Can we just win one please?

The season has ended and Imperials have finished 2nd in both grades.  I have finished the year in the reserves but have ended in good form.  I’ve been in our best in 3 of the last 4 games and on Saturday in a hard fought contest against fellow finalists Mypolonga I managed to kick 3 goals resting up forward and rucked really well.

I must say it’s been a most enjoyable season.  Last year after only winning one game, I have followed it up with a season of only losing two.  I’ve managed 6 games in the seniors and played 10 in the reserves and with the way the senior side is playing, I’m probably out of contention for the seniors unless something catastrophic happens to a few players which, for the record I do NOT want to happen.

They say home and away can become irrelevant at finals which is a good mindset to take into the game.  The reserves are playing Jervois at Jervois.  We beat Jervois by 10 goals a month ago but I’m tipping they’ll be a little harder to beat this time around.  They are one of the three sides that stitched us up early in the season so I see Saturday as a real danger game.  In saying that, if we’re focused and at our best, we should be good enough to win.  As a person who at 29 is yet to play in a winning final, I’m going to go into the game thinking we’re underdogs.

The seniors are also playing a side they beat easily a few weeks ago in Mannum.  And like the reserves they were stitched up by them earlier in the year.  So I think they’ll be of the same mindset- their best will win the game but if they’re off their game they could get beat.

Both sides are playing for the right to play in the second semi final.

The top side in the reserves is Meningie- a side of wise old veterans who will be tough to beat.  They have been beating all their opponents well in the lead up to finals.  We defeated them by 20 points earlier in the year but they beat us by 30 points in round one.  Like us they finished the season with a 12-3 win loss ratio but their percentage was superior to ours so they earned the week off.  For the last 5 weeks we hoped they might drop a game or win by less than us so we could gain on their percentage.  Although every time we had a 10 goal win, they had a 15 goal win so we stayed stuck in 2nd spot.

The top side in the seniors is the cross-town rival Ramblers.  Aside from the round 3 blowout, both sides have been pretty evenly matched.  We won by 5 points mid year and a month or so ago they beat us by 2 points.  Imperials vs Ramblers is always a big deal so it’d be a great spectacle if they met in a final this series.

I’ve just got to knuckle down and look after my body.  I’m sooo sore at the moment, getting massages and ice baths after every game.  My right hammy is a bit of a worry but I’ve got to keep managing it between each game and hopefully I not only get through but I also keep playing well.  I’m going to stay off the grog until it’s all over, that might be the extra 2% I need to get through.

For now I’m going to apply the boring old cliché “one week at a time”.  Jervois at Jervois this weekend then we can worry about what we’re doing the next week.

Comments

  1. Go hard Jared! The Ruckmens Union is behind you and the Imperialsmall the way!

  2. Jared Newton says

    Cheers Gus, we had a win. 51 points in what was a bruising encounter. 2nd Semi Final this Saturday!

  3. Alovesupreme says

    Jared,
    Congratulations! Now that you have overcome the hurdle of a first finals victory, we’ll be looking for you to go all the way.
    It pains this Republican Irishman (I deliberately didn’t reverse the order of those two descriptors) to support the Imperials, but I’m definitely in your corner. Best of luck.

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