AFL Round 6 – Collingwood v Essendon: Son goes home happy (this time)

Essendon v Collingwood

ANZAC Day 2014

 

We have quite a few Father/Son bonding days during the year and the annual Essendon v Collingwood game is a must on our calendar.

The gates at the “G” were to be opened at ten thirty, so I got a bit of a shock when I arrived on the bike about ten to ten to find the queue had almost reached the park entrance, a good Stawell Gift distance from the gates. Luckily son arrived shortly after, so when we met up inside the “G” we had great seats for the game.

With our seat tickets in hand it was back home for both of us, not much fun staring at the oval and a couple of hours “quenching your thirst” would prove a complete disaster for me.

A quick ale before the ball is bounced, then into our seats. The Dons bust out of the blocks. Precise hand and foot skills, meant that before you could scratch yourself they had goals on the board. Collingwood on the other hand couldn’t take a trick, their skill level was way down, they fumbled, and kicked poorly.  At one stage Jamie Elliott for the Pies kicked a magnificent fifty metres back towards the Dons goal, which resulted in a major for us. Son was looking down in the dumps, but at quarter time even though the Dons were five goals up, I wasn’t about to start making gloating predictions.  Remember last week against St. Kilda!!!

Essendon start with a quick goal early in the second quarter but then the game changed. Collingwood seemed to rediscover their teamwork, their tackling and their foot and hand skills returned with such effect that by half time scores were level. The difference in the two sides was remarkable, everything that went right for Essendon in the first quarter, went right for Collingwood in the second.

The Percy Beams bar was chockers, but we managed another ale at half time and son is looking decidedly better. Me, I have a horrible premonition of a thumping but I am keeping that to myself .

Third quarter and Collingwood roll on. Jobe Watson had an admirer in the person of Macaffer of Collingwood. He showed his love of Jobe by holding his jumper and not letting anyone get close to him. Jobe failed to reciprocate his obvious love and affection and kept trying to get away. It’s the sort of stuff you see on wildlife specials or on the farm. In the meantime Collingwood kick three goals four behinds to Essendon’s two points and lead by three goals at the orange break.

In the last quarter, Essendon seemed to round up a bit of spirit, but whereas in the first quarter everything they attempted succeeded, in this quarter things just fell short of achieving. Shots for goal just missed, and a couple of dubious umpiring decisions didn’t help much either. On the other side Dane Swan played inspired footy, kicking multiple goals, one that defies description. At least the Dons kicked a couple of goals in the last quarter, but their five behinds didn’t help. Collingwood marched on with two goals four behinds and held off any challenge Essendon could muster. Collingwood by twenty three points.

I don’t know what the tally of wins and losses are on these “Bonding Days,” one of us is always happy and for the loser you can always console yourself with the thought “it’s only a game.” But we will be back for more of it in the future.

 

Scores  Collingwood  12.11.83    Essendon 8.12.60

 

Goals.  Collingwood.  Swan 4, Sidebottom3 White 2, Grundy, Elliot, Goldsack

Essendon. Stanton, Daniher, Melksham, Merrett, Watson, Winderlich, Watson, Ryder,

Best Players. Collingwood.  Swan, Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Beams, White.

Essendon. Heppell, Hooker, Ryder, Hibberd, Stanton,

Crowd. 91,731 at the “G”

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