Love is a strange thing

I first fell in love on a wintry September’s night. It was cold and dark, and I was sitting in the third tier, second row from the front. Geelong was playing Collingwood, and something clicked. I’d never been to a footy match that I really cared about, but this one I did. It was against Collingwood, for god’s sake. It was a prelim, for god’s sake. If Collingwood won, they’d be through to a grand final. A Collingwood- St Kilda grand final. But something clicked, Geelong smashed ‘em, and I was happy. Leaving the ‘G, Dad asked me what I would do if I was a Collingwood supporter, to which I replied that I wasn’t a bogan. But that was that. I was in love, with the blue and white hoops. And Geelong went on to win the Grand Final. And I was happy.

It’s a Friday night. My brother and sister are at a movie night. It’s just me and mum at home. It wasn’t Geelong- Collingwood. It was Geelong- Carlton. The meaning was the same. My dad, sister and brother are all Blues supporters. The first footy match I went to was the last game at Princes Park. During the last 2 matches between these sides, I have been confident that we’d smash ‘em. That didn’t happen either time. But this time I was more confident. The Cats weren’t gonna drop a game this close to September. But they did last year. Both sides were coming off big wins, but the Cats one meant more, because it was against a top four side in the Bulldogs. Carlton has had two big wins, with a combined total of 165 points, but it means close to nothing, because they were against cellar- dwellers Richmond and Essendon. Mum reckons my writing ability has taken a hit since my first article, to which I take huge offence. So I decide to write this one, a classic tale of family feuds and the good guy coming out on top. It starts very promisingly from a very promising player, young Daniel Menzel, kicking the first. Carlton’s first, from Kade ‘Donuts’ Simpson in the pocket, brings the margin back to one point. By the 16 minute mark, Geelong are out to a 19 point lead, courtesy of 2 J-Pod goals and one Travis whose-last-name-doesn’t-really-need-to-be-mentioned-because-he-is-possibly-the-only-Travis-in-the-AFL-but-it-will-be-anyway Varcoe. But from then on, they only kick one goal, from Tom the-young-but-much-maligned-Father-Son-draft-pick-who-is-a-forward-and-ruckman-utility-who-probably-still-has-a-bad-foot-considering-the-way-he-was-playing-before-he-got-injured-and-now Hawkins. By quarter time, it’s a one-point ball game. I sigh a sigh of relief, as it’s quarter time, we’re not 2.2, and we’re in front. Phew! The second quarter opens with Menzel booting his second, Mooney missing, then the real highlight of the game. Jimmy the-superstar-Brownlow-medallist-and-hottest-player-in-the-AFL-according-to-Mum Bartel kicking it inside 50 towards goal, where Shannon One-of-the-really-important Byrnes gets, running towards the boundary, where he snaps an awesome goal that probably should get at least the Round 21 nomination for Goal of the Year, but then again, Wojo kicked an amazing goal at Kardinia Park that wasn’t even part of the three nominations, and Byrnesy himself kicked another awesome goal against North at Kardinia Park that lost to an ordinary Dangerfield goal. Maybe they just don’t notice skilled goals (no pun intended). Anyway, the quarter goes on. Lachie nowhere-near-as-good-as-Fev-but-very-promising Henderson replies. Bartel, Hawkins, Stevie J and Podsi all kick goals for the Cats, while Warnock and Robinson kick goals for the Blues. Geelong lead 73- 51.Unfortunately, Podsi knocked Gibbs on the nose with the hip and might (hopefully won’t) be suspended. The incident to me seemed like nothing but bad acting from Bryce Gibbs, but I’m not the match review panel. If I was, Geelong players would probably never get suspended. Ever! The third begins the way the second ended, with Replacement Fevola booting one. The Cats of recent weeks have done most of their attacking not in the premiership quarter, but in the second, so I’m not expecting much. Shaun who-is-this-guy Grigg takes a nice contested mark at the top of the goalsquare to bring the margin back to 9 points. He runs in and… misses? I really have no idea how he did it. The munchkin Stokes (see Round 15 Geelong v Hawthorn match report), inaccurate in recent weeks with 1.3, kicks one from a good J-Pod tackle on ‘Donuts'(make that 2.3) , to which Robinson responds with a long bomb. Gaz, who has been quiet, toepokes to Mooney (I think), who handballs it back, and Gazza the master has his first. Podsi kicks his 4th, with a sensational kick, with about 30 seconds to go. The Blues have peppered the big sticks, but have only kicked 2.4, which definitely cost them. The Cats are up by 25, 92- 67. Waite goals early, but that’s their last goal till very late in the quarter. Ablett stars, kicking 3 for the quarter, and Menzel kicks his third. Robinson kicks a late one, resultant of a Betts bouncing kick, courtesy of a Hendo knock. The Cats win by 42 points, 121- 79, the drought has ended and I go back into my shell of not boasting, lest I get in trouble. Cats 1, Blues 2.

That night, I get home to discover that my Blues brother (again, no pun intended) has drawn a premiership cup with Geelong written on it. I’m in love, and I’m very close to persuading my brother. But that never eventuated.

Geelong- 5.3/ 11.7/ 14.8/ 18.13

Carlton- 5.2/ 8.3/ 10.7/ 12.7

Goals
Geelong- Ablett, Podsiadly 4, Menzel 3, Hawkins 2, Bartel, Byrnes, Johnson, Stokes, Varcoe
Carlton- Henderson, Robinson, Waite 3, Judd, Simpson, Warnock

Best

Geelong- Chapman, Selwood, Enright, Hunt, Ablett, Bartel

Carlton- Murphy, Carrazzo, Gibbs, Judd, Robinson, Scotland

My Votes-

3- Chapman (G)

2- Selwood (G)

1- Ablett (G)

About Sam Marcolin

Sam Marcolin realises that some idiots don't know when to stop and that google doesn't have privacy settings. People who are googling me should stop it.

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