Norm Smith's Curse

Don't shoot the messenger here but while we could give it our best shot, it could backfire badly.

But I agree that without getting ahead of ourselves we also need to wrap up younger players that have taken a massive step in 2025 - Bowey and Turner in particular. And we all know good Judd may become.

Any one suggesting Kozi isn't the most vital player on our list in 2025 is still thinking in 2021. Kosi has the x factor we didn't have before he came, can ride a bump better than many bigger blokes, has shown he can handle midfield time and of course is a game breaker. I don't think I can remember a player who could convert the thinnest of opportunities into a goal in my life time. With age getting behind stalwarts like Max, May and Viney to lose Kozzi would be a disaster. When I read people suggesting he is on par with Jackson I just laugh.

Someone posted that it was like watching world wrestling level bias from the umpires and - while people often complain about unps - it was the worst performance of any umpires I've seen in the modern era I can think of fourteen examples of appalling decisions against us just off the top

The curse says it's ok.

Why? Because the media wants it to be that way? If it happens it will be the player wanting to be traded for personal reasons with a massive contract.

Excellent post and agree 💯

Ive said it thousands of times. We haven't had an x-factor, match winner/match turner for decades and Kozzie is all that. Jackson fit with our list well and was recruited for that reason but I'd want three Jackson's for Kozzie.

Made up rumours are a great way to test who is leaking from a club. The speech was actually Tracc asking why players were choosing the red bull cans over the plastic cups of Gatorade at half time. I think from Tracy's perspective he has realised he is better off with the security of his current contract and knows the amount of work it would take to get a trade. And ultimately he is a Norm Smith medalist so we should be happy he is staying.

I don't get the Spargo hate on social media. His field kicking and forward entry disposal has sharpened us up majorly.

Ok so I went back and examined those games and the only major tweaks I could see was an increase to our uncontested possession game and a zone defense set up. The rest - always playing on, blocking the corridors using max to intercept, pressing into forward 50 is the same as we have done for years. Looks like they are trying to emulate more of Contemporary Geelong style of play. If the coach didn't want the players to zone defense in the games we lost why did the players do it? I think personally the difference isn't actually game style so much as having good field kickers like Koz and Spargo back and reasonable competitive forwards.

I did - but choosing the corridor rather than skirting around the outside to enter 50 doesn't seem like a profound change and didn't explain the zone defense and allowance of uncontested marks in other games.

He looked frustrated last night but just not a physical presence

Yes really. First few weeks I saw lots of zone defense being cut up and allowing Geelong uncontested marks all game. Now I'm seeing increasing defensive pressure and utilising better disposers for inside 50 entries but still I am unclear what the major game plan change is. Our 2021 side had intense defensive pressure and utilised good kicks for inside 50 entries.

All the craziest online demanding Goodwin being in the latest saviour Fullerton. Sorry but he looked like a man at sea last night. Unhappy, no impact, weird positioning. Goodwin was of course correct.

I really think Goodwin seems very confident he is onto something with the change but for the life of me I still can't actually tell what the new game plan is. Good to see Spargo's field kicking coming into use for forward 50 entries.

Anyone know the lad or his family personally? I really hope he is settling in and loving the Dees?

All I know is the last part is seemingly accurate and a reason we lost a few with no like-for-like replacements.

In danger? We already have which is incredible given the talent on our list and the recent premiership. Houston etc.

The issue across arose from the fact that while Tracc was receiving a life saving blood transfusion and genuinely fearing for his life, the club out a statement suggesting he will be back in 6-8 weeks while making no contact to check on his condition. Gawn is done for mine - last season. I think when Tracc replaced his manager for one more experienced in brand marketing it suggested that he has given up on a trade. The Clarie situation has always been more complicated than is public but is there tradd value now anyway? I just wish we could some how create a package or something to attract Butters. Serong another perfect fit between the two main age demographics.

Cameron Bruce is tactically intelligent, considered and has done his apprenticeship. Hinkley can't take the next step, the other options seem flakey or not available. But for mine, I don't rate the assistants. We need someone who genuinely understands forward craft. But you can't complain about bombing it long and then not recruit better ball users.

It's a team that looks and plays like it had players that were desperate to leave. The evidence that the view that Uze and Burgess were the driving force behind 2021 just grows and grows. What is the game plan we are trying to implement? Who lets Geelong get uncontested marks all night? And then this listless effort. Until this year we were basically propped up by veterans. Max just looks over it mentally. We should have let the players that wanted to leave go. Instead we desperately held on to an aging and slow midfield while seeking Houston which suggests we still thought our window was open. Drafting has been the only real success since 2023.

Probably should have just traded tracc or Oliver at the end of 2024 and actually followed through.

I heard pretty emphatically that Uze was actually a driving force in 2021 and strategically things aren't the same.

I suspect this was just his speculation entirely with zero evidence to back it up.