Demons not the only ones feeling the pain

After a week of work experience at the Shepparton News, I was readily looking forward to the weekend of footy, as is the case most weeks. All the time in fact. I stayed at my sister Hayley’s place for the whole week so I could easily get to the Shepp News instead of driving from Waaia each day.

I stayed at her place on the Friday night as well, as I was playing footy at Dookie on Saturday morning. I arrived early to get a rubdown on my back (the result of sleeping on a couch for six nights is pain) and my middle finger taped up. Somehow it dislocated last weekend during footy without me noticing, but I sure have noticed the pain it’s bought me in the past week. A 121 point loss later (we actually played quite well), I’m back at home for the first time since last Sunday, just in time as the footy starts on TV.

With my laptop fixed, I get that started as the coverage is beginning. I find it quite hard to type with my fingers taped up so I start ripping it off, grimacing as my finger hair is ripped from the skin. Definitely the worst pain in the world.

The game begins and Kade Simpson kicks the first goal after a good mark, before Andrew Carrazzo receives a handball, gifting him a goal. Ryan Houlihan took advantage of Matthew Bate’s dropped mark, snapping a goal as the Demons weren’t playing as well as they looked in those striking white clash strips. Bret Thornton was obviously confused of where he was supposed to be as he took a great mark and kicked a goal, before Jarrad Waite took the lead out to 30 points with a mark and goal. Brad Green marks on the lead and puts through a ripper from 45m out, but some Matthew Kreuzer magic sees Houlihan snag his second. Jack Watts marks and goals, but Houlihan boots his third for the quarter after some great forward pressure, eventually snapping the major, the Blues leading by 32 points at quarter time, 7.4 to 2.2.

The second quarter starts and Green marks and goals but Thornton once again bobs up to take a solid mark and kick his second. The last time he kicked a goal was against North Melbourne late last year, where he again booted two. He likes to kick a bag when he actually gets on the board. Waite goals to send the Blues to a 38 point lead at half time, 9.6 to 3.4.

The second half begins and Mitch Robinson shows some class and initiative with a great kick out of mid-air in the goalsquare, but Green shows his soccer skills with his third off the ground from the goalsquare. Bate gets Melbourne’s first goals in succession, ramming it home after an Eddie Betts indiscretion. The rain starts to thunder down, as Steve Healy texts me: “It’s like a night game!” but Waite has no problem with the wet, kicking a long grubber goal from outside 50, the goal of the day. Nathan Jones tries to emulate that through the air, thumping a long ball from 55m out straight through the middle, and Neville Jetta capitalizes on some Tom Scully courage in the wet, putting through his first and cutting the margin to 26 points. As I watched intently, the TV suddenly goes blank and my heater turns off. The power has gone off! Of all the times! As it comes back on, Colin Sylvia has just kicked a goal, so the margin at the last break is just 19 points, game on. 11.7 to 8.6.

The final term commences and Chris Judd rises. Five early possessions set the tone, and it’s fitting that he kicks the opening goal of the term after a great tap by Kreuzer. Houlihan receives a quick handball by Betts to snap his fourth, and Betts gets on the board with two goals in a minute, taking the margin out to 46 points. Brent Moloney marks and hammers home a ripper from 50m out with the wet, heavy ball, and the final few minutes are played out with plenty of rain, sliding and sloppy marks. Just the way footy should be, Carlton winning 15.11.101 to Melbourne 9.6.60.

This was a good game of football in great conditions. Out of the five number one draftees out on the field, Kreuzer stood out the most with 10 possessions, 26 hitouts and eight tackles, a terrific display from a young man really flourishing. Conditions like these aren’t easy for the big men, but give me the wet and mud over the sun and dew every day of the week.

Carlton 7.4—9.6—11.7—15.11.101

Melbourne 2.2—3.4—8.6—9.6.60

Goalkickers:
Carlton-Houlihan 4, Waite 3, Thornton 2, Betts 2, Judd, Robinson, Carrazzo, Simpson

Melbourne-Green 3, Bate, Moloney, Jetta, Sylvia, Jones, Watts

Best:

Carlton-Kreuzer, Houlihan, Waite, Judd, Walker, Russell, Murphy

Melbourne-Gysberts, Moloney, Morton, Grimes, Green

Crowd:

49,745 at the MCG

Votes:

3: Matthew Kreuzer (CARL)

2: Ryan Houlihan (CARL)

1: Jarrad Waite (CARL)

About Josh Barnstable

21 year old North Melbourne supporter from country Victoria. Currently living in Melbourne studying a Bachelor of Sports Media. Dreams of becoming a sports journalist and broadcaster.

Comments

  1. John Butler says

    Great job again Josh

    Obviously the finger didn’t affect your typing speed too much. Still the fastest poster in the North.

    cheers

  2. How did Matthew Kreuzer feature in your votes?

  3. Read the last paragraph of the report Tony.

    Thanks JB, the tape will go on tomorrow night after i’ve done my typing for the weekend.

  4. Hurts Dontit !! Now you know why i complain at school when you grab my finger and bend it back only days after i’ve dislocated it, good report though Kruezer could’ve had a couple more touched to help my supercoach team though.

  5. G’day Josh,

    Yes, that paragraph reads to me that you gave Kreuzer the “Best No.1” award. In the same vein, I gave Gysberts the “Best No.11” award. That leaves 38 players, at least ten of whom played better than Kreuzer.

    The combined best from the Herald Sun and The Sunday Age were Walker, Robinson, Waite, Houlihan, Thornton, Judd, Scotland, Carazzo, Gysberts, McDonald, Bruce, Green, Moloney, Grimes, Morton and Jamar.

    For the record. Jamar had more disposals and more hit-outs. The only reason I can think of that the stats-men gave Jamar (95) less Supercoach points than Kreuzer (98) is that Jamar had more clangers. Do they take points off for clangers? Do they prefer Germans to Russians? Does anyone know how the “full strength indicator” works?

  6. Steve Healy says

    And Jamar took 3 marks, 2 of which were contested

  7. Steve Healy says

    Kreuzer took none

  8. Tony, Jamar had seven clangers, which does affect Supercach points. Did you see the numerous times Kreuzer hit the ball to advantage, especially in the first quarter which gifted Carrazzo a goal, and then when he palmed it to Judd, who kicked the sealer.

  9. Steve Healy says

    clangers are ok considering it was raining sideways

  10. Josh,

    Yes, I did see those; very pretty. But those two pieces of good play from Kreuzer were exceptions to the norm since the stats had Jamar with 34 hit-outs at 38% to advantage, while Kreuzer only had 26 hit-outs at 15% to advantage.

  11. Funny how yesterday’s greatest goals (Jones’ from outside 50, Waite’s dribbler) were kicked in the worst conditions of the match.

  12. Don’t forget the eight tackles Kreuzer laid.

  13. Steve Healy says

    Houlihan’s goal was the best one i reckon

  14. Please specify.

  15. Steve Healy says

    you know which one I mean, i mean the good one, and you know which one i mean

Leave a Comment

*