Since 2007, Geelong have been the dominant team in the league. They've been at the top every season and, though many thought the Cats would fall this year, they're undefeated after 8 rounds.
So, why have they been able to stay up for so long, and when will they fall?
Geelong's ability to mix the young guns with the old has proven to make them almost infallible. For example, Joel Selwood is only in his early 20s but is one of the best players in the league. Names that we associate with being great players like Chapman, Bartel, Scarlett are still at the top of their game four years after their first premiership and are showing no signs of aging.
Though you can consider Geelong as one of the 'older' teams in the league (i.e. compared to Richmond or Melbourne), they are in no way done yet. Their midfield is second to none in the league, and with youngsters such as Menzel and Christensen showing signs of the great things to come, there's no reason that the Cats should be slowing down any time soon.
An AFL team list is all about balancing the young with the experienced, and that's exactly what the Geelong selectors and recruiters have done. Collingwood have done the same thing, and it showed signs of flourishing last season, and Essendon and Richmond have shown signs that a similar system is working beautifully with both teams rising up the ladder significantly on last year.
Can the Cats win the premiership? Yes, they can. They could probably even give a good run for the flag next year, too. They've got great, young talent and, mixed with the experience of Darren Milburn, Matthew Scarlett and Cam Mooney (as examples), there's no reason why Geelong can't stay at the top for years to come.
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