Finals Week 1 – Geelong v Hawthorn: D. Menzel, J. Cowan and the faith of a footy club

Loyalty is supposed to be a dinosaurian virtue in AFL footy as we know it today.

 

A commodity football clubs based their very existence around in far off years of the latter decades of the 20th century but long in the rear vision mirror in the year 2016.

 

Fortunately, the Geelong Football Club opted to buck the present day mandate of disposable players when deciding on the long term future of Daniel Menzel and Josh Cowan in recent times.

 

Menzel didn’t run through the banner with Messrs Sellwood and co from September 2011 until August 2015.

 

He spent almost four years on the sidelines through the now well documented four knee reconstructions.

 

Places on an AFL club list are not issued without much deliberation – but Geelong didn’t waver despite the increasing likelihood that the No 10 would not play at the highest level again.

 

They kept him on the list.

 

Cowan made his debut in Round 10, 2011, the first of three that season.

 

He would play only two in the next four years following a seemingly endless run of soft tissue injuries.

 

As with Menzel, Geelong kept the faith.

 

As footballers go, Menzel and Cowan are chalk and cheese.

 

Menzel, he of the silky skills who made Stevie J look over his shoulder after only a handful of games.

 

Cowan has a rugged edge with locks to match.

 

It’s as if he savours each second of every game intent on repaying a debt which he may not have been afforded at any other club.

 

Tonight both have what seemed at times an unlikely appointment with the Sherrin at the MCG in September.

 

It’s time to repay the faith.

 

GEEvHAW

 

 

Comments

  1. Same loyalty has been extended to B. Whitecross by Hawthorn, perhaps fitting both sides playing tonight, both deserve a premiership for effort but sometimes the sporting gods are not so favourable.

  2. Peter Flynn says

    J Dunne,

    On the money.

    Speaking of which.

    Hawthorn are at juicy odds tonight.

    Enjoy whatever the laws of nature serve up to us.

  3. Bravo J Dunne. Hope these boys fire tonight.

  4. Richard Jones says

    WE were there 8-9 rows in from the fence, city end HFF.
    One of a handful of Catter supporters in a Sea of Squawks.
    Couldn’t — and didn’t — watch Isaac’s after the siren shot. But erupted as the Squawkie army stayed glued to their seats.
    I though Cowan was serviceable. Menzel not his usual sparkling self with just the 11 disposals.
    Mind you, Cowan had only 2 more. Menzel just the 1 snag roll for the night.
    Highlight for us on the slow walk back across the bridges/paths towards Flinders Street.
    Young bunch of a dozen to 15 Catter supporters kept up an unending chant.
    “Isaac Smith, you choker; you choker, Isaac Smith!!”
    You could sense the Squawkie supporters clenching their fists, ready to erupt, but 12-15 opposition supporters just a few too many. Brilliant stuff.
    Yep, we joined in for 100 yards, or so.

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