AFL Round 22- Greater Western Sydney v Collingwood: Uncontested Goals

Greater Western Sydney v Collingwood

The Showground

1640, Saturday, 23 August 2014

 

Ever thought a complete lack of olfactory sense might keep you from a football match? Spending your day in a miasma of industrial odours until you’ve a headache and nausea will do the trick. Curled on the couch, Perky Girl told me that body putty smells like hardcore bathroom cleansers. I’ve gotta rip it off and re-do it next weekend.

 

We were optimistic about this match. The Monaros had a great win last week, the Magpies hadn’t been playing well and had lost half their first choice team to injury. Our lads shot away to a great start, winning the ball and using it well. The 4&20s didn’t see much of it – they snuck forward eventually, kicked a couple of behinds, then the lads shot it back downfield for another goal.

 

There seemed to be just one team out there with a bit of spirit but the Monaros were not capitalising on their preponderance. Late in the term, the visitors kicked a goal. Then another.

 

Second term got off to a good start for us, there was some class on show with Boyd’s mark and goal, then some hard work around the ball resulting in Hunt’s snapped goal. And then, as my notes read “another uncon TO -> C goal.” We managed a quick reply.

 

Mumford was playing out of his skin in the second, a tremendous effort. But his teammates were sometimes a bit too cute with the ball, starting to have trouble clearing it from the backline. Demographics got the visitors another goal, the Monaros were, again, losing the plot in the last minutes.

 

The chemical effects had cleared by halftime. Still, my notes read “Third starts in dreamy fashion, G have long since forgot how to get the ball forward

There’s a chance here for C

Inevitably – a C goal”

 

Collingwood were first to the ball and their hands were cleaner. Our lads had stopped running, an odd choice as their opponents had only one bloke on the bench. All the same, they looked the more composed team late in the third, scores were close, Treloar took on three, no, four Magpies at the break. 2.5 to 2.2 in the term. All we have to do is nail the chances, Will HE could do it in a coupla minutes.

 

“Another uncos TO -> C goal.” Yet again.  Slippery ball, grim struggle. Our very own James Stewart kicked two straight behinds from the same spot. “You know what scared ’em – the spectacle of law and order here, risin’ up out of the gravy and the mashed potatoes.”

 

The spectacle of a hard-won victory scared the Monaros. It was there, a glittering bauble, they just lacked the nerve to reach out and grab it. Well, that, and that Mumford was eventually run off his feet by Grundy and Witts.

 

This was the fifth match this season that the Monaros lost by 15 points or less. Given that Hawthorn and Geelong scraped through, this season hasn’t been too bad. Patto’s knee injury hurts, he was really starting to create a presence. The nickname ‘The General’ refers only to a coincidental name, but he was playing like a field general, providing an example, leading the way.

 

If Gary Rohan can come back from a compund fracture of the leg and play great, then Patto can get back from another ACL injury. Malceski’s done it twice. I want to be at the MCG on that last day of the season to see Patto on the dais with one huge grin across his face.

 

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY         3.4   6.6   8.11   9.13  (67)

COLLINGWOOD                              2.3   5.5   7.7    11.9   (75)

 

GOALS

Greater Western Sydney: Smith 2, Boyd, Hunt, Palmer, Whiley, Bugg, Greene, Hoskin-Elliott

Collingwood: Thomas 3, White 2, Broomhead 2, Williams, Blair, Sinclair, Sidebottom

 

BEST

Greater Western Sydney: Mumford, Greene, Smith, Kelly, Shiel.

Collingwood: Thomas, Pendlebury, Broomhead, Williams, Armstrong,

 

Crowd: 10,851

 

VOTES

3 – Mumford; 2 – Thomas; 1 – Pendlebury