Like a latter-day footballing Jason Voorhees, representative state of origin football lurched back into life in 2008, leaping from the grave with decaying arms stiffly extended towards the throats of horrified onlookers shocked and stunned to see it still alive long after it should by all rights have passed to a better place. The concept was seen to have breathed its last in the late '90s after one too many players had pulled out of a state of origin match claiming one of either a dodgy hamstring, a virus of some kind, the all-encompassing "general soreness" or lupus, all of which amazingly cleared up in time for the player to take the field for his club the next week. However, this year being the 150th anniversary of the code, the AFL announced that the Big V was being exhumed once more. But who would they take on? South Australia? Western Australia? The Allies (comprising all of the remaining states and territories)? No, this time around Victoria was going to line up against no lesser foe than the Dream Team. Disappointingly it turned out that this referred not to the 1992 US Olympic basketball team, which surely would have brought the fans out in droves, but to the rest of the nation outside the Garden State. The Allies plus, in other words.
It should be noted that the AFL is not the only national football code celebrating a significant anniversary in 2008. Our northern cousins the NRL are marking 100 years since the great rugby split. I don't know the circumstances involved in that particular incident, but I do know that the NRL folk love their representative footy. The fans can't get enough of the state of origin show, and the players all clamour for the honour of wearing either a maroon or light blue jumper. No lupus-related withdrawals up there! I actually went to an NRL state of origin match in 1994, held in Melbourne for reasons unclear both then or now. I think it was some sort of promotional idea, aimed at selling Victorians on the northern game. Certainly the hype surrounding the game was massive, and the NRL succeeded in filling the MCG with 87,161 curious Vics. Unfortunately, the hype well exceeded the entertainment provided by the game itself, which was a dire affair. Only a streaker and a brawl or two provided any interest, and the vast bulk of the 87,161 would have departed the stadium feeling like Jesus of Nazareth emerging from the desert having endured the temptations of the devil for forty days and nights. That is, I believe, the very first biblical reference I've ever put in the Wrap. A milestone of sorts.
The NRL folk put on their own representative fixture on the Friday night, with Australia taking on New Zealand. They resorted to the "classic" 1908 replica strips, which meant that instead of the Australian team taking to the pitch in the customary (for rugby league) dark green jumper with a gold v, they instead went out wearing an eye-watering maroon and light blue hooped ensemble. I presume they got up, I don't think the Kiwis are really that into rugby league. They're a bit like Victorians in that regard.
The Aussie league team weren't the only ones forced to appear in duff strips over the weekend. The jumpers designed for the Dream Team looked from a distance like an unfinished template waiting for some sort of icon to be added- perhaps a map of Australia minus Victoria. It turned out that if you had a really close look the jumpers did in fact include a handwritten list of all of the registered clubs throughout the nation- why is anyone's guess. Disappointingly, given that Victorian clubs were excluded, such superbly-named local outfits as Poowong, Nar Nar Goon, Manangatang and Devon-Welshpool-Won Wron Woodside (the Four Wheel Drives to their loyal fans) were nowhere to be found. Despite such a handicap, the Dream Team were able to field a pretty damn impressive line-up. As indeed were the Victorians. After so many years without any opportunity for representative footy the players were very keen indeed for the chance to run around in the colours of their state or generic concept. The media too was very much onside; only Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews, who didn't want his star forward and Victorian captain Jonathan Brown; and ex-Hawk Dermott Brereton, who confessed to many a lupus-withdrawal in the '80s, had a bad word to say about the fixture. Certainly the respective coaches "Bomber" Thompson and "Choco" Williams, and their assistants "Sheeds" Sheedy and "The Reverend" Daniher, spruiked the occasion for all it was worth. It was great to see Sheeds and Daniher back in action again, they've been missed.
