The groom was solemn when making his wedding speech. He was protestant by faith, and marrying into a Catholic family. The room was silent as he looked up from his shoes and found the eyes of his mother-in-law.
“I’m sorry,” he said to her. “I can’t. I respect you, but I can’t make that leap.
“I’ll never follow Collingwood.”
…..
I married into the Brennans, a staunch Carlton family. Dr John Brennan almost never missed a game in 40 years. Only when the Blues vacated Princes Park for Docklands Stadium did his commitment waiver.
Dr Brennan begat two daughters who religiously attended games with their father during their childhood. The eldest daughter, Mady, queued for days for tickets to the 1995 Grand Final, such was her passion. The youngest, Laura, still receives text messages from friends whenever a sighting of Ang Christou is made.
Their elder brother, Mickas, is of such old school support that it wasn’t Malthouse’s former employer that bothered him, but that the prick was Richmond.
Somewhat fortunately for me, my courtship with Mady began in 2002, about five months before Carlton was collared for rorting the salary cap.
It wasn’t a bold and cocky Navy Blue brood I would join. All the hallmarks of a typical Carlton supporter had been stripped away. It’s impossible to say whether a strong Carlton would have made Sunday lunches insufferable, but probably not. If my religion was Collingwood or Richmond then conversation would have been more willing, but there has been little animosity between Carlton and Geelong, certainly in my lifetime.
They thrashed us in the 1995 Grand Final but it’s a distant memory – three subsequent flags will do that. Blues fans would bristle whenever Dasher Milburn – he of the infamous Silvagni poleaxing and subsequent golf clap to the members – took possession of the footy but he’s moved on (with no regrets Blues fans, with no regrets).
Blues fans desperately wanted to beat us on Saturday night, but that was to get the four points. They were buying into the opinion propagated by the dailies that there season was slipping away (yes, after two rounds). There was none of the extra satisfaction that a win over Collingwood would have delivered.
Walking into Etihad with the aforementioned Mady Brennan, I was confident we would be 3-0 by the end of the night. I was worried last week against North, but Carlton used to trouble Geelong with their pace. With Motlop, Christensen and Varcoe in the side, this wasn’t going to be an issue.
It fascinates me that Geelong is transitioning itself from a team comprising an abnormally high percentage of the league’s most talented players (Bartel, Chapman, Enright, Corey, Johnson, Ablett until his departure, Selwood, Taylor) to a team that could rival them in the long-term for sheer talent (Christensen, Motlop, Menzel, Smedts, Varcoe, Hawkins and Selwood and Taylor again).
These players are a joy to watch, as is Taylor Hunt. Hunt wasn’t a favourite of mine in his first couple of seasons. It was frustrating watching him turn the ball over more often than not, but his courage and ability to rebound from a massive hit is endearing. And now he’s kicking goals.
He kicked three on Saturday night, peeling off Marc Murphy when the time was right. A tagger who can inflict damage as well – I suspect Hunt was working pretty closely with a former skipper until he retired.
The Cats are a very good side. Wise heads, leg speed, party tricks, work ethic and a commitment to the team. Carlton aren’t as bad as 0-3 suggests, but they’re still off the pace of the league’s best sides. Not by much, but enough to be 0-3.
The Blues led by three goals on two occasions in the first half, racing away early in the first quarter before Geelong could peg them back with four goals in time-on, then skipping away in the second quarter after the opening four goals in eight minutes. Judd was central to this. He’s like a farm bull in a paddock – aggressive, strong and surprisingly fast.
They did this without Kreuzer for the most part, which forced Sam Rowe to act as the focal point up forward. Rowe looked like a footballer. With more game time, the Blues might have one here.
Dylan Buckley was subbed on when Kreuzer was injured and kicked a goal from a tight angle at full pace with his first kick in footy. The goal led to a previously unknown family tale of Mady’s parents buying Jimmy Buckley’s chiffonier at a Carlton auction in the 80s.
“A lovely piece of furniture,” my mother-in-law confirmed the next day, before she was relieved of baby sitting duties.
When teams get a run on against Geelong, as Hawthorn and North did, they look slow. The ball can be transferred from one end so quickly that the likes of Joel Corey, Enright and Kelly seem to look on in bewilderment. But when the ball is back in their hands, they create space and position for their younger teammates to capitalise. This has happened three weeks running.
Unfortunately, when the tide turns, Geelong looks powerless to stop it and this put a few fans on the edge of their seat in the final quarter when the Blues put on four straight goals to bring the margin back to 10 points.
