DWAYNE Russell isn\u2019t buying into the \u201csilly hysteria\u201d surrounding Geelong that has only heated up throughout the 2022 trade period.<\/p>\n
The Cats claimed this year\u2019s premiership less than a fortnight ago with an emphatic 81-point defeat of the Swans after widely being recognised as the best team throughout 2022.<\/p>\n
But just weeks later, Chris Scott could have an extra four first-round picks on his list.<\/p>\n
Jack Bowes has nominated Geelong in a trade to come with pick 7, while Ollie Henry and Tanner Bruhn have also expressed their desires to be at Kardinia Park in 2023.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s seen an outcry over the AFL\u2019s equalisation measures, with Geelong set to vastly improve after its flag-winning season.<\/p>\n
But Russell said it\u2019s all based on the result of one game, suggesting there\u2019s a similar comments every year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis silly hysteria around Geelong, you\u2019d think they\u2019d won the last three premierships the way people are carrying on about trying to bring them down. They\u2019ve won one flag in 11 years,\u201d the former Cat said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a difference one win makes. If Geelong had lost the grand final every critic would have been laughing saying, \u2018we told you so, too old, too slow, why did you recruit Isaac Smith, Chris Scott can\u2019t coach\u2019?<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what hysteria we\u2019d be having if Sydney won the flag, Sydney beat Geelong in the grand final? It\u2019d be, \u2018we can\u2019t have those academies, we\u2019ve got to get rid of the Swans academies\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Russell notes, it\u2019s a similar outcry to the Demons after their dominant premiership last year. Melbourne won its first 10 games in 2022 before falling in a heap and was knocked out of finals in straight sets.<\/p>\n
Since Brisbane\u2019s dynasty in the early 2000s, only two clubs – Hawthorn and Richmond – have won back-to-back flags.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s always hysteria. The hysteria last year was, \u2018how are we ever going to beat Melbourne? They\u2019re going to be too good for too long, they\u2019re going to win the next three flags,\u2019\u201d Russell said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s always hysteria, right now it\u2019s hysteria about Geelong and it\u2019s silly, to me anyway, just because they\u2019ve got smarter people than the clubs down the road and because they\u2019ve got players who would rather work there for less money\u2026 than some of the clubs down the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a difference a win makes. The critics, who would have been laughing at the Cats if they lost the flag are now complaining, \u2018they\u2019re too damn good\u2019. So I\u2019m not with this hysteria.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry and Bruhn were both Geelong Falcons before being drafted to Collingwood and GWS respectively, while the Cats were the first club to register an interest in Bowes which led to the Sun\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n