Why Geelong can win the 2013 Premiership.

 

Over the past five years the Geelong Football Club has proven itself to the football world to be a modern day colossus. Some ten years ago the club was a scrap heap – in debt, average players, a small fan base and a poorly facilitated home ground. With the club on its knees, Mark Thompson was appointed senior coach of the football team. The club also appointed entrepreneur Frank Costa as its president and sought the services of one of the leading chief executives in the country Brian Cook. The signings of these three figures signalled a reversal in the fortunes of the club. In 2004 the Cats fell just nine points short of reaching the ultimate stage whilst the following season Geelong led eventual premiers the Sydney Swans by four goals in the semi-final before losing by less than a kick.

The Cats then proved themselves to be one of the great teams of the modern era by winning the 2007 Grand Final by 119 points; losing just two games in the 2008 AFL season; defeating St Kilda by 12 points to claim their eighth flag in 2009; finishing second on the ladder in the 2010 AFL season and then ousting the Pies by 38 points in the 2011 Grand Final to make it three premierships in five years. In season 2012 however, on the back of several key retirements, the Cats were made to look old, slow and short of class throughout the season. They managed to reach the finals, though were comprehensively beaten by a hungrier Fremantle unit in the Qualifying final.

At the end of 2012, the Cats set out to patch up some of the holes that had been left after the retirement of several premiership stars. Jared Rivers was recruited from Melbourne as a like for like replacement for Matthew Scarlett, Hamish McIntosh was welcomed to the club to strengthen its ruck stocks and Josh Caddy was pursued from the Gold Coast to complete the Cats compensation for the loss of Gary Ablett Jnr.

Despite the Cats new recruits and the potential shown by the Cats young brigade in 2012, critics have given Geelong very little chance of being in contention at the pointy end of the season. Some say the Cats experienced core is now too old and too slow to compete with the speed and class of sides such as Collingwood, Hawthorn and West Coast while others point to the fact that the Cats simply won’t be able to compensate for the loss of experienced stars such as Matthew Scarlett, Brad Ottens and Cameron Ling.

However the Cats side on paper seems to possess all the ingredients necessary to become a serious premiership threat in 2013. The defence is still stingy with Harry Taylor at centre half back and Tom Lonergan at full back while the experience and composure of Corey Enright, Josh Hunt and Andrew Mackie will prove invaluable for the Cats this season. The injection of Travis Varcoe and Cameron Guthrie into defence will add some much needed spark and dash to the line-up.

The midfield will remain a force to be reckoned with under inspirational captain Joel Selwood. He will be ably by supported by the experience of James Kelly, Joel Corey and Jimmy Bartel, and the youth of players such as Allan Christenson, Josh Caddy and Mitch Duncan. The skill and strength of a fit Hamish Macintosh in the ruck will hugely benefit Geelong’s ball winners as will the improvement of up and coming ruckman Nathan Vardy.

Whilst Geelong’s midfield and defence is very, very strong, the catalyst for success in 2013 could be the Cats forward line. Reigning best and fairest champion Tom Hawkins, now an elite forward, is the go to man for the Cats. His presence in the forward line should benefit the likes of James Podsiadly and Josh Walker as Hawkins generally will attract the opposition’s best key defender. The tendency for opposition defenders to try and outnumber Tom Hawkins will create endless opportunities for Geelong’s small forwards such as Paul Chapman, Steve Johnson, Daniel Menzel and Steven Motlop to find space unopposed and feed off the crumbs created by Hawkins.

 Whilst there is no doubting Geelong has the ability to go all the way in 2013, the journey to that last Saturday in September remains an arduous and hostile challenge. With eighteen teams now in the competition and so many clubs such as Collingwood, Hawthorn, Sydney and West Coast enjoying successful era’s, it is harder than ever to claim the ultimate glory. On the basis of the evidence in this piece however, Geelong has all the ingredients required to come out on top in 2013.