Murphy broke the shackles and dominated, while Gibbs was also very good, and there was plenty of time left but Christensen and Motlop combined to kick a late goal and put the result beyond doubt. Those two young Cats were influential all night, while Stokes was in career best form. Selwood was subdued with Carrazzo having the better of him, and Hawkins was much better than previous weeks.
To finish, Harry Taylor is possibly the most underrated player in the league. Always calm in his approach when the pressure is at its greatest, and can go forward when needed to great effect. He is a beauty, and emerging reports that his family may be homesick for WA concern me greatly.
GEELONG 5.5 12.6 17.7 18.11 (119)
CARLTON 4.3 9.5 11.10 15.13 (103)
GOALS
Geelong: Hunt 3, Hawkins 3, Christensen 2, Taylor 2, Smedts 2, Motlop 2, Podsiadly, West, Stokes, Selwood,
Carlton: Rowe 2, Yarran 2, Lucas 2, Scotland, McLean, Buckley, Garlett, McLean, Judd, Murphy, Hampson, Armfield
BEST
Geelong: Taylor, Hunt, Stokes, Motlop, Christensen, Bartel, Hawkins
Carlton: Judd, Gibbs, Murphy Robinson, Jamison, Rowe, McLean,
Umpires: Dalgleish, Nicholls, McInerney
Official crowd: 43,241 at Etihad Stadium
OUR VOTES: 3. Taylor; 2. Christensen; 1. Judd
Cumbersome ruckman of the garden variety
Nice one, Cookey. I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts on Harry Taylor. Gee I hope those reports have an element of truth. Would love to see him in the blue and gold…
I love (1) that Jimmy Buckley had a chiffonier, (2) that he sold it and (3) that your outlaws bought it.
Most enjoyable.
Don’t worry Cookie we’ll trade you Mitch Brown when Harry pulls the pin on you. I love watching smart footballers, and Harry is one of the best – wherever he plays.
Nice read. 95 still hurts me. But then again I am overly sentimental. Harry goes from strength to strength. I reckon he will stay. We already have a brown.
H Taylo has that Dustin fletcheresque calm authority these days that all champion defenders somehow inherit. Taylor Hunt reminds me of Steven Gerrard. He’s very purposeful.
Oh and thanks for making me learn what a
chiffonier is. I never knew!
Dan, you can thank my mother-in-law for that reference. I was told on the night it was a hall stand. “It was a chiffonier, actually,” we were told the next morning. Most people put their unwanted furniture out on the nature strip, or on eBay. Not footballers, they wait for the club auction!
Dan, I see from your 2011 report that my feelings towards Carlton are not shared by all Cats fans:
http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/carlton-phobia-what-phobia/
Have to think Matty Stokes despised being handed the green vest the week prior and wanted to do everything within his power to make sure it never happens again.
Matty Stokes being given the green vest for the Norf’s game was a move of sheer tactical genius and vision which arguably won us that game.
Matty Stokes not being given the green vest for the Blues’ game was a move of sheer tactical genius and vision which arguably won us that game.
Chris Scott clearly thinks well outside the box.
Bundy Christensen sontinues to run clean though them these days, usually emerging with ball in hand.
‘Tis a very good time to be embedded within the Geelong community.
Good stuff Cookie. Don’t despair just yet: I have it on the reliable authority of my daughter who is at Deakin uni (and therefore the intelligence is an order of magnitude greater that that used by Little Johnny to take us to war in Iraq), that Harry’s wife is also well-embedded and well-regarded in Geelong, so maybe any homesickness can be kept at bay for a few years yet and maybe the speculation in The Age was just that… WE LOVE YOU HARRY!
The title of this article, together with the fact that Tom De Koning formerly played for Carlton and his brother Sam De Koning currently plays for Geelong, got me thinking about doin a composite Geelong and Carlton team where every player has either played for both Geelong and Carlton, has a nickname that could be seen as either Carlton or Geelong, provided they’ve played for either team, like TDK and SDK, has played for either team, as well as having a family member who’s played for the other team, and like John Scarlett, has played for either of the teams (Geelong), but has the name of the other team in a combination of his first and second names. (CARLT in Scarlett and ON in John).
There are many more players who have played for both Geelong and Carlton, but these players were left out as they were unknown and before our time.
Some players were played out of position, so they could fit in the team.
