AFL Round 14: The View from Shepparton

There comes a time in the season when one gets it definitively that their team cannot make the finals. The timing of this depends a bit on one’s arithmetical ability plus the degree of blind but false hope that gets gradually expunged  as the season disappears, one way or the other.

So it is thus for me, the Lions (Brisbane variety, Bernard) cannot make it this year which truth has probably been obvious to the average observer for weeks but for me has just dawned. Another final series without Brown, Moloney, Leuenberger, Hanley, Rich, Black. On the other hand we do get to see Rioli hopefully, Roughead, Franklin and Mitchell, to name a few. It’s the story of life really, isn’t it? What set of circumstances is good for one is equally as bad for the other. All of this is my roundabout way of saying the Hawks were too good, looked too good and were clearly a class above Brisbane. The latter probably has potential but they have to go further than that nebulous state. I wonder if Hawthorn will have the ticker to beat Geelong next week? They should, they couldn’t be going much better.

North Melbourne thrashed the Giants, those narrow losses are such a pity because to me they are clearly the best team out of the eight. The Sprawls have some good players but really they are as much embarrassment to the code that the Wanderers weren’t to the round ball game. Forgot to mention that brilliant down the field “try”, exhilarating to see that bloke break away and nail it.

Richmond are now one match out of the four, a vast improvement from the default position of previous years of being just one match out of the eight. St Kilda went oh so close a few years back, now they are going to be in the wilderness for years because Ross Lyon or whoever it was didn’t recruit properly and now they have no young players coming up.

I would have been disgusted had the Crows not got up yet curiously I had an almost sneaking hope that the Suns might do all right, principally because they are one of three codes that have a very strong presence in their general vicinity. Dangerfield played yet another ripper but I reckon that Prestia could have easily got the three votes. Really I think that overall the Suns have more latent talent than Adelaide, or indeed Brisbane for that matter.

My Collingwood mates won’t like to read this but I found Port’s win extremely exciting and good for the game. More importantly, from what I could see the interstate or interclub rivalry, particularly given that it was an Adelaide team playing a Melbourne team, particularly Collingwood, was at fever pitch. I would have thought that for those South Australians present, this was “The Moment” and would give them an idea as to the vibe of the thing at SOE games.

The Western Bulldogs nearly got back,  I gave up listening when they were forty-three points down; couldn’t believe that the Melbourne team nearly gave up all of those gains, bit like the share market  at present. Well good luck to the Dees.

People are writing off Freo but visiting team  ever wins at Kardinia Park. I don’t like the style of play of some of their players though, Ballantyne and Crowley come to mind for example in this regard. Thus I was glad that the “Good Guys” got up.

Sydney had a good win against the Blues, thought that Mick was going to blow a gasket a various times, probably sounded like that liberal senator railing against the sisterhood the other day and about as effective.

Essendon had yet another exciting win, but really, should Jobe be playing?

Highlight: Horwill’s decision not to settle for a penalty on Saturday night. That decision took sheer guts.

Lowlight. Sprawlers.

 

About Peter Schumacher

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

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