Boomer rises to the occasion – again

 By Glenn Sullivan

The usually friendly stadium is hostile tonight.  They have given us a tiny section for the cheer squad behind the goals but otherwise there are only smatterings of the royal blue in amongst the sea of red and black all around the stadium.

The Kangaroos run out after half time.  Only twenty men appear.  Hard nut Leigh Adams went down with another dislocated shoulder just before quarter time.  Moments later the silky Daniel Wells limped off the ground with a calf injury.  Our mids were spent going into the break and Essendon hit the front just before half time.  It’s all looking pretty bleak at Docklands tonight.

The Bombers start the half full of run.  Firstly Hocking, then Hurley, miss easy set shots.  The smattering of North fans around the stadium have gone quiet, starting to slump back in their seats.

But then there is an opening.  North find some space in the middle of the ground.  Cunnington kicks inside 50 and, as one, the North faithful sigh as the ball sails over big Drew Petrie’s head, but Cunnington saw the real target and Boomer Harvey, leading up behind Petrie has marked only 45m from goal.

We are all thinking; “Is he too far out?”, “Who can he dish it off to?” but Boomer looks like he’s set to take the shot.  Harvey strolls in.  As he sets to drop the ball to boot the player on the mark puts in a big leap upwards.  Instantaneously Boomer dummies, runs around and converts from 35 out.  North are back in front.

A minute later North surge forward again.  The kick to Tarrant in the square is spoilt but Robbie follows up at ground level, crashes the pack, gathers the ball and feeds out to a familiar voice.  It’s Boomer Harvey again.  Right foot snap. Goal.  The North faithful leap out of our seats.

Another minute later the North mids again find some space.  Sam Gibson is free on left half forward.  He kicks long to a Petrie and Fletcher one-on-one in the square.  Mr Gadget’s long arm comes out for the spoil but Harvey is there.  He gathers the spoil at full speed, gets ball to boot and goals.  The widely spread North supporters rise as one.

This goal was the champions 404th goal in his 342nd game.  Boomer has done it before and he will do it again.  When the game was there to be won he rose to the occasion and lifted the other 19 remaining players with him to set the Roos on the path to another victory and, possibly, finals.

Comments

  1. He truly is a marvel. Completely turned the tide of the game single-handed. Looking at the replay, that third goal he read the play as it developed from half back and sprinted to get front and square from about the centre circle. Incredible.

    Consensus is that the Essendon kiddie on the mark was the only person in the entire stadium who didn’t know Harvey was going to run around him.

    (BTW, that beautifully weighted kick from Cunnington was a bit earlier and actually found Swallow, who hit the post. I’m liking the look of Cunners. Forget who kicked it to Boomer on 50.)

  2. Andrew Starkie says

    Glenn,

    Hearts to hearts and hands to hand, beneath the blue and white we stand!

    Boomer’s 3rd quarter was as dominant and inspiring as you will see. He is one of the most intelligent players of his generation. He weights his kicks beautifully, placing them where his teammates need to run. He is the maestro.

    And he produces one of his ‘specials’ every week. That play on around the man on the mark is Boomer 101. Someone should make a dvd of his goals.

    Go you Rooboys.

  3. Boomer is up there with the all-time greats of our club.
    Carey, Blight, Dench, Schimmelbusch. Harvey sits comfortably among them.
    We need to take in evry moment, for he will not be around forever.

    I pray that in making a decision about his future, he does not try to go that bridge too far.

  4. Andrew Starkie says

    SMokie, if handled well, he has two more years. Stick him inside fifty with the one rule: never venture beyond chf. Ever. He’ll kick 40 each season.

  5. AS
    If he is to play on it would surely be with the rider that
    he plays a maximum of, say, 16 matches. If North cannot
    be without him for 5 – 6 matches, then the rest of them a
    re not making the imporvement they should be.
    Smokie

  6. Andrew Starkie says

    Smokie, very true. I can’t go on Saty night due to a family commitment. Not happy, it’s my first miss of the year. I think we’re due for a loss, particularly with our injuries. I don’t want to see Grima or Wells before the finals. Very sad about Adams, I love him. He’s just below top shelf. Someone should thump Hansen before every game. It concerns me that he needs a rocket to play well.

  7. AS
    Agree…there is something not quite right with Hansen regarding
    his application. He has the ability, but seems to struggle to find
    the intensity required at the top level.

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