Peter Ryan: How will Geelong's premiership influence the direction of the game next season?

Michael Lovett, AFL Record writer: Like any premier, the Cats will be the hunted as Mick Malthouse alluded to after the Magpies lost. I'm not certain what direction the game will take as a result of Geelong's win but the substitute rule clearly played a role. Podsiadly coming off actually helped Geelong's structure given he was being well held by Tarrant. The Cats got more run and drive out of their smaller players and with less rotations it meant players such as Jimmy Bartel could push forward, like Jobe Watson did for Essendon earlier this year.

Ashley Browne, afl.com.au writer: Geelong's gameplan was actually a nod to the past. Long bombs to the big bloke. Substitute Tom Hawkins for Phil 'Snake' Baker and you have North Melbourne's gameplan from the 1977 Grand Final.

Luke Holmesby, afl.com.au writer: We'll see different man management. There won't be as many players playing every game of the season and more teams will insist on having a minimum number of young players in every game.

Ryan: Resting and man management was certainly something Geelong perfected. They took a different plan into pre-season, had everyone on board and kept communicating and stuck with the plan. This will have an influence. More and more the depth in the squad is critical to the flag. Collingwood suffered in this respect in the finish.

Geoff Slattery, Managing Editor, AFL Media: The game changes, evolves after every premiership. Jimmy Bartel made the point in this morning's press that he - and the Geelong coaching staff - knew their game plan in 2010 was wrong well before the 2009 preliminary final, but they had trained so hard at it that no matter how much will they had they could not make the big change. Scott (and his coaching staff) has a plan that is simply about winning the most hot possessions. That's okay, but you need experienced thinkers - great, experienced decision-makers - to make use of that possession. Neil Balme made the point on Friday night: it's not all about using lots of handball, or lots of kicks, it's HOW you use the pill that counts. Since the modern era of 24/7 training, that has been the difference, and will always be so - get it under pressure, and use it to the best advantage of the team.

Bowen: Scott Pendlebury has said the Pies won't "copy" Geelong but has suggested they will try to get bigger and stronger this pre-season. The Cats were too strong in the clinches late in the Grand Final, which was not surprising given how seasoned they are. But I think what's been crucial has been Chris Scott's ability to manage his veterans through the year. By resting them on a rotational basis he had them fit and firing at the business end of the season. Yes, they had the luxury of knowing they had a top-four spot locked away a long way out from the finals, but I expect other clubs will now be much more proactive with the way they manage their veterans next season.

Slattery: Nice point, Nick. Once again the value of winning form in rounds 1-11 has popped into the equation. Teams need to be fit and primed from the get-go, piling wins into the equation, and making certain of that top four position. Carlton will be rueing losses that put the Blues out of the equation; and the reality was that Hawthorn (beaten three times by Geelong, and twice by Collingwood) finished where its seeding showed it to be. Ditto West Coast. Training to win early, resting through the hurly-burly, and pushing to the limit from round 19/20 is going to be significant into the next generation.

Ryan: The other thing with Geelong that should not be overlooked is the young coaching group are respectful of the fundamentals but very willing to change and challenge perceptions, and the senior players' involvement was huge. The game moves quicker than it ever has, with dominance in round 12 not ideal as the opposition can unpick methods at a rapid rate and then move late with a pre-planned attack, like a runner sweating on his opposition. Tempo footy will mean tempo of your season.

Bowen: I agree, Pete. Gone are the days when a team could get a tactical edge on the rest of the competition and sustain it for the whole year. Coaches are going to have to be more adaptable with their tactics than ever before. That's why Rodney Eade could be a great appointment for the Pies. 'Rocket' is renowned as one of the game's great strategists. Presumably this will be a big part of his brief in his reported new role at Pie land.

Callum Twomey, AFL Record writer: It was interesting hearing Brenton Sanderson on the radio on Monday morning talking about how Geelong had planned to change its game style from the home and away season to the finals series. Does this mean good teams will use the last six weeks of the home and away season only in preparation for the finals? It has probably been happening for years, but it was certainly evident that the Cats stopped using the ball as much in the finals as they had in the home and away season and tweaked a few other things. Michael's point about versatility is also a good one.

