THERE’S NO NEED FOR DREAD, CATS
Slump is normal part of any good team’s year
YOU would think the world is ending.
After two losses in three weeks following the bye, the Cats are suddenly, in the eyes of some, on shaky ground.
Far from it, as far as I am concerned. Everyone calm down.
While no team plans to lose, the inevitable reality in modern footy is the “perfect” season is not possible.
The competition is so even teams are not capable of playing 22 rounds of sustained footy at a level so high no one can beat them.
The gap between the best teams and the worst has never been closer.
It is why Geelong’s start to the season was so important. The Cats are now benefiting from the buffer they built at the top of the ladder by virtue of their brilliant start to the season.
There was always going to be a lull, it was just a question of when. And right now we’re in it. It is something every premiership team in history has gone through.
West Coast lost three games in a row last year following the mid-season bye but finished top-two because of the work it had done in the front half of the year to bank enough wins.
Richmond spent most of 2017 fighting for a top-four spot and lost to Geelong in Round 21 before winning every match from that point on to win the flag.
Collingwood is in a rut, but still well in the hunt to finish top two. West Coast was apparently cooked about a month ago, but now the Eagles are the flavour of the month and look scary in second spot with Nic Naitanui back and ready to explode. (With the extra space of the 6-6-6 at centre bounces, Naitanui could be one of the most dominant players come finals.)
Even us at Geelong in 2009, we lost to Carlton and the Western Bulldogs late in the season, but it jolted us back into action heading into finals.
Go through history. All good teams, all premiership teams, have speed humps.
So that’s where Geelong is at, I feel. They have hit the slump.
There are also many things happening in the background that contribute to fluctuations.
Having built the base, Geelong is no doubt managing players to ensure they are primed for August and September. That can often mean changes to training loads, changes at selection, all those things.
So there is no need for panic. If we are in this situation in four weeks, maybe then we can start addressing it as a matter of urgency.
But right now, it is just something the Cats need to ride out with maturity. Ask any club where they would like to be and they would say Geelong — a game clear on top of the ladder heading into the backend of the season.
If anything, the past couple of weeks is a reminder about the need to keep improving. While Geelong has managed to bank the wins, the Cats have been far from the best team in the competition. They have been winning, but not always with ruthless conviction.
Losses against teams far lower on the ladder serve to put players back on edge, where they need to be.
The young players get a little dose of reality. After winning so many games, that’s important — the game is not that easy. Wins don’t just come.
And being on the edge is not a bad place to be. A GOOD opportunity for Geelong to bounce back against a Saints side that is honest but not delivering the results expected, or needed, of it. I expect St Kilda to show some heart given all the heat on the club, so once the Cats weather the storm, they really should run away. THE Brisbane Lions remind me of the Geelong side of 2004. We had been in the wilderness a bit and had shown some potential before it just clicked in one year and we bolted into the top four. I see something similar developing at the Lions this year. After years languishing out of the finals race, the Lions are suddenly in the top four and playing with the enthusiasm and spirit you would expect of a side that is hungry to achieve success. They have done the hard yards, they have a very good coach, they have some great young players, they have good experience, they have played together for a while now and they have a genuine home ground advantage. For them to beat GWS away, they are now a legitimate top-four contender. It is so good to see. They have the Cats up at the Gabba in a few weeks in what promises to be a genuine showdown. WAKE me up when the fourth quarter comes around please! Some of the matches last weekend were, to be honest, pretty hard to watch. Snooze-fest, boring, call them what you like, but the lack of scoring, the lack of intent and just the general style of play made the matches hard to watch. Just like cyclists in the velodrome play cat and mouse before attacking on the final lap, it seems AFL teams are happy to defend for three quarters before bursting to life in the final quarter when the game is there to win. So, please, more of that, but over a full game!