Round 15 – Brisbane v Sydney Swans: The view from Shepparton (via the – ‘Gabba) Back home to see the Lions at home

 

This was the “crowd” outside gate 7 just before 3pm,  (cut to photograph, not shown, showing about 30 people) the somewhat late opening time given that the match was starting at 4:40 pm. This is what happens in the Northern States when teams don’t prosper.

 

Yes folks, the Minister and I were at the sunny Gabba, well it was 17 degrees and compared to what was on offer in down town Shepparton this was pretty damned good.

 

I hadn’t been here for 20 years, we had moved to Shepp before the Lions’ glory days but it was great to be back and I was keen to take the opportunity to see first-hand Aish, Adcock. Beams, Rich, Hanley and in particular Zorko and Rockcliff. I also wanted to see the turn coats Tippett and Franklin. And of course Goodes, I was absolutely hoping that there would be no bogans booing the bloke every time he went near the ball. Of course this did happen so that this impelled the minister and me to applaud his every effort, and there were quite a few. I suspect that the Goodes booing people have about the same mentality as the “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi,” crowd.

 

The game started fairly indecisively with Brisbane seemingly going up the ground with fairly short passing, which mode of play always raises the potential for error. I suppose that on the flip side, kicking aimlessly down the field isn’t that flash as an alternative.

 

Brisbane scored their first when Dayne Beams slotted one from outside 50 after a fairly ordinary kick in from Jetta resulted in his getting a crumbing possession and goaling on the run. The second came from the magician Zorko kicking the ball out of the air. The Lions should have gone to quarter time feeling pretty pleased with themselves but this pleasure would have been reduced when after nearly a quarter of sustained pressure they gifted Tippett with a soft 50 metre penalty (please DON’T walk over the mark after a mark, umpires don’t like it). Quarter time lead of 8 points. We awaited the Sydney onslaught.

 

It sort of came but didn’t in the second quarter when they kicked 4 goals in a row but Brisbane responded from Zorko (again) is he Brisbane’s best? Half time 5.3 3.3. In a brilliant passage of play, probably Brisbane’s best, a series of hand passes from the half backline, started by a great over the shoulder effort from Aish, Zorko got his third. The Lions were still in it. We held our breath as a goal from Hanley went to review, no worries mate. We were catching up somehow. Beams then goaled after idiotic play from his opponent (knocked the ball out of his hands after a mark) resulted in a fifty metre penalty, one point behind. Adcock goaled. BRISBANE IN FRONT, YIPPEE! Could have been so much better though with Staker hitting the post from a long way out, bad luck from over fifty metres but then missed again having raced around a pack from much closer in. Thought from our vantage point that it was a goal. Bloody Hell, Thurston got nine from nine the other night, why can’t Aussie Rules players be more accurate? Then Buddy turned Sauce inside out and levelled the score. Damn. A poor kick from Harris Andrews resulted in a turnover again, Goodes took the intercept mark, passed off, and bang, another Sydney goal was the result. Adcock missed what he should have got from 50 metres just when we really needed it. Three quarter time Sydney led by 7 points. We were still in it.

 

My feeling of optimism was somewhat stilled by a quick Franklin goal in the first minute of the last quarter whereas for us Christensen missed. I said to the Minister that we could not expect to win when we kept missing gettable goals. Kurt Tippett of course goaled down the other end. I suppose that he is paid millions to do this.

 

Ultimately Sydney were too good but the Lions pushed them. Give us a decent forward and we could be anything. Meanwhile we continue our “rebuilding” phase. Still, for 18th playing 3rd it wasn’t too bad.

 

I should have mentioned Sydney’s best goal, after a string of hand passes from one end to the other Jetta kicked beautifully from about 40 out. The only other sort of play that equals this is a length of the field try, (bad luck Thurston)!

 

Sydney: 1.2 5.3 8.6 10.10 (70)
Brisbane: 2.3 3.3 7.5 7.7 (49)

 

GOALS

Sydney: Tippett 3, Franklin 3, Robinson, McVeigh, Jack, Jetta.

Brisbane: Zorko 3, Beams 2, Adcock, Hanley.

 

BEST

Sydney: Josh Kennedy, Daniel Hannebery, McVeigh Franklin

Brisbane: Zorko, Hanley, Merrett, Rockcliff, Beams, Rich, Leuenberger.

 

My Votes: Kennedy (S) 3, Hannebery (S) 2, Zorko(B) 1

 

Umpires: Ryan, Findlay, O’Gorman.

 

Crowd: 16,936 at the Gabba.