Finals Week 2 – Collingwood v Fremantle: Ode to joy and common unicorns (Floreat Pica Society)

 

 

 

“Do you know, I always thought unicorns were fabulous monsters, too? I never saw one alive before!”
“Well, now that we have seen each other,” said the unicorn, “if you’ll believe in me, I’ll believe in you.”
Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Tonight, Collingwood plays a knock-out final.
Tonight, a black-suited dress-up story of English culture plays out across the adult world.
Tonight, a heart beats faster.
The moon is full tonight.
Tonight, Alice in Wonderland tumbles upon a new page.

Night falls. It’s the first Saturday of the reign of King Charles III, Wurundjeri country.
Black and white colours festoon the Common People, drawn from all directions like iron filings, to the magnetic MCG. Tonight though, I feel the draw of Collingwood Flat.
Down the Johnston Street hill from Fitzroy, the September full moon rises – she hangs above Victoria Park like Billy Picken. Scarves are out. Down on the flat, I walk past the old ground, where the Sherrin Stand nods to ghosts of the RT Rush. The moon has seen it all.
A couple of kicks away, I’m settled at the pub to witness the dichotomy of a traditional owners’ Welcome to Country followed immediately by a minutes’ silence to recognise the death of the colonial monarch. As a populous, we’re adaptable. We do what we can for others.

I wonder about the observation Jim K shared this week.
In VFL / AFL history, the reigning monarch (of the UK/ Australia) has changed five times with these results:
1901: Collingwood GF
1910: Collingwood GF & premiership
1936: Collingwood GF & premiership
1952: Collingwood GF
2022:

 

Doing it for others. As the siren sounds in nearby Yarra Park, these Woods of 2022 have me in mind of an unexpected flash mob orchestra – each member playing their own, specialised role, for the benefit of the whole – to surprising effect. And we’re off. Already the very centre of the ground sees thick weaves of handball arrive from half-back – within a minute J Ginnivan roves the pack and sharks a poacher’s goal. And already B McCreery lays a bone-crunching tackle on the wing (“GO BO-BO!!”), where the spilt ball falls to S Sidebottom, to B Mihocek, who slots another. And already J Crisp at full extension smothers a kick. And now a handball. And now another kick. And already A Johnson has about him the glide of a reef shark. And already D Moore veers off on his own run of a 24-bar French horn solo. And already J De Goey snaps like a Tasmanian devil and tears away with the advantage from a push-in-the-back free kick and kicks a third. And already J Elliott at full throttle smothers another kick. And here’s another smother. Another act of selfless nudge, pressure, shepherd, run. And already J Crisp carves a run through the centre of this MCG and gives to J Elliott who drills J De Goey who spills it only for J Elliott himself to collect and kick a fourth.

1QT
COL 4.0.24
FRE 0.1.1

Breathe.
The pub is pretty full.
“Oh, I really like your jacket and moustache combo.”
“Oh, thanks mate. I wore it for you.”

Second quarter and Freo grabs one back from a holding the ball decision, through Lachie Schultz, after 30 seconds. But now P Lipinski intercepts a Freo handball in the centre and the ball ends in the hands of J Elliott.  Small acts of service from the likes of P Lipinksi, N Daicos, J Crisp together carry the music. When J Crisp is awarded the free for holding the ball and kicks truly, it is 6 straight goals.

The Collingwood orchestra is hitting every note, holding every rest, and this Collingwood pub is full of smiles. This team pressure, whole-of-ground pressure, is a wonder to watch. And here in week 2 of the 2022 finals. Even when they hold the ball, Fremantle players seem to face a paucity of options. They are corralled, chased and harassed, their kicks and handballs affected or even smothered.

But now, from half way through the second quarter, Collingwood score 6 straight behinds, while Freo claw a few goals back.

It is a little worrying (in a “don’t waste your chances in a final!” “Poor kicking is poor football!” “Oh, they’re kicking themselves out of this!” “Oh, I hope they don’t later rue these misses!” kind of way).

With eight minutes left in the quarter, J Ginnivan is tackled too high and the black and white rise with injustice in the old Bay 13. Strangely, J Ginnivan is AWARDED the free kick – whereupon he takes the footy, nods sheepishly, and then acknowledges the baying, cheering crowd with a half-wave and half-smile. A small human unicorn moment as the crowd cheer this talented kid with the bleached blonde hair, from their seats in the Shane Warne Stand.

HT
COL 6.6.42
FRE 2.2.14

A game of pool clinks around behind me. (“Wouldn’t want to miss this one, Joey.”)
And Collingwood’s run of consecutive behinds (“Ash Johnson ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?”) reaches 9. Before young J Ginnivan roves the pack and kicks truly.

This quarter we are gifted generous servings of virtuoso meandering solo activity from D Moore, whose ability to read the play has lately been fused with rock-solid self-confidence. It is now commonplace (how lucky we are!) for him to create spectacular crazy-brave attacks from positions of deepest defence. In the orchestral set-up, it seems J Howe on double bass frees him enormously, lending drive, certainty, clarity and rhythm. And periodically taking leave of terrestrial Earth to chase another screamer.

And here B Mihocek scores a late one after a finger-tipper mark. He has moved around and presented well all night. He’s in the woodwind section. Hitting the notes, hitting the rests.

3QT
COL 8.12.60
FRE 4.4.28

From here the game is hopefully over. The best-case scenario is to enjoy the music and have all players escape injury.
A cocker spaniel walks blithely through the bar and straight under the pool table.

The final quarter plays out with full orchestra before winding down slightly. Highlights for me are simply to watch two players go about it. S Pendlebury (still) orchestrating time and space to suit his own personal agenda, and in this way, his team’s agenda. And look at him(!), as he stands up in tackles (arms like reticulated pythons) and dishes off handballs to teammates (who sometimes don’t realise themselves); always the best option. Masterful, wonderful play by the First Violin. And young J Daicos. Tonight, running alongside S Pendlebury and S Sidebottom, he has run to spaces and turned in ways that remind me of D Swan a decade ago. And so the flautists’ story is handed down to a new talent.

FT
COL 11.13.79
FRE 9.5.59

Well, this Collingwood side is a pleasure to watch.
And as good as S Pendlebury is, as good as J Daicos is, they each need B McCreery smashing tackles on half back. They each need B Maynard spoiling, running, anticipating and defending. They each need M Cox galloping, trotting, cantering around.
There’s no royalty here. But together, these Common People may become unicorns.
Next week, Sydney in Sydney.
Next week, Preliminary Final.

On Lulie Street, Abbostford, the September full moon calls.
She has seen it all before.

 

 

COLLINGWOOD        4.0     6.6     8.12     11.13 (79)
FREMANTLE     0.1      2.2     4.4     9.5 (59)

GOALS
Collingwood: Ginnivan 3, Elliott 2, Crisp 2, Mihocek 2, Cox, De Goey
Fremantle: Logue 2, Schultz 2, Walters 2, Frederick 2, Mundy

BEST
Collingwood: Crisp, De Goey, Pendlebury, N.Daicos, Howe, Ginnivan
Fremantle: Serong, Brayshaw, Ryan, Schultz, Acres

INJURIES
|Collingwood: Nil
Fremantle: Acres (knee)

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Josh Carmichael (unused)
Fremantle: Bailey Banfield (unused)

Crowd: 90,612 at the MCG

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