Waiting For The New Season To Start

[bunyip]

Tick..................................Tock.........................................Tick..........................................................Tock.............................................. :(

[Justin Bieber]

Another Year Over, Another Long Wait :'(.

[ossie85]

The season is not over until the Irish series is over, and the most important award of the season has been decided.

It is exciting time for the Cats though! A clear new beginning, first time in years they won't be the hunted.

[bunyip]

I liked it when we were the hunted. I love a contest. I love it when 2 teams at full strength meet.
When Collingwood beat us in that prelim we had no excuses, because we were at full strength. It comes down to the desire of the players to win. The pies wanted to win more than we did that night. We were out played, out coached, and got what we deserved.
Next season we will have a point to prove, so I see another GF for the cats next season.
I think next season will see 5 or 6 teams vying for a top 4 position at the end of the season. The scraggers are the dark horse. I'll be REAL interested to see how they go early on, they have improved their team like Collingwood did, but not quite the quality of recruits, but important ones.
The pies showed us that clever recruiting can make a difference. Footscray and Brisbane had off field distractions last season, Brisbane may still have them, but the Doggies wont.
Geelongs team may not be quite as strong next season, but some new blood may help to offset that a little.
I think what has happened is we have joined the field, and we are just another team chasing the premiers. Trying to improve enough to catch them. If we slip down the ladder, so be it. As long as they have a go and go down fighting.

[elephants]

WCE premiers '11 :)

yes it will be a verrrrrryyyyy long wait........tick.....tock......

lucky we have cricket and the Ashes ;D

[Cruiseon]

Bunyip, an injection of new ideas and new blood will assist the Cats but they will need every bit of it as their personnel will be somewhat reduced. Obviously Gary, still no real ruckman and a few key boys getting older.

It will be very interesting. I'll be curious how the midfield looks, Selwood will get a much harder tag now, its a big year for Corey I reckon.

[Milton]

This year Geelong finished 2nd only 1/2 a game behind Collingwood in the H&A with the highest percentage in the league and the highest points scored for the year .. nearly 200 ahead of the Maggies .. so it would silly to write us off.
True Ablett has gone but he as good as he is, he's only one player and as well as he played in the semi final we didn't win the game so one player won't win any side a GF
We had a coach that didn't really want to be here in the latter 1/2 of the year and I reckon that it showed on occasions
Collingwood proved that a champion team will beat a team of champions so we can only hope that Scotty moulds us into a more efficient unit and works with the youngsters
I reckon we're in a healthier position than we were before Ablett and Thompson left .. at least everyone who's there now wants to be there

[bunyip]

Well said Milton. I think we can look forward to next season with confidence.  :)

[bunyip]

According to the papers Brenton Sanderson has decided to honor his contract and coach with Geelong next season. Rumor has it that he is a good friend of Nathan Buckley and might shift to Collingwood in 2012.

[ossie85]

I of course would welcome Sanderson to the club (said so elsewhere on this site), but I guess it depends on Mark Neelds intentions. Can't imagine he'd be willing to serve another term as #2, so he'll likely be on the move after next year

[Cruiseon]

I like the optimisim but there is no way you can honestly believe that you are in a better position now that your, and possibly the league's best player, has left your club. It just doesn't make sense unless he was a destructive influence like Fev which he wasn't.

Maybe you could trade Selwood & Scarlett to Collingwood, then your team would be really really healthy under that theory.  ;)

[bunyip]

Good as Gazza is he's only 1 player, and we've won plenty of games against quality teams without him.
As I explained in another thread we don't have to replace Gazza with another star player, everyone in the center rotation just moves up one and we find a new player to place on the end.
It does mean we are left with some "B" grade players in the center like Joel Corey, Joel Selwood, Jimmy Bartell, Chappy, Varcoe, but we'll survive.

[Cruiseon]

I agree that you'll cope just fine but that is very different to Milton saying your list is "healthier" without Gary Ablett.

[Milton]

I agree that you'll cope just fine but that is very different to Milton saying your list is "healthier" without Gary Ablett.

That's what I said Cruiseon .. 'healthier' not better .. on an individual level it's near on impossible to replace someone like GAJ but it's a team game and one player doesn't win a flag .. even Gazza

I say healthier not just because of GAJ going but also Bomber .. I think that the club was unsettled by both of them this year .. Gazza and the GC thing .. and Thommo's last 1/2 of the season and the way he reacted to Gaz

As a player, I've been at clubs when things like this have happened and it's not till the season's over that you realize that it really was a distraction

It's a team game and in 2011 the focus won't be on wondering what your best player is doing and why the coach is flipping out

[Milton]

Oh by the way .. did I mention that it's a team game ? .. :)