KANGAS VS CATS (Any chance Kangas?)

[RustyCage]

What year was it that the Kangas got spanked by Essendon?

[GWW]

Yeah Geelong awesome today, they're even more hot favourites for the flag now. Only injuries to Gablett, Bartel and/or Scarlett (or overconfidence) could possibly lose result in them losing the GF you'd have to think.

[Hondo]

I think the Roos were showed up today as not quite top 4 material

Sorry but I thought they finished 4th? will go check................yes they definately finshed 4th...FFS

OK, then the Crows finished 1st in 2005 and 2nd last year then - great!

The minor round is one thing but do you think the 4th best team in the comp (if that's what they are) should be 106 points behind the first?

That's what I was trying to say, based on today's effort I question if they are one of the top 4 sides in the comp.

But its only 1 game, maybe they'll prove me wrong in the next couple of weeks.

[am Bays]

Give Geelong the trophy now....

OMG they were awesome, never in my 30 years of following footy have I know a team to be so far in front of everyone else in the finals....

No other team, will win the flag Geelong will either win it or lose it. The only hope for anyone else is for Geelong to get complacent.

[Dutchy]

according to 22 rounds of tough hard footy in 2007 they have been graded as the 4th best team in the comp....

[JK]

Give Geelong the trophy now....

OMG they were awesome, never in my 30 years of following footy have I know a team to be so far in front of everyone else in the finals....

No other team, will win the flag Geelong will either win it or lose it. The only hope for anyone else is for Geelong to get complacent.

Big call Tassie, I wouldn't rate Geelong as any better than the great Brisbane teams (which is a fair rap), and even they were brought back to earth unexpectedly at times

[Hondo]

Correct me if I am wrong here but as far as I can tell, apart from Selwood and 1-2 others it's the same Geelong team as last year when they finished outside the 8 and looked gone.

Now they seem in a league of their own

What an amazing, inspirational turnaround - goes to show great things can be just around the corner

[am Bays]

Give Geelong the trophy now....

OMG they were awesome, never in my 30 years of following footy have I know a team to be so far in front of everyone else in the finals....

No other team, will win the flag Geelong will either win it or lose it. The only hope for anyone else is for Geelong to get complacent.

Big call Tassie, I wouldn't rate Geelong as any better than the great Brisbane teams (which is a fair rap), and even they were brought back to earth unexpectedly at times

I'm not saying their better than Brisbane (2001-2003) I'm saying that they are so far better than the rest of the other 2007 teams than my previous years of watching footy.

Yep Brisbane were good but they never dominated the first week of finals like Geelong have especially with the current format 1 v 4 instead of 1 v 8.

[sydney-dog]

I disagree, let's not give the Cats the trophy just yet

Yes the Cats look absolutely awesome, almost unbeatable, however the wonderful thing about our great game is that Prelim finals and GF's have this amazing history of throwing up the unexpected, the big occassion bring out some remarkable performances

Yes the Cats deserve their $1.80 odds, however footy can also be a cruel game, lets not give it to them, they still need to go out and win the thing

[Hondo]

Give Geelong the trophy now....

OMG they were awesome, never in my 30 years of following footy have I know a team to be so far in front of everyone else in the finals....

No other team, will win the flag Geelong will either win it or lose it. The only hope for anyone else is for Geelong to get complacent.

Big call Tassie, I wouldn't rate Geelong as any better than the great Brisbane teams (which is a fair rap), and even they were brought back to earth unexpectedly at times

I think Tassie means the gap between one particular team and the rest in one finals series is the biggest he has seen, which doesn't necessarially mean that Geelong is the best team in the last 30 years.

I can't remember a 1st v 4th match-up being that one-sided

[rod_rooster]

OMG they were awesome, never in my 30 years of following footy have I know a team to be so far in front of everyone else in the finals....

Essendon 2000? Carlton 1995?

[am Bays]

OMG they were awesome, never in my 30 years of following footy have I know a team to be so far in front of everyone else in the finals....

Essendon 2000? Carlton 1995?

Both under the old system, Carlton struggled agaisnt Brisbane until the last qtr then got a lot of goals in the final 15 mins to win the game by about 8.

Look its not so much by how far in front it is by how they did it, pressure on the Kangas to force turnovers and then run and carry through the midfield with so many options and a multifaceted forward line (Mooney, Ablett etc). if teh forwards don't kick goals it is teh midfielders running down scoring tehm. What I like about them is that they are so versatile Thompson has the ability to through the side around to get the right combinations to kick a winning score.

I rated the Kangas (thought if we did get past the Hawks we wouldn't get past North in Melb) to see them strugg;e to match up on Geelong with their good players like Archer being run around, well good luck anyone else.

BTW I haven't mentioned the Geelong backline yet.

I repeat Geelong will either win or lose this flag, no other team will win it.

[hearts on fire]

when year did they change the system and what are the differences?

[sydney-dog]

Dutchy, that is a massive call regarding Laidley coaching for his future next week

is it your opinion he should go if the Kanga's lose next week, or do you actually believe the club would have the courage to make that call

it's a big big call, considering most experts picked the Roo's for the spoon

[Hondo]

The final 8 format changed in 2000 from what I can tell

It started in 1994 and until 1999 used the 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5 system which got very complicated after that!

[hearts on fire]

The final 8 format changed in 2000 from what I can tell

It started in 1994 and until 1999 used the 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5 system which got very complicated after that!

cheers hondo

[JK]

Give Geelong the trophy now....

OMG they were awesome, never in my 30 years of following footy have I know a team to be so far in front of everyone else in the finals....

No other team, will win the flag Geelong will either win it or lose it. The only hope for anyone else is for Geelong to get complacent.

Big call Tassie, I wouldn't rate Geelong as any better than the great Brisbane teams (which is a fair rap), and even they were brought back to earth unexpectedly at times

I think Tassie means the gap between one particular team and the rest in one finals series is the biggest he has seen, which doesn't necessarially mean that Geelong is the best team in the last 30 years.

I can't remember a 1st v 4th match-up being that one-sided

For sure, I dont think I misunderstood Tassie and respect his opinion, I just reckon the Lions were clearly the best team during their reign and were beatable on rare occasions, including the big one (most/many expected them to win) ... I guess Im just more of Syds opinion, that whilst Geelong are most likely to win it, funnier things have happened .. Either way should be an exciting end to the year and will be good to see at least one new Grand Finalist

[am Bays]

The final 8 format changed in 2000 from what I can tell

It started in 1994 and until 1999 used the 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5 system which got very complicated after that!

I thought it was later than that 2001-2002...

[Hondo]

according to 22 rounds of tough hard footy in 2007 they have been graded as the 4th best team in the comp....

And they did it well no disrepsect intended

I'll hold off my judgement until next week - Geelong were on a big roll today

Us Crows fans have been beaten into submission about performing in finals as the measuring stick rather than minor round finishes. So much so that Craigy is bluffing us apparently

[Hondo]

The final 8 format changed in 2000 from what I can tell

It started in 1994 and until 1999 used the 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5 system which got very complicated after that!

I thought it was later than that 2001-2002...

My records show Essendon beating North in the first round of 2000 finals which must have been a 1 v 4 match up? And Melbourne beating Carlton which I assumed was 2 v 3?