FEARLESS 2017 FINALS WEEK ONE AND WEEK TWO – Only 1 can reach true happiness in September.
WEEK ONE: ADELAIDE V GWS GIANTS – QUALIFYING FINAL ADELAIDE OVAL THURSDAY NIGHT The first casualty of war is arguably loss of innocence. Though war metaphors don’t translate well into footy, the GWS Giants’ loss of collective innocence at the hands ofAdelaide in the first qualifying final was there for all to see. Eager to make a statement, the Crows set about a dominant 4 quarter display similar to round one, grinding the Giants out of their beanstalk to come crashing to the earth. Wherever you looked, Adelaide players were winning one-on-ones and generally making the GWS look 2nd rate on their way to a home Prelim, despite losing gun Smith to a bad knee. Crows by 36pts.
WEEK ONE: GEELONG V RICHMOND – QUALIFYING FINAL MCG FRIDAY NIGHT Whose home final was it? Who cared! The MCG is where the action is in September and for three quarters the two teams went neck and neck in an intense finals contest riddled with nerves and mistakes. The Tiger Army outnumbered the Cats supporters 3:1 and when the Tigers finally broke the game open in the last, the outer felt it was about to collapse under the weight of Tiger joy. Dustin Martin took the game away from the Cats with a scintillating display that couldn’t be controlled. The Cats had no answers and were found lacking avenues to goal. Richmond by 51pts and a week off.
WEEK ONE: SYDNEY V ESSENDON – ELIMINATION FINAL SCG SATURDAY TWILIGHT Whilst the Bombers had done well to make the finals, given the dark clouds of the previous few seasons, the Swans took the game and blasted it out of the Essendon reach in the 2nd qtr. Sydney’s favourite Buddy led the Swans on a 10 goal 2nd quarter that sharpened the term Elimination. The game was purely mathematical in the 2nd half and whilst the Bombers applied the brakes, the end drew nigh for favourite sons Watson and Kelly. Buddy 4, Sinclair 3, Towers, a surprise relief ruck, 3 and a few with 2. Woosha’s Bombers weren’t discredited but were purely outclassed by the Bloods machine.
WEEK ONE: PORT ADELAIDE V WEST COAST EAGLES – ELIMIN FINAL ADELAIDE OVAL SAT NIGHT
Talk about saving the best for last. An extra time classic that allowed Eagle Luke Shuey to replicate kicking the socks around the hallway as per his childhood with the last goal after the siren. Port arguably were lucky to get that far as a goal review showed a goal kicked by Wingard was clearly touched by Eagle McGovern. Is that poetic justice? Truth is the system got it wrong and the extra time played took the audience to the edge of the collective seats. Port’s inability to take care of sides above them extended to this day much to the chagrin of Kochy and the coaches. However Eagles advanced.
WEEK TWO: GEELONG V SYDNEY SWANS – SEMI FINAL MCG FRIDAY NIGHT All the talk was Sydney by how far? Cats Coach Chris Scott said his side needed to grow a set of cohunas and deal with it. Suddenly the talk of finals at the Cattery had disappeared. Maybe because the Swans had good form there. From the moment the sides took the field, the Cats were a different outfit to the week before. Lang and Menzel were in, providing spark up forward. Sydney looked well..unlike Sydney…tired, slow, 2nd to the ball and maybe like the cumulative effects of 18 elimination finals in a row had taken its toll. Credit though to the Cats…a desperate 59pt win just the tonic to restore belief.
WEEK TWO: GWS GIANTS V WEST COAST EAGLES – SEMI FINAL SPOTLESS STADIUM SAT NIGHT
From about midway thru the 2nd quarter, it became apparent that the GWS had learnt its lesson from the previous week. Nothing just happens in finals footy…you gotta make it happen! A 35pt lead at the main break and it was clear that the Eagles were sending retirees Priddis, Mitchell and Petrie off on a note not as hoped. Enter Stevie J…six last half goals and the party had begun for the mango and charcoal army. A 67pt win symbolic of the gulf between the two teams on the day. The Eagles shed experience and get back NicNatNoo for 2018. GWS advance to meet the Tiger Tough army at the G.
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