Round 12B: One game at a toim

Back in 1990, the newly-monikered AFL made a decision to further expand the national competition by extending an invitation to our teutonic brethren from the Barossa- the Adelaide Crows were born, and came on board for the 1991 season. They immediately had an impact on the competition- the Crow Throw was introduced, the number of mulletted footballers rose exponentially, and with an odd number of teams in the competition the AFL was forced to introduce a bye into the draw for the first time since University fell over at the outbreak of the First World War. Who now remembers the bye? Or University, for that matter? The Students or Professors as they were predictably nicknamed, weren't terribly competitive during their brief foray into the big leagues-playing them was arguably the equivalent of a bye in itself.
Back in the early 90s, though, coping with the bye was the subject of much analytical deep thinking and many a newspaper column. Would encountering the bye provide a team with a much needed break or would it instead destroy forward momentum? Was it even possible to win the week following the bye? Opinions differed, and many a tree fell to provide newsprint on the issue until the Freo Dockers entered the competition in 1995 and put a stop to it by putting the bye out of business.
Until, that is, the AFL decided to introduce a split round in order to give the players a week's break in the middle of the season. Many formats have been tried for the split round. At one stage all of the teams got the same week off, resulting in a completely football-free weekend in the middle of winter. Not too popular, that one, except possibly amongst long-suffering football widows. They've also been rounds split 7-1, 4-4, and this year's variety of 5-3. The same old bye discussions have come to the fore leading into the split round- how best should a team cope with the enormous distraction posed by a week off? Presumably next year Freo will adopt a different approach to having a team booze-up at a nightclub in the middle of Darwin (although maybe they'll do it again but just not invite Chris Tarrant). The weekend just gone provided the first on-field showing of how six clubs coped with the break- some a whole lot better than others.
For many weeks the battle between Melbourne and Richmond had been eagerly awaited by footy fans of many stripes- at last, one of the two sides was guaranteed to win (unless of course they did a Carlton-Essendon from last year and couldn't even beat each other). Melbourne had unfortunately spoiled the lead-up by actually winning a couple of matches against quite respectable opposition, and were warm favourites against the still winless Tigers. By halftime however the Dees were ten goals in arrears, and the game was all but over. So, as it turned out, was Neale Daniher's ten year stint as coach of Melbourne. So the week off had proved a fizzer for the Demons but a shot in the arm for Richmond, who finally got to sing their club song and did so loudly and lustily. Does the break help or hinder? Inconclusive.
No Saturday arvo games again this week, we had to wait until the next evening for our footy fix and it came courtesy of the now traditional (since 2003 I think) clash between the Swans and the Magpies up in Sydney. Sydney came into this game brimming with confidence after beating Hawthorn away; Collingwood had lost to the aforementioned Melbourne and looked ordinary doing it. Naturally enough Collingwood never looked like losing on Saturday night and have gotten nothing but positive press all week (right up until Friday when it emerged that Alan Didak had been out drinking with the alleged CBD murderer a couple of days before). But they were great on Saturday night and their new Irishman in the backline is a gem. Not only did he pick up 20-odd possessions in his 12th game of Australian Rules Football ever, he correctly noted that Collingwood was "taking it one game at a toim" in the post-match interview. A natural.
The final game for the weekend was over in Perth between the Eagles, who are just about unbeatable west of the Nullabor and St Kilda, whose season has been plagued by injury and off-field disturbance. The odds on a Saints win were a pretty inviting 6.25- not bad in a two horse race. Canny punters who put on a couple of bob in the knowledge that it was Rob Harvey's 350th match and the Saints might lift to match the occasion would have been clinking glasses of top shelf sparkling wine in the second quarter as the Saints shot out to a 44 point lead in front of the stunned Weagles crowd. By three quarter time however the wine would have ceased to sparkle as the Eagles piled on goal after goal to bring themselves back to within a goal. The smart money would have been on the Saints to capitulate in the final stages, but instead they fought tooth and nail and got themselves across the line, sparking scenes of celebration reminiscent of a Grand Final victory. Relief for the punters then, if not the tipsters. I must admit that my tipping over the weekend went to the schizenhausen, as Rex Hunt would say if 3AW still let him, but I suspect I wasn't the only one scoring a big fat zero. The curse of the split round had struck- tipsters beware!
So with the midseason hump now out of the way all teams are back on board for Round 13. While it's all academic at the bottom for Richmond and Melbourne, and probably Carlton and Brisbane, Freo and St Kilda are entering the last chance saloon for 2007. Geelong are travelling very nicely at the top but there's a lot of competition to fill the next seven spots. Every match counts, and there's going to be some tired footballers by Round 22. If only there was the opportunity for a periodic break...perhaps in the form of a bye? Maybe we could convince University to come back on board to allow this to occur? Worth considering, or another in a long line of Bad Ideas? Grateful views. Until next week then, yibba da yibba da etc.