AFL Mid-season Review - Geelong

Geelong 9-2 1st
God they're good. I often don't say much about them from week to week because its been said before. They just keep winning. Even last weekend, when they were challenged they do what they always seem to, find enough to get them hassle free over the line. Just to get over the preliminaries, their strength has always been midfield and defense. And neither has really lost a beat this year, or have they? Ablett started on fire and it was Brownlow number 2 sewn up, but of late he hasn't been his extraordinary self. Yes he has still been very good, but not as good as we expect. Selwood hasn't been as prominent as he was in the first few years of his career and Joel Corey can't get on the park. They lost Mumford when they didn't want to and that has left Blake who at best is an average second stringer, and Ottens who is a gem, but can only get up for finals because he is injured the rest of the time. Mind you due to that, Hawkins was given the chance to play ruck and he blossomed, not so much in his ruck work, but with the release further up the ground, which coincided with him kicking goals.

Their defense has been excellent for the most part, but notably their losses occurred when Scarlett was out of the team. Mackie hasn't stepped up in Harley's absence as I expected him to, and Milburn is looking past it. There are holes where there weren't before but they mostly go unnoticed because of one reason. And that reason has a name; Podsiadly. This guy has been a massive revelation to a club that has in recent times had a forwardline that wasn't considered anything special, but had enough supply and midfield support to do pretty well. Suddenly that changes. Pods has stepped in like he has been an AFL player for years. He overtook Hawkins in one game (as a KPP forward), and gave Mooney a deserved chop out. He gives them structure that wasn't as evident before, and that is just damned scary because they have been a peerless side for so long. But they just got better.

Yes I've said they have some potential issues, but they still do ok don't they? 9 wins is testament to that. Where will they finish? I would be surprised if it wasn't 1st, but I'll go conservative, 1st-2nd.