I've been of the firm opinion that Geelongs runs of success will peter out, even though it has been very well managed and long in comparative and historical terms. Good management has been required to pull it off, and they have drafted well, but they have had a run of extremely good fortune with father-sons, Hawkins and Ablett, and western district/ local superstars who will play for lower wages, Danger and Cameron.
Nothing lasts forever, and Hopper baulking at Geelong due to them not being able to match us with their touted 'salary-cap model', read farmboy factor, is the first sign of the beginning of the end of the golden run. If their farmboy factor stops being a factor, they'll ditch it pronto and drift back to the pack.