AFL Round 23 – Essendon v Collingwood: This is it

This is it, my last report for the year and what a match to finish the season. Essendon and Collingwood at the MCG Saturday night BLOCKBUSTER! Unfortunately we have had contrasting seasons. Essendon were ten wins and three losses until we versed St Kilda and we have only won one match since. Collingwood on the other hand were top until the steady drop of form by Travis Cloke. Since then they are now perched 4th spot just in front of West Coast. That match however was pushed to the back of my mind. My tennis grand final was on!

After a season of bad luck (forfeits and washouts) we were playing the team that had been in our reach but had just snuck top spot. We travelled down to the back end of the peninsula to play. As usual on these long drives, we had to get up really early. After Dad had forgotten the bananas! We got there and started playing. My first match was against a guy who was four years older than me. He had a big serve and a big forehand. In the early part of the game, he was hitting a lot of unforced errors so I was trying to hit to his weaknesses. It worked. I got an early break and kept going on from there. After he hit another error on match point, I had won. 6-0 was the score but it should have been a bit closer. My brother won his doubles 6-4 which was really good since he had the flu.

The next match we played was my doubles with one of my friends. My brother was slugging it out in his singles and was just ahead. Our doubles was a see-sawing affair. Some long rallies and good shots by our team got us to 5-2 up. Then after a marathon deuce game, we won 6-2. Now we had to wait to see if my brother won. He was in a tiebreak and was 5 all. Good news for us he won the next two points and WE WON THE PREMEIRSHIP!!!!!! My brother was knackered by the end. The last two sets were dead rubbers but that doesn’t mean we should slack off. After possibly the longest match of the day because both teams were tired, we won 6-3. Six sets to love grand final victory. After signing the scorebook, we had to travel to another tennis club to get our flag. Now the flag rests proudly on our kitchen door.

My bombers however weren’t so lucky, ahead early in the first quarter; we didn’t count on one thing. Travis Cloke! He kicked five goals five for the game and looks to be back in some form. Watson again was our best player; surely he is a chance for the Brownlow. New kid Nick O’Brien kicked two goals so at least we have something building.

Thanks for everyone reading my reports and giving feedback. Hopefully I’ll be writing again next year.

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