Last week’s result’s threw open some positions in the top eight, making several of this week’s games crucial.
I.E: tonight under the roof. The Dogs will still be hoping finals, while the Dees will be thinking a win here could help the cause considerably.
Richmond and Carlton now has added urgency for both clubs after disappointing losses.
Fremantle need a win against Gold Coast to offset their continuing injury woes.
Now let’s be perfectly clear about Saturday night. Geelong in no way feel they have any issues with their old coach as they take on Bomber and the Bombers. Could somebody get James his antacid tablets please.
Sydney will be looking to take four points against a spiritless looking Adelaide side.
Brisbane and Port are playing for pride up at the Gabba.
Collingwood play Hawthorn (or what’s left of them) in the BLOCKBUSTER of the round (caps required by AFL regulation- Ed).
And rounding proceedings out, North are in their obligatory Sunday twilight zone against the Saints in a game with much riding on it.
We open discussions to the august discretion of the Knackery.
CASAMENTO
yooooo beeeeyoooty
As a Cats supporter I have no issue with Bomber at all. He’s a legend as far as I’m concerned. Getting the Cats to one flag was like moving a mountain, but two flags…………….sensational.
The fact that Chris Scott is having such a nice time is largely down to Bomber’s forward planning. Something Ross Lyon should consider.
Go the (walking wounded) Hawks! Scratch that. Go the Mighty Hawks!
The Hawks are no chance, Rick. The Roosters are ‘specials’ this weekend.
Now that ‘Casamento’ is fit, he can fill the hole at Centre Half Forward. At 4’9″ he’s a little short for the spot, but he more than makes up for it with pace and cunning.
Hope the DCFL don’t have genetic testing as part of their player registration. Reckon they might find more ring-ins than Fine Cotton. Crio and Robbie Waterhouse have got nothing on this mob.
TattsBet are giving the Roosters a 29 point start at the line against the Hawks this weekend. Get on!!!
I hear that TattsBet are getting all the inside oil from the Roosters camp this weekend. The Coach and ‘Casamento’ have put ten grand on the team to raise the DCFL registration fee. Its fillet mignon not spam next week!!!
Death or glory. ‘Carn the Roosters.
Great last quarter (and game for that matter) tonight.
Well played Stevie J. to get the Cats close. Sublime skills.
I guess football IP played its part. What a dismantling? But so did squadrons of Bombers streaming forward.
P Ryder was great.
Some of the couch urgings and protestations reached Sharapova sound intensity levels late in the peace.
I don’t want to hear of punters losing a million. Commentator barracking also proved frustrating.
Hear, hear Flynny…
OK OK, commentators we get the point….they banged on about it for three quarters:
yes, it was an upset, it was unexpected, but these things happen in football.
The viewers understand, already!
And if some tosser has a spare million to drop on a game of footy, who cares?
I agree … with Mr Flynn’s assessment of the quality of the game, and specifically that the commentary re $M bets is disgusting. I (we, it would seem) reckon it has no bearing on the meaning of footy. But, very, very sadly, I think we’re in the minority.
Have just lobbed in Adelaide after a long drive – listening to the Cats match. Sounded like a cracker. Nearly ran off the road near Bordertown when Rod Waters described Johnno’s kick as “Across the face…No. It’s gone through”. Sounds like the Bombers outran Geelong. (No Varcoe, no Geelong) And sounded like Scarlett had little influence. BUt I must say, while your TV commentators were (from what I gather from Rick’s comment) obsessed with a bet, the ABC special comments blokes didn’t give much of an explanation as to what Thompson and McCartney had helped Hird conjure up. I wish I had been there to see what was going on.
James will have needed a few less antacid tablets last night.
Unless he overdosed on the red wine.
Gang tackling Chappy et al. (Chappy lifted in the last quarter.) So I reckon Essendon denied Geelong space. The weird start of the game ( 6 ball-ups) now makes sense.
Sidelining Scarlett and dismantling the backline.
Denying Geelong the ball to a reallly low number of possessions.
Young Essendon players gut running into space.
Ottens looked out of beer tickets.
An amazing turnaround by Essendon.
And it shouldn’t pass without mention that Adelaide dragged itself out of a very deep hole to get 4 points against the Swans. A loss that could prove very costly to Sydney.
Giving instructions to Hird, Thompson didn’t even move his lips.
Bombers were great, no question. There were two things about their game that stood out; they got over Geelong’s defense and used leg speed to get crucial goals (how many of their goals were running free into open space), and they also just kep hold of the footy denying the Cats any attacking moves. It was the lowest disposal count for the Cats for years.
I guess these thoughts echo P Flynn’s above.
I still can’t understand how teams can turn form around so drastically and quickly. The game also illustrated the absurdity of having one team a $7 chance in a two horse race.
Glad I didn’t go over Dips. The ferry trip home would be a little rough tonight.
I just love Bomber. He has just played a crucial part in our 2011 flag campaign by pointing out a few areas we need to work on. Those issues will be addressed. Good for the kittens to see what is required at the top level. It will do them no harm. Did I see Alan Christensen pull out in the last quarter allowind the Bombers to get a crucial goal. I bet the Cats look at that and sort it.
