The 2017 Yersinia Pestis Cup – Round Thirteen

Greetings Tipsters,

 

The Black Plague, one third of the population of western Europe died, only time that the global human population declined, a terrible thing. Right?

 

The decrease in population meant that labour became more valuable. The old peasantry system was broken. Building a better waterwheel, say, was an important need. An inventive culture flourished. Printing press. Reformation. And so on.

 

“What knight lives in that castle?”

 

“What I object to is the way you automatically treat me as an inferior.”

 

Two centuries of continental upheaval neatly summarised by Messrs Python.

 

Anyway, nothing’s good nor bad but thinking makes it so. So it is for every supporter this season, except maybe Freo and North.

 

Consider Brisbane. Two wins and 69.9% but signs of a shift in stickability. A boom recruit re-signed! That goes against the recent trend, Fagan and Swann must have gotten something worthwhile happening up there. Lions fans have a sliver of something to look forward to like they haven’t for several years.

 

Carlton may be the most improved team in the league. Little was expected of them, but with some meritorious wins, a strong backline that did a tremendous job in shutting out Monaros, lotta youngsters, the ODNB mob have something to smile about this year.

 

Collingwood, not too bad at all, St Kilda, frustrating, Gold Coast, getting better, Footscray, been caught out, Essendon and Melbourne, holy crap, we’re in the eight!

 

Twelve months ago, the Bumblers were last w one win and 54.2%. Interesting ladder, that, North were 10 and 2, 124.3, Carlton and Melbourne 6/6, so maybe they haven’t gotten better as much as we have been led to believe?

 

Richmond were 5/7, 84.7. Is this the season when the Tiger Army learns the meaning of glass half-full? Losing the close ones, especially in such a clueless manner, will rip the heart and cause remotes to be thrown at televisions, but at least the team is competitive.  7/5, 109.7 and microwaved membership cards are so far absent.

 

There’s still thirteen teams with a reasonable crack at the eight, it all comes down to the finals and who can put it together in those few weeks. The pre finals bye is a great idea, but it doesn’t go for long enough. Let’s play the finals in November!

 

See, as it stands, if you do the hard yards and finish top four and win the Qual Final, you will hit the Prelim with one match in the last 26 days and lacking a bit of match practice.  So if we play the finals in November, after the post-season trips which will be strictly supervised by staff of Trans-Dementia Inc in order to ensure an even distribution of hi-jinks, everyone will lack match fitness and probably be feeling a bit wobbly too.

 

The Grand Final venue will be kept secret from all but Gillo and the teev crews, the teams will meet at the MCG on the eve and be whisked away in buses, they’ll be put up at the pubs in, say, Sale and share rooms with the opposition. Head coaches will share a room too and there’ll be a bottle of whisky on the table for them to get stuck into.

 

Gillo will declare an open bar and raucous locals will party until late, dragging the finely-tuned athletes outside of their comfort zone. Grand Final day will begin with club B&F winners having a quad-bike race down the main street.

 

You know it’s good for football.

 

Cheers Tipsters

 

P&C, A Stop Privatisation Of Footy Production, a division of Trans-Dementia Enterprises.

Brought to you with the assistance of Mr Soul, Sam Cooke!

 

About Earl O'Neill

Freelance gardener, I've thousands of books, thousands of records, one fast motorcycle and one gorgeous smart funny sexy woman. Life's pretty darn neat.

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