Round 23 Preview – A bit of Poetic Justice

Check out the Ladbroke prices for Round 23

Check out the Ladbroke prices for Round 23

 

Happy last game of the season to all,

 

This week’s diatribe is in prose

The games are a bit of doze

But first let me say

There is some disarray

As the season comes to a close.

 

That disarray is really all around Fremantle and North Melbourne’s unabashed indications that they will not be putting their best teams on the ground.  I sort of get the fuss with tickets purchased, broadcaster’s commitments, tipping competitions closing and wagers made.  But they are all secondary to the clubs whose main goal is to win a premiership and they a very hard to win.  This type of cloak and dagger stuff occurs every year in local leagues and nobody begrudges it, the teams have performed and earned the position to do what they please.  Why should the AFL be any different?  I hear the hollers of “compromised competition” but the compromise really starts when the lesser lights start “list managing” and putting substandard sides on the ground weeks ago.  There is no need for the AFL to have to approve such plans as long as the team that does take the field makes every effort to win.

 

Now back to the prose!

 

The style I have chosen is limerick

Cause you can make them real quick

But it is written in terror

So excuse any error

As the iambic pentameter does click

 

Now we enter the final round

And can’t wait to get to the ground

For followers blue

It’s long overdue

Finalists hope they remain sound

 

Some teams are planning to rest

Players that are in their best

Their aim is clearly to hold

A cup whose value is gold

Next week comes the real test

 

So the league’s done away with the sub

Not supported by even one club

But while it was there

It made things more fair

Was a good place to blood a young bub

 

In a decision that is rather strange

They have now reduced interchange

They couldn’t conspire

To make players tire

Sixty was well within range

 

Party users are not put to shame

The league won’t put out their name

They have been rather complicit

Not recreational – illicit

Times are not quite the same.

 

Then what to do with Nick Kyrgios

Whose behavior has been quite bilious

The boy sure can play

So maybe one day

He might not be quite so hideous

 

This week’s picks will be poetic

And I hope they turn out prophetic

But with players out

There must be some doubt

I hope you will be sympathetic

 

Rance-id and Grimey ($1.08) vs Rest is Best ($8.00)

 

The team from the road of the punt

Whose fortunes have long been quite blunt

The mob led by Trent Cotchin

This week can’t be botchin’

Or again they won’t be in the hunt

 

With a Charlie a chance for Goldstein

50 more hit outs would be a good sign

But he will now rest

Next week is the test

Tiges are the selection for mine

 

But if their paths cross again in a week

Toward the grail for which they both seek

Should Richmond be winners

They’ll be saints not sinners

The alternative will be rather bleak

 

Stoked Out ($2.25) vs Charddy Sippers ($1.65)

 

How could you be so bold?

To say these Cats are old

They’re putting all their faith in Danger

Treating him like the boy in the manger

Sure hope he does not leave them cold

 

As Kelly and Stokes reach the end

On Kardinia Park fans’ll descend

A split knacker was more than enough

To show that this Pops was mighty tough

On these two the Cats could depend!

 

Tex, Josh, Charlie and Eddie

Have got Adelaide finals ready

The pride of South Australia

Defense led by Daniel Talia

Will even be picked by Blind Freddie

 

Kitchenware? ($4.25) vs Quickest Guns in the West ($1.22)

 

Such has been the plight of the Lion

They have a blow up called Brian

For winners of the spoon

Number one pick’s a boon

I doubt they will really be tryin’

 

Redden, Leuie and Aish set to go

They’ll want pretty good compo

Big forwards and backs

Will be their attacks

To land the opposition a blow

 

But the show that’s the best

Are the Dogs from the west

We all run to the telly

To see Bontempelli

The finals will be the big test

 

The Galway Pipes ($1.07) vs Lyon Down ($8.50)

 

Everyone’s early pick for the flag

Found the season a bit of a drag

Next year will be hard

With Boak, Wines and Wingard

2016 might have been just a lag!

 

They front Freo with the missing eleven

But none of them actually called Kevin

Lyon’s decided to tank

Port won’t need Stephen Dank

And would win if they were only less seven

 

Come Saturday night

There’ll be a difference in plight

The purple dream will live on

Port finally gone

For Freo the flag is in sight

 

Hawthorn ($1.08) vs Carlton ($17.00)

 

A home Final is merely a dream

For Victoria’s Number One team

Blues might be treated with care

Next week all need to be there

It’s part of a much bigger scheme

 

Injuries have come to conspire

So a decision is made to retire

Arrived a buono ragazzo

Well played Andrew Carrazzo

We’ve heard he may even umpire

 

For the Blues they get their wish

The season comes to a finish

Hendo can depart

Leave SOS to his art

Next year still not so bullish

 

Harbourtown ($1.04) vs Party Town ($11.00)

 

Rocket went to the land of the Sun

Thought coaching might be again fun

But injuries went through the team

With Gazza he lost all the cream

At least he is not in the gun

 

Sydney back on the ground of the trust

Where they play with much fervour and lust

The mids have more pluck

When Big Kurts in the Ruck

A win’s not an option a must

 

Can the Bloods be a real threat?

Not one that I’d want to bet

Buddy with a bad back

Most defenders a hack

Would be a sensational get.

 

The Corporation ($1.04) vs Last One Boys! ($11.00)

 

From being ripped apart by the Crows

The Eagles may seem on the nose

But at home in the west

They are a difficult test

And demolish most of their foes

 

The Saints though will come to plunder

But suspect they will be going under

But the kids are alright

Just too tired to fight

For next year we sit back and wonder

 

The Eagles ‘ll win this one easy

But finals will not as breezy

They rely on Nic Nat

To get it to Gatt

Will the year prove to be teasy?

 

Crossed out ($2.45) vs New Kids on the Block ($1.55)

 

The three letter acronym club

Might seem to be only a bub

They have locked plenty away

But Treloar might not stay

His destination can’t use him as sub

 

The Demons will suffer a loss

Next year without Daniel Cross

Coming from the ‘scray

He showed how to play

I think he might make a good boss

 

While Goodwin waits in the wings

Paul Roos says all these things

That it’s so hard to live

With fans negative

For now they must cope with the dings

 

The Carringbush ($1.28) vs Seen but not Hird ($3.70)

 

Pies’ fixture was not such a blessing

They had the footy world guessing

8 and 3 at the start

Wheels fell off the cart

With Buck’s head it really was messing

 

There is one thing that I’ll betcha

The Dons will miss Dustin Fletcher

No last game with the team

Or his groins would then scream

And finish his career on a stretcher

 

A Bomber fan who came from Nantucket

His season began with a full bucket

But much to his chagrin

WADA stepped in

And he told the AFL to go forget about it!

 

 

Amateur Hour

 

St Mary’s succumbed to the OGS

Surprising a couple of flogs

And up a grade now go Kew

Leaving Ormond plenty to rue

You can read more in a few blogs

 

The Monds beat the OGS in the past

Reckon they’ll do it again with a blast

A shock at the top

Old Scotch got the drop

They’ll want to be back again fast

 

Go Blues!

Yours in rhythm,

Cheers, Sal

 

Check out the Ladbroke prices for Round 23

Check out the Ladbroke prices for Round 23

 

Comments

  1. Bec. Blossomvictory says

    Hey Sal, thanks for the kind words towards the Crows!! A Very Pleasant piece to read overall, Keep Up!!

Leave a Comment

*