There is no doubting Geelong are the deserving winners by far but so were Melbourne last year and Richmond before that. It could look like Geelong just had to turn up and play and that would be more than enough.
It can be hard to win premierships and for all the hard work that they have done over the past 10 years they only have one flag to show for it.
You can have very good years but with 5-6 other teams also there with you it can be difficult to win three finals and Geelong nearly didn’t beat Collingwood, who for the second time in four years lost a narrow preliminary final costing the GF of an all-Victorian spectacle.
Like Richmond and Melbourne before them they deserve to be winners as they were the standout team all year.
It takes hard work and a bit of luck at times to win a flag as your opponent on the day may be substandard or off their game slightly.
Geelong know all about falling short possibly by being slightly off or beaten by a better team. It doesn’t matter now but they primed their run well and took all before them.
They knew they couldn’t allow Sydney an equal share of the ball and made sure they didn’t get their hands on it and couldn’t go forward to a one-on-one forward line with space.
Whoever can take the game by the scruff of the neck and dominate play can take all before them.
We’ve seen in years past that one team can make a mockery of being there and spoil the big dance for everyone watching.
Only once the game becomes a contest and both teams are up for the fight does it become close. Only the West Coast versus Collingwood 2018 Grand Final has it been close in recent years as losing can be demoralising, and it’s easy to surrender once the game is lost.
Geelong fixed what was wrong with their structure that had failed them in the past and atoned for the missed opportunities.
We can say Geelong took this year’s cup when others took the past ones away from them.
We’ve seen in the past getting to a Grand Final is a difficult thing let alone playing well on the big stage.
As much as we marvelled at and celebrated Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs, Richmond and Melbourne for winning, we also acknowledge Geelong for their achievement this year.
I guess most of us move on quickly as we will this year and look forward to what our teams can do next year and with a bit of luck, hopefully they’re celebrating like Geelong.
Dazzler
Roar Rookie
I just explained how and why the Tigers weren't worthy! Ignorance is bliss, isn't it? This is what the AFL's lack of integrity hinges on>>> People like you that can accept that corruption because ultimately, you love AFL more than you care about its integrity! Integrity means much more to me than anything else! The Cats weren't that far in front at half time but in a fairly umpired game they would have been much more in front and Richmond wouldn't have been able to have come back from there(again, in a fairly umpired game). As I have said, the inconsistency of the umpiring in that finals series(compared from one game to another) can't be ignored! To allow the Tigers to push their opponents in the back in the GF, after the umpires repeatedly penalised them in the Preliminary final against Port for doing it, exposed a BIG HOLE in the AFL's integrity for that finals series! If you watched for it in both games, one after the other, you would see my point but Tigers fans wouldn't because it would shatter their reality of the Tigers being 'deserving winners' of that GF!
Dazzler
Roar Rookie
Also, to say that Tomahawk gets away with poor decisions by the umpires at times >>> Can you recall anything other than that one time that he blatantly pushed Harris Andrews in the back and got away with it? Because I have examples and screen shots of many times that Tomahawk didn't get treated fairly from the umpires last season! Tomahawk is really the ONLY true Power Forward in the game atm and he gets a lot of attention from opposition players that will goto any length to stop his influence and put him off his game and the umpires let them get away with A LOT! I think for you to suggest that Tomahawk gets more than his fair share of support from the umpires is the Melbourne Mob mentality because why is Tom Lynch's rep not tarnished by you guys like that when he literally pushes his opponents in the back in EVERY GAME and gets away with it! <_<
Dazzler
Roar Rookie
That was fair play by Dangerfield >>>I've dispelled that on my FB also with Screen shots>>> Danger had a right to attack the 'live' ball, which he arrived at FIRST>>> He fisted the ball away from himself because he was about to be sandwiched between 2 tigers players, he PULLED HIS ARM BACK TO DEFEND HIMSELF FROM THE IMPACT! Vlastuin had the intent to physically hurt Geelong players which was evident within the first 6 seconds of the game when he hit Simpson Head High when he was in possession of the ball(and the umpires didn't reward him with a deserved Free Kick) and Danger had a 'front row seat' to that performance so rightly so he would have been pissed and he had a split second to decide whether he should raise his elbow or clash heads with Vlastuin and I think that by the tone of the game that Richmond/Vlastuin(and the umpires) had set, then Vlastuin should have been aware that it was coming for him(fight fire with fire)! I hope that Danger did choose to lift his elbow to knock him out because Vlastuin DESERVED it by his own actions! STILL FAIR PLAY and within the rules>>> Vlastuin should have got out of the way of the freight train coming through, but HE DIDN'T!
RT
Roar Rookie
I think you should have left your comments to Facebbook. You can add me to your spreadsheet :laughing:
Dazzler
Roar Rookie
Maybe never before seen to you because you've had your eyes closed! I've recorded for reference when people like you argue with me about it. I have proof to support my claims, you don't have anything except for your naive belief in AFL integrity!
theirishman
Roar Rookie
All the screen shots, hey? Must be conclusive never before seen evidence. Tried selling them to The Geelong Advertiser?