All of this activity, plus the fact that it was the only game on all weekend, helped ensure that a better than respectable crowd showed up at the MCG for the big game. Those of us watching on TV had to endure a massive promotional build-up before the footy actually kicked off. First there was a seemingly never ending thinly disguised Toyota ad comparing the great moments in footy (Jezza's mark etc) with such great moments as the universal installation of passenger side airbags. Then there was a fairly dodgy historical re-enactment, featuring a figure evidently meant to be Thomas Wills sitting in a genuine 1850s pub (complete with authentic 1850s neon Guinness signs). The actor playing Wills had evidently decided to model his performance on Governor Frontbottom from the Olden Days, camply writing a letter (while simultaneously reading it out aloud) suggesting that cricketers could stay fit in winter through either playing football or forming a gun club. Then, once the players finally emerged onto the playing arena, we had to watch them all being individually introduced. That kind of thing works well in basketball, where they have five players plus a couple of subs, not quite as well when the teams have 25 players each. By the time all 50 players had been introduced it was definitely no longer light outside, and the bloke playing Wills was now three sheets to the wind.
The game itself was entertaining. Having blokes like Judd, Brown and Goodes on the same team is pretty exciting to watch, and there is no doubt that the standard of skills on display was pretty high. However the game did lack a bit of passion. It seemed as though a lot of the players (understandably) were keen to avoid injury, in the event only Collingwood's Josh Fraser suffered an injury which will put him out of action for a couple of weeks. The crowd's engagement with the whole affair can be summed up by the fact that a Mexican Wave went around the game with five minutes to go and scores pretty much level. That wouldn't happen in a club match. As it was, the Vics managed to come back from a bad start and took the game by three goals.
Following the epoch that was the pregame entertainment, many feared that the postgame entertainment would result in Wills' death through alcohol poisoning. However those watching in Victoria apparently got whisked away to the qualifying rounds of the Turkish Grand Prix the moment the siren sounded. The rest of us were treated to the most unusual sight of players swapping guernseys, which hasn't happened in many a year. Anyone tuning in late would have come to the unmistakable conclusion that the disconsolate blokes in the Big V jumpers were on the losing side and vice versa. But Vics skipper Brown left nobody in any doubt during his speech, declaring to the late EJ Whitten that "We stuck it right up 'em, Teddy!". Choco Williams looked less than impressed with this display of Victorian triumphalism, and I'm sure many others watching around the big brown Dreamland were also slightly miffed. But full credit to the bloke who took the medal for best afield- the Urinator from Carlton kicked six and is in excellent touch just at the moment.
So that's it for the representative round for 2008. Will we see the Big V in action again? Or the Dream Team? Or will Jason Voorhees sink back into his grave once more? Keeping in mind Friday the 13th has about 20 sequels, my money is on the former proposition. Next week sees the resumption of business as usual, no doubt to general relief. See you back here for the Round 8 Wrap, and if lupus strikes, do see a doctor!
11 May 2008
Round Seven: The Family-Friendly Edition
One of the great romantic (in the traditional, rather than the Barbara Cartland sense of the word) appeals of the AFL to its supporters is the way in which great names continue to reappear down the generations. Three generations of Hirds plus a fairly handy Fletcher or two have appeared at Windy Hill, Shaws and Clokes continue to bob up at Collingwood, Geelong's 2007 flag was produced on the back of a Scarlett and a couple of Abletts, and Port Adelaide has a couple of players whose fathers were allegedly champions in Die Bundesliga some decades back . The father-son rule has helped ensure that the progeny of the elite are generally able to ply their trade while wearing the old man's colours. It also helps to have a coach like Kevin Sheedy who will move heaven and earth to ensure that brothers can turn out in the same side- playing all four Daniher brothers in a match once being the most obvious example.
However there are also players who become "family" in the broader sense of the word, with their exploits on the field endearing them to their club's supporters beyond standard loyalties. The sense of betrayal experienced if such a player is to move on and play for another club is severe indeed for club supporters, particularly when the player returns to play against their original club. Think of Ron Barassi lining up against the Demons in a Carlton jumper; Doug Hawkins running around the Western Oval wing for Fitzroy; Dermott Brereton standing on an ex-Hawks teammate's head while wearing red and white. Difficult to watch indeed, particularly for the bloke with Brereton's boot on his head. Such was the case on the Friday night of Round Seven when the great Chris Judd returned to Subiaco Oval to take on the Eagles for the first time in the navy blue of Carlton.
