What's made Geelong so goddamn good? They have no high draft picks!?

Question

Only Selwood drafted at 7 and Ottens traded for, (Pick 3 at Richmond) are there top picks. So how do they produce so many guns and potentially over the next few years could be regarded as the best side ever!

Answer 1

They're all on drugs. That's why they are so good of late.

Answer 2

**Firstly, they are NOT on drugs!!  What a joke that comment was.

Geelong have become as good as they are through persistence and a lot of hard work.  Success doesn't happen overnight and other teams need to realise this.  

They've developed players from scratch, went with the youth policy back in 2001, didn't go for a 'quick fix' by getting high profile players and paying a fortune.

There have been several players that came to the club through the Father Son rule which has been a huge benefit to them.

Geelong play as a team, share the ball around and don't ever rely on any one player.  They play for each other and it shows.  

Matthew Scarlett is one of the most underrated players in the AFL, Gary Ablett Jnr has an amazing football brain and is so much fun to watch, is clearly one of the best players in the league at the moment and that's just singling out two players when I could be naming half the team.

Geelong have the potential to go back to back this year and even get to the Grand Final next year.  As for whether or not they do is another question but they certainly have the talent and the desire to do it.  They're just a bunch of blokes going out each week and enjoying their footy.

You need to keep in mind that they have been lucky with injuries and although they have a very balanced side and have several players pushing for selection each week, injuries can play a big role in footy.

I'd love to see them go back to back though this year and have Gary Ablett Jnr win the Brownlow**

Answer 3

Ablett would definitely have been a first round pick and same for Hawkins, but they were taken  in the 2nd or 3rd round by father-son. Bartel was a top 10 pick in the Hodge/Judd draft, they also picked up Kelly, Johnson and Gardiner in the same draft all below pick 25.

Answer 4

they're not a team of champions so much as a champion team - although they do have a few world beaters.

number one draft picks are just potential champions, we all know big-noted picks - please note no r in that word - that just couldn't graduate to top level.

temperament is another thing, most of their guys are really equable and composed, on and off the field. Mature MEN!

and no, I barrack for the red and black, and I hope our lads will be similar to Geelong now around 2012.

Answer 5

I think it was the threat of reviewing the club that really got Geelong to play well. At the start of last year, they were about to sack their coach! They had the potential, but not the passion, then all of a sudden...WHAM! Know they're almost unstoppable!

Answer 6

God is fixing the matches.

Answer 7

its because they play as a team all of them arent selfish and they share the ball like instead of just kicking to one foward like hawthorn do they have a number of fowards plus a sweet defence and midfield

Answer 8

it's not their individuals, its the team as a whole which has made geelong so succesful

Answer 9

They drafted well

Answer 10

They were still being beaten early on in 2007 I believe. It was like the whole side decided enough was enough. They seriously shook things up down there at Geelong. The side came out as one disciplined, solid unit that really started developing that mentality of working for each other from week to week. I think they are a great side, but lets see if they can back it up again this year at least. There is a couple of sides at least heading into September, that are going to push them a lot harder than Port did.

Answer 11

They are not good.... you just think they are because almost every other team is $hit!

I wouldn't call an 86 point flogging by the pies "good" mate!

Answer 12

I heard their coach interview awhile ago and he's made an interesting comment about empowering players on the field to make decisions if they believe there is an immediate problem.

This is interesting because it's an acknowledgment that no coaching plan is fool proof and that everyone should take responsibility.

He did it in the VIC v All Star game as well

And they also said he rarely gets stressed and yell

.

Answer 13

matthew scarlett is an amazing defender

gary ablett is just a freaking good player

paul chapman and cameron mooney are good goalkickers

and i suppose the rest just follow.

but u could also ask what makes malebourne so bad?? they have some pretty good players yet they still suck

Answer 14

They got lucky.

Answer 15

Most of their good players are from around the Geelong region so they know who to draft. They've also  benefited by the Father-Son rule.

Answer 16

They have improved so much, and had the belief to overcome the tough times. Geelong are an awesome side and have some superstars (Ablett, Johnson etc) but no one is a passenger. They all pull their weight, help each other out and are very team orientated. You just listen to Gary Ablett jr being interviewed and he goes rambling on about his team, not about himself.

Everyone has to perform, and the side is very close and there are plenty of young talents coming through.

Geelong Cats are just awesome. I'm tipping them to win the premiership this year.

By the way, how relaxed is Bomber Thompson!!!! Eating a sandwich, lazily chatting to people in the box yesterday vs the Eagles!!! lol!