Let’s get one thing straight – Collingwood is not just leading the ladder, they’re bossing it.
They’ve steamrolled teams, pinched wins in the dying seconds, and played a brand of footy that’s as entertaining as it is efficient. They’re first on the ladder, first in most punters’ minds, and first in just about every power ranking in the media.
But for all the fanfare, one thing feels quietly, almost ominously true: Geelong are lurking, and they might just be the team that lifts the cup when it counts.
Collingwood are doing what great teams do: they win. Doesn’t matter the margin, doesn’t matter the opponent – they just find a way. Whether it’s Nick Daicos weaving through traffic like a Ferrari in peak-hour or Scott Pendlebury still moving like he’s stuck in the Matrix, the Pies are loaded with talent, leadership, and belief.
Craig McRae has built something special – fast ball movement, forward pressure, and a belief that they’re never out of a contest. And to their credit, they aren’t. Time and again this season, they’ve rallied when it looked like they were cooked and walked off the ground four points richer. That’s premiership material – no doubt.
But here’s the twist: AFL history is full of minor premiers who couldn’t get the job done when it mattered. And that’s where Geelong becomes the story.
The Cats haven’t just quietly positioned themselves inside the top four. They’ve done it with intent, without a media frenzy, and without exhausting themselves in a race for the minor premiership. They’re like that boxer who lets the other guy throw wild punches for eight rounds while they conserve energy, waiting to strike. And come finals, Geelong know how to land the knockout blow.
Chris Scott has been around the block. His critics say he underdelivers in September, but the facts don’t lie – Geelong is a permanent finals fixture for a reason. They plan their seasons for premiership runs, not to win Round 11 by ten goals. This is a side full of mature heads who know the brutality of September footy. They don’t get caught up in headlines or ladder predictions. They play the long game, and right now, it’s shaping up beautifully.
Let’s talk fixtures. Geelong has the softest run home of any side in the top eight. While Collingwood is preparing for a brutal few weeks against contenders, the Cats are walking a smooth path into finals – one that could see them sneak into a home qualifying final without breaking a sweat. And in a finals series, fresh legs mean everything.
And it’s not like this team is full of rookies hoping for a breakout moment. Patrick Dangerfield is back leading from the front – older, wiser, and still dangerous (pun intended). Tom Stewart remains one of the best intercept defenders in the comp. Jeremy Cameron is still capable of kicking bags when it counts.
These aren’t kids trying to prove themselves. These are seasoned finals warriors.
Then there’s the intangible, the thing we all know exists but can’t quite measure: finals aura. Some teams rise. Some teams shrink.
Max Holmes is chased by Matt Rowell. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Geelong has never been a team that blinks. Even when they lose in finals, they don’t crumble – they learn. They come back stronger. And 2025 might just be the year they remind everyone that they’re still very much a powerhouse club.
Meanwhile, the pressure on Collingwood is mounting. Everyone expects them to win. Anything less than a premiership is failure. That’s a heavy crown to wear. The media glare, the fan expectations, the weekly scrutiny – it’s relentless.
One bad final, one off night, one key injury, and that entire season of dominance can unravel in two hours of chaos. We’ve seen it before. We’ll see it again.
That’s where Geelong thrives. No one’s demanding a flag. No one’s watching their every move. They’re flying just under the radar – and that’s exactly how they like it. A team with no external pressure, a coach with a long-term plan, and a list that knows exactly how to hit the accelerator when September rolls around.
Yes, Collingwood might be the best team right now. But the premiership isn’t awarded for Round 18 ladder position. It’s earned in September – through grit, through belief, and through big moments when the whole country’s watching.
And if you ask around quietly – not the headline writers or the ladder-watchers, but the ones who really know footy – they’ll tell you: keep an eye the Cats. Watch how they’re building. Watch how they’re stalking.
Because come finals, they might just pounce.
And when they do, don’t act surprised. Some of us have been watching them all along.
