Anyone looking for a foolproof template to evaluate success or failure would be hard pressed not to stumble across the Bendigo Bank Cats’ 2005 and 2006 seasons.
The Cats experienced in two seasons what many don’t experience over a career.
In 2006, the Cats established a formidable core group of players, a strong nucleus with match winners on every line.
This core group of players comprised youth, experience, a flare of exuberance and rode a wave of momentum generated because of it – key virtues of success.
In 2005, the Cats were decimated by injuries and unable to establish any semblance of a core group of players.
The team was devoid of confidence and players floated in and out of the side - many of which were either delisted at season’s end or sourced from country leagues to make up numbers.
Predicting the outcome of the season for the Bendigo Bank Cats is almost impossible, so much depends on external factors and other influences. And every season, ultimately, it’s the same.
Last season depicted the sheer success the club can achieve when things go right, while 2005 showed how fickle form can be at the rotten end of the stick.
The antithesis of form over adjoining years demonstrates quite clearly that, in a perfect injury-free world, the Cats could be almost guaranteed success every season.
It also shows the depth of the Geelong senior list is one of the strongest in the AFL and that Geelong is at a distinct advantage over the other Victorian clubs because it has total control over its reserves players.
One thing is for certain; the 20-man VFL list would in part alleviate much of the 2005 injury plague if it were to occur again, so even under extreme circumstances, the Cats will still be competitive.
The Bendigo Bank Cats season gets underway on Saturday when they take on Sandringham at Trevor Barker Oval from 1.10pm. The following week, the Cats will trek across the Tasman to play Tasmania at Bellerive Oval on April 14.
VFL list
The Bendigo Bank Cats’ VFL list is again one of the strongest in the team’s history, featuring an important mixture of size, pace and experience.
Inspirational skipper James Byrne will captain the side for a fourth season, after signing a two-year deal over summer.
After claiming his second club best and fairest award and adding the honour of VFL captain of the year to his impressive list of football credentials last season, the 28-year-old is out to claim the only thing missing from his football accomplishments - a VFL premiership with Geelong.
In arguably one of the biggest signings of the summer, the Cats have snared the services of former West Coast and Melbourne hard man Phil Read to add class and knowledge to a young list.
His experience at both AFL and VFL level will ultimately prove a valuable asset when he returns from a four-week suspension and business commitments and will complement the leadership exhibited by Byrne.
Read will be a playing assistant coach and is highly respected and renowned for his tough and uncompromising style of play.
Of the other notable recruits, former Essendon-rookie Matthew Firman looks set to emerge as an important player for the Bendigo Bank Cats in 2007.
Fourth in the Bendigo Bombers best and fairest last season, Firman was rewarded for his consistent season of aggressive football with a call up for the Bomber’s final match of the season.
However, in an innocuous training incident on the eve of the match, he tore his hamstring moments before leaving the track and was subsequently delisted at season’s end.
Tom Couch, son of Brownlow Medallist Paul, will add an extra dynamic this season off the wing, while Hayden Foss – formerly from Werribee - will be looking to translate impressive preseason form into the home and away season.
South Barwon’s Scott Thompson is poised to make an impression in 2007.
In his second year on the club’s VFL list, the 20-year-old has forged a reputation as a solid and reliable defender.
The coaching staff have also echoed that sentiment by assigning him critical match ups in the practice matches against quality opposition.
Unassuming, but also very versatile, Thompson is equally effective in the forward line playing as a small or tall forward.
Expect the dual GFL premiership player to play a big part for the Cats this year.
New Rules
For the first time in the team’s VFL existence, the Bendigo Bank Cats will be restricted to the “12.10 rule” for VFL finals.
After Geelong fielded 20 AFL-listed players in the grand final, the VFL amended the “12.10 rule” whereby when the Geelong AFL team is eliminated from either the home and away or finals series, the Geelong VFL team is restricted to no more than 12 AFL players and at least 10 VFL players to ensure an even balance of players.
In previous seasons, Geelong was the only side with AFL players not obligated to conform to this rule, but sides competing against Geelong with an AFL alignment were.
However, Geelong is governed by a modified “12.10 rule.”
For all VFL clubs with an AFL alignment, rookie listed and veteran listed players are classified as an AFL player.
In Geelong’s case, only players on the primary list are considered AFL players, meaning Geelong’s 10 VFL listed players can comprise AFL-rookie listed and AFL-veteran listed players.
