Carlton or Essendon for instance.
WESLEY ANGUS
Guest
Your joking Geelong are too old and slow in a 30 year old players club simple as that
2dogz
Roar Rookie
The Tigers are on the same amount of wins as the Cats... they should reset... very quickly
WESLEY ANGUS
Guest
I agree Geelong are just too old and slow and teams just run passed them with this boring brand of football. Chris Scott should go all he’s done is win one Grand Final in 2011 and since then has been a team of wantabees. Change their Game plan or I think they will finish below the 8 which I think is were they are at. I’m sick and tired of Geelong playing recycled over 30 year old players when you have so many young players wanting a game and they can’t get in ,so in the end they will go play with another team and become stars . Shame shame on you Geelong won’t win anymore Premierships until Chris Scott is gone for good.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
That's a relief to all of us.
Alphonse Caprice
Roar Rookie
Sorry to burst your bubble mate, unfortunately not the same person.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Alphonse/Alphingtonian? Boots into Scott's game plan? Geelong supporter?
Alphonse Caprice
Roar Rookie
Hi Don Freo, I assure you I'm new on here mate and I'm not rehashing an old account. Happy to discuss anything with you though mate.
Republican
Guest
Not just the Cats. The game has devolved across the board into a defensive, frenetic ground contested spectacle of grovel ball while over policing and ambiguous rule changes have also rendered the game soft. While some clubs have endeavoured to counter this style from time to time, the best being the Doggies to my mind in recent years for open play, there seems to be little incentive to continue fostering a positive style of footy because you are unlikely to win the overall contest and lets face it, its only about winning.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
This is the return of Alphingtonion. You have disappeared for 3 years after predicting Geelong's fall and finding no support from Geelong players. They just kept winning. Now they lose a game and you're back. I don't get that kind of club supporter. Why don't you just change clubs, Alphonse?