Cameron Mooney: Swans must get something back in grand final rematch against Cats

Teams can go one of two ways after a grand final defeat. And it’s up to Sydney to respond to their humiliating loss to Geelong in September when they travel south this week.

Sydney was crushed on grand final day by Geelong. Picture: David Caird

Get ready for Sydney to come down to Geelong on Saturday night breathing fire.

It has snuck up on people a little bit that this will be the first time they have played since the grand final and the Swans should be fired up.

Paddy and Tom McCartin feel the emotion of the grand final. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The hardest thing in footy without doubt is watching the opposition grab their medals on grand final day.

It is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking, particularly when you don't have a good day.

I remember 2008 like it was yesterday.

When people ask me if I have good memories of the grand finals I played in, I tell them the only one I remember is the bloody 2008 grand final.

So I would be disappointing if Sydney didn’t look at it and think “these blokes broke our hearts”.

We have seen clubs go both ways after a bad grand final defeat, if you think back to Port Adelaide after we beat them in the 2007 grand final, that loss set them back years.

It can hurt you or it can motivate you.

Sydney will come up against a side that not only beat them but embarrassed them in September.

Geelong felt the pain in 2008.

After ‘08, we famously didn’t want to lose to Hawthorn again.

We wanted to hurt them and we told each other we didn’t want to lose to them again.

We beat them first up the next year and the club didn’t lose to them until 2013.

There was a hatred between those two sides then.

I don’t think there is a hatred between Sydney and Geelong but those Swans had to stand there and watch the Cats celebrate and it should have left a dirty taste in their mouths.

Beating Geelong in round 1, round 10 or round 22 will never bring back that day but you need to get a little bit of something back.

At the end of the day the Cats will always have that flag but you just need to get something back and I would be shocked if Sydney didn’t have a bitter taste in the mouth coming into the trip to GMHBA Stadium.

I will be fascinated to see how they handle the game.

It was Geelong’s day. Picture: Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

These days you can’t go over the top and give away free kicks, but I wouldn’t even want my teammates to shake hands before the game with the opposition that embarrassed them six months ago.

I would be looking at this game and want to put some hurt on the opposition.

It will be a real challenge for Geelong.

This is their best test since they have shown some form back in the last couple of weeks.

From all reports, their last month on the track has been exceptional and the Cats have been building to those two wins, but they were against two teams in Hawthorn and West Coast that should have been put to the sword.

It looked good beating up on those teams but now they face a big test against a Sydney side that should be fired up.

Tom Papley was on fire last week against Richmond. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

To win, the Cats will have to stop Sydney’s barometer – forward Tom Papley.

He is the kind of player you would hate as an opponent but love as your teammate – I thought I carried on a bit with my goal celebrations but he takes it to another level and it’s great to see as a fan.

I would be putting Jed Bews straight back into the side and straight on to Papley if he clears concussion protocols and that would be a great match up to watch.

Before the game on Saturday night, the Cats will raise the flag from last year, but I think that is more of a moment for the fans, not the players.

In 2008, we raised the flag before a game against Melbourne.

The Demons were battling at the time but we were down by a goal at quarter-time because our minds weren’t really on the contest, so these days I expect the Cats to be still in the rooms and focused on the game ahead while the fans have their moment.

Originally published as Cameron Mooney: Swans must get something back in grand final rematch against Cats