Poor kicking is poor footy and that’s why we came second. We had the chances.
To continue with last night’s lyrical theme ‘I see a Bad Moon Arising’. That weary old frame looks set for one last crack at a fourth. (Flag, that is)
Clearsighted,
I reckon Bomber spoke before and after the game to the players in the privacy of the side room. The players obviously listened.
Hirdy would have been too busy pre match having the make up done for the press box views, and post match to remove the sweat smudges and straighten up the hair for the camera close ups.
Bomber is the man.
Phantom – didn’t see Christensen pull out, but it was notable how the Bombers were irresistible all across the ground. If the Bombers play like that they could beat anyone, but it is a high energy game style.
Sat with the family last night on level two – magnificent view of the arena. We left disappointed but it was a cracking game to be involved in. Good skills, good tackling, good running, some nice grabs.
Yes Dips,
I have seen them run before and they are very good. I was sort of suspecting it.
Done and dusted now.
I am just having a quiet arvo out of the rain glancing at the Pies vs Hawks. Some of those Pies fans on the boundary are very scary when the umpire pays a decision to the other side; even when it is correct.
I wonder what things are like at home in a family conference?
Re the 2011 Premiership:
TPAOTL
Dons V Cats
Great game of footy. Barely a dull moment. Shame about the result.
Bomber is okay by me. Hope he is happy back at his old club. I remember him saying a while back he was more of a Geelong person than an Essendon man. I hope he still sees himself as a Catman.
Don’t care for Hirdy’s comments re: Bomber not getting enough recognition for where Geelong are at. Mind your own business, Chump.
Christensen is a young gun. Bit of Animal in him. Didn’t see him back out, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt until he plays 10 games. Selwood plays last night and Geelong might’ve got up. The Cats were crying out for someone to win the footy in the 3rd when the Dons got 30 odd up. Good performance by the Dons. Didn’t feel like an upset like all the outlets are saying, it just felt like a great game of footy where my team were beaten by a better side.
I agree, Edward re. Hird’s comments after the game. He was disrespectful of Chris Scott in the process.
Dips
Yes, it may be absurd, but if the bookies are prepared to do it, that is their bad luck.
Phanto,
Be careful..that’s a big call implying that a player took a backward step.
Flynny,
I am with you…I will never again go to a game in which St Kilda is involved while their
current coach is in charge. But my question to the Kangas is: Why, oh why, did you
get sucked into that game style ? Please explain, Brad.
Re Cats v Dons commentary:
Matthew Lloyd’s comment that the new assistant coaches could not believe how unfit
the Essendon list was last summer. Cop that, Matthew Knights…oh, hang on, who
forced Lloyd into retirement?
Those sort of vindictive snipes have no place on our football commentary.
Smokie 88, I agree, the vindictive comments delivered by the media with their particular spin, can be offensive.
On a different note, I am glad the AFLPA met this week to request a sensible percentage of revenue from the AFL and the media auters who appear to own the game. The line of reasoning presented by the AFLPA would invite an ongoing, consultative and active engagement with the AFL, which can only be productive and positive for all concerned.
Smoke …consider yourself lucky, you only have to put up with it twice a year …us Sainters get 22 weeks of that stuff!
In the last quarter I was “almost” willing them to get rolled as punishment for the backwards chip-chip crap that lasted the entire last qtr. The rest of the game wasn’t a bad spectacle, plenty of errors but reasonably free-flowing and attacking.
You have to consider yourself very lucky to win when you try and save a game for 30 minutes with negative rubbish…
Just saw this little excerpt from Damien Hardwick’s press conference…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNyDjkPO8l0&feature=player_embedded
TPAOTL? Flynny. Thank you for the vote of confidence. I respect your judgement (you nailed it last year). I hope you are correct again. Did you have to go to Cooktown for this one?
AF,
I’m working in Cairns early next week so I’ve gone a week early.
No need to be watching 3.5 metre long crocs sunning themselves on the muddy banks of the Endeavour River this time.
Collingwood are a devastating combination that would need to suffer horrendous injuries or have a really off day to lose it.
Collingwood have improved in comparison to last year for mine.
I’ll be glad when Mick Malthouse vacates the job at the end of the year for the following reason.
His talking up of the opposition i.e. ‘make no mistake [insert team] are a very good football team etc’ is now bordering on the condescending.
Just under 84 thousand turned up on a balmy 12 degree day with rain forecast so maybe it was a BLOCKBUSTER after all.
Solid win over a depleted Hawthorn lifts the Pies closer to locking in top 4 and a chance to prepare early for the real stuff. Hopefully they can get over the very good football sides from Norf, the Cartons, Suns and The New Geelong in the next four weeks to make it a certainty.
Peter, maybe you can point me to some vision of another AFL coach telling reporters that the opposition is a rubbish footy side barely worthy of playing.
My wifea nd I were two of the few hardy souls that sat in the rain to watch Adelaide get up Saturday night. Gee it was good to finally see some fighting spirit from the lads! Hopefully the win can be a bit of a turning point for them and they can have a good finish to the year.
Petrenko dominated the game – the No. 23 weaving through congestion and finding space where there was none, dare we suggest??