Judd's move back to Victoria at the end of last year was a very big story. He'd won every award not nailed down at the Eagles: premiership captain, Brownlow Medal, Norm Smith Medal; second prize in a beauty contest, you name it. His stated reason for wishing to depart West Coast was a desire to return to the Garden State. However many believe that it had more to do with a fervent wish to be shot of the Eagles' appalling off-field soap opera, including this bloke- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPPxCEIC0gA. Unfortunately for West Coast, Judd's departure coincided with that of his troubled midfield partner Ben Cousins, and the Eagles are now a shadow of their old selves. Fortress Subiaco has been comprehensively levelled in 2008. At halftime of the Round Seven fixture the Blues were up by eight goals and the Eagles looked awful. They did mount a bit of a fightback later on but Carlton were able to ride it out and run away with a rare away win. All in all a very bitter pill for the blue and yellow faithful to swallow; if you're losing at home to a side which recently equalled its longest ever losing streak it might be time to start thinking about draft picks.
The bloke who had the thankless task of running with Judd was one Adam Selwood, who shot to fame last year by unwisely sledging Dockers' hothead Des Headland's (admittedly dodgy) tattoo of a figure who was (allegedly) his daughter. Although given the quality of the tatt it could just as easily have been the guitarist from Motley Crue. However, I digress. Selwood is also notable for being part of the latter-day AFL Von Trapp family- not since the Danihers has there been four brothers running around the AFL at the same time. Unlike the Danihers, however, the clan Selwood is spread far and wide. Adam is at the Eagles, his twin Troy is across at Brisbane, number three son Joel is down at Geelong, and somewhat disappointingly the youngest son Scott is also at West Coast. Many had been hoping that Scott would have been drafted by either Sydney or one of the South Australian clubs, therefore allowing the Selwoods to singlehandedly encapsulate the national competition within a single family unit. Although Ma and Pa Selwood are no doubt relieved, had that scenario come to pass they would have had to fund the planting of trees in an area the size of the Daintree Rainforest in order to offset their carbon emissions from travelling to see their sons play each week. Troy and Joel met up on the Saturday afternoon as the Cats hosted the Lions, with Brisbane looking resplendent in the old Fitzroy colours. Like many a title-holder before them, the Cats of 2008 are rapidly discovering that everyone wants a piece of the champion. The Lions shot out of the blocks in the first quarter to take the lead, only for the Cats to slowly reel them in. Another week, another win for Geelong, but they're getting progressivly more difficult.
Most feel that the Cats' primary challengers in '08 will be Hawthorn, and this supposition was given new strength in Round Seven as the Hawks belted Collingwood. Given that Collingwood had themselves belted Essendon the previous week I think I might try and be out of town and out of TV/radio coverage the week the Bombers have to front up against the Hawks. Although the Hawks led all day it was their 10 goal final quarter onslaught that had the pundits oohing and aahing. "Buddy" Franklin booted another six for the day as the Magpies wilted to a 65 point defeat.
Two Saturday night fixtures: over in Adelaide the Crows were largely untroubled in putting away North Melbourne. Back in Melbourne however it was a mighty struggle between the Tigers and the Saints, both of whom would feel that they are very much in contention for a finals spot in 2008. Another family affair, this time it was the Riedwoldts on centre stage. Unfortunately it was a bad night for both Nick of the Saints, from the Gold Coast branch of the family, and Jack of the Tiges, who hails from the Tasmanian end of the diaspora. Nick went down with a damaged knee, while Jack's attempt to win the game after the siren from 55 metres fell short, leaving the Saints with a three point steal. After the game it emerged that the timekeepers had screwed up again, once more losing 11 seconds. What is it about 11 seconds, anyway? Tiges' coach Terry Wallace was less than happy, pointing out that Jack could have used that 11 seconds to pass off to a teammate closer to goal. I'm sure the AFL will be fervently hoping that the timekeepers get it right in Round 8.
