Jaded No More

I did mention that the game is getting more and more about elite fitness and two way running. When Lions and Hawks won their 3 in a row the game was vastly different. It was still an incredible effort, no doubt about it, particularly for the Lions who were an interstate side, but it is certainly more and more difficult these days. Richmond did it most recently and had incredible luck with injuries. As you said when they lost Dusty to injury and luck ran out, so did their flag. They were also lucky that there was no other really outstanding team pushing them consistently in those years. For me the Lions 3 peat is one of the most remarkable of the modern era. They had a few outstanding competitors in Essendon and Port, and they also had to play away from home to win it.

No opposition supporter wants to look at team changes and see May, Viney and Fritsch as the ins. It is definitely disheartening.

I am loving the arrogance in this thread. Hope it pays off. I wonder if the Lions supporters are lurking around going “can’t wait to beat these arrogant so and so” 😂

I’m almost certain Neita has 2 girls. Look out AFLW. I personally can’t wait for JVR to present his old jumper back to Mini Jones in 16 years 😂

As the game gets faster and more and more focused on two way defensive running, the harder it will become to go back to back. You need such elite fitness and luck with injuries to be able to sustain premiership winning levels of play for a full season, that having a month less to train makes a huge difference. Not to mention we now have an added round. It takes so much to win a flag, that to do it twice in a row is truly special. You either need a lot of luck or to hit your window at a time where the competition around you is very very mediocre.

Geelong is one side who will suffer more than any other with a shorter pre-season following a GF win. They have a lot of old players, some like Hawkins who needed post- season surgeries which saw them complete basically no pre season. He looks badly out of shape, overweight and out of puff. Given the age of their list, they would want to rest players often, like they did last year, but starting 0-2 and losing Stewart really stuffs up their plans. The low TOG minutes for Dangerfield further proves that they have to delicately balance wins and resting players. It worked immensely well last year, where they had a soft draw, but it's clearly not working that well now. Their KP advantage will see them roll into finals easily, even with their 0-2 start, but whether they do any damage in finals is yet to be seen. Let's not forget that prior to last year, they made finals for about a decade straight only to fall apart at the end. It is a very hard task to go back to back, it is even harder when you have an aging list, lost your 'inspirational' captain to retirement, and have a lot of unfit and injured key players. Geelong is one Cameron hammy ping away from falling apart.

When they get a game plan that actually plays to their strengths which is clearly McKay and Curnow. Their ball movement is shambolic at best and idiotic at worse. I know Walsh out really hurts them because he gives them so much first use at clearances, but FMD they have some horrific ball users and decision makers. Any team under the average age of 98 and with any sort of fitness would have run them into the ground in that last quarter. They look spent 2 games in. Fair enough Geelong coming off a short pre season at their age, but what is Carlton’s excuse? They didn’t even play finals!

Worth it just to mind [censored] Brisbane

I endorse this post

Absolutely putrid last quarter. Delicious result.

Only the incompetence of Gary Rohan can save us now

Come on Carlton. Boot them off that cliff.

Carlton turned to absolute [censored]. It’s insane how they just lose the plot in the last quarter of every game.

Thank god they told me. I wiped it from my memory.

Omg Carlton choking is just putrid

Cameron single handedly keeping Geelong alive with his BS goal kicking from outside 50.

Nah. Geelong losing is better. Take that revolting smug look off Danger’s face.

Name something better than Geelong losing… other than Melbourne winning 😂

Old age is tagging him

Don’t mention the war

Imagine Carlton having any sort game plan where they move the ball quickly inside 50 to Curnow. They would be amazing.

They just don’t move it with any purpose. It’s ridiculous considering they have two of the best tall forwards in the competition.

Let’s go Carlton…. We all know it’s time for Geelong to do this

He’s good. Line breaker which they lack.