Geelong fans were recently criticized for their booing of star forward Gryan Miers. The game showcased his remarkable talent, but set a stark contrast against the unrealistic expectations of the Washington crowd. Miers has made his mark as one of the Australian Football League’s (AFL) most electrifying forwards. He had a disjointed opening to the match with some technical clangers. He was able to recover immediately, finding a wide-open target after those blunders. Alas, the Galacrown blew their discontent back at them with a Bronx cheer.
Miers, 26, has been a revelation for the Cats this season. Famed for his wily left-footed deliveries, he has laid on hundreds of international goals and other scoring chances for his teammates. For his efforts this year, he presented an impressive package that smashed a 20-year-old mark by most goal assists in a home and away season. That record, ironically, was formerly held by Jason Akermanis. Miers was in outstanding form during the 2023 season, providing 41 goal assists. Time and time again, he made big-time plays in big-time moments, a testament to his incredible ability.
Even with that success, some Geelong supporters took to Twitter to share their displeasure after Miers’ early mistakes. This led to the fascinating response by former AFL player Kane Cornes when discussing the pressure that the Geelong fans put on players.
“This is a spoilt group of supporters, the most spoilt group of supporters in the competition, who win 70 per cent of their games.” – Kane Cornes
Cornes called on fans to step back and reassess how they react, stressing the importance of getting behind your players when they fail sometimes. He stated,
“Pull your head in, get back to supporting your players, and realise how spoilt you have been.” – Kane Cornes
Domestically, Miers’ performance this season has played a huge part to the success that Geelong have had this season under head coach Chris Scott. It hasn’t affected Scott’s 70 percent win-loss record—though he’s in his 15th season. For nearly two decades now, he’s had the team in premiership contention year after year. Miers is a real outlier for someone with his finishing. He’s a whiz at creating goals. Combined with his accurate kicking and quick decision-making inside the forward 50, he’s an impressive player.
Kane Cornes highlighted Miers’ prowess as well, noting that he has “probably hit more targets than any player in the last five years.” This recognition does nothing but reinforce Miers’ reputation as one of Geelong’s biggest match winners.