This is because Geelong’s VFL list is smaller in comparison to other VFL clubs and it is acknowledged that Geelong’s enticement towards VFL players is limited, as it can’t guarantee all its players a match every week.
If “12.10 rule” was enforced on Geelong in last season’s grand final, three AFL players would have missed out and five additional VFL listed players would have played. Instead, the Cats fielded 20 AFL listed players and two VFL listed players - James Byrne and Jason Davenport.
The same qualification criterion applies for AFL listed players to play VFL finals – at least seven VFL games and no more than 12 AFL matches in one season.
The upside for Geelong is, providing more than 12 AFL players qualify, it is now no longer bound by the shackles of being obligated to select AFL listed players.
Geelong can select a team conducive to the opposition or conditions and select the best 12 AFL players for the day, complemented by a stronger VFL list.
This season will also see the remodelling of last season’s kicking backwards rule.
The VFL will again road test the kicking backwards rule initiated in the NAB Cup, where any backwards kick in the defensive half of the ground will be called play on.
The rule last season – where it was play on for a backwards kick outside the attacking fifty metre arc - worked effectively in promoting a faster and attacking brand of football.
Around the clubs
Expect Port Melbourne, who after severing ties with the Kangaroos at the end of 2005 to form a stand-alone dynasty, to have a meteoric rise back into VFL prominence this season.
After languishing down at the cellars of the VFL to collect the wooden spoon last season, the Borough have recruited strongly over the off-season to add much needed experience and size to their young list.
Notably, Port has injected a combination of key position players, AFL experience and seasoned VFL campaigners, as it declares its intentions of surging back up the ladder in 2007.
Former Geelong and Sydney midfielder David Spriggs has been sought and will be a playing assistant coach, while former AFL players Bo Nixon, Adrian Bonaddio, Tim Looby, Luke Livingston and John Baird will add much needed versatility and size to a team devoid of height in 2006.
The Borough has also recruited dual JJ Liston Trophy winner David Roberts and former Williamstown big man Jeremy Dukes.
Meanwhile, the Casey Scorpions landed one of the most significant signings of the off-season, seizing the services of former Kangaroo Troy Makepeace as a playing assistant coach for two years.
The Northern Bullants also made two major announcements over the preseason, handing over the naming rights of their home ground to the National Australia Bank and welcoming in new president Stephen Papal.
Sandringham has lost key match winners Alistair Nicholson, Phil Read, Shannon Motlop, Nick Smith, Guy Rigoni, Mark Corrigan and Daniel Corp this season, but still has a strong and experienced core group of players and will still be the team to beat as it attempts to capture a record breaking four straight premierships.Predicted top eight:
Sandringham
Northern Bullants
Geelong
Port Melbourne
Williamstown
Frankston
Werribee
Tasmania
Name change
“AFL Victoria” has replaced “Football Victoria” as the branding name for the Victorian Football League and TAC Cup’s governing body.
The name change is a significant move designed to enhance the position of Australian Football as the number one sport in the nation.
The name change is also designed to capitalise on the growth of the game in Victoria by strengthening Victorian football and to assist the game nationally by having a recognisable and identifiable link to the Australian Football League throughout all states.
While using the trading name of AFL Victoria, there will be no name change to any league or association governed by AFL Victoria; the VFL and TAC Cup will continue to be referred to as such.
Admission prices
Home and Away matches: adult $9, concession or visiting club member $5, visiting concession member $3, children under 15 free.
Geelong AFL club adult members: home matches free entry, away games $5.
Media coverage
Television - one match per round will be televised on ABC TV from 1.00pm on Saturday afternoon. The Bendigo Bank Cats will have three matches broadcast on ABC this season:
Round one: Sandringham Vs Geelong at Trevor Barker Oval.
Round five: Casey Scorpions Vs Geelong at Casey Fields.
Round nine: Geelong Vs Werribee at Skilled Stadium.
Website – www.gfc.com.au will give you up to date VFL information, including weekly previews, reviews and special features. VFL player profiles are available under “the club.” AFL Victoria’s website www.vfl.footballvic.com.au provides information on ladders, fixtures, team selection, history and the latest news associated with the VFL.
Radio – Casey 3SER 97.7FM will be the only radio station covering ball-by-ball descriptions of VFL matches. At this stage, it will be covering an average of two matches every weekend, as well as a weekly VFL show every Saturday morning from 9am.
2007 Yearbook – a detailed season preview and the thoughts of James Byrne are in the Geelong Football Club’s 2007 yearbook distributed to all members.