This is the VFL/AFL Geelong Blues/Carlton Cats Team:
B: Ray BYRNE (Coll/Carlton/Geelong), JOHN SCARLETT (Geel/CARLT in s/name/ON 1st name), Mario BORTOLOTTO (Geel/Carl)
HB: Jeremy LAIDLER (Geel/Carl/Syd), Sam DE KONING (Geel/brother Tom Carlton), Michael MANSFIELD (Geel/Carl)
C: David CLARKE JR., (Geelong/Carl), Greg WILLIAMS (Geelong/Sydney/Carlton), Lachie FOGARTY (Geel/Carl)
HF: David CLARKE SR., (Geel/Carl), LACHIE HENDERSON (Bris L/Carlton/Geelong), Adrian HICKMOTT (Geel/Carl)
F: Jack MARTIN (Gold Coast/Carlton/Geelong), Zac TUOHY (Carlton/Geelong), Justin MURPHY (Rich/Carl/Geel/Ess)
R: Tom DE KONING (Carl/brother Sam Geelong), Billie SMEDTS (Geel/Carlton), Alan MANGELS (Carlton/Geelong)
Interchange: Stephen O’Reilly (Geel/Frem/Carlton), Vin CATOGGIO (Carl/Melb/Syd/CAT in surname)
Coach: Ian “BLUEY” HAMPSHIRE (played Geel/Foot/coached Foots/BLUE in nickname)
This team will play 3 pretend exhibition matches against the composite VFL/AFL BLUE SAINTS TEAM, named by Glen, in other article in the Footy Almanac.
Venues: Kardinia Park, Princes Park and Moorabbin
Entertainment: Geelong, Carlton and St Kilda Football Club songs
Let’s hope for a good game of football without too many BLUES on the field!
Hallo Anon, could an expanded emergency list include the following?
Chris Mitchell, Denis Lenaghan, also Rod Waddell.
Chris Mitchell played at Geelong when I was a Kleines Kind, then appeared at Carlton a few years later. On his debut for Carlton he kicked 5 against his old side.
Denis Lenaghan, Rod Waddell, were around the early 1980’s.
Glen!
Good pick ups Glen. As you barracked for Geelong back then, you would have remembered those players more than other VFL/AFL supporters.
Yes, Chris Mitchell, Denis Lenaghan and Rod Waddell all played around the times you mentioned for both Geelong and Carlton and therefore the selectors have decided to include those three players in the VFL/AFL Geelong Blues/Carlton Cats Team on the interchange bench.
They will join the previously named interchange players Stephen O’Reilly an Vin CAT(oggio), because from 2026, the sub rule has been abolished and there will now be 5 players on the interchange bench, for the 23 players in the senior team.
Greg Williams will be the captain of the VFL/AFL Geelong Blues/Carlton Cats Team.
Whoever wins the 3 pretend exhibition matches between the Geelong Blues and the Blue Saints Teams, will give their opponents a case of the BLUES!
As Hawthorn are known as the family club, as well as family in the the title of tis article, it got me thinking about doing a football team where each player has played for both St Kilda and Hawthorn.
Unfortunately for St Kilda, Hawthorn have been the most out of these player exchanges as Brent Guerra, Ben McEvoy and Russel Greene played in premierships for Hawthorn, after leaving St Kilda, and Allan Jeans, of course, coached Hawthorn to 3 flags in the 1989s, having coached St Kilda to their only premiership to date, in 1966.
Some players were played out of position, so they could fit in the team.
This is the St Kilda Hawks/Hawthorn Saints Team:
B: Brent Guerra (PA/St K/Haw), Zac Dawson (Haw/St K/Frem), Ben McEvoy (St K/Haw)
HB: Matthew Young (Haw/St K), Josh Battle (St Kilda/Hawthorn), Ricky Nixon (Carl/St K/Haw)
C: Brad Hill (Haw/Frem/St K), Shane Savage (Hawthorn/St K), Geoff Ablett (Haw/Rich/St K)
HF: Joel Smith (St K/Hawthorn), Peter Everitt (St K/Haw/Sydney), Dean Anderson (Haw/St K)
F: Peter Russo (Haw/St Kilda), Mark Scott (Haw/St KildaFitzroy), Russell Morris (Haw/St K)
R: Paul Harding (Haw/St K/WC), Russell Greene (St K/Hawthorn), Robert Handley (Haw/St K)
Emergency: Glenn Nugent (Haw/St K)
Coach: Allan Jeans
This team will play 4 pretend exhibition match against the Geelong Blues/Carlton Cats Team, named in last week’s comment.
Venues: Moorabbin, Glenferrie Oval, Kardinia Park and Princes Park
Entertainment: St Kilda, Hawthorn, Geelong and Carlton Football Club Songs.
Let’s hope for good games of football where the players will have the success of the Hawks and Cats of this millennium. If there are too many Blues on the field, those players will be ordered to behave like Saints!