Round 15 – Geelong v Melbourne: From the study in Nhill

 

 

 

 

From the study in Nhill

 

 

Introduction.

 

I love going to the footy with my mates Darlow and Shaun. We all love the Cats. When we can’t get to a game we text, non-stop, commenting, reacting, questioning, complaining and as often as not, celebrating. I love going back over the three-way dialogue to relive the game as seen through our collective eyes.

 

The preview

 

Darlow rang Thursday afternoon.

 

D: “How do you reckon we’ll go tonight?”

 

Me: “We’ll win, we’re hard to beat at Kardinia Park”.

 

D: “I dunno, we got flogged in the midfield by Port.”

 

M: “Yeah but Port are a very good side, it was at Adelaide Oval and they’d won ten in a row.”

 

D: “Never thought I’d say this but we really miss Stanley, when he doesn’t play, we lose Blitz cause he has to do the rucking and Ceglar’s not up to it”.

 

M: “I hear you, and yes we’re down in the midfield without Danger and Guthrie, and we miss Joel, but I still reckon we’ll get it done”.

 

If the game had been on Friday night I could have gone but it wasn’t so I had to watch on Kayo (lousy TV reception at my place in the Wimmera), in my study.

 

Shaun was at home alone in Melbourne. Darlow was watching with the family in Keilor.

 

The text messages started flowing a few minutes into the first quarter.

 

Stengle kicked a great goal from the boundary line, always a good sign.

 

D: “The umpires are hating us”. “Hawkins is a genius” after a pass to Tuohy that didn’t result in a goal.

 

D: “I like Bruhn, looks a hard nut” which was prophetic, Tanner had a very good game.

 

Gary Rohan accidentally took Jeremy Cameron out of the game.

 

D: “Oh no, this year just gets worse and worse”.

 

S: “Yep. Just not our year”.

 

D: “Bloody Rohan”.

 

M: “Settle Gretel”.

 

S: “Rohan looks rattled, I feel sorry for him. He will struggle from here”.

 

Thankfully this was not prophetic, Chucky had a great game and was our vote for BOG.

 

Geelong absorbed huge pressure in the back 50 only for Melbourne to goal  30 seconds before quarter time.

 

M: ”Worked so hard and they still snuck one!”

 

S: “Not fair. Cats deserve to be further ahead”.

 

 

Quarter time analysis.

 

S: “Cats pressure great (but) I worry about being able to keep up this intensity”.

Darlow gave his customary opinion of the umpires, which was not complimentary. Neither they nor his opinion got better as the game went on.

 

 

Q2.

 

M: “Rohan is working hard, and I love Miers”

 

D: “Correct and correct”.

 

After missing a set shot Darlow’s observation of Rohan, “He’s a conundrum”.

 

A minute later he sent a sweet short pass to Hawk who goaled.

 

It rained throughout the game, making the ball slippery. It was noticeable after half time how often Geelong players kicked the ball off the ground rather than trying to pick it up.

 

M: “It’s a tough contested game in difficult conditions”.

 

At some point in every Geelong game, Darlow will come out with his prediction of doom.

 

Sure enough it came just after half time.

 

D: “We’re about to get flogged. We just have too many injuries to cover. Arguably our 3 best players missing – Guth Cameron and Danger”.

 

I am never so quick to write the Cats off, the boys call me ‘The Voice of Reason’.

 

M: “Oh ye of little faith”.

 

Shaun bought into Darlow’s pessimism until Gryan and Garry combined for a goal.

 

S: “Same feeling about getting flogged – and then up steps Miers and Rohan”.

 

Their negativity spread to Rhys Stanley and Mitch Duncan.

S: “Duncan made 2 poor decisions with those kicks inside 50”.

 

D: “I reckon she has caught Duncan. He’s lost a second and his kicks are now under perceived pressure”. In the frenzy of the game he never explained who “she” was but I presume he meant “time”.

 

There was a part of the game when neither Melbourne nor Geelong could convert as the behinds racked up.

 

M: “We’re blowing/butchering chances”.

 

When Pickett goaled at the twenty minute mark of the 3^rd quarter the doubts grew amongst the unbelievers.

 

S: “Floodgates about to open?”

 

D: “Yes”.

 

I responded with what would prove to be both prophetic and decisive-

M: “That’s how the goals are gonna come, a ball knocked loose into space and someone running on to it’.

 

 

Three quarter time.

 

M: “We’re still in this, just gotta take our chances”.

 

Darlow, forcing himself to hope replied-

 

D: “Yes”, before going on to question Ollie Henry’s commitment to the contest.

 

Less than a minute later Ollie launched himself over a pack, took a great mark and calmly went back and slotted a crucial goal to tie the score. It was a great sign of what was about to come.

 

Darlow conceded re O Henry: “He’s a beautiful kick”.

 

M: “ Yep, and backs himself”.

 

We have observed more than once that Ollie has great self-confidence in front of goal, notably the time he ignored Jeremey Cameron closer to goal and on a better angle in one of the first games of the season. He kicked the goal.

 

After yet another Tom Stewart interception and clearance-

 

M: “Stewart, what a player”, thumbs up emoji from Shaun.

 

Zuthrie goaled and the Cats were 5 points up.

 

S: “Atkins has been huge, conditions suit him”.

 

Miers burned a chance going for the dribbled shot but a minute later Atkins forced a turnover, found Duncan who found Hawk who found Rohan deep in the pocket.

 

Blitz marked in the square from Rohan’s centring ball, goal.

 

Two minutes later Chucky won the foot race with Steven May, shrugged him off and ran in to score a brilliant goal.

 

M: “OH OH OH I am going crazy here!!!!!” as I pounded the desk. “I am metaphorically bear- hugging you two right now.”

 

D: “Hahaha”

 

S: “Me too. I’m screaming in the lounge by myself”. Heart emojis from Darlow and me.

 

Mitch Duncan then silenced the doubters with a long range bouncing goal, Cats 4 goals up and fever pitch in three locations across Victoria.

 

Shaun was magnanimous, “Great kick that time Mitch”.

 

Tanner Bruhn capped off a great game with his second goal to put us 5 goals up. Melbourne got a couple of late ones but the game was won.

 

S: “Game over. Was never in doubt!”

 

D: “September bound, I’ll be booking the premiership upgrade tomorrow”.

 

Me, reproachfully “You blokes need to take a good hard look at yourselves!!!”

 

Our votes: 3 Rohan, 2 Stewart, 1 Close

 

Footnote regarding the Cameron injury. A comment from Darlow’s daughter Summer.

 

“Summer reckons a freaky Friday situation’s occurred. And when they collided, Cameron’s talent was absorbed by Rohan”

 

 

GEELONG           3.4     4.7     5.10     11.12     (78)
MELBOURNE     2.1     4.8     6.11     8.15     (63)

 

GOALS
Geelong: Rohan 3, Bruhn 2, Stengle, Hawkins, O.Henry, Z.Guthrie, Blicavs, Duncan
Melbourne: Pickett 2, Smith 2, Fritsch 2, van Rooyen, Petracca

 

BEST
Geelong: Stewart, Close, Bruhn, Rohan, Duncan
Melbourne: Petracca, Viney, Salem, Brayshaw, Lever

 

INJURIES
Geelong: Cameron (concussion)
Melbourne: Nil 

 

SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: Jack Bowes (replaced Cameron in the first quarter)
Melbourne: Charlie Spargo (replaced Jordon in the third quarter)

 

Crowd: 19,617 at GMHBA Stadium

 

 

Ed’s note:  The AFL site’s match report was written by former Almanac writer Sarah Black.

 

 

 

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