Almanac Life: My (splendid) week
I’ve had a splendid week, and I hope that I’ll be forgiven the self-indulgence of regaling the Almanac community with the details. I’m conscious of the dangers of hubris, and I dare say that putting my head above the parapet will invite an appropriate punishment!
It began on Wednesday night (6th), when I ran competitive times (on an age-graded basis) in the 4k and 800 metres events at our Masters’ Athletics meeting.
On Thursday and Friday nights, I was located high in the Shane Warne Stand for the AFL finals. The Collingwood-Melbourne match was engaging for this almost-neutral observer, and certainly just reward for braving the elements on a typically cold, wet Melbourne September evening.
Although Collingwood led from start to finish and in many respects it was a dominant performance, Melbourne threatened several times to work their way back into the match. They were hampered by their inability to exploit their many opportunities. This was partly excused by the conditions – greasy surface and unpredictable wind – but was also due to Collingwood’s resolute and well-organised defence. In two particular stages of the match the game was in the balance. In the opening skirmishes of the third quarter, the game was played in Melbourne’s forward half; the return for ten minutes constant attack was two behinds. The Magpies then found their way into an open forward line to score two goals, which stretched the margin beyond four goals, and effectively decided the outcome, in a low-scoring game. Goals were traded between the teams in the late stages of the quarter, but the 25 point margin at 3/4 time looked insurmountable.
The twist in the tale was another Melbourne moment at the beginning of the final quarter when the Demons validated their top four position, with a stirring comeback. Goals from McDonald, hitherto barely sighted, and Smith in the opening minutes left the door open, but although the Magpies barely troubled the goal umpire at the City end, their defence held firm, and Melbourne struggled to make further inroads.
Friday night, as a passionate Blues’ fan, I most certainly had a dog in the fight. While I’ve felt something like disbelief as Carlton recovered from their early- to mid-season ineptitude, I felt confident in anticipation of the Final, figuring that provided the Blues managed to avoid stage fright, with their lack of finals experience, that they should have Sydney’s measure. I also felt reasonably confident that Carlton team leaders (Cripps, Docherty, Weitering) seemed to have the temperament to handle this threat, and of course M. Voss’ experience at the pointy end of the season should be an asset.
It played out much as I’d hoped, with Sydney making a strong showing, but just falling short. Carlton did lead from barrier to box, and held firm in the anxiety-inducing moments in the final quarter as the Swans kept coming. The end result was a satisfying win in a match which was close enough to have been a real contest.
I might well have had a third successive day at the MCG, however, I chose the Bellarine FNL Grand Final instead. Happily, the home-town team triumphed. After a three-quarter arm wrestle, with the margin never exceeding 9 points, Torquay overwhelmed Drysdale in the final quarter, turning a one-point deficit into a convincing 32 point victory. This was the culmination of four seasons when Murphy’s law has afflicted the Torquay Tigers. A narrow loss in the 2019 Grand Final, was followed by two Covid interrupted seasons, when no finals were played but Torquay’s record in the home and away season was 29 wins and 1 loss. In 2022 the team lost only one match during the regular season, and won the second semi-final by 75 points. Two weeks later Barwon Heads reversed the result winning the Grand Final by 55 points. As our (excellent) coach ruefully observed: “we’ve played seven poor quarters for the year, four of them today.”
Sunday morning I had a run with the Cross Country Club, a regular winter Sunday commitment. In the afternoon, I watched the NRL Elimination Final. Newcastle is my team, my father’s home town. It was expected by all who know something about the code (which certainly excludes me, my ignorance of Rugby League is profound), that this would be a regulation win for the Knights who have enjoyed a Carlton-like run of seven successive wins, while the opposition, Canberra, had fallen into eighth spot. Like Carlton, Newcastle have been also-rans in recent seasons, securing three wooden spoons, 2015-17, and never threatening until this year’s mid-season turnaround. It proved to be anything but a foregone conclusion. Canberra led through the first half, and rallied again once Newcastle took the lead. Canberra levelled the score in the final minutes, which sent the match into ten minutes extra time. A penalty goal in the final minute secured a win for the Knights to complete my treble.
I’ve no doubt that my delight of this past week will soon subside, and normal transmission will resume probably in the next few days. However, I am determined to enjoy it while it lasts. I am reminded of the sage words of the legendary Hawthorn identity, John Kennedy, who observed every win brings you closer to your next loss. Of course Kanga’s pessimism was seasoned by his early experience as a player when Hawthorn were a chopping block, rather than the power they have been for much of the lives of anyone born after 1945.
The great man’s warning serves a threat that nemesis stalks for anyone tempted by hubris.
More from Peter Fuller can be read Here.
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About Peter Fuller
Good on you Peter, these are the types of weeks we like to have. See you at the Footy Almanac Grand Final Eve Lunch? Hope the Blues continue to keep you smiling! Cheers.
Peter, I hope you’re continuing to savour this week after such a win-win-win weekend with fringe benefits thrown in. I agree that harsh reality is likely to set in all too soon!
