Finals Week 2 – Geelong v Sydney: Snarling Kittens

 

Friday, 15 September 2017
7:50 pm
Melbourne Cricket Ground

 

On Friday night, my emotion of missing footy came up in my heart. In the previous weekend, I found a British pub in Kyoto offering the live coverage of Port Adelaide versus West Coast, so I checked their website and found the match would be on. I made the way to there just before the first bounce.

 

Ordering a pint of Sapporo Beer and fish and chips, I found a seat behind the screen playing the game. I greeted a lady behind me and then asked a guy which way Geelong were kicking. He was a bit confused and gave me the opposite direction, but it didn’t matter much as we found out later in the first quarter.

 

Then I didn’t hesitate to move to a sofa close to the guy to see the match clearer. We started discussing about footy and I asked him and his girlfriend who they went for. He is a Swan while she goes for Geelong. I told them I was a St Kilda supporter indeed, and they asked me if I liked watching footy no matter my Saints were not on, or not. I told them I was so keen to watch footy if the game was so interesting.

 

The game was so tight at goal squares of both teams. It was so hard to break the defense line. It was not like the one where two good clubs were playing. Too defensive. I wanted more attacking footy. We saw Chris Scott’s reaction in the coaching box and had the same conclusion that he never smiles. The Geelong coach was anxious.

 

Cats started snarling at the second quarter. Swans tried to hit hard, but hit opponents’ heads and arms around Geelong’s goal square. Then Geelong players were awarded free kicks. At the end Kittens ended up scoring goals.

 

However we wondered why some free kicks were given. A tackle was misinterpreted and then a Cat was awarded a free kick while we concluded the opponent player should have been awarded.

 

Tackling just after taking a mark gave away a 50 metre penalty.

 

Sydney Swans mishandled with touching footy.

 

Geelong handballed well in the goal square to score goals.

 

A former Saint Rhys Stanley was bloody good at the game. He hit out very well at the ruck and took a mark inside 50 using his height. He shot a goal too. I wish he could still play at St Kilda.

 

Buddy Franklin was so quiet at his former home ground. When he appeared at Swans goal square, he took marks, but was unable to snatch a goal. Only behinds were scored by him. Buddy was carrying something on his right top leg. We were unsure what it was. Can you please tell me what it was?

 

Dangerfield was a dangerous gun midfielder. Took a high mark and did his jobs as always. Geelong had a good trade deal comparing to Sydney.

 

Geelong dominated and had more opportunities to score goals. It seemed the time Geelong released stresses got from the previous week’s loss to Richmond.

 

I enjoyed seeing attacking footy but the majority of the patrons were unhappy. The lady I greeted at first and her family including a little girl were Sydney supporters. Only one Geelong supporter was at the venue.

 

The final siren sounded and the home team won. The club song was played and I sang.

 

Cats avenged last year’s Preliminary Final’s loss and overcame memes on Facebook, like “Boys Bali next Monday with Geelong players marching at Flight Centre”.

 

It was so good to watch my favourite sport and discuss about footy. Watching footy with other people is always good.

 

GEELONG 3.1 9.4 13.4 15.8 (98)
SYDNEY 2.2 3..4 4.9 5.9 (39)

GOALS
Geelong: Dangerfield 4, Menzel 2, Menegola 2, Duncan 2, Stanley, Smith, Motlop, Hawkins, Blicavs
Sydney: Jack, McVeigh, Mills, Papley, Reid

BEST
Geelong: Dangerfield, Henderson, Menegola, Duncan, Motlop, Blicavs, Taylor
Sydney: Hannebery, Grundy, Lloyd, Jack, McVeigh

Umpires: Rosebury, Nicholls, Meredith

Official crowd: 55,529

 

Read more of our Geelong v Sydney coverage HERE.