AFL Round 9 – Indigenous Round: See the Marngrook fly!

My brother turned 50 a couple of weeks ago and it gave me a moment to reflect. Mainly in the context of how things were. I remember every year there were sides that struggled and sides that were no good and sides that gave new meaning to the term hopeless. I suppose the same goes for players except I won’t name names because you had to be of a certain ability even to get a game! There were well documented days in the ’80s too when Saints players thoughts of possessions in terms of the Linton St nightclub post-match and not on the field.
Fast forward to 2013 and it seems that Melbourne and the Bulldogs are struggling and maybe GWS is still in its infancy but the competiton is so tight these days that the strugglers are all subject to doom and gloom scenarios..Is it really necessary? I mean is it really necessary to privately and publicly speculate about someone’s tenure as a coach or someone’s inability to give supporters something to take away from a game, even if it’s a bad loss. Granted when sides aren’t going well, all they need is hope for the future but please!
The media prism is so sharp these days and so intense that one can’t help but feel for Mark Neeld and Brendan McCartney as they rebuild their teams. Everybody knows that this is the case so why continue bludgeoning them to death in the media, so to speak. It seems the immediacy of this day and age wants people baying for blood until someone gets sacked and has to do the walk of shame. It won’t happen to Sheeds because he’s a master spruiker in his last year and he has a young list. It would seem that those in the rebuild phase aren’t even allowed the dignity of the daily work ethic without the media pontificating about someone’s demise. I’d guarantee you London to a brick that said journos/commentators wouldn’t like it if the same process was inflicted upon them. It’s bad enough for the supporters to have to watch at times but a coach does generally get appointed for a couple of seasons with a specific charter. The rest is rather hurtful and superfluous.

Indigenous Round – See the Marngrook Fly!

 

Theory: Collingwood hadn’t lost to the Swans at the G for 13 years and it would continue. You mean the MCG spooked the Reigning Premiers? Didn’t they win the flag there? Adam Goodes turned in a vintage display to lead the Swans to an 8 goal win and then copped some racist lip from young Pie fans. The good, the bad the ugly!

 

The Cats flew to Adelaide intent on keeping its losing streak at 1. Port had lost some of its gloss after a stellar start to 2013 under Ken Hinkley. The Cats started with a 7 goal to 0.4 1st quarter and continued to unplug the Power from there. A towering forward display by Tomahawk (6 goals) and the Jpod (4) and the Cats win by 8 goals.

 

Sheedy’s spruikabilities all week had him saying how good an ambassador NikNat would be in Giants colours..even got a photo in the papers to that effect. NikNat was off limits according to the Eagles – gee surprising! 30 hitouts, 2 gaols and 13 stats as NikNat gets the Eagles to a 100pt win. Another 200 into Skoda off that Sheeds effort!

 

The Doggies had won one in 19 when they came up against the Saints at Etihad, both teams’ home ground on Saturday twilight. Roughly the Doggies had been ok in some games so far, maybe for 3 quarters, usually tailing off in the last. Except this time they tailed off in the 2nd and came home strongly to win by 9pts. Who Let The Dogs Out?

 

The Dreamtime was held at a packed MCG on Saturday night and has become a game upon which the Indigenous Round is based. Archie Roach even wrote a song for it. Again a product of Sheed’s spruikabilities, the Tigers and the Bombers started evenly before the Dons ran away to shake off the off-field distractions and win well by 29pts.

 

The Lions returned to the Gabbatoir hoping to take another scalp, this time in the form of the visiting Bluebaggers. A strong start by the Blues got buried in a 6-goal Lion avalanche just before the main break. Jarrad Waite showed his importance to the Carlton setup with 3.3 and 12 marks to be the key big man. Carlton home by 13pts.

 

Did Hawthorn just get going in time or did Gold Coast turned up to really play on Sunday at the G. Clarko’s spray at half time would’ve torn paint off the dressing room walls as the Suns led by 11pts. The Bronx cheers gave way to cheers once Buddy shrugged off Rory Thompson to kick 5 2nd half goals. Hawks slowly home by 26pts.

 

North managed to grasp defeat from the jaws of victory for the 4th time in season 2013. Leading well for all but the last 30 seconds of the game, the Roos will come to regret not having a killer instinct. Even the u9’s “stack the backline” never got a gig. Adelaide however had the composure to seal the deal by 1pt when it mattered. Ouch!

 

Melbourne travelled far west to see many wonderful sights in WA. Fremantle, Cottesloe, Scarborough, Rottnest Island for a game of Quokka soccer, Monkey Mia, Exmouth and Ningaloo Reef before finishing with a few cheeky reds down at Margaret River. It’s a shame they forgot to turn up to Subi! Fremantle won by 90pts.

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