I haven’t fancied your Newcastle Knights this weekend. I fear that their horses are tiring after extra time last week and that their lances, maces, etc have been blunted through overuse in the past two months. If Squire Johnson is fit for the Warriors, then I fear it will be ‘good (k)night’!
Thanks Col and Ian for the comments. I fear that you’re right Ian and that my comuppance is imminent, the more likely because I’ve tempted fate by making my self-satisfaction public. Maybe I’m the football equivalent of Bridget Jones’s smug marrieds.
Excellent Peter. I wish you well for the coming weekend too. Good luck to your teams. Over here Sunday is the City Bay fun run, and I’m looking forward to it as last year I was a late scratching.
Great stuff PF. Best of luck with the Blues (footy team not emotional feeling) tonight. My last week was losing narrowly in the QF of the Club Champs (C Grade!) to a lad 40 years younger and 40 metres longer. Played to my 16 handicap – he is on his way to single figures. Mustn’t grumble.
Took in Swan Districts Reserves winning their way into the GF and went to the club’s All Abilities Presentation Dinner. Those who have least to give always give the most.
Moving from supporter to active participant in local footy has been one of the great joys of recent years. Hanging around young people is the best antidote to ageing.
Your Blues are a chance – I’ve tipped the Demons. My heart is with GWS with 2 Swans’s boys in the side – Stephen Coniglio and Sam Taylor. Sam’s brother Luke will be in our Ressie’s GF side.
Can the Black Ducks.
The wave rolls on, Peter! Lap it up for another week. The physios will be busy at Carlton this week.
Thanks gentlemen for the additional comments. As Ian predicted, Mount Smart proved a bridge too far for the Knights, so my successful run was interrupted Saturday afternoon. However, I feel that was more than compensated by the europhia flowing from Friday night. According to my Garmin, my heart rate (resting low 40s, reaching 170 during intensive runs) peaked around 150 at about 10.30 on Friday night when my most strenuous physical activity was rising from my seat in the Shane Warne Stand to salute Blake Acres’ goal.
Mickey, running has continued to go well. Wednesday evening I ran an age record for our venue over 2800 metres, I had a slow Parkrun Saturday morning after 5 hours sleep (late home after the match) and then yesterday I ran my quickest half-marathon in years.
PB, you continue to play golf at an admirably competititve standard. My sticks are gathering dust. I agree with you about the merits of involvement with local footy. Good luck to your Swans’ Ressies next week. Coniglio and Taylor certainly did their old club proud on Saturday night, and I know that you have historic reasons for wanting Port to be beaten.
Ian, I sure will. Half-way through the final quarter Friday night, I was bracing myself for the end of the fairytale. Melbourne seemed too be playing better and were of course just an errant kick from putting the match out of the Blues’ reach. My consolaton at the prospective defeat was that the boys had given us a marvelous ride. The next fifteen minutes were beyond belief. Saturday evening is a huge ask, but we live in hope.
PF – “Europhia”? Hope that’s not a premonition – premiership emotion? Don’t want your Blues having an early Brexit.
Got me bang to rights PB, careless fingers, careless proof-reading. We’re definitely in danger of a Bris-exit. In the event of the adventure continuing, I’m not sure who will be our Dom Sheed or Luke Shuey (well Sam Walsh looks like the pea for the latter role).
PB -As usual I missed you during your Ferris Buehler week away. As usual a wonderful exponent of the English word. can you give some of our erstwhile commentators a few lessons. They only have a few words and use them constantly -“hard ball, ball magnet et al.
Good to see you back in form but watch out for my team the orange tsunamai!
Fantastic yarn, Peter.
It is great to hear that you are still getting out there for a trot.
As for Torquay, my old mate Macca’s son Ben was the skipper and full-back in the team of the season. a richly deserved win for the Tigers.
Smokie, since you alerted me to your association with Ben, I’ve watched his progress with interest. He’s a fine player and there’s a touch of the Bruce Doull about him not just contributing by holding his own against a direct opponent, but also as a steadying influence who makes the players around him better.
At the beginning of the season, Ben was co-captain with a brilliant midfielder, who has won several competition B & Fs. James unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury, so Ben assumed sole on-field leadership responsibilities. That the team didn’t miss a beat is a tribute to his football talent and his leadership.
I hope that Joe Sexton has also kept up-to-date with the Tigers’ progress.
I feel as if I’ve eavesdropped into an old and wise inner circle here. Can relate to your golf story PB. Can also relate to getting involved with the young at a club/community. It was the footy umpiring fraternity for me up till about 7 years ago. Now it’s the cricket club I’m involved with.
Great read Peter, any week that involves some great runs and your team winning is worth celebrating. Thanks for connecting via email, I remember your daughter in law well and greatly enjoyed working with her. Please do pass on my best. I hope the Lions get the win tomorrow (obviously) but if it can’t be us I hope it is the Blues and Michael Voss who salute!
A bit late to this Peter, but a fantastic read of a great weekend. Good to see Torquay get over the line.
Interested in you expanding on being an ‘almost-neutral observer’ at the Collingwood v Melbourne game?!!