Three more games to complete the round took place on the Sunday. Ex-Swans coach Rodney Eade enjoyed his return to the SCG at the head of the Bulldogs, as the Doggies overcame a slow start to take the points and protect their status as one of three unbeaten clubs after Round 7. Essendon's dismal performance at home against Port Adelaide inspired many of their supporters to leave the ground early; not so much to beat the traffic as to avoid beating themselves over the head with anything handy as a means of blotting out the appalling spectacle before them. Less than a third of the season gone and the Bombers are playing for draft picks. The only bright spot for the Dons was that three new players got a guernsey, among them yet another Daniher. The latest of the clan is the son of ex-full back Tony. He goes by the slightly unfortunate Generation Y name of Darcy Daniher, which for mine makes him sound like an angst-ridden female teen character in Dawsons Creek who develops an eating disorder for an episode or two. But it's still better than "Sharrod".
But the big story from Round Seven came at the MCG, where the hapless Demons took on the equally hapless Dockers. Many had feared that this match would draw a crowd that would be outnumbered by the seagulls swooping in from the beach in search of discarded chips. This proved correct, with less than 20,000 spectators spotted around the mighty stadium. But what a game they got to see. In the first half the Dockers came out firing, seeking redemption for their desperately disappointing loss to Geelong the previous week. Melbourne predictably wilted under the fire, and another 100-plus point defeat looked on the cards as they limped into the sheds 50 points down at halftime. Even the TAB bookmakers came over all benevolent, refusing to take bets from those gullible enough to think that the Dees could pull it back. But whatever was in Melbourne's halftime cordial obviously did the trick as they stormed into action in the second half, booting 14 goals to 4 to steal a most unlikely victory by a solitary goal. Dee-lirium for the players and supporters, the monkey finally off the back in 2008. Another Docker Shocker for the purple haze though, two matchwinning leads blown in consecutive weeks has shot their season. Tough days for Mark Harvey and co. The only consolation the Freo crowd have is that at least the Eagles are equally decrepit this year. Expect memberships for the Perth Glory and Wildcats to soar in coming weeks and months.
So another terrific round has been played, and at this point in the season I'm prepared to make the prediction that the final four (Geelong, Hawthorn, the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide) is settled. I think that Port is the only team currently outside the eight with a chance of playing finals this year, although given how mediocre teams 5-8 are it's anyone's guess who they'll displace. The battle for next year's number 1 draft pick has officially begun, with any of Melbourne, West Coast, Fremantle or Essendon well and truly in the mix. No club footy on now until the weekend of 16-18 May, but we'll be sure to put something in writing about the rebirth of representative football- look for it right here in the days to come.
However there are also players who become "family" in the broader sense of the word, with their exploits on the field endearing them to their club's supporters beyond standard loyalties. The sense of betrayal experienced if such a player is to move on and play for another club is severe indeed for club supporters, particularly when the player returns to play against their original club. Think of Ron Barassi lining up against the Demons in a Carlton jumper; Doug Hawkins running around the Western Oval wing for Fitzroy; Dermott Brereton standing on an ex-Hawks teammate's head while wearing red and white. Difficult to watch indeed, particularly for the bloke with Brereton's boot on his head. Such was the case on the Friday night of Round Seven when the great Chris Judd returned to Subiaco Oval to take on the Eagles for the first time in the navy blue of Carlton.