Ryan: What do you think was the difference between the two Grand Final teams in the finish on Saturday?

Slattery: In retrospect, the team going into the finals in the best form will usually win it — and the best form is from round 22 through the weeks of the finals, not necessarily rounds 15-21. Hawthorn showed it in 2008, Geelong in 2009 and 2011, and Collingwood and St Kilda last year.

Browne: The easier path through the finals had to have helped Geelong. The Cats' gameplan stood up wonderfully well in the finish, but they clearly ran the game out better than Collingwood. Most notably Jimmy Bartel and Joel Selwood had more in the tank than Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan. And the structure was probably helped by Podsiadly's shoulder injury. The big bloke played a big part in the Cats making the Grand Final, and helped their cause all the more by getting hurt and getting off the ground.

Lovett: I have no doubt Geelong's management over the past 6-8 weeks got the Cats over the line in those last 15 minutes. To three-quarter time, it was an arm wrestle (the lead changed 10 times) but the Cats took the Magpies apart in those final 15-20 minutes by going long and direct (Ash is right...long bombs to Snake!) The Cats were fresher because they rested players at the right time in the final few weeks of the home and away season and they abandoned their high possession game. Their players found belief in that round 24 game, particularly the Tomahawk and to a lesser extent Paul Chapman. Chappy is a big-time player but he'd been down by his high standards. Hawkins finals series was exceptional.

Ryan: That's true but how did Tom Hawkins turn around his form in such a short space of time. What changed for him in the past month?

Browne: Hawkins just kept it simple. Play in front. He's such a big unit that when he gets the front position, he's awfully hard to dislodge, nest to impossible to dislodge and as Saturday proved, he has great hands.

Slattery: I wonder whether we can now lock away "much-maligned" as an adjective for Hawkins. His final against Hawthorn probably won that game, and his dominance on ground in the third quarter and in the air in the last were certainly game-changers. Perhaps that the new mark: "game-changing forward Tom Hawkins...."

Bowen: Tomahawk's old man, Jumping Jack, said the turning point came when the Cats stopped playing him as their support ruckman. Trent West came in and did a great job in this role, allowing Hawkins to settle in the Cats' forward 50 alongside James Podsiadly. But who would have expected Tom to have the finals series he had? He monstered the Hawks defenders in the first week of the finals and gave Ben Reid an even bigger touch up on Saturday. When you think how promising Nathan Vardy looked at times this year, the Cats' forward line looks in great shape for years to come.

Ryan: Interesting though because Hawkins role in the ruck in 2010 rebuilt his confidence. Just shows the hours and twists and turns in a player's development. Jack Watts supporters would have watched with interest.

Holmesby: Tomahawk has always shown elements of a young Tony Lockett in the way he can use his size to win a mark. Not saying he is the next Plugger, but where he once bobbed around like a big labrador puppy, he now has genuine direction. It also helps that as he grows, his teammates will direct the ball his way more often.

Browne: Early question for 2012: Is Podsiadly in Geelong's best 22. Is the necessary tweak for next year to make Vardy and Hawkins to two main key forwards?

Ryan: Podsiadly will be under pressure like Mooney was this year but he will be valuable as a mature body to keep giving younger blokes chop out. Collingwood would have benefited from a few of those mature bodies who missed the flag that left at the end of 2010.

Lovett: The Pod is in Geelong's best 22. He was the Cats No. 1 key forward until the Tomahawk set September and the first day of October alight. Vardy can come back as a floater in attack and help out in the ruck. Interesting comment from Dermott Brereton yesterday — he reckons Ottens should start pre-season in March, bring him back in round 11 or 12 and let him peak for finals. Won't happen but it has merit! Ottens has one more year I'd say and it looks like Trent West is ready to take over as the No.1 man with Dawson Simpson as the back-up.

Bowen: Ash, I reckon the jPod will start the year in the Cats' 22 but will eased off their playlist by the middle of the year. If Hawkins keeps up his recent form, he can be the Cats' main man inside the forward 50 and Vardy can slot in as his No. 2. With Stevie J, Stokes, Chappy thrown in, it's a potent attack.

Ryan: Does Chris Scott's effort end once and for all the argument that players make coaches rather than coaches making players?

