What does it take for a team to mature into a genuine contender?

[one-eyed]

Interesting comments from Cam Mooney on SEN about Geelong's playing group pre-2007 and how long it took for them as a group to get over their party-boy mentality and mature into a fully-fledged professional unit that went on to win 3 flags.

http://www.sen.com.au/news/12-15/before-07-we-were-party-boys-mooney#Zp4U4L0z5Pk67stD.97

Before ‘07 we were party boys: Mooney

Joshua Papanikolaou
SEN
22 Dec 2015

Geelong put together one of the brightest golden eras of the AFL wining three premierships in five years but prior to that it was party time for the young Cats, says Cameron Mooney.

The playing group took some time to mature as a professional unit and very nearly broke apart less than twelve months before winning a flag in 2007.

“It was the best and most fun year I’ve had in my footy career, we were all still in our early to mid 20s and had an unbelievable year,” said Mooney on SEN radio of the 2004 season.

“We had 16 wins or something and played in a prelim final against the great Brisbane Lions and should have beaten them.

“Had 60 entries that night but were just young and naïve, didn’t know how to finish off a big game.”

Senior coach Mark Thompson came to the club in 2000 the same year as Mooney and had soon devised a long-term plan for a period of sustained success.

“I heard of Bomber talking to the board in 2002 about their plan and their projection was 2006 would be our time,” said Mooney.

“He said don’t be surprised if we pinch one along the way, obviously with the Baby Bombers he could see what a young team could do.

“We nearly did but in ’05 the cracks started to open up a little bit – our professionalism still wasn’t what it needed to be.

“We had players who were ultra professional footballers but as a group we had a good time, we were party boys.”

The Cats would lose to Sydney by just three points in a hard fought semi-final at the SCG that season.

“We were a couple of goals up against the great Sydney Swans and it was one of the toughest games I’ve ever played in – just crash and bash type football,” explained Mooney.

“In the last quarter we just capitulated and we just didn’t know how to handle a big game.

“Just the emotion and it was Sando’s last game, I just cried.”

When they returned to Geelong to prepare for the 2006 season confidence was high around the club but it did not last long.

Mooney had four suspensions and did not even go to the last few games of the season as the Cats missed the finals and Thompson only just avoided getting sacked.

“Got to ’06 thinking we’re ready to go and still going out having a good time,” he said.

“We won the NAB Cup so the first bit of silverware in 43 years and we carried on like we won the real thing, came back with a three-day bender.

“After wining the second game by ten goals we hit the town and got smashed to bits, then we lost our next three or four games and our season plummeted.”

[tony_montana]

3 or 4 years of being thereabouts before taking the next step... look at Geelong, pies, port etc. if we don't take the next step this year and go top 4 fair to say we're stuffed and won't do anything with this group

[Diocletian]

Still plenty of years left in Lennon, C.Ellis. Menadue, Rioli, McBean, McKenzie, Butler ,next captain Vlastuin, Moore, Choi etc and whoever we can add to them....if we can get the best out of that lot it's a fairly handy core of talent....probably better or at least deeper then when we basically just had Deledio, Cotchin , Riewoldt, Rance (who was still very touch & go) when Hardwick took over (and added Martin in year one and Edwards was still shyte...)...new coaching staff and better list managers should be able to do something with that group....

[tdy]

By 2004 they were in a prelim.  They were a fundamentally more talented and better coached group than our lot.  Bomber, despite his failings, is a very good coach.  Hardwick's failings appear to be in his coaching and our recruiting has had its real ups n downs but all recruiting does, even Geelongs.

A successful end for our lot might be a top 4 or two, but premierships?  I have my doubts.  Something would really have to click in our 2nd and 3rd tier players and we do develop players now better than I have ever seen us do before, so we might come good but in general talent shows itself early in all sports and ours is middling.  Geelong had a policy in recruiting of ensuring their players had played in a premiership as juniors, that seems to have worked.
Hawthorn had a policy years ago of everyone being a good kick, we have adopted that with players like Corey Ellis. 
And Bomber put talented players in the backline early and added 100's of games.  Hawthorn hires guns and puts talent in their backline, Gibson hired, Hodge talent.

I would love to see us spend draft picks on the backline, Corey Ellis type kicks out of the back pocket.  Hardwicks left that late to add talent there, how do you add 100 games to ellis's legs before the premiership window closes.

[Chuck17]

One important requirement is a fat ranga sniper........and we have one

[mat073]

One important requirement is a fat ranga sniper........and we have one

We have arguably the best fat Ranga sniper in the business .

[🏅Dooks]

One important requirement is a fat ranga sniper........and we have one

Best post of Christmas Day