Fresh Feeling

A couple weeks ago, I was discussing another Geelong victory with barman, rock & roll drummer, and sometimes Big League reader Jarrod. He was saying that as a fan of Richmond, but also the game in general, it was hard not to be in awe of the things that Geelong has accomplished and continues to accomplish.

“I know,” I said, “I have run out of good things to say about this team.”

“And there are so many good young players at Geelong,” he continued, “they just keep drafting well.”

With that he wandered off to pour a beer and fiddle with stereo (I believe we were listening to an Eels album) and it struck me that Geelong’s drafting cannot be that impeccable; at some point it must be nurture over nature.

More than good drafting or game-planning and tactical advantages (although I suspect Chris Scott is responsible for some fairly interesting ideas re set-ups at stoppages), what Geelong possesses is an unshakeable belief in their process, an unwavering nerve that is emboldened by the memory of past success. And that confidence in process has trickled down, all the way from the top, all the way from 2007, to everyone who has joined the club since.

Geelong has “so many good young players” because they don’t play until they’re ready. They earn it in the VFL where they learn to play The Geelong Way; the ones who don’t cut it there aren’t seen at AFL level at all.

The current crop of youngsters who are just starting to get some press have all done their time. Allen Christensen and Mitch Duncan were drafted in 2009, Taylor Hunt and Steven Motlop are into their fifth season, and yet it seems this is only the first time in which all are a guaranteed best 22 selection.

Every week the contenders line up and take their best swing and every week The Cats absorb their best punches before counter-attacking, not just pouring on goals in a hurry but drying up their opponents as well; they break the other teams’ spirit as much as their defensive structures.

These players and the other (reasonably) new faces all embody the Geelong ethos: They just keep coming and coming. They never lie down and they never beat themselves. Even if they get down by 5, 6 or even 7 goals, the players are confident that they will win this next contest, that they will storm forward and score, and that it will start their run towards another improbable victory.

As supporters we share that same confidence. It has been, and still is, an unbelievable time to be a Geelong supporter. I haven’t run out of good things to say just yet.