FEARLESS 2021 Round 3: Covid Strikes again! Fixturers beware – it might happen again.

Brisbane hosted Collingwood or vice versa on Easter Thursday due to a covid error up north. Marvel was the venue instead of the Gabbatoir and the two teams duked it out in typical close-fought fashion. The Pies led for the most part, managing to keep the Lions at bay. Bags McLuggage was trying to lift his teammates and the Pies had all the answers. Enter Zac Bailey to capitalize and kick the winner after the siren. Lions 1pt.

 

It was a Good Friday for the Western Bulldogs and for Bulldog Josh Bruce. That Bruce kicked 10 was a terrific effort, given that he probably won’t kick 10 for the rest of the year. However when the opposition morph into witches hats after qtr time. The rest just falls into place. A game between the undefeated Dogs and the Roadkill Roos in a cakewalk of 128pts. Roos Coach Noble must dig deep. Dogs winners all over.

 

Typical of AFL duplicity a 2^nd game works into the Good Friday fixture. After staunchly disagreeing with a Good Friday concept for decades, now it’s good enough to have two games. The inmates are running the asylum! Adelaide got the chockies against a competitive Suns outfit by 10pts. Suns Coach Dew might need to take a few tips off the rejuv’d Tex Walker for fitness. Tex 6 goals a reinvention of note. It can be done!

 

Nothing to fear here! So said the Sydney Swans as they ran onto the MCG without Buddy to pants the opposition, none other than the Reigning Premiers of Tigertown. A lot of love for the Swans for a fearless effort, leading all day with examples set by Mills in the midfield and Papley up forward. Surely by now the Tigers would be used to being the hunted. Swans by 45pts in a major statement. Only Swans fans tipped it.

 

Of similar note was the shellacking handed out by the Bombers to the highly-fancied Saints. 75pts was the margin an emphatic statement of intent by the Bombers or an illustration of the Saints getting ahead of themselves? Maybe both. Dons Coach Truck took all the learnings from the previous fortnight and concocted a win in every qtr and most stats. Hoker 5, Stringer 4, Walla 3..Bombers away. Saints purgatory.

 

West Coast returned to Optus on Saturday night to take on the highly fancied Port who were somewhere near top top top. Just a subtle reminder that the Eagles can play a bit, a win by 37 pts never surrendering the lead and making Port looking short circuited. Kennedy, Darling, Gaff, Redden showed the locals how it’s done racking up goals and possessions. R. Gray and Marshall kicked 3 for Port. Eagles flying higher.

 

Harry McKay kicked 7 at Marvel on Easter Sunday as Carlton notched up win 1 for 21. Freo looked simply lacklustre and the Blues made them pay dearly. Cripps returned to his exalted best, looking also like he was moving freer than earlier on. His understudy Sam Walsh continues to improve with 37 stats. Freo just couldn’t take a trick such that young Freddy kicked 1.4. Freo won the last qtr but the Blues easily by 45pts.

 

AFL footy returned to Canberra on a Sunday night in the middle of a holiday weekend…AFL Scheduling Department. Hello…is there anyone there…? GWS Giants hosted Melbourne and Leon’s Ferrari had spluttered since the season started. A 2pt lead at the half suggested the tinkering had worked, however injuries to key Giants Coniglio, Davis and DeBoer reduced output and the Dees ran over them by 34pts.

 

Pedestrian. That’s probably the best description of this Geelong and Hawthorn clash (aka Isaac Smith Cup). Long after Kennett’s Curse had been lifted these two clubs had played great games. Easter Monday saw a slowish Cam Guthrie-led Cats with 43 stats play a young Hawks. Isaac’s first game against his old club was blowtorched late with the Hawks chasing down a Cats lead but just falling short by 5pts. O’Meara 34.

 

 

 

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The Tigers (Covid) Almanac 2020 will be published in 2021. It will have all the usual features – a game by game account of the Tigers season – and will also include some of the best Almanac writing from the Covid winter.  Pre-order HERE

 

 

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