Judd's move back to Victoria at the end of last year was a very big story. He'd won every award not nailed down at the Eagles: premiership captain, Brownlow Medal, Norm Smith Medal; second prize in a beauty contest, you name it. His stated reason for wishing to depart West Coast was a desire to return to the Garden State. However many believe that it had more to do with a fervent wish to be shot of the Eagles' appalling off-field soap opera, including this bloke- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPPxCEIC0gA. Unfortunately for West Coast, Judd's departure coincided with that of his troubled midfield partner Ben Cousins, and the Eagles are now a shadow of their old selves. Fortress Subiaco has been comprehensively levelled in 2008. At halftime of the Round Seven fixture the Blues were up by eight goals and the Eagles looked awful. They did mount a bit of a fightback later on but Carlton were able to ride it out and run away with a rare away win. All in all a very bitter pill for the blue and yellow faithful to swallow; if you're losing at home to a side which recently equalled its longest ever losing streak it might be time to start thinking about draft picks.
The bloke who had the thankless task of running with Judd was one Adam Selwood, who shot to fame last year by unwisely sledging Dockers' hothead Des Headland's (admittedly dodgy) tattoo of a figure who was (allegedly) his daughter. Although given the quality of the tatt it could just as easily have been the guitarist from Motley Crue. However, I digress. Selwood is also notable for being part of the latter-day AFL Von Trapp family- not since the Danihers has there been four brothers running around the AFL at the same time. Unlike the Danihers, however, the clan Selwood is spread far and wide. Adam is at the Eagles, his twin Troy is across at Brisbane, number three son Joel is down at Geelong, and somewhat disappointingly the youngest son Scott is also at West Coast. Many had been hoping that Scott would have been drafted by either Sydney or one of the South Australian clubs, therefore allowing the Selwoods to singlehandedly encapsulate the national competition within a single family unit. Although Ma and Pa Selwood are no doubt relieved, had that scenario come to pass they would have had to fund the planting of trees in an area the size of the Daintree Rainforest in order to offset their carbon emissions from travelling to see their sons play each week. Troy and Joel met up on the Saturday afternoon as the Cats hosted the Lions, with Brisbane looking resplendent in the old Fitzroy colours. Like many a title-holder before them, the Cats of 2008 are rapidly discovering that everyone wants a piece of the champion. The Lions shot out of the blocks in the first quarter to take the lead, only for the Cats to slowly reel them in. Another week, another win for Geelong, but they're getting progressivly more difficult.
Most feel that the Cats' primary challengers in '08 will be Hawthorn, and this supposition was given new strength in Round Seven as the Hawks belted Collingwood. Given that Collingwood had themselves belted Essendon the previous week I think I might try and be out of town and out of TV/radio coverage the week the Bombers have to front up against the Hawks. Although the Hawks led all day it was their 10 goal final quarter onslaught that had the pundits oohing and aahing. "Buddy" Franklin booted another six for the day as the Magpies wilted to a 65 point defeat.
Two Saturday night fixtures: over in Adelaide the Crows were largely untroubled in putting away North Melbourne. Back in Melbourne however it was a mighty struggle between the Tigers and the Saints, both of whom would feel that they are very much in contention for a finals spot in 2008. Another family affair, this time it was the Riedwoldts on centre stage. Unfortunately it was a bad night for both Nick of the Saints, from the Gold Coast branch of the family, and Jack of the Tiges, who hails from the Tasmanian end of the diaspora. Nick went down with a damaged knee, while Jack's attempt to win the game after the siren from 55 metres fell short, leaving the Saints with a three point steal. After the game it emerged that the timekeepers had screwed up again, once more losing 11 seconds. What is it about 11 seconds, anyway? Tiges' coach Terry Wallace was less than happy, pointing out that Jack could have used that 11 seconds to pass off to a teammate closer to goal. I'm sure the AFL will be fervently hoping that the timekeepers get it right in Round 8.
Three more games to complete the round took place on the Sunday. Ex-Swans coach Rodney Eade enjoyed his return to the SCG at the head of the Bulldogs, as the Doggies overcame a slow start to take the points and protect their status as one of three unbeaten clubs after Round 7. Essendon's dismal performance at home against Port Adelaide inspired many of their supporters to leave the ground early; not so much to beat the traffic as to avoid beating themselves over the head with anything handy as a means of blotting out the appalling spectacle before them. Less than a third of the season gone and the Bombers are playing for draft picks. The only bright spot for the Dons was that three new players got a guernsey, among them yet another Daniher. The latest of the clan is the son of ex-full back Tony. He goes by the slightly unfortunate Generation Y name of Darcy Daniher, which for mine makes him sound like an angst-ridden female teen character in Dawsons Creek who develops an eating disorder for an episode or two. But it's still better than "Sharrod".
