The Geelong Cats have qualified for a whopping 15th top four finish in 19 years. Pretty much, since 2007 Geelong has made the top 4 in four out of every five years. Which has included appearing in six Grand Finals and 13 Preliminary Finals.
It is an incredible strike rate.
In the 416 home & away matches Geelong has played in that span, they have officially been out of contention to make the finals in two of them.
Just two!
They were the final games of the 2015 and 2023 seasons. Other clubs could only dream of that sort of consistency and perpetual competitiveness in the AFL competition.
Geelong’s sustained excellence is a rare feat. That 79% top four strike rate is not just statistical dominance, it’s a testament to the club’s culture, leadership, and belief. Appearing in the second last week of the season on more than 50% of occurrences over a 20-year period is a level of consistency all sporting teams around the world aspire to.
And I can already hear the detractors… “but how many flags have they won?”
The answer to that is four. A five-year golden era from 2007 to 2011 producing three, and then another triumph in 2022.
Four premierships in two decades is an elite strike rate in a 16-to-18 team competition. But even in the years without silverware, Geelong has built a legacy of competitiveness and defiance.
So, what about the other years? I guess what we’re all really thinking about is. What is “success”?
There will be some Neanderthals saying that you can only be successful when you win the premiership and every other year is a failure.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of binary thinking — win the premiership or the season was a waste. But that ignores the journey, the development, the debutantes, and the milestones. The moments that make sport magical.
Clubs in different stages of a list cycle have all sorts of different metrics and definitions of what a successful season looks like. For clubs like North Melbourne or West Coast, success is currently incremental. Win more games than last year. Young players imroving their games in order to become the leaders of the next successful era. For Geelong, it’s about staying in the fight, year after year.
Success is also about giving supporters something to believe in. The Cats have kept their members and supporters engaged, proud, and invested every year for two decades. This has occurred in an era where clubs are not meant to last more than a handful at the top before being dragged down by the mechanics of equalisation.
I have a natural bias for the Cats as a lifelong supporter. But in the years Geelong did not win the flag, if you asked me if I would prefer finishing 12th – 16th, being out of finals contention with 6+ weeks left in the season and watching my team lose most weeks? The answer is most definitely NO.
I would much rather the Geelong method of fronting up year after year ready to risk it all to win it. I know I’ve already seen my fair share of heartbreaking finals defeats (And I’m not even old enough to remember the 90’s Grand Final losses!).
Making finals is hard but winning them is harder. Eight teams enter each September and seven of them finish with a loss. So, if you do actually make finals, chances are you’re leaving them with pain.
But that’s it. That’s the heart of it. You have to be willing to hurt if you want to succeed. You have to embrace the tension of a close game, the roar of the crowd, and have pride in your colours.
The Cats have given their fans more of these moments than any other club in modern history.
Both the ecstasy and the agony.
And it won’t matter what other supporters say, because in reality, just being there – being in the fight – is half the enjoyment in footy. That’s what I’ll always remember from the 2024 Preliminary Final. The Stewart chase down. The Ollie Henry goal. The Cam Rayner left foot dagger from 50.
I’ll be heading back to the MCG this Friday night, ready to be hurt again by the team I love. To stare down our biggest rival at a packed MCG, with the threat of the heartbreak of falling short to them one more time. But also, with the delight of defeating them and adding a new chapter to our rivalry.
I will ride every kick, tackle and mark with them and cheer them. And win or lose, I’ll front up all over again, whether that be next week or next year, as my club continues this remarkable journey.
