Round 12 – Melbourne v Collingwood: Bring on 2021 (Floreat Pica Society)

by Tony Scully

 

 

Good evening FP’ers,

 

I only say that as its been a full 24 hours since another dismal day for all of us. I hadn’t written the report until now because I felt I was becoming too negative and needed to watch the game again. Oh how wrong I was…I didn’t need to watch that again.

 

Brisbane night game. Rain almost certain. Dees missing Gawn. Pies with Pendles, Moore and Hyphen returning. No reason to be anything but positive? Hmm.

 

Pleased to see Grundy Pendles, Elliot and Adams at the opening bounce. Good clearance for the Pies via Elliot. Umpires have relaxed deliberate out of bounds and tightened on 15m kicks. Preuss takes three steps with a gnat hanging on to walk the ball 5m over the boundary. No penalty. Pies are delivering poorly. Crisp, Pendles both give openings to the Dees through poor delivery.

 

Weideman scores first for Dees. Why is he not on our list? Clean hands. Good Kick. Tall forward.

 

Madgen has a marking opportunity in front of the pack. He put his head down and closed his eyes. Result: Brayshaw goal. Grundy struggling to mark simple overhead in the pocket. Team confidence is shot.

 

Noble, showing some good skills, supplies Cameron who kicks truly, however, should have taken the shot on the run and ignored Cameron ala Crisp last year.

 

Dees seeming to work harder, giving skirters like Sparrow opportunities.

 

Then it starts. Melksham ‘caught’. Unpenalized by umpire.

 

Pies score through Reid with 16 Secs to go to make it look like we are still in it. Pies in arrears by 14pts – closer than it should be

 

Q2

Jones ‘caught’ in a 720 degree spin; no penalty. Two mins later Mihocek shows courage to run back into a contest. Good night Brodie.

 

Lynden Dunn is running around like a headless chook. Way under-Dunn. Maynard barely sighted. Tells me one thing, He’s tired. He gives everything he’s got.

 

Adams is holding the whole show together. Grundy is winning the ruck but to no advantage.

 

Viney dives and takes out Sidey’s legs. Umpire pays high on Viney. Commentators ( and me) bewildered.

 

Ruscoe Corky- no walky. May deliberate OOB no penalty.

 

Q3

Skies open up. Sidey can’t deliver accurately to Reid. Hibberd drops the ball. Pendles is just jogging around behind the play. Hyphen has a chance to mark but instead lets it bounce and tries to goal from impossible angle.

 

Viney paid a free for below the knee contact from Thomas. ALMOST IDENTICAL CONTACT TO Viney on Sidey. F…!

 

Reid disappears downstairs. Pies’ hopes disappear with him.

 

Q4

It’s all a blur. In the words of Phil Collins: “I don’t care anymore!”.

 

Take aways:

 

The umpiring was horrendous.

 

We mere mortals don’t understand the physical demands of 4 in 13. I don’t like excuses but maybe we have to accept they are not Supermen.

 

Taylor Adams (Maynard also excepted) is the only one playing at pre-covid levels. Noble has been noble. Our formidable backline is shot to pieces without Howe and co. Our midfield is just coping and our forward line is non-existent. For me to think the Texan is needed tells me we are in deep S…

 

Bring on the vaccine. Bring on 2021. Bring on the MCG. Bring on the Pies fans to stir the spirit!

 

Horsboroughs

 

3 Votes: Adams

 

2 Votes: Elliot (has been much more effective in the middle and cracking in hard, just wish he could remember how to kick a goal)

 

1 Vote: Sidebottom (not the usual delivery but found the ball a fair bit)

 

Consolations to Noble and Reid (at least he kicked two goals before he broke down AGAIN, off to the retirement village

 

Take care all

 

Rub

 

 

 

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