Finals Week 3: Richmond v GWS – Start the chant

 

Start the chant

Richmond versus GWS

4.45pm, Saturday 23 September

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Aidan Hammond

 

So today’s game I don’t care that much about, all I wanted was for the Crows to play in the Grand Final but it would be ideal for GWS to play because the umpires always want to sing the song with Richmond, (quoting Rulebook from Raving Rulebook 7) and they will most likely outnumber us.

But this report is my 3rd report for the week and I am going to keep it short, but I am going to start and promote the chant. The Chant is:

“Stuff the AFL or STA.

STA, STA.

They let Trent Cotchin play

in the grand final.”

This comp may as well be called the VFL,  other states  liked it when we just had our separate state competitions and loathed Victoria so much. We want to show them that we are where footy is home,  and the states that really couldn’t care less about footy  it is better for a franchise to include the 1st and 3rd biggest states.

So let’s just start again, new comp with a fair amount of teams for each state. Let’s erase all VFL/AFL history to this new comp or include the other State league history.  Even give it a new name like Australian Premier League, (I was not actually suggesting that, that would be implying that it is at the same level as soccer is). Then we can stop the chant.

So I am at cricket training during the first quarter and then I see someone  looking at the score and Richmond are up by a goal. I hope this is not the trend for the match because I want GWS to win. At quarter time Richmond are up by a goal.

In the second quarter Richmond start with the lead. I finish my cricket training with a fun bowling game, credit to Adam (my coach). I turn on 891 for the coverage of the footy, but I am talking  mostly (surprise, surprise) and don’t hear. When I get home GWS have the lead but Richmond have the momentum and they end up leading at half time by 1 point.

In the third quarter it is fascinating what 93 thousand supporters to 5 thousand can do to you and the momentum. The supporters (and the umpires) are pulling the Tigers through to hopefully, for them, their first grand final in decades.

In the last quarter Richmond start with the lead and finish with it. The Tiger Army is screaming so loud. They are scurrying to book tickets to the Grand Final. Then the siren goes and the Tigers win and  that is the two teams with the longest drought into the Grand Final.

 

 

RICHMOND                                          4.3    5.7    11.11    15.13 (103)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY     3.3    5.6    6.10       9.13 (67)

GOALS
Richmond: Rioli 4, Martin 3, Butler 2, Lambert, Caddy, Castagna, Townsend, Edwards, Riewoldt
Greater Western Sydney: Himmelberg 4, Ward 3, Kelly, Patton 

BEST
Richmond: Cotchin, Rioli, Martin, Grimes, Rance, Lambert, Prestia
Greater Western Sydney: Ward, Kelly, Tomlinson, Scully, Davis, Himmelberg 

INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Dylan Shiel (concussion) 

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Nicholls, Meredith, Ryan

Official crowd: 94,258 at the MCG