Re: 2011 to 2015 comparisons
Reply #35 –
There are a few arguments that are consistently used that are sometimes contradictory and other times flat out crystal balling.
1. If we had Fev we would have gone on to win the whole thing.
ISSUE - Lachie Henderson held up our key position defense for about half the season when Jamo was missing. You cant have Hendo without missing Fev. Hendo was part of that trade therefore, 2011 may not have been as good as it was, without trading Fev away.
2. The umpires cost us dearly in that final against West Coast.
ISSUE - Not as much as we cost ourselves. We lost by 3 points. That particular incident Glass vs Walker, was an incident you see paid some ways and not the other, weekly. Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesnt. You want to write to the letter of the law, sure, its a free. You pay that every week, and everyone will complain about the game not being what it used to be. We made numerous issues in much the same vein we do now. Errant kicking, turnovers, not playing the percentages well enough, and I seem to recall an incident where we gave Jack Darling a double goal by pushing and shoving (Marcus Davies the culprit).
3. Who knows what we would have done a week later.
ISSUE - statistically, the team that doesnt finish top 4 and wins that first final, doesnt go on to make the grand final. History is not on our side in that regard. Statistically speaking we were more likely to lose the following week, and miss the grand final. The actuality means that you never know until it happens, but as intimated already by LP, Geelong were relatively untouchable that season. Odds are not in our favour to have progressed any further. Getting to that preliminary final would have been huge for us, and we cannot know what could have occurred, but we were starting to run out of fit bodies by then anyway.
4. 2012 injuries killed us.
ISSUE - They did, but not as much as our inability to win the contested ball. We looked good for 3 rounds, until the Bombers killed us. Since that day, Chris Judd has been a cut above the rest weekly. we have lived and died by his form ever since, and now even good form from him cant do it, because he is not the beast that he was. We have been bullied out of the game more often than not, and have gone meekly. This is endemic cultural problem at our footy club that I link back to our cap breaches and our club just going along quietly wanting to reinvent itself as nothing but complicit.
5. Luck has nothing to do with it.
ISSUE - even the best sides get lucky some times. Hawthorn would be minus one flag had Geelong kicked straight in 2008. They worked their tails off, but they are lucky that Mooney couldnt hit the side of a barn from 5 metres away, and that Ottens running into an open goal stuffed his kick. These incidents all led to Geelong dropping off.
Luck has a lot to do with everything. I dont believe we were unlucky in 2011, I think we were unlucky and have been probably every season since, particularly in the sub area. We have used our sub in the first quarter so frequently it has ceased being entertaining. Statistically, the earlier you use the sub, the more frequently you lose. Its not the sole reason we have lost a lot of winnable games, but it showed its face again on Thursday.
6. we couldnt have won a flag with Ratten.
ISSUE - Any coach can win a flag. You give them enough time, and the right support and odds are if they have a football brain, they will get there eventually. You put a bloke like Scott in charge of a list like Geelongs, and you have yourself a premiership coach.
Is he a good coach? Maybe, but referencing luck, had Podsiadly not gotten injured in the Grand Final to force a sub that actually worked in Geelong's favour (Hawkins went permantly forward, whilst West rucked out the rest of the match) and resulted in them winning the game, we could be looking at a Collingwood premiership in 2011 instead.
The reality is, half of these arguments are circular. You could argue either perspective and be right/wrong accordingly.
Until our football club sticks to its convictions, none of our coaches will achieve anything. You dont back your man and he wont deliver, and that is the only guarantee in football.
Topic: 2011 to 2015 comparisons (Read 20198 times)
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