Finals Week 2- Fearless 2018: Playing for keeps. They are all….

MELBOURNE v HAWTHORN – SEMI FINAL FRIDAY 14^THSEPT – MCG.

The Hawks started well against the Demons on Friday Night in front of another packed MCG on a balmy night.

Losing O’Meara and Stratton exposed the Hawks to a degree..always a test of depth. Scores level at the first break and Big Boy McEvoy seemed to have Gawn’s measure. Impressions were that the Hawks weren’t accurate in the second quarter. 0.6 would probably give that idea.

But underlying this something seemed amiss. Melbourne wasn’t exactly smashing it, but 3.1 is certainly more productive. Dees led by 13pts at the half. It turned around for the Hawks in the third with 3.2 but 6.3 gave the Dees a solid 32pt lead at the last change.

Then the Hawks made their charge. First three goals and the Hawks came back to within 12pts. Game on. Finals experience came to the fore perhaps. Ably led by everyone’s favourite Hawk Roughy, the challenge had been thrown down.

Nerves of steel would be required for the Dees to withstand the Hawks and what the Demon faithful would happily refer to as the rub of the green. Umpires were giving the Hawks a free reign, or so the Melbourne members said. Everyone else shrugged their shoulders – pay them if they are there.

Enter Demon go-to-man Jake Melksham, a goal with a snap over the shoulder from closer to the 50metre arc. Followed up by Tom McDonald and Melksham again and the margin was back out to 32pts. Roughy got one back before young Dee Spargo sealed the deal. Melbourne win a trip to Perth to play the Eagles and the Hawks contemplate a deserved 4^thplaced finish, despite a rare finals’ series failure. Dees 33pts.

COLLINGWOOD V GWS GIANTS – SEMIFINAL SAT 15^THSEPT – MCG

By 5.45 on Saturday, the weather had officially become ugly. Thoughts of going to the footy went dead. If not the wet, then the cold and vice versa. Shame really, because the game as it unfolded was a beauty.

Two teams that have actually achieved much in 2018, despite lengthy injury lists, went head to head for a Preliminary Final berth against the reigning Premiers. Two teams also that have a high degree of players from one club to the other. Spicy contest, high stakes.

Crowd however was an overwhelmingly a black and white affair. A sprinkling of mango and charcoal at best. The Pies got off to a flyer, obviously fired by the near miss in Perth a week earlier.

The GWS’ 0.2 however wasn’t a good start. However, in the second qtr, the Giants got going thru Lachie Whitfield and Stephen Coniglio through the midfield and trailed only by 7pts at the main break. A game almost destined to be close certainly was, as Sidebottom led the Pies across the ground, ably supported by other mids and the high-flying Howe down back.

The weather might’ve dictated a low-scoring affair, but the finals-like intensity was ever-present. The game went down to the wire as the sides were only separated by 3pts at the last break. A Varcoe goal put the Pies 9pts up followed by ex-Giant Hoskin-Elliott to go 15pts. De Goey 21pts and suddenly the Pies looked home. Matt DeBoer and Adam Tomlinson had other ideas, reducing the margin back to 10pts. 62 seconds was the time the Pies had to hold onto, or get swamped the orange tsunami. The Pies did it and set up a massive Preliminary with neighbours Richmond. Game On, Like Donkey Kong.