Cats went so close after a brilliant year’s rebuilding
THE pain is still raw.
When the Sydney Swans run out on to the MCG against the Western Bulldogs in Saturday’s AFL Grand Final, I — like all Cats fans — will ponder what could have been.
Despite the anguish of last Friday night’s heartbreaking preliminary final loss, overall Geelong’s season has been a huge step in the right direction.
Many forget the Cats failed to make the finals last year, finishing 10th.
As a Geelong member, if you told me at the start of the season we’d finish the home and away season second on the ladder and beat seven of the top eight teams along the way I would have been thrilled. The positives don’t stop there. Patrick Dangerfield is arguably the greatest recruit of all time, becoming the first player since Greg Williams in 1986 to win the Brownlow Medal in his debut season for a new club.
Leading into this year we knew Dangerfield would have an impact but no one could have predicted his dominance. Not only has Danger been a match winner but he has also allowed Joel Selwood to break the shackles of a constant tag and enjoy one of his best seasons.
In coming years Dangerfield will also have a major influence on our emerging midfielders by mentoring them and teaching them the skills to become elite.
Corey Enright’s performance this season has been breathtaking. The its list through free agency to remain a contender. Now we must be patient.
The Cats’ list-managers face some tough decisions during the off-season trade period, but after last year’s boom recruiting coup we can rest assured that Stephen Wells and his team will again land some big fish and gold nuggets at the draft.
But for the next six months it’s going to be hard to forget Geelong’s appalling first quarter in the preliminary final.
While there’s no doubt the Sydney Swans played an exceptional game and deserved the victory, Geelong had an absolute shocker.
Geelong’s slow start was because they struggled to adapt to the AFL’s new post-season bye.
For some reason, the Cats don’t play well after a week off. The same thing happened earlier this year when Sydney crushed the Cats by 38 points at Simonds Stadium in round 16 after the mid-season bye.
Last Saturday the GWS Giants also suffered the same fate, losing their preliminary to the Dogs. If the AFL implements the same finals format next year it will be crucial for the clubs to get it right to ensure the week off remains an advantage.
It’s hard to carry momentum and form into a preliminary final having played just two matches in 28 days and the Cats failed to use it to their benefit.
All in all, it was a good season for Geelong and we know the future remains bright. You only have to look as far as the long-suffering Bulldogs supporters this week to realise we’re pretty lucky to barrack for the Cats.
Go Dogs on Saturday. And go Cats in 2017.