Maggies let their football do the talking

By John Sandy

Round 17 Carlton v Collingwood

I am someone who believes that you don’t choose your football team but it is something that is given to you at birth. In my case, my father grew up in Clifton Hill within walking distance of Vic Park and so all of his children simply followed suit without question. I married a Carlton supporter which left us with a dilemma we solved by decided that girls would be Carlton and boys would be Collingwood. The birth order of girl boy girl leaving both of us satisfied that our football legacy continues.

Despite being an AFL member and regular attendee I was unable to attend today’s match as I haven’t really welcomed the modern day of notion of booking tickets. I’m not a huge fan of watching my team on TV and I am absolutely hopeless at waiting for the footy to start. So I decided to make myself busy mowing lawns followed by taking photos of the kids in footy card poses. Party pies were served just as the telecast began, great timing.

Collingwood begun stronger with the usual suspects of Swan, Pendlebury and Thomas all getting more than their fair share. Cloke marked strongly and goaled, he is also proving his worth at ground level. Second gamer Luke Rounds started well on Marc Murphy getting a few handy early touches whilst Murphy’s goal probably nudged him ahead in that battle. Ben Johnson returning from injury was another getting amongst it early. Duigan running back with the flight of the ball spoilt Swan from taking the mark whilst avoiding front on contact, a difficult thing to do. Another brilliant piece of play was performed by Wellingham when he beat Judd and Murphy at ground level. Jolly couldn’t take a trick giving away 2 frees at round the ground ball ups. Krakouer kicked a goal which was disallowed as he had already fallen into his opponent’s back. First gamer for the blues, Twomey (famous Collingwood name) kicked a good goal on the run to keep them in reach. Pendlebury and Blair both hit the post. At quarter time the pies were 5 points ahead with their 2 goals 6 being quite wasteful.

Nick Arnold arrives mid quarter to pay his debt to Ali of a bottle of wine for Cartlon’s win over Sydney. The wine comes with a poem he has written about betting and footy along with the Swans and Blues finals’ hopes. Despite running his first half marathon tomorrow he manages to squeeze in a quick beer.

The pies opened the 2^nd quarter strongly with Cloke kicking 2 goals, 1 from mark on the line he could have shepherded through the other from handball over the top. Sometimes rewards come in different ways. Blair kicked 2 behinds whilst Krakouer kept threatening without being able to really pull off anything special. Swan continued getting heaps of the ball. Swan and Luke Ball appeared to be double teaming Judd at ball ups. I tend to focus on Judd’s poor plays, not sure why I like to notice opposition stars in this way. A blind handball from Judd goes straight to Collingwood, a string of pin point passes results in a Collingwood goal. I must be the only one who sees this as the commentators almost hyper ventilate whenever he gets it and all I see is him giving it to us, surely he can’t get 3 Brownlow votes today! Nearing the end of the quarter Yarran turning O’Brien inside out on the boundary before finding Betts who played on to avoid a shot form a difficult angle, the goal to Murphy keeping the baggers in touch. A point to Warrnock after the siren left the maggies with an 11 point. 5 goals 11 behinds; Essendon’s final score in the 1990 Grand Final.

The first half was tight but things opened up in the third term. Walker opened the quarter with a goal whilst Swan missed one when he could have run all the way in. Goals to McCarthy and Thornton, who was providing a target up forward, saw the pies by 5 points. Collingwood then got a mini break with 2 goals in succession, both magnificent. The first a left footer by Pendlebury hard up against the boundary. The second a mirror image with Sidebottom kicking one from the other pocket. The score then moved between a 1 and 3 goal lead for the rest of the quarter. In a move that could potentially change the course of the match, Leon Davis putting in a near Best on Ground performance is moved off Jeff Garlett who had hardly had touch to this point. From this moment both they both threatened to rip the game apart and despite some brilliant play by both neither actually changed the match, the result a goal and a few behinds each. Garlett’s goal was a good one from a set shot outside 50 whilst his 3 misses were all from close range. The first was a running mark near the behind post where he and his opponent slipped over, he recovered played on and kicked the goal before being brought back be the ump to take his shot. Another, a soccer from the square which hit the post, Carlton’s 5^th for the game. Davis too, was unlucky in a magic minute or so where he had shots for goal touched and marked on the line. Reid and Tarrant both brilliant all year had moments of uncertainty around Carlton’s goals. Pendlebury copped a heavy bump from Warnock and went to the rooms at 3 quarter time. A bit of tension was in the air in the 3^rd quarter as I made a few comments that should be made in a Collingwood only setting. Six goals to five for the quarter and Collingwood took a 17 point advantage into the final change.

Things tightened up again in the last. Thomas goaled from a Carlton kick in. Pendlebury returned to the ground. After long period without a goal Walker kicked his 3^rd bringing the margin back to 17 points. Unbelievably Garlett hit the post again, his 3^rd time and the team’s sixth. Goals to Yarran and Fasolo, who came on as the sub saw the margin finish at 19 points.  Carlton continued to battle but the 3 goal win seemed about fair. Collingwood finished with 13.20 seemed to be a bit wasteful whilst Carlton would consider hitting the post 6 times more than a tad unlucky. The reigning premier won a game they were expected to, Carlton proving they are not that far off the pace. I wonder whether we will be treated to these 2 famous clubs meeting in September for the first time since 1988.