After Geelong and Hawthorn met in the 2008 grand final, where Geelong was defeated by 26 points, the competition has intensified and since then Geelong have not let the Hawks have the satisfaction of another victory.
The time has come yet again for the Cats and Hawks to come head to head, for the opening blockbuster at the MCG on April 1st.
The round 1 result will either prove the power of the mind, or break the curse that has crippled the Hawks since the 2008 grand final, which could give the Cats their 10th consecutive win over the Hawks in five years.
The question in the lead up is: can the young Cats hold the legacy that their previous mentors instilled, many of them being some of the greatest footballers in Geelong’s recent history?
After witnessing the Cats disappointing defeat, Hawthorn’s president Jeff Kennett, said Geelong did not have the "mental drive" to match Hawthorn. Words that have since been deemed to be the reason why the Hawks have struggled to reclaim their title against the Cats, becoming known as the “Kennett Curse.”
From this day Geelong Cats key forward, Paul Chapman, made a pledge on the Cats behalf to never let Hawthorn defeat them again.
“I remember when I first got to Geelong there happen to be this bogey thing that Hawthorn always had an edge over Geelong… and it seemed to be that way too,” Chapman said.
“Obviously after 08… it was actually Bomber who I can remember saying, I hope this hurts you players as much as it hurts me.’’
“We were hurting and it just stuck in my head, and in the future we don’t lose to these guys. That just stuck with me I thought yep I’m hurting as much as you and I feel the same.
“We have great respect for (Hawthorn) each other and they’re always great games, great rivalry and it just makes good footy with two quality teams playing hard footy. We just want to do everything we can to win and it shows every time we play.
“It’s (2008 grand final) the one that always got away and it will be there forever and there’s nothing I can do once I stop, so while I’m here I’ll just keep trying to beat them.”
Over the past five years the team has lost many key players. Geelong no longer houses Ottens, Scarlett, Wojcinski, Ling, Rooke, Mooney, Milburn, Blake or Gary Ablett.
The first match following the Cats devastating loss was Round 1 on the 27th of March 2009, where the Cats lead the way from start to finish, despite the Hawks close comeback in the fourth quarter. Hawthorn smashed six goals compared to Geelong’s one, but it wasn’t enough to reverse the scoreboard.
The Cats got over the line by 8 points having led by 37 in the 3rd quarter, with a high number of possessions from notable players lead by Gary Ablett on 35 and Paul Chapman on 30.
Still to this day the Cats current skipper, Joel Selwood, remains in front, after his triumph of 42 possessions in the following meeting on July 25th 2009, displaying true leadership at only 20 years of age in front of a crowd of nearly 65,000 at the MCG. The Cats celebrated another hair-raising win over the Hawks, this time by only one point.
The past few clashes have demonstrated that the club’s upcoming talents fit the bill and have what it takes to continue the role of their predecessors. The absence of the club’s veterans hasn’t affected the Cats desire to continue the streak against the Hawks.
The last meeting the Cats had with the Hawks was last August for round 19, which again showcased another intense spectacle. Although this time round the Cats line of tight victories was now being conquered by a very different team.
Again young skipper Selwood led the pack with 29 disposals, receiving solid support from Johnson, Kelly, Bartel, Mackie and youngsters Duncan, Smedts and Christensen.
The Cats fort, however, couldn’t have withstood the force of the Hawks if it wasn’t for Tom Hawkins’ best-on-ground performance. He had an outstanding game dominating the goal square with 6 goals and booting his last from 50 on the siren to win the game by 2 points.
Hawkins gave the Cats yet another enthralling victory against the Hawks, which has gone down as one of the most compelling moments in Geelong’s history, and the roar of the crowd continues to haunt the Hawks and their supporters.
Coming from a positive preseason, the Cats have welcomed a number of experienced recruits, along with an exciting group of youngsters.
Josh Caddy has crossed from the Gold Coast and comes highly regarded. Young George Horlin-Smith won the Norm Goss Medal for best-on-ground in last year’s VFL Grand final, and found the ball well during NAB Cup. Mark Blicavs athleticism has brought an exciting element to the Cats ruck stocks.
In conjunction with these names, Billie Smedts, Mitch Duncan, Allen Christensen, Steven Motlop, Cameron Guthrie, Josh Walker, Jesse Stringer, Jackson Thurlow, Jackson Sheringham and so many more are already showing signs that the Cats have an impressive depth of young talent.
From now until Easter Monday the anticipation will continue to build over whether or not the Cats can continue to hold victory over the Hawks, making it their 10th consecutive win in five years.
Will the “Kennett curse” be broken?
Or are the young Cats ready to carry on the legacy of their predecessors?
