Our AFL analyst has taken a look at Geelong and put together his case for and against the Cats winning the flag in 2023.
THE CASE FOR:
They must be in the top four again. They will win a stack of games at Skilled Stadium and they boast talent on every line especially their forward line. They are big. Strong and experienced with countless good players. Cam Guthrie and Patrick Dangerfield lead a great mid-field. They have also recruited promising players in Ollie Henry, Jack Bowes and Tanner Bruhn.
THE CASE AGAINST:
Last year virtually everything went right for them. They also had a tunnel vision focus on winning the flag in a way that suggested it was their last shot at the title. They were the oldest team ever to play AFL in the Grand Final so when the cliff comes it might come quickly. Also Joel Selwood is irreplaceable.
STRENGTHS:
A miserly backline, a top on ball division and the cream on the cake is the forward line of Jeremy Cameron, Tom Hawkins and are complimented by gun small forwards Tyson Stengle and Brad Close. The Cats on ever line are strong tough and experienced.
WEAKNESSES
The only times during their winning streak they were challenged were by Collingwood and Richmond who both move the ball quickly. Each time they got out of jail but only narrowly. The Cats aren’t quick and teams could exploit that but they have to take risks which may not pay off.
