Big Numbers Favour the Dees

So it’s The Dons v The Dees at the G.

It’s got a good ring about it, and I’m looking forward to a great game of footy. A couple of things have me slightly disturbed, it’s a night game which I’m not overly excited about and Essendon are coming off a rest weekend. Luckily it’s a very mild night so that was good, but all week the press has been rabbiting on about how badly teams go after the bye. Why this should be a problem is a bit of a mystery to me, you would reckon a week off would freshen you up so we’ll see how the Dons cope.

Met the mate outside the G and after a refreshing ale took our seats in time for the bounce. Now Melbourne are supposed to be soft, but the way they threw themselves at the ball and at their Essendon opponents, they seemed to be telling a different story. Their jumper sure looked different, fair dinkum, these so called away jumpers leave me cold. What happened before this “great” innovation happened? Did players handball/kick to opponents because they got the jumper confused? I would suggest it’s all to do with marketing and selling jumpers and swelling coffers. Anyway Melbourne jumped the Dons and kicked a couple of majors before Jake Melksham got one for the Dons but Essendon lacked direction and it was apparent to me Melbourne were harder at the ball. Another goal to Melbourne was answered by two for the Dons. At quarter time Essendon were up by two points, and yet I though Melbourne were playing more as a team.

Second quarter and the Dons scored and seemed to get their game going until a miraculous goal by Brad Green off his ankle or calf got the Melbourne back in the contest. A very humorous Melbourne supporter behind us ventured forth so called directives from AFL Headquarters. When the Melbourne crowd called out BALL for a free in the Melbourne forward line, he said it wouldn’t be paid for Melbourne because they have less than 40 thousand members. And if Melbourne looked like winning there would be a directive from AFL to do something with the whistle!! It was all very funny and had me in stitches. In the meantime the game was played at a frantic pace. I was impressed that Melbourne had a player with an great number, 50, and then subbed out Sylvia and replaced him with a number 49, and they were good contributors. I do like big numbers on players. Essendon got a couple of goals clear but Liam Jurrah scored after a free to Watts and at half time the lead to Essendon was only 7.

The third opened with Melbourne showing they still meant business and goals to Scully, Moloney, Green(again) Jetta , Jurrah and a newcomer Howe was causing my mate a fair bit of discomfort. The Dons were hopeless up front, they were outmarked, out run and out thought. I was disappointed that Leroy Jetta reverted to a sleeveless jumper after the big break, a move that didn’t help the Dons. At three quarter time Melbourne up by 30 points.

I still reckoned the Dons could still do it and early in the quarter Hille nailed one, followed by Angus Monfries goaling . The Demons looked a bit worried. A little later David Zaharakis scored a beauty on the run and the Demons looked even more worried. Things could have got a lot better for the Dons and worse for the Dees, if Stewart Crameri had scored two very easy goals, but he was having a shocker and missed both. Green popped up with another goal and even though Crameri at last scored one, it was too little far too late. Melbourne winning by 33. I congratulated the Melbourne supporter with the AFL theories and he was convinced that Andrew must have had a bad phone line to the umpires after half time. He was very happy though, my mate a Don tragic like me was livid, no after match cleansing ale for him.

I’ve seen four games this year ,for three losses and a draw. Do you reckon I should give the Dons a break? Oh and bye the way, long live the “bye” theory.

Comments

  1. Pamela Sherpa says

    It wouldn’t hurt Essendon to get Lloydy -or a half decent netballer down to training to remind the forwards of what a lead is would it! The Dees have some good young players. I quite enjoyed watching them play- they had more desire than our mob and deserved the win.

  2. Richard Naco says

    “I’ve seen four games this year ,for three losses and a draw. Do you reckon I should give the Dons a break?”

    Nope! Not at all!!! Do absolutely everything in your power (nor the Port one, of course) to ensure that you’re at Etihad for the first game in July and you’ll significantly enhance the prospect of my family’s annual pilgimage to Melbourne being even more worthwhile.

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