FEARLESS 2022: Round 20 – They’re A Weird Mob. Yes them in South Australia…

 

Hi all, yes they are. Love the brothers and sisters in SA, but honestly who would run a camp and inflict a camp on their players like the Crows? I’m just surprised Nigel Smart didn’t revisit the firewalking episode. His feet had probably recovered by now! Seriously the damage caused on the whole of the club and the reactions of every one of leaders, both on field and off field…Eddie Betts has helped us shed new light on the episode and I’m not sure the advantage to be gained by any and every player…oh well…the fallout continues…

 

And on the other side of the Ramsgate Hotel Carpark…Port signs on to become an AFL team wit the tri-colour setup. I have no objection to it wearing the prison bar jumper in home showdowns against the Crows, for the record. But how you can turn around and then wear a predominantly grey jumper against Collingwood just defies logic…the three colours becomes four colours..what is the logic here? Could it, funnily enough, provide the prison bar jumper colour scheme clash solution? Rather than black and white interpretations, can we incorporate the other colours into the design? For what it’s worth, I cannot understand Collingwood’s belligerence here. After all, we live in a marketing and merchandising age…now more than ever! Bigger picture issues at stake, rather than cross border parochialism…and I doubt that Port would wear the purely black and white prison bar jumper for any other occasion as that is a breach of the entrance agrement. Every club has got multiple jumpers now including the fabulous indigenous designed ones.

 

Just quietly too, the AFL was the VFL. This much was true…calls to reduce the amount of Victorian clubs come often from SA. Whilst the clubs are relatively financial, I can’t see that happening, but I can see more interstate teams coming from Tasmania and the Northern Territory…20 teams….more national than the NRL or any other code. 9 teams in Melbourne, 1 in Geelong, 2 in WA, 2 in Qld, 2 in SA, 2 in NSW, 1 in Tasmania and 1 in NT. Changes should come in more teams not less.

 

Cheers PT

 

 

2022 FEARLESS Rd 20. Time to get your house in order. Are you in it to win it? Or peddling uphill?

 

A return to the 90s for Freo with its 3D Anchor Retro jumper and general sloppiness on the field. The same could not be said for the Demons wearing their Barassi 5-year plan Royal Blue jumper. The Demons looked sharp and ready for deep September action, winning by 46pts. Freo’s September cred got torn a new one as the Demons led from start to finish. Demons Pickett and Fritsch 3. Brodie and Mundy 35 each for Freo.

 

Looks like all the Teal in Australia is in Canberra, given the lack of it on Port’s jumpers on Saturday against Collingwood at the MCG. Grey! Who’d have known that would be what Port wears and that jumper clash dept is ok! Grey prison bar jumper or a teal blue one or alternate the two colours? Port’s bravery fell just short. Pies stole another win – 10 on the trot. Wins matter more than margins – Fly’s Pies into top 4, by 6pts.

 

When interim coach McVeigh questions whether GWS players had checked out with 4 weeks to go…what is the response? Time will tell I guess however McVeigh seemed on the money as the Giants surrendered meekly to their crosstown rivals in the Easties v Westies Cup on Saturday. 73pt margin confirmed this. Swans flying, Giants in no man’s land…when you’re 2nd fiddle to NRL and A-League clubs in your region.

 

Dan Hannebery! Far from being a figment of the AFL’s imagination, Dan returned to the AFL playing field for the Saints…and how! Despite a wretched run, he collected 27 stats and kicked a goal as the Saints managed to power away from a listless Hawks team, before managing to hold off a fast Hawks finish! A 12pt Saints win into the top 8, whilst Sam Mitchell starts Hawks planning for 2023! Saint Max  2.5..ouch!

 

Raining Cats not Dogs! Premiership quarters don’t come much more brutal than what they did on Saturday night at the Cattery. A competitive Bulldogs team almost watched in awe as an 11pt lead melted under an 8 goal Cats 3rd qtr avalanche that gave the home team a 36pt lead at 3 /4 time! From there the dogs struggled to make inroads thru the Cats defence. Cats by 28pts. Weightman 3. Dogs got off to a flyer in the 1^st qtr.

 

Carlton needed a reminder of the danger game concept. And secondly, Carlton needed a reminder that a finals spot isn’t theirs yet. They got both in one untimely game! Adelaide rose to the challenge as young teams sometimes can. A 4 qtr effort demands all players are on the same page. From mid 2nd qtr, Blues coach Voss watched in horror. Nothing went right as Crows surged to 29pt win. Crow Fogerty flying high!

 

Continental coasts cup was compulsive viewing in the last qtr as the West Coast managed to almost grab victory from the jaws of defeat! A comfortable Gold Coast lead got whittled away by the Eagles. Goals to Redden and Petrucelle put the Eagles within the lead. Chol answered. Waterman nearly regained the lead before Sun Malcolm Rosas took the game back to the Suns nearly on the final siren.  Suns at home by 3pts!

 

Who would have thought the Lions would be afraid to enter the Coliseum? Alarm bells multiply with every Brisbane loss at the MCG. How can anyone expect them to win a flag? Whatever they do right elsewhere…the MCG comes back to haunt them as it did on Sunday when the Tigers grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat by 7pts. Brisbane led for nearly 90% of the game…in game leaders? Hello, are you there?

 

Two developing rivals faced off to finish the round with the Bombers being about a year ahead of the Roos. Typically Jake the Package Stringer delivered with 5 goals, like Australia post, occasional delivery! Bruise free footy the scribes said with pressure ratings low and no marshmallows to spice things up. A year of development nearly done, the Bombers got home by 48pts. Bull Zurhaar 4, Simpkin 41, Zac Merrett 38.

 

 

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