Round 5 – Port Adelaide v Geelong: Was it the wrong game, and the wrong day?

Was it the wrong game and the wrong day?

Patrick Dangerfield was expected to have a tough time in the old town tonight but that night was supposed to be Friday the 13th May (when Geelong visit to play the Crows) not Saturday 23rd April.

Such was the vigour applied to the next Mayor of Geelong that his body was looking more colourful than ex-mayor Darryn Lyons by the quarter time break.  He was punished every time he went near the ball and received little support from the umpires.  For the remainder of the game he was the number one enemy amongst the Power supporters who booed him every time he went near the ball. One would have thought he must have been a teal boy before heading for the beach.

Somehow I don’t think he will receive the same amount of abuse when he plays against his old team on May 13th.

In fact the umpires did not put on a very inspiring display and if number 19 gets a Guernsey this week I’ll walk up the Mall in Mildura naked blowing my whistle.

Port Adelaide would have made Merv Williams proud of the house of stoush as the locals hit the Cats with everything but a can of Whiskas in the first quarter.  Saw Whiskas aka Gary Hocking before the first bounce and he looked like he had gulped a few cans down of his product in the last few years.

For the uninitiated and Croweaters Merv Williams was the boxing reporter for The Sporting Globe in the fifties to seventies in Melbourne and renowned for his turn of phrase.  The Sporting Globe was a twice weekly “pink” newspaper especially for sports fan published on Wednesday and Saturday night after the day’s footy.

The products of the wharves did their fellow teamsters proud during that time.  Not only had they roughed up the Cats but they had established a handy lead of 4 goals. Would like to have been a fly on the wall for coach Hinkley’s speech before the game.  Geelong not known for their vigour had succumbed and right until the siren ended the quarter the Power where just that.

A heavy bump to the Mayor right on the siren saw the Cats say enough is enough and led by Josh Caddy they went for the Power in no uncertain fashion. With nineteen of his team mates against twenty two of Power I reckon they came out on top physically.

The two Cats missing?  The Mayor and the Skipper.  They had ambled away to speak to coach Chris Scott who I am sure would have loved to have been amongst the melee.

Caddy and co turned the Cats around and the two non-combatants decided that they should take the game apart and they did. Dangerfield (29) and Selwood (28) led their team magnificently as they decimated the hapless Power.  Are they the most potent duo in the competition?

After quarter time the Pivots collected 15 goals to the Shanghai Slingers 3.  It was not a masterly display it was more that the Slingers where pathetic.  Players such as Robbie Gray, Chad Wingard and Justin Westhoff virtually played no part in the game.  Their efforts were more from a lack of endeavour rather than the dominance of the Geelong players.  Wingard and Westhoff were well held by Mackie and Lonergan respectively and Gray was completely of his game.

On their displays so far this season it is hard to see the Power playing any significant part in the makeup of the final eight.

What of Geelong?  Well, the Messiah has arrived but unfortunately the disciples are still learning the ropes. The faithful (boy is that word over-used by commentators) will have to wait until the next group of younger players moving into the A Grade category before they are premiership material. Their rucking brigade is still learning the game and Rhys Stanley continues to show improvement but Smith Z has a long way to go.

They will cause problems during the year and will have a big say in shaping the top four teams but the Mayor/Messiah and skipper  will need consistent performances by the players on the up.

GEELONG:  1-4.   7 – 5. 12 – 9.        16 – 11 – 107

POWER:     5 – 4. 5 – 6.   7 -9.            8 – 11- 59

BEST:

Geelong: Selwood, Dangerfield, Enright, Guthrie, Stanley

Power: Boak, Broadbent, Byrne-Jones

 

GOALS:

GEELONG:  Menzel 3, McCarthy, Dangerfield, Kersten 2, Guthrie, caddy, Selwood, Cockatoo, Stanley, Motlop, Hawkins

POWER: Dixon 3, Wines 2, Ebert, Amon, Broadbent

UMPIRES: Dalgleish, Kamolins, Hosking

CROWD:  44,937 at Adelaide Oval

 

MALARKEY MEDAL:

3 .J.Selwood (Geelong)    2.  P.Dangerfield (Geelong)    1. C.Enright (Geelong)

Peter Badcoe VC Medal winner:  Joel Selwood (Geelong)

 

About Bob Utber

At 84 years of age Citrus Bob is doing what he has always done since growing up on a small farm at Lang Lang. Talking, watching and writing sport and in recent years writing books. He lives in Mildura with his very considerate wife (Jenny) and a groodle named 'Chloe on Flinders' and can be found at Deakin 27 every day.

Comments

  1. I just couldn’t figure the umpires out in the first quarter. All of a sudden the free kick for blocking was getting paid in a normal marking contest. Port got a free kick at one point because a Geelong fan blocked a Port supporter at the pie stand. Then, after quarter time, it all stopped! Hard to fathom.

    Your assessment of Geelong is pretty right – they have a way to go. But I thought their performance on Saturday night was even better than the Hawthorn game in many respects. It was tough but focussed.

    Dangerfield was incredible. Selwood inspiring. But they need more.

  2. Good summary Bob. As you say, the Cats are on the right track but not quite there yet. Port very disappointing after the quarter time blue.

    Checking the games played for Geelong I notice that 10 of those who took part in Saturday’s match have played 25 or fewer games in the hoops. Apart from Smith, Stanley, Dangerfield and perhaps Menzel the rest are kids. The future looks bright for the Pivots.

    Cheers, Burkie

  3. Dave Brown says

    Hopefully, other than a good win, the idea that Danger can be taken out of the game with a rough tag died on Saturday night, Bob. Hopefully teams will now be afraid of making him angry. Was trying to work out if that is the first time fans of one team have booed a player because he used to play for another team.

Leave a Comment

*