Geelong—the giant killer at home
Is there some powerful psychological reason why strong League teams often fail against Geelong at Geelong?
Three weeks ago you saw football history repeat itself at Geelong. You saw the Demons soundly beaten and many of the experts confounded. What a familiar football pattern this has become over the years! Study the League records for an hour and you will appreciate that no League team from the city can be confident of overthrowing Geelong at Kardinia Park. But why?
That question opens an interesting field of speculation. All but the most bigoted club partisan must acknowledge that, more often than not, Geelong have played dominating football on their own ground. Had this—the second oldest League club—been privileged to play all its games at Geelong, it would hold many more than the three pennants it has gained in 53 years.
But there is more behind Geelong's home ground superiority than football ability. In seasons when the old club has trailed well down the list, it has been able to master some of the leaders down on Corio Bay. In fact, the most confident team from the city, with its contingent of the most intolerant fans, has never overawed Geelong at Geelong. That, of course, is not to say Geelong is invincible on its own ground. It would be absurd to claim that for any League team. But its record at home of lowering the prestige of rivals and dashing their premiership chances has been remarkable.
It used to be said that teams from the city failed to show their best form at Geelong because of the fatigue of the journey. That excuse would hardly have been valid if the 45 miles had to be covered in an old coach of Cobb and Co. It is hard to imagine that a train journey of 45 miles—even a slow one—would greatly exhaust 20 young athletes all trained to the minute.
Over the years the defeats and debacles of leading league teams at Geelong have been psychological rather than physical. They have thought themselves into defeat. Mr Smith, present secretary of the Geelong club, says there is evidence to support this theory. Players on the, journey to Geelong, he says, have time to think too much about the coming match, and to talk too much about it. He mentions the case of one city League club that installed its players at a Geelong hotel on Friday night. Its idea was that, having strolled around Moorabool street or perhaps along the bay shore on Saturday morning, those players would become mentally composed. Such a plan seemed to presuppose that footballers were as temperamental as opera stars or racehorses. Anyhow, it went ‘agley’, and the leisurely tourists were trounced by a margin of five or six goals.
Some believe that the strange surroundings at Geelong disturb the poise of visiting players. But what is strange about Geelong? What is there about it to make it stranger than say Essendon or South Melbourne?
Approaches to the ground at Kardinia Park are as restful as the approaches to the Melbourne Cricket ground through Yarra Park. Once teams from the city used to blame the slippery onion grass on Corio oval for their poor showing. Yet Corio oval, with its most luxuriant growth of onion grass, could hardly be as fearsome as the gluepots of Punt Road and Brunswick Street on a wet Saturday. Now the onion grass excuse is no longer valid at Kardinia Park.
Another excuse was the preponderance of roaring Geelong supporters which a couple of trainloads of visiting barrackcrs could not counter.
Possibly many readers may be able to offer more convincing theories on why Geelong, on their own piece of turf, have been giant killers of the league. Let us glance at their record in felling goliaths.
In one period of ten years Geelong at home defeated five of the clubs which eventually became premiers. Their victims included the champion Carlton side of 1907, Essendon, premiers in 1912; Fitzroy, premiers in 1913; Carlton, premiers in 1914; and Collingwood, premiers in 1917.
South Melbourne won the flag with only one defeat in 1918. At Geelong they just scrambled home by five points. In 1919 Fitzroy made a strong bid for the four. To make it the Maroons had to win at Geelong. They failed in a desperately fought draw, 11.9 all.
In 1921 Geelong, who finished fourth, defeated Collingwood, third, at Geelong, 10.12 to 6.11. Three years later they beat two of the eventual finalists. In 1925 Geelong won their first flag, and defeated all the three other finalists at Geelong. Melbourne was a dashing premier side in 1926, yet they went down at Geelong, 8.5 to 8.19. Carlton gained third place in 1927, but was trounced at Geelong by 18.15 to 11.11. Collingwood's great quadruple premiership side was mastered at Geelong in 1928 by 12.6 to 9.13, and in 1930 by 12.18 to 10.12.
In 1931 Geelong won their second League pennant. . At home they again defeated all three of their rivals finalists—Richmond, Carlton, and Collingwood. Richmond, premiers in 1932, managed to fight out a draw at Corio Bay, 9.15 all. In 1933 Geelong gave Fitzroy one of the worst thrashings the Maroons have ever received, 18.15 to 2.7. They also decisively defeated South Melbourne, the eventual premiers, by 17.14 to 13.15. Richmond won their fourth flag in 1934, but went down at Geelong, 4.9 to 7.1 3. In that season, too, Geelong, fourth, defeated another finalist, South Melbourne, by 15.16 to 11.11.
Between 1921 and 1935 Geelong, at Geelong, wrecked the chances of six different teams that had been making strong runs for the four.
In 1940, although Geelong gained fourth place, the other three finalists, Essendon, Melbourne, and Richmond, broke the spell by winning at Geelong. The strength of the Pivotonians waned in 1941, and in 1942 and 1943 they did not take part in the competition because of the war. Returning in 1944 Geelong lost 17 matches out of 18. In 1945 they lost 16 out of l8, and in 1946 they had only four wins in 19 games. These were the three least successful seasons Geelong had experienced for many years. Yet in 1946 they annihilated Essendon (eventual premiers) at Geelong, by 18.I8 to 12.15.
A revival began in 1947 when GeeIlong won 10 games, and by 1945 they were again a danger to all all-comers at home. They defeated Collingwood there by 10.18 to 10.13. Last season they overwhelmed Melbourne in the first match of the season at Kardinia Park by 21.19 to 12.11. Then they scored another triumph over Essendon (eventual premiers) by 23.17 to 11.6. It was the most smashing defeat suffered by the Dons for many years.
Geelong officials claim that the journey does not affect the play of Geelong teams when they come to Melbourne. They make the trip at least nine times a year, and are accustomed to it.
Footnotes
Title: Geelong—the giant killer at home
Author: Hugh Buggy
Publisher: The Argus (Melbourne, Victoria, 1848-1957)
Date: Saturday, 26 August 1950, p.14s
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