THE SPEAKER was Dean Bailey. “I wouldn’t accept that the Bulldogs or Hawthorn are lesser teams than Geelong,” said the Melbourne coach in his post-match media conference after his side went down to Geelong at Skilled Stadium on Sunday.
What’s intriguing about Bailey’s quote is that he was posed the notion that he could take some heart out of a 30-point loss against the competition’s benchmark as opposed to two heavy losses against ‘lesser teams’ Hawthorn and Western Bulldogs.
The first-year Melbourne coach was having none of the perception that Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs are ‘lesser’ units to Geelong. And Bailey should know; he’s coached against all three teams in 2008.
What’s even more fascinating is that Geelong, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs are the top three sides respectively on the AFL ladder after three rounds. They are also the only undefeated sides at this point.
Wags would suggest Melbourne’s poor start to the season has given these sides a kick along, but the reality is the Cats, Hawks and Dogs have impressed in more than just one outing against the Demons.
Could it be Melbourne has played against the three standout sides of 2008?
It’s far too early to know how the final ladder will eventuate, but there is no denying Geelong, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs are the hottest teams in the competition at the moment.
Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs smashed Melbourne by a combined margin of 199 points in the opening two rounds, and both recorded impressive wins in round three.
The Hawks overcame recent bogey side North Melbourne, while the Dogs produced a stunning come-from-behind win over the Saints.
Although Geelong’s outstanding start to the season comes as no surprise to the football community, pundits are now being treated to the outstanding long-term work put in place by Hawthorn and the Bulldogs, as both clubs are maximising their depth.
The Hawks are reaping the benefits from the 2004-05 drafting period, when Jarryd Roughead, Lance Franklin, Jordan Lewis, Tom Murphy, Simon Taylor, Xavier Ellis, Grant Birchall and Travis Tuck were secured. All eight players played in its 16-point win over the Kangaroos at Telstra Dome on Saturday.
Unlike the Hawks, the Bulldogs have built their list over a longer period of time.
The Dogs have to look back to 1999 when they netted the bulk of their current best 22, when Robert Murphy, Daniel Giansiracusa, Mitch Hahn, Lindsay Gilbee, Ryan Hargrave and Nathan Eagleton (via a trade) were snapped up.
Since then, the Dogs have collected a sprinkling of players at each draft, highlighted by Daniel Cross (2000), Brian Lake (2001), Will Minson (2002), Adam Cooney (2003), Ryan Griffen (2004), Dylan Addison (2005) and Josh Hill (2006) all playing in the Bulldogs win over St Kilda at Telstra Dome on Friday night.
History now shows Geelong’s 1999 and 2001 drafting period played a key role in their 2007 premiership success. And although the Hawks and Dogs have taken their own recruiting paths, they appear to be on the right track for greater success. Gritty performance against the Cats aside, that’s something that seems some time away for Bailey and the Demons after three rounds.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