But the big story from Round Seven came at the MCG, where the hapless Demons took on the equally hapless Dockers. Many had feared that this match would draw a crowd that would be outnumbered by the seagulls swooping in from the beach in search of discarded chips. This proved correct, with less than 20,000 spectators spotted around the mighty stadium. But what a game they got to see. In the first half the Dockers came out firing, seeking redemption for their desperately disappointing loss to Geelong the previous week. Melbourne predictably wilted under the fire, and another 100-plus point defeat looked on the cards as they limped into the sheds 50 points down at halftime. Even the TAB bookmakers came over all benevolent, refusing to take bets from those gullible enough to think that the Dees could pull it back. But whatever was in Melbourne's halftime cordial obviously did the trick as they stormed into action in the second half, booting 14 goals to 4 to steal a most unlikely victory by a solitary goal. Dee-lirium for the players and supporters, the monkey finally off the back in 2008. Another Docker Shocker for the purple haze though, two matchwinning leads blown in consecutive weeks has shot their season. Tough days for Mark Harvey and co. The only consolation the Freo crowd have is that at least the Eagles are equally decrepit this year. Expect memberships for the Perth Glory and Wildcats to soar in coming weeks and months.
So another terrific round has been played, and at this point in the season I'm prepared to make the prediction that the final four (Geelong, Hawthorn, the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide) is settled. I think that Port is the only team currently outside the eight with a chance of playing finals this year, although given how mediocre teams 5-8 are it's anyone's guess who they'll displace. The battle for next year's number 1 draft pick has officially begun, with any of Melbourne, West Coast, Fremantle or Essendon well and truly in the mix. No club footy on now until the weekend of 16-18 May, but we'll be sure to put something in writing about the rebirth of representative football- look for it right here in the days to come.
05 May 2008
Round Six: Flooding Red Guard, Hidden Extra
With Anzac Day looming, defence was forefront on the minds of all in the lead-up to Round Six. And by all I mean not just those associated with the AFL's second biggest day of the year, or those in the Australian community with reason to be thankful to the Anzacs (ie. every last one of us). No, in the national capital at least, it was our friends in the Chinese community who were focused firmly on defence as the beleagured Olympic torch relay came to town. Following the protest-ridden debacles in London, Paris and San Francisco the expatriate and local Chinese population were determined that the Canberra leg should be successful and free of such dissent, and so elected to ensure the safety of the torch by sending in the latter-day equivalent of the Red Guards. Whether this action won friends and promoted the Olympic spirit is probably a topic for discussion for another blog. However, credit where credit is due- their defensive efforts were spectacular. Borrowing a leaf out of Paul Roos' coaching playbook, the red-clad defenders swarmed into their opponents' zone and effectively smothered their creativity- flooding at its best. Like all games involving flooding it made for a less than edifying spectacle, but at the end of the day the torch was defended and the opposition left town nursing their bruises and knowing they'd been in a contest.
If only Essendon had taken a leaf out of the Chinese book on Anzac Day itself! Unfortunately the Dons' single-focused attack at all costs game plan was well and truly blocked by Collingwood, who ran away with a 73 point victory- the record margin for an Anzac Day fixture. To add extra chagrin to Bombers' fans, the shellacking was witnessed by both Sapphic songstress kd lang and peevish malcontent George Costanza, both guests of the Magpies. A hugely disappointing result for Essendon, the honeymoon is now well and truly over for Matthew Knights. Let's not dwell on the disappointment further. Here instead is someone whose honeymoon was over some time ago, George W Bush, rapping on his troubles as only he can- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JX-Bx0BETQ.
