Score a footy and Cats gear
‘Nervous?’
People who never text me always flick me their 18c when I head to a game.
I arrive as the ball is bounced and I have an aisle seat. Perfect.
The first quarter is even. After last year’s smacking, I’m OK with even.
With it being an away game, I look around the crowd at the first break. As always with Geelong, there are a few farmers daughters around. Farmers, of course, that can afford Melbourne private school fees. They look happy. They always do.
As the 2nd quarter starts, we’re all over them. Forcing turnovers, making smart decisions and winning it out of the middle every time.
Halfway through, Howlett takes a mark 45m out from a turnover borne of defensive pressure. This would make it 26 points. He fluffs it. Way too close to the man on the mark. I hope that’s not his Jay Neagle moment.
The Cats kick 4 goals. The fans applaud. A guttural ‘Go Catters’ is as barmy as it gets. As the siren goes, they lead.
Whilst I’m mulling over the game at halftime, we’re treated to an interview with Cats fans in the ‘Target Lounge’. Some elderly Geelong folk are stretched out on couches. That’s appropriate.
‘How are you feeling?’
‘Oh, very comfortable’
Of course they are.
They don’t say they have foot stools ready to wheel out for the 2nd half but you can tell that they do.
Although Stokes kicks the first goal of the third, it’s all Bombers for nearly 10min and Hocking gets a lucky bounce to score a major. The Cats soon reply though with Christensen earning a free for high contact whilst on his knees. The Puritan Cats fans love it.
Up until now the Dons had kicked poorly but mainly through poor positioning due to the Cats swallowing up the middle. But in quick succession Zaka and Watson miss easy ones and again The Cats capitalize.
After the last break and another Cats goal, it’s 33 points and its hard to see where we’ll be getting another score.
Thankfully we fight it out. And maybe even give them a fright. Doubt it though. 80-odd wins in 100 whatever blah blah will do that.
The siren goes and it’s a five goal game. That’s fair. We’d had top 8 form til now but top 4 form eludes us.
Now that I’m on the train, I’ll talk about the Cats.
I’ve been watching a lot of NBA lately and I reckon Steve Johnson has too. Some of his handballs (and confidence) belonged in the LA Forum in the 1980s. He urges creativity from the younger players. Selwood is captain but Johnson is the reason they play the way they do.
Taylor and Enright are the team’s foundations. When their teammates aren’t scoring, they just shut things down until they do. And they take their marks. Defenders should do that.
Overall, their pressure was immense. They back themselves to get turnovers and then put it in the areas where you should kick goals from.
Their team have some incredible champions, some diving cheats and ,I’m sorry, a skipper who is both. (That one in the middle in the last. My. God)
The Cats fans are happy and so they should be.
In fact, there’s one on the train now. He’s asking a Bomber fan where it went wrong. He’s actually genuine. He thought they were a really good show for a while.
Good on him. Pass me a bucket.
About Andrew Else
Andrew has self-reported to this site as a lifetime Essendon supporter. He also played local footy for Lara and Melbourne Uni Blacks.
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Andrew, are you OK? Would you like someone to talk to? I think Mr Harms is free this morning.
Andrew- very good “in the moment” report. I think the Bombers will be in it at the pointy end of the season. It was a high quality game.
PS – not sure a Bomber supporter should be suggesting that others cheat just at the minute.
As a Cats supporter I’m not a gloater (see Blackadder series 2) but I was really looking forward to this top of the table clash. Also I’m a Queenslander & perhaps a little more objective than the more obsessive AFL fans (but wait till State of Origin comes around to see my true colours). I’ve always liked James Hird and Bomber Thompson has a special place in Cat’s fans’ hearts of course. I was impressed with how Geelong covered the absence of some big time players, especially Chappy. The moving back of JPod and moving forward of Loneragan demonstrated their flexibility. Bruce said after the game that 10 Geelong players have less than 50 games under their belt & I remember well in the mid-2000’s that it was G.Ablett & J.Bartell who were the same emerging players. Bruce also stated it’s 125/150 since the premiership year of 2007. Pretty amazing record.
Matthew Lloyd
Gavin Wanganeen
Leroy Jetta (1st player charged for staging)
Angus Monfries (game enough to admit it)
Anyone else getting déjà vu with the bombers? The common call is they are different from the class of 2012 that were also April premiers. I feel they are different only in the sense that they have a dank whiff about them off the field.
I had a lot of time for this article right up until the childish name calling.
Right there, right then, the author completely lost my respect. And my interest.
Richard Naco, perhaps a bit harsh? It was a good in the moment report, well textured with emotion. The accusations against Selwood aren’t new and are easily made in the heat of the moment. As a long standing Cats fan, I think they’re wrong, but they mean nothing.
An entertaining read.
Edward, agreed. We all get worked up about our teams, Richard did just then defending Selwood. I think those that criticise Selwood for cheating are missing something far, far greater. I also think Essendon are full of heartless front-runners, playing to a game plan 4 years old that won’t hold up, coached by someone out of his depth. But that’s just my view.
Loved Andrew’s report, loved the fact he wrote it on his iPhone at the ground and submitted it an hour after the siren.
Touche’.
I happily accept your point, Edward. And I happily agree that kudos are highly appropriate for the immediacy and raw emotion of the piece.
But even if it had not been directed at my own team, I would have still found the name calling to be demeaning and quite off-putting.
The context for my own peculiar attitude is that I loved the game before the club, and that I still respect and admire great things that may – just may – have no direct genesis from anywhere remotely near The Pivot. I even applaud opposition teams on to the park before each game (albeit nowhere near as volubly as I do my mob), and I acknowledge good play regardless of the player or club responsible.
I know of no cheats in the AFL for which there has been no due investigation, although I do get seriously angry about snipers (and no names here, as we all know them).
Just my 2c worth …
Dean Soloman used to play for Essendon, didn’t he?