The View from Shepparton – Round 8

On Friday night, which seems now to be several years ago, Collingwood defeated Geelong by two goals in an absolute belter of a game. I thought that both teams played well below the standards that they achieved last year in terms of misdirected passes and handballs but that Collingwood were by far the superior team who would have been unlucky to lose. I also thought that the Cats’ fight back in the last quarter illustrated the self belief that they still have because at three quarter time it seemed to me that they were gone. The fifty metre penalty awarded against Geelong just after they had managed to tie the score was also in my view really soft, the Collingwood player was moving around enough to be impeded. Having made those observations though, have to say that Pendlebury and Sidebottom were magnificent, particularly the former. We will really see where Collingwood is at next Saturday, Who would have thought at the start of the season that the Crows would have been in any way a sort of measuring stick.

As I was enjoying the scenery on the Sunshine Coast, especially when going for early morning runs I have to say that the rest of the round went in a bit of a whirr for me but somehow I managed to make some attempt to keep track of what was going on in the footy firmament.

Essendon seemed to have Richmond’s measure but the Tiges weren’t disgraced either. As is always the case though, an honourable loss is useless in terms of getting points.

The Suns were hopeless unfortunately and in the process it appears that they dragged the Bulldogs down to their level. I suppose that it could be argued that at least on the scoreboard, at three quarter time they were close enough to do some damage if they were good enough. They weren’t.

Sydney got a nice percentage booster against Melbourne which was great for them but saw the Melbourne Football Club sink even more into the mire. Very depressing to see such a result for most that follow the game.

Freo were very disappointing away as Hawthorn, the club which has been foisted onto Tasmania as if it were somehow a Tasmanian team had an easy win. I always marvel at the Hawks playing list and wonder how it is they are not more consistent.

I watched the Port, North Melbourne game and commented vociferously and uselessly at the TV as the Powerless looked even worse than useless with seemingly every possession resulting in a turnover. I commented endlessly to the Minister for Home Affairs as to how hopeless Port were for South Australian football, that they were a joke and that I doubted that they would even beat the top SANFL team or for that matter most VFL teams. I think that she wished that she had been in another house or preferably perhaps a different hemisphere. Thus the credibility of my self styled expert opinions were put somewhat put into question when I suddenly suggested that Port might get up. “But I thought that you were saying………”. “Well yes I know”, I said somewhat huffily, “but no one expected this, anyway this guy Schulz has kicked seven without a miss, and nobody expects that sort of accuracy either”. Fantastic comeback and result for Port, terrible for the Roos. I can just see in every playground in Melbourne one little darling saying to another, “even Port beat you”.

My mob won at last, serves me right for tipping the Sprawls. I was driving around during this match and it was just fabulous to hear the description as Merrett got that five goal straight haul in the first quarter. Sure there will be much stronger competition but for all you cynics out there, Brisbane is only 2 games and the minor percentage difference of 14.6 out of the 8, and if Port can beat the Roos then they should be able to next week. In terms of GWS I do take Sheedy’s point that they have been travelling around more than most.

West Coast beat St Kilda and so they should have at home. Good luck to the Saints for their revival, in fact when I think of it more, it is probably more important for Saints to have revivals than it is for most others, but in this case it did not produce enough faith to win, ultimately. Oh well, better luck next time.

I have left the best to last, the Crows’ carving up of the Blues. I only found out this result at about 3am yesterday morning, and coming from the ABC in Sydney seriously wondered if they had mixed the result up, but they hadn’t. I shouldn’t be so sarcastic, the Victorian sports minister Hugh Delahunty managed to totally embarrass himself and anyone in Victoria who cared with his support of the Queensland New Zealand State of the Origin game coming up, and in addition messing up the name of the Captain of that other team in the mix, NSW.  Good on yer minister, BTW his name is Paul Gallen, not Paul “Callen”.

I digress; great result for the Crows and interstate footy, and the top four looks terrific.

High: The Crows.

Low: The Victorian sports minister. If he had been in Queensland he would have been sacked.

About Peter Schumacher

Wannabe footy commentator and writer, used to be a wannabe footballer

Comments

  1. Alovesupreme says

    Peter,
    As a very bruised Labor supporter, I’m waiting for some-one to remark that the Victorian Minister for Sport Hugh Delahunty (Essendon 1971-73) is not so much a Member of the National Party and of the Baillieu-Ryan Liberal National Government of Victoria, but is the brother of Mary Delahunty (ABC, Minister for Arts in the Bracks Government.

    Thus another cock-up can be sheeted home to the benighted Labor Party.

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