If the Anzac Day afternoon game was a bit one-sided, the evening fixture was anything but. Geelong travelled to Fremantle as warm favourites, with redheaded stalwart Cameron Ling in line to break the record for playing in the most consecutive matches (having missed the Cats' Round 21 slipup against Port last year). However the Dockers stunned all and sundry by bursting out of the blocks to establish a 39 point lead in the second quarter, only to surrend all but 2 points of it by halftime. Even more amazingly the Dockers then shot away again, establishing a 25 point lead at three quarter time. But the Cats then demonstrated why so many think they'll go back to back in '07, piling on five unanswered goals before Dockers' skipper Pavlich got one back. The Pav then had a chance to steal the game for Freo but rattled the woodwork, resulting in a win by the closest of margins for the Cats. Controversy followed after the match with the revelation that the timekeepers had lost 11 seconds- pretty crucial in such a tight match.
The round continued the next day with Carlton's brief and altogether unfamiliar winning run coming to an end against Adelaide. Port continued to put their season back on track after a shaky start by accounting for St Kilda; while the Bulldogs thrashed the teetering Eagles to remain undefeated. The big story from this match was Daniel Kerr, the sole remaining member of the great Eagles' triumverate (Cousins, Judd and Kerr), copping a suspension for headbutting.
The hapless Demons faced mission impossible up at the Gabba against Brisbane, and so it proved- the Lions up by 52 points with Daniel Bradshaw booting six. Bradshaw has two chief rivals for the Coleman Medal this year, the Hawks' star Lance "Buddy" Franklin and the Urinator from Carlton. Both of the latter managed only a single goal in Round Six, with Franklin's radar being right off against Richmond (a not uncommon complaint). Despite the best efforts of ageing Tiger cult hero Matthew Richardson the Hawks were able to squeeze out a narrow victory and along with the Cats are ladder leaders after Round Six.
By far the most controversial result of the round came at Telstra Dome on Sunday afternoon, where the Swans were the visitors and North Melbourne the hosts. Correctly predicting that the Swans would have taken back the flooding tactics used so successfully by the Chinese some days earlier, and that the game would be an absolute snorefest, I did something else until the last five minutes of the match. Switching it on I was vindicated in this policy, with the scoreboard demonstrating that the two sides had managed a pitiful 60-odd points each in perfect conditions (ie. under a closed roof). After doing their best to bore each other into submission for three and three quarter quarters, however, all hell broke loose in the last few minutes. First the Swans thought they had the game won with a snap that may or may not have been touched across the line, the goal umpire ruled that it was a point and scores were all tied up. As they were when the siren sounded moments later, prompting wild celebrations from a couple of North players who believed they were ahead for some reason despite all evidence being to the contrary, including on the numerous scoreboards located around the ground. The second straight Sunday arvo draw, following the Bulldogs-Tigers' tie the previous week. However once more there was controversy to follow, with it emerging that the Swans had had 19 players on the ground for a period of time towards the end of the match. Rather than being stripped of their match points, as many thought they should be, Sydney escaped with a fine. It is clear that the system needs reviewing though. North were furious at the suggestion that their skipper should have called for a player count, not an easy thing to do in the final stages of a match with scores level. The last time that kind of thing happened was in a Dockers-Saints match some time back, the count was correct and the bloke who called for it looked like a right dill.
So much excitement from another thrilling round, already it's clear that the top three sides (Cats, Hawks and Bulldogs) are likely to claim three of the prized top four spots. Who is going to emerge to take the other one? Have the Demons ensured the number one draft pick already or can one of the WA teams beat them to it? What happened to those missing 11 seconds? Find out next week right here at Wrap central- where the footy reporting is belated, but better.
If only Essendon had taken a leaf out of the Chinese book on Anzac Day itself! Unfortunately the Dons' single-focused attack at all costs game plan was well and truly blocked by Collingwood, who ran away with a 73 point victory- the record margin for an Anzac Day fixture. To add extra chagrin to Bombers' fans, the shellacking was witnessed by both Sapphic songstress kd lang and peevish malcontent George Costanza, both guests of the Magpies. A hugely disappointing result for Essendon, the honeymoon is now well and truly over for Matthew Knights. Let's not dwell on the disappointment further. Here instead is someone whose honeymoon was over some time ago, George W Bush, rapping on his troubles as only he can- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JX-Bx0BETQ.
