FEARLESS 2020 Round 17: As competitors pass through the entrance to the main stadium…

Slowly we hit/conclude the penultimate round of the season and with that comes the inevitable announcements re retirements, delistings etc…

 

If the opportunity comes, a farewell game is had and the fan favourites invariably might get a shoulder ride off the ground into the changeroom/into the sunset…

 

Special mention to the humble servants who don’t seek the fanfare, having played out their careers in a similar manner…2020’s crop will include many such types but 3 spring to mind in Kade Simpson, Matthew Kreuzer and Bryce Gibbs. All 3 have not sought massive media profiles and yet all 3 will go out of the game with their heads held high and in the knowledge that they have given it their all. Kade Simpson got to 342 games for Carlton, a great effort in itself. Matthew Kreuzer was as good a ruckman going, despite succumbing often to injury in his latter years. Arguably his injuries might’ve cost him another 100 or so games at the Blues likewise. Gibbs, however, couldn’t get a game in the rebuilding Crows outfit and was arguably forced to declare his hand. At 265 games across Carlton and Adelaide, he can be proud of his achievements and could possibly continue back in the SANFL.

 

There will be more names. Some could’ve given more, despite their club thinking otherwise. Some will get another opportunity. Some may not. This is where the structure of footy life is noticeable in its absence. Invariably, coaches and assistant coaches will fall into the same categories, especially as the collective belts tighten around the leagues and down through the ranks. John Worsfold probably is the highest profile of these and he has called time. If the pundits are true, it’s a hard gig splitting time between Perth and Melbourne, especially in these regulated days of border controls and quarantine facilities. Woosha Worsfold has developed a reputation as a coaching fixer, after leading the West Coast Eages to the 2006 Premiership. He steered Adelaide’s ship after the shocking and untimely death of Phil Walsh, until the appointment of Don Pyke. He then took charge of Essendon at a time when calm and order was required. Regardless of the Essendon faithful’s mixed views on what he has delivered, the unquantifiable is that he restored a sense of calm, dignity and purpose. The keys to the kingdom now go to Ben Rutten to prove himself as the man to lead Essendon back into finals. Onwards and upwards, from now…

 

And in the blink of an eye, time passes…the AFL gets to hold its finals series and maybe, just maybe, things return to normal for season 2021.

 

 

Queensland Hub Game Number 63: Sunshine Coast Saints hosted the Eagle Heights Eagles at the Gabba on Thursday Night with both teams finals bound barring disaster. The Saints started well, if a little wayward, but the Eagles came to life, restricting Saints’ scoring opportunities and forging ahead on the scoreboard. A last quarter saw the Saints hit the front, before Tim Kelly lifted the Eagles onwards to victory by 15pts.

 

Queensland Hub Game Number 64: Gaven Cats hosted the Red Hill Tigers at Metricon on Friday Night in a game widely tipped to be a GF preview by some. The Tigers defensive pressure crippled the Cats to 1.5 at 3 qtr time. How rare is that? Tigers 5.13 suggested it could’ve been further in front. A 26pt win left the Tigers looking the goods…but can’t help thinking Coach Chris Scott may have a few aces up his sleeve.

 

Queensland Hub Game Number 65: Nerang Roos hosted the FNQ Dockers at Metricon on Saturday…and if ever a club like the Roos needed a template of how to get out of their malaise, it was this game where the Dockers won by 64pts. Strong and settled defence, a variety of midfield and forward setups all of which were productive. Roos 5, Dockers Jesse Hogan 4, Walters, Schulz and Taberner 3. Lopsided.

 

Adelaide Hub Game Number 15: Port Adelaide Power hosted the Eagleby Bombers at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. 24 scoring shots to 9 doesn’t augur well. Top placed Port home by 50pts as the Bombers season of promise slowly dried up. Port veteran Rockliff led the charge for Port. Bombers won plenty of the ball but seem ineffective when they had it. Wayward goalkicking by the Power didn’t even help the Bombers.

 

Queensland Hub Game Number 66: Gilston Giants hosted the Marochydore Demons at Gabba on Saturday Night in an 8pt game where the winner still has a chance at finals entry and the loser is out. GWS Ferrari has stuttered in 2020 and at the half it was even and 7pts to GWS at 3/ 4. Demons dug deep in the last. Goals to Spargo, Fritsch and Rivers had the Dees in front at the death. Dees 5pts. GWS conked out.

 

Queensland Hub Game Number 67: Cooroy Blues hosted the Adelaide Crows at Metricon on Sunday. Confidence that the Crows had found through winning shone through. Oddly enough, the Blues picked the wrong game to start poorly. After qtr time, the Blues outscored the Crows 8.6 to 5.9. Form line suggested as such. However, Blues allowed Crows a 5-goal lead in the 1^st. Crows by 16pts in the Bryce Gibbs Cup.

 

Adelaide Hub Game Number 16: Humbug Scrub Hawks hosted the Worongary Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval on Sunday. The Dogs started strongly and managed to keep the Hawks to 1.2 by half time, a 40pt lead at the half. The die was cast…the Dogs home by 36pts managing to sneak into the top 8 in readiness for finals. 5 top ball winners were Dogs, despite Gunston 3. Caleb Daniel stout as ever across back 50, 28stats.

 

Queensland Hub Game Number 68: South Johnstone Swans hosted the Brisbane Lions at Cazaly’s Stadium on Sunday Night. A sturdy Swans start soon gave way to the Lions flexing their ladder-leading muscle. An even spread of goalkickers in Cairns, but the gulf between the two teams became apparent after the half. A 6 goal last qtr helped the Lions to a 32pt win, despite the Swans having more major stat winners.

 

Queensland Hub Game Number 69: Curumbin Magpies hosted the Gold Coast Suns at the Gabba on Monday Night. The re-entry of Treloar and DeGoey into the Magpies’ lineup elevated their team into more of a finals team. De Goey kicked 4, Treloar got 26, even Cox shaked off the rustiness to kick 2 and be a focal target. Alex Sexton kicked 3 and got his Suns mojo again. Magpies class shone through to win by 22.

 

 

 

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