Dusty does Danger
Roar Rookie
It’s amazing how biased we can be. I thought the umpires crucified the Tigs in 2020 with only 11 frees for and 16 against. I for one thought Danger lifted his elbow into Vlastuin after he punched the ball but must have seen it wrong on the screen. In rugby league thats a send off, red card no question, we didn’t even get a free kick but hey I’m biased :stoked: Even at 30 up, Cats would have struggled, Dusty and Tigers were roaring but I won’t argue they were deserving winners in 2022 - enjoy!
Dazzler
Roar Rookie
OK simple question for you >>> When is it within the rules in AFL football to 'attack the man'? :laughing:
Dazzler
Roar Rookie
What’s outrageous is how the umpires could have ignored the Free Kicks that should have been awarded to the Cats at the start of that GF! I have all the screen shots of the first half that reveal that it wasn’t just a few Free Kicks that the umpires ignored!
Dazzler
Roar Rookie
Where did I say that the Cats went into the 2020 GF thinking that the umpires were against them?!? Their first half displayed that they were well and truly deserving of being there! I will never get over umpire cheating, just like I will never watch that 2007 GF win out of disgust for how the umpires tainted it with their biased umpiring for the Cats! Ultimately, I want to see the Cats win a FAIR game, especially in finals! Integrity is of extreme importance to me!
Dazzler
Roar Rookie
I just explained how umpiring calls can have an effect on a team's confidence and imo that's why the Tigers were able to turn the tide around. You obviously haven't broken the umpiring down to a play-by-play analysis like I have! Yes, I have made an assumption but so have you when you assume that there was integrity in the umpiring on that day and you haven't given thought as to how much of an impact that has on the confidence of both sides, when one team knows that the umpires are on their side and the other team knows that they aren't protected by the umpires! It wasn't just that the Cats should have been at least 30pts up at half time in the 2020GF!
theirishman
Roar Rookie
Geez, Dazzler. What an outrageously biased opinion! Guess the Cats were lucky they didn't meet the Tigers in this years GF then. If the Cats went into the 2020 GF thinking the umpires were against them they had no right to be there. Get over it and enjoy your win this year.
Bangkokpussey
Roar Rookie
It is disapointing when you lose a Grand final when you are so far in front only to be beaten in the second half, but that's football. As to umpires sometimes you get the rub of the green and sometimes you dont. In the end all that is remembered is who won, not who got the benefit of umpiring decisions or how many injuries to stars a team had. I think 2020 will always be regarded as a covid marred year and some teams adapted to different grounds rules etc better than others. The only thing that counts is who won and in the end it is better to be gracious in defeat and move on. In my mind Geelong switched from trying to win a game to trying to defend a score. That was never going to work against a team as good as Richmond was at the time. I dont think anyone could say the tigers weren't a worthy winner.
Bradley
Guest
I think Geelong got away with a few 50/50 in this GF and Sydney had no luck with the umpiring. It's a matter 9f who can take the game away from the opposition and both Richmond and Melbourne did that recently. Geelong deserved this one but to be fair no one really challenged them. The art of being a defender or a forward for that matter (see what time Hawkins gets away with at times) is doing what you can to deny your opponents. Geelong this time were not going to get beaten out of the centre and allow goals where their defenders are taken out of the play i.e. Max Gawn last year in PF. Geelong were going to do whatever it took to win the ball; attack the man and go in hard for the ball and that enabled the likes of Isaac Smith to get time and space and make the most of his opportunities
Dazzler
Roar Rookie
That’s not true >>> The Cats were robbed by the umpires in the 2020 GF! First 6 seconds of the game showed who the umpires were for/against when they looked the other way when Simpson(Geel) received the ball and Vlastuin(Rich) hit him Head High! The Cats should have been at least 30points up by half time but the umpires kept allowing Richmond to play dirty against the Cats and didn’t pull them up for pushes in the backs, etc that the Cats never received Free Kicks for! I have the screen shots of at least 3 Free Kicks(I have a lot more than that for the 2020GF) within the first 30seconds that the Cats should have received but didn’t. It exposed a glaring inconsistency with the umpiring that finals campaign because the umpires pulled the Tigers up against Port Adelaide for their back pushing tactics(which the Tigers lost) but didn’t pull them up for it against the Cats in the GF! Before the GF I posted on my FB #RewardTheManInFront and mentioned about looking out for Tom Lynch pushing Harry Taylor in the back and 26seconds into the game that’s exactly what happened(No Free Kick WTF?!?)! Now you might think that’s just my biased opinion but I just want to point out something else. When teams know that they have the umpires on their side and they are protected, that is HUGE for confidence >>>It emboldens that team and the same can be said the opposite way>>> When a team thinks the umpires are against them it upsets their focus and makes them 2nd guess everything that they do. This is how the umpires try to manipulate games to advantage a team and it’s exactly what they wanted to achieve in the 2020 GF! Why do you people assume that there is any integrity in professional sport?!? There is never integrity when money is involved! <_<