AFL Round 1: The View from Shepparton

As a foundation member of the anyone but Victoria Club and also as a  born and bred Croweater I was really hoping that Adelaide would wallop Essendon on Friday night. By the way before I go on, let’s get one thing straight, I am a Brisbane Lions man, have been for years and I look forward to the game in a couple of weeks time when the Crows will again be shown how to play the game.

 

Anyway, I had a new friend this year, FOXTEL and as I settled down for a great relaxing footy night having been softened by a red shared with the Minister For Home Affairs I thought how good it would be to get off to a great start. There were of course a few annoyances, as in, why on God’s earth were they starting the game at 8:10 Adelaide time? Why? Because we peasants take what we are given without protest or recourse to protest. Of course these days as we all know the imperative is not the game but the profits to be made by  the numerous stakeholders involved in getting the games to the screen. Yes the TV moguls want their pound of flesh and having paid millions for the rights who can blame them. Bit like the cricketers really, money first, game second and look what has happened to them. Meanwhile those of us who care just stew at the inequities of it all. Then there is the matter of having the first round spread over several years. In that way it is like the NAB Cup, no one will remember the results and those who do won’t care, well perhaps the losers in this first round might.

 

Which gets me back to the game. Actually truth be known I only got to the game well into the second quarter owing to a slight problem of settling in a couple of American billets which activity  derailed me from real world around me. So Essendon were ahead. Shocked and surprised I was, but I thought that this was a minor aberration which would be remedied in the not too distant future. Except it wasn’t, the Don’s were too fast too skilled, too good. I had a real sneaking regard for a team which could pick itself up off the floor and silence all of its critics in doing what this stuff is all about, playing footy. As well, irrespective of which teams were playing it was fantastic to have the game back and if I were an Essendon supporter I would be really excited about what lay ahead this year.

 

Freo gave the Eagles 3 goals start but still ran over them, they really took charge in the second half. That’s the thing about the footy, you  immediately look forward to the Freo Don’s clash whenever that is, but of  course form is so fickle that what happens in between is anyone’s guess.

 

Week’s Highlight. Essendon.

 

Week’s Lo Light. Down and out 4 zip.

 

About Peter Schumacher

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

Comments

  1. Barkly St End says

    The TV moguls didn’t pay just millions – they paid over a billion (1,000 times a million).

    As the resident Assistant Senior Semi-Internal Auditor for the Footy Almanac, I feel compelled to point out this trifling fact.

    We haven’t sold our soul to the TV moguls (as the NRL did), but we have come damn close.

    Somone needs to pay the piper.

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