If the Anzac Day afternoon game was a bit one-sided, the evening fixture was anything but. Geelong travelled to Fremantle as warm favourites, with redheaded stalwart Cameron Ling in line to break the record for playing in the most consecutive matches (having missed the Cats' Round 21 slipup against Port last year). However the Dockers stunned all and sundry by bursting out of the blocks to establish a 39 point lead in the second quarter, only to surrend all but 2 points of it by halftime. Even more amazingly the Dockers then shot away again, establishing a 25 point lead at three quarter time. But the Cats then demonstrated why so many think they'll go back to back in '07, piling on five unanswered goals before Dockers' skipper Pavlich got one back. The Pav then had a chance to steal the game for Freo but rattled the woodwork, resulting in a win by the closest of margins for the Cats. Controversy followed after the match with the revelation that the timekeepers had lost 11 seconds- pretty crucial in such a tight match.
The round continued the next day with Carlton's brief and altogether unfamiliar winning run coming to an end against Adelaide. Port continued to put their season back on track after a shaky start by accounting for St Kilda; while the Bulldogs thrashed the teetering Eagles to remain undefeated. The big story from this match was Daniel Kerr, the sole remaining member of the great Eagles' triumverate (Cousins, Judd and Kerr), copping a suspension for headbutting.
The hapless Demons faced mission impossible up at the Gabba against Brisbane, and so it proved- the Lions up by 52 points with Daniel Bradshaw booting six. Bradshaw has two chief rivals for the Coleman Medal this year, the Hawks' star Lance "Buddy" Franklin and the Urinator from Carlton. Both of the latter managed only a single goal in Round Six, with Franklin's radar being right off against Richmond (a not uncommon complaint). Despite the best efforts of ageing Tiger cult hero Matthew Richardson the Hawks were able to squeeze out a narrow victory and along with the Cats are ladder leaders after Round Six.
By far the most controversial result of the round came at Telstra Dome on Sunday afternoon, where the Swans were the visitors and North Melbourne the hosts. Correctly predicting that the Swans would have taken back the flooding tactics used so successfully by the Chinese some days earlier, and that the game would be an absolute snorefest, I did something else until the last five minutes of the match. Switching it on I was vindicated in this policy, with the scoreboard demonstrating that the two sides had managed a pitiful 60-odd points each in perfect conditions (ie. under a closed roof). After doing their best to bore each other into submission for three and three quarter quarters, however, all hell broke loose in the last few minutes. First the Swans thought they had the game won with a snap that may or may not have been touched across the line, the goal umpire ruled that it was a point and scores were all tied up. As they were when the siren sounded moments later, prompting wild celebrations from a couple of North players who believed they were ahead for some reason despite all evidence being to the contrary, including on the numerous scoreboards located around the ground. The second straight Sunday arvo draw, following the Bulldogs-Tigers' tie the previous week. However once more there was controversy to follow, with it emerging that the Swans had had 19 players on the ground for a period of time towards the end of the match. Rather than being stripped of their match points, as many thought they should be, Sydney escaped with a fine. It is clear that the system needs reviewing though. North were furious at the suggestion that their skipper should have called for a player count, not an easy thing to do in the final stages of a match with scores level. The last time that kind of thing happened was in a Dockers-Saints match some time back, the count was correct and the bloke who called for it looked like a right dill.
So much excitement from another thrilling round, already it's clear that the top three sides (Cats, Hawks and Bulldogs) are likely to claim three of the prized top four spots. Who is going to emerge to take the other one? Have the Demons ensured the number one draft pick already or can one of the WA teams beat them to it? What happened to those missing 11 seconds? Find out next week right here at Wrap central- where the footy reporting is belated, but better.
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