FEARLESS 2022 – Finals, Week 1: Slowly but surely, the premier emerges

 

 

 

BRISBANE v RICHMOND – ELIMINATION FINAL, THE GABBA, THURSDAY NIGHT

 

Wow! If this game wasn’t finals footy at its absolute best, I don’t know. Bulk lead changes, desperate acts, players playing above themselves, injuries. You name it…the script started with the type of injury that Brisbane didn’t expect, a broken nose to their only ruckman, the big O McInerney. Credit to McStay and Daniher for picking up slack and go Hipwood and Cameron for picking up the forward 50 slack. Truth is, few expected Brisbane to win. Most expected the Tigers to continue their good form. Add to that a returning Dusty. Well…try telling Lachie Neale and his cohorts that, including first gamer Darcy Wilmot. That kid doesn’t need any sugar! The Nank-led Tigers were in front for most, even after Meatballs Prestia was injured. A controversial review of a Tom Lynch goal could have sealed the Lions’ fate, until overturned! But the story ends with the best and worst of Joe Daniher as his laconic self – awkward interference free kick in the dying minutes to overturn a Lincoln McCarthy mark and shot on goal that could’ve given the lead to Brisbane. Within thirty seconds the ball had landed back into a contest in the Brisbane goal square and big Joe swung the boot goalside and the ball goes thru, with four tiger defenders looking gobsmacked. Brisbane regain the lead and ice the clock for 2 minutes. No mean feat in itself. Tiger death, Lion glory. End of story…where to now for Dusty?

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MELBOURNE v SYDNEY SWANS – QUALIFYING FINAL, MCG, FRIDAY NIGHT

 

Do the little things for longer. The Swans’ mantra worked well. As did ill-discipline on behalf of the Demons. 3x 50m penalties resulting in 3 Swans goals in a winning margin of 22pts. Does that sting the Dees fans in the MCG’s first final in 1000+ days? You betcha!! Coupled with an injury to Petracca, the Dees midfield bull and a couple of facial cuts to Clayton Oliver in the dying minutes when he was looking the most likely to create winning chances for the Dees. The blood rule intervenes twice. For what it’s worth, the Swans deserved thoroughly the right to host a Prelim. Better teamwork, less panic, better on field leadership, less errors. The Swans grabbed their opportunities and made the Dees pay more often. Clinical and precise, no frills, Lloyd, Mills and Parker led the way for the young Swans. Credit to Steven May for holding Lance Franklin but the Dees allowed other sources like Jake Lloyd to kick his first two goals of 2022. The Dees don’t leave MCG now.

 

GEELONG v COLLINGWOOD – QUALIFYING FINAL MCG SATURDAY TWILIGHT

 

Twilight finals allow for people to come up from Geelong, they cried…yeah crap! Like in the Field of Dreams…if you build it, they will come…especially if you’re playing Collingwood! It’s a trial of the twilight time slot as 2 of the 4 top teams go head to head at the MCG. Proof? No. This game was always going to bring @90000. No proof of anything except that people like going to finals footy. And what a cracker it turned out to be as Gary Rohan turned finals hero for the Cats setting up Max Holmes, whilst almost tripping himself up in the process. He had already kicked 3 goals in his best finals appearance yet, as had Jeremy Cameron. Both teams had been on long winning streaks thru 2022. It served to provide both crowd and tv audience with a final for the ages! For the Pies to be denied, it was going to take a special team. The Cats are just that. A win by 6pts and a home preliminary final at the MCG. Shame the Cattery is half under Renos. When it can hold 50000+ then maybe it’ll be reconsidered for AFL finals. For the Pies, de Goey proved his worth whereas Taylor Adams’ injury showed that sometimes rushing back isn’t too smart. Pies reset for MCG Semi against…?

 

 

FREMANTLE v WESTERN BULLDOGS – ELIMINATION FINAL, OPTUS STADIUM, SATURDAY NIGHT

 

Overwhelming. The sense of occasion got the better of the purple haze. The Bulldogs finals experience collectively calmed at the start of the game and the venue was where the Dogs played their Grand Final in 2021. To be 34pts up at 1/4 time silenced the purple Optus crowd. The Dogs started with a purpose and demeanour not seen enough in 2022. The Dogs’ lead was over 40pts into the 2nd qtr and the locals maintained a stunned silence. Yet the Dockers had started to restore some calm to the equation, whilst not impacting on the scoreboard. By the end of the 2nd qtr, a 4 goal run by the Dockers had reduced the margin to 15pts at the half and the momentum had begun to swing back. Young guns Brayshaw and Serong had settled alongside the veterans Walters and Mundy and 2nd gamer Amiss up forward. Wayward kicking didn’t help the Dogs in the 3rd. 1.5 to 3.2 keeping the Dogs in the lead by 6pts at the last change. Freo’s finals inexperience had evaporated in the wake of bold play making and improved confidence. Dogs were still being well served by the Bont and his deputies, but Sean Darcy was giving Freo’s mids first crack. The crowd had found its voice and the acoustics magnified it 100-fold! Any doubts about Freo’s lack of finals experience gone in the last, as the Dockers powered away from the Dogs to win by 13pts to earn a crack at the Pies. The Dogs staring down the mothballs for now!

 

 

 

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