Twomey: Don't know about that. Scott's ability to rejuvenate a tired list was pretty impressive, particularly given its exit in 2010. Sure, he had a very good group to start with, but he made sure he kept that group together, kept them fit and kept them focused.

Slattery: What's the argument, Peter: players make coaches or coaches make players? The answer is yes to both, but only when the best players and best coaches come together. Scott and Geelong is the ultimate serendipity: a learning coach with the capacity to communicate softly, and calmly to a group of experienced team men who knew what to do when it matters, when to listen, when to adapt, when to argue for variations; Scott is also one who doesn't 'know everything', has surrounded himself with smart coaching staff (and young, relative to every other club), and is able to plan as a collective - coaches and players. It has been a rare mix and all praise to the coaching staff, and the players.

Browne: Young but September-savvy. If my maths are correct, Nigel Lappin has been involved in six flags in 11 years - three as a player and three as a Geelong assistant coach. Add 2004 and 2008 and he has been involved in eight of the last 11 Grand Finals.

Ryan: There is no argument, just that we celebrate individuals too much when it's all about opportunity and the people around you and the organisation you are welcomed into. Chris Scott understands that which is why he has been so considered in his comments and deserves the flag. A poor coach could have stuffed the year but Chris Scott is probably the equal of Brad Scott, Damien Hardwick. He must think thank goodness he did not get appointed to Port Adelaide but is too respectful to enter into such a discussion.

Slattery: By 2020, we will recognise the coach as MANAGER, and the coaching staff as instrumental in the outcome. File this away as a record of perspicacity.

Lovett: Peter, just remember Chris Scott has something his brother won't have for a few years and Damien Hardwick for several years: a premiership.

Bowen: I think Scott's effort reflects more widely on the issue of coaching tenure. Just because Thompson had done a good job over a long period at Geelong, didn't mean his time wasn't up. I think clubs tend to be a bit conservative and stick with the tried and true when their message is starting to wear thin. That's where I think Ross Lyon will be an interesting case study. Yes, he's at the height of his coaching powers. But after five years I think he'd done all he could at St Kilda. Fremantle will benefit from his development as a coach at St Kilda, but the Saints will be better off with a fresh voice.

Ryan: Interesting point Nick. Malthouse's capacity to turn Collingwood into the strong group it has become should not be taken for granted. It has been an enormous effort of will and smarts. The coaches who took on jobs with clubs less performed than Geelong can look to that and know they need six, seven years to get humming, patience and opportunity and resolve when things get tough. Look at the Cats draft picks of 2001 who became champions in 2007 and have continued on because the club kept faith and got stronger as a result.

Slattery: One disappointment over the Malthouse decision to leave Collingwood. I understand his reasons, but I wish the world was mature enough to allow - encourage, embrace even - the retention of wise, experienced, company men to assist in the transition to new generations. When the transition was announced in 2009 I had a great feeling for it, in particular when Ed McGuire made a point that Kevin Sheedy has departed Essendon and he was not considered part of the culture of the club into the future. Now Malthouse will be the same at Collingwood, no matter how much spin is applied.

Slattery: Now we have four premiership coaches in charge in 2012: Alastair Clarkson, Chris Scott, John Worsfold and…

Holmesby: K. Sheedy.

Slattery: ... yes, Kevin Sheedy. Roll on Sheeds, and his humour, perspective, lexicon of footy love, and coaching nous. Sheeds really introduced the concept of collective wisdom as coach when he started in 1982, believe it or not. And he has never changed, drawing ideas from more sources than a Walkley Award-winning journo. GWS has a different plan from Gold Coast: it will be fascinating to watch how the two clubs with all the advantages applied in the draft move through the decade. Clearly GWS has gone for youth in its pinches, rather than GWS's premiership grabs, Ablett and Brown, and Bock's experience.

Holmesby: Here's a pointless stat and unrelated to anything - since Adam and Troy Selwood were drafted in 2002, there has only been one year (2010) where a Grand Final was played between two teams without a Selwood on their list.

Ryan: Maybe that's the secret. Are there any other brothers?

Lovett: Speaking of Selwoods, do think Lingy will step down as captain and Joel takes over?

Ryan: Time will tell but it’s a win-win for the Cats whatever way Ling goes. Ling's performance has been meritorious and understanding the nature of his role and influence would be fascinating.

Ryan: A technical question: Do we need goal umpiring technology, at least for a Grand Final?

Lovett: If we bring in technology it has to be universal - that means home and away games and finals. Two howlers in the past three years in Grand Finals suggests if we have the technology then use it.

Twomey: Surely at least for a Grand Final. I know it's the yearly 'what if', but can you just imagine if Wellingham's goal had been the winning one? We were sitting behind it and it was so obvious. What was happening with the goal umpire? It looked like he was about to signal a behind before panicking and going ahead with the goal.

Browne: It is time for the technology. Hand the emergency umpire a red flag like in the NFL and allow each club two video reviews per half. Get it wrong (like the NFL) and you forfeit a challenge. If we can stop the game for the blood rule, stretchers and the interminable debates between field, boundary and goal umpires, we can do so for video reviews.

Slattery: The goal umpire's blue was not forgivable and not fixable by an extra umpire - just adding human error. It was disappointing there were several errors by the umpires in seminal moments through the finals series. Carlton-West Coast, Hawthorn-Collingwood and now the GF all had significant goal-scoring gifts applied. It's a tough job, getting tougher, but should not be affected by guessing: if you don't see it, don't guess.

Slattery: Interesting times for the Footy Ops department. When I started covering the game in the late seventies, the VFL went on holidays until January. I reckon Footy Ops will be busier over the next month than any other time this season: reviewing the sub rule, technology for goal umpiring decisions, the fixture and its byes, the Brownlow (the Mitchell rule). No rest for the wicked.

The footy was entertaining. What did we think of the pre-match entertainment?

Slattery: Let's hope something good came of the Meat Loaf farce of Saturday. This concept of pre-game entertainment needs to be put into a whizzer, and blended into dust. Whether Meat Loaf was good, bad, indifferent (or appalling as it was), the biggest day of the year does not need fluff to add one moment's pleasure to it. The fans LOVE the singing of their anthems, and TV's insights into the rooms pre-game. It was beautiful to note that when the teams arrived, there was hardly a soul on the field. That has been an advance of the pre-game in the Fitzpatrick era.

Ryan: Yep, you don't see too many football clinics at music festivals. It should be all about celebrating football. National Anthem provided a great atmosphere. Meat Loaf was always going to be as he was.

Holmesby: Pre-game entertainment won't work while the game is played during the day. That said, I love the fact the Grand Final is played in the afternoon and that should never change.

Slattery: I thought Vanessa Amorosi's rendition of the National Anthem was a ripper. Loved her gutteral AUST-RA-L-EE-AA. Crowd was singing more than any I can remember.

Holmesby: Fair to say that Twitter has done as much for Meat Loaf as it did for Ben Elton.

Twomey: But just as you say that about Meat Loaf, Pete and Geoff, the National Anthem has also been the subject of some debate in the last two days. You can never please anyone unless you get AC/DC. And good luck with that.

Lovett: Mr Loaf was gone before he took the stage. One out of 10 and the one should go to the back-up female singer. The cover band from my local footy club would have done a better job. Ms Amorosi was fine until she decided to screech her way through the last few bars.

Bowen: I think it's fair to say the Loaf's effort won't help him sell any more tickets for his "Guilty Pleasure" tour. When he was on the stage, pleasure was in short supply. As for guilt, he should be feeling some for taking his appearance fee.

Holmesby: Just on a non-GF related topic, it looks like 'Rocket' is off to the Magpies. Is that a blow for the Saints or should they have always been looking for an untried coach?

Browne: Perhaps 'Rocket' has read the tea leaves and decided he was not likely to get the job at St Kilda. He'll be good for the Pies. It is hard to get a read on the Saints at this stage, but they need to get a wriggle on.

Ryan: Not sure it's a blow for the Saints but it should be a good addition for Collingwood. Saints need a fresh start and a real culture builder.

Bowen: Luke, I reckon the Saints are better off with a young bloke. They will need to be patient because I think there will be a few bumpy periods along the way. But if they set realistic expectations, I think a young coach, who can grow along with what will presumably become a young team, is the way to go.
 
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL