Round 6 – Geelong v West Coast Eagles: Early start suits the Cats
Why have I deserved this?
A Saturday afternoon home game at Kardinia Park with an early start for good measure.
I recall where the Colac league footy games used to start at 13:30 to enable the locals to get home for the evening milking.
I then recall my brief experience hand milking cows as a kid. My pre milking machine fingers get semi arthritic at the thought.
Maybe this is what the AFL have in mind. I later wonder if Gillon McLachlan has ever milked a cow. But I lose the stream of thought as we prepare for the big game.
Coffee o’clock time on Saturday morning and, with apologies to Bill Lawry, it’s all happening around our kitchen.
The child bride is particularly chirpy. It’s her first footy outing for the season. But even she admits she is a little rusty.
“Can we fit six hot dogs in the old thermos or do we need a new one? I can’t remember.”
Problem solved. First find your old thermos, then find your six hot dogs, whack in a bit of hot water then record the outcome. Think here deductive learning
“Isn’t that so Messel?”
Closer to the ground though more immediate issues kick in.
“Your shoes make a funny sound.”
“Hmm.”
“Will I need a coat?”
In response to my then apparently far too breezy response I receive a brief but very terse homily on the biological differences between males and females sitting outdoors on late autumn Saturday afternoons.
“Yeah OK darl.”
Trifecta of happy Cat fans. (L-R) spouse, god-daughter and god-daughter’s brother
Once inside and all the old home game routines kick into gear.
Bags dropped at seats, it’s then off to Goose’s bin – so named after Greg Wells (aka Goose) – for mandatory pre game fortification.
(L-R) ‘c Browne b Wells’. The eponymous Greg Wells (aka) Goose discusses pre game tactics with his old Newtown Cricket Club wicketkeeper Mark Browne at Goose’s Bin (sic).
Anzac Day preliminaries subsequently aside and the Cats are off to a scrappy start with five points in it at quarter time.
Boom recruit Jeremy Cameron – he now saddled with that eternal burden of Cats’ expectations bestowed with the number 5 – hits the post with his first serious shot at goal on the quarter time siren.
A faintly audible groan is discreetly stifled.
Then um, the second quarter started.
Well, the cows were presumably still grazing quietly somewhere out the back of the Colac hinterland while mayhem subsequently unfolded. I couldn’t be totally sure but I can certainly testify that the bloody floodgates opened at the Cattery.
After four minutes Chucky takes a specky and jags a banana goal.
After six minutes Atkins kick starts a defensive push which ends up with Hawkins then to Duncan for another goal. He later records four for the afternoon.
After 8 minutes and a free kick to Jed Bews, Chucky slots his second. We suddenly think he really appreciates playing against the third or fourth best defender rather than the second best as he was last year pre Cameron.
After 10 minutes Hawkins kicks another.
With due deference to the sensitivities of our Perth readers under home detention, I’ll cut to half time after this whole procession has continued unabated for another 23 minutes. The Cats add ten unanswered goals to one point for the quarter.
It is capped off on the half time siren when Mitch Duncan drills a wet ball torp from 55 metres.
Cherry, icing, cake.
Half time Cats 76, Eagles 21. Game over.
Second half summary, Cats kick another nine. Eagles kick another two. 136 plays 39 at the final siren.
Yeah I get it. Sometimes you just have days like that.
Your unworthy author’s votes go 3 Duncan, 2 Henderson and 1 Selwood but apologies to many others. Gaff, Naitanui and Witherden are the Eagles best on a very hard day at the office.
Injuries to both teams put a slight dampener over life but what the hell?
It’s all fun and games back with happy Cats at the Petrel Hotel after a quick getaway from a north facing carpark in Pakington Street.
Your author has cunningly overseen this exit strategy before to escape the heaviest post game traffic albeit my co-pilot thankfully volunteers for today’s assignment.
And all that without her coat!
GEELONG 2.3 12.4 18.7 21.10 (136)
WEST COAST 3.2 3.3 4.4 5.9 (39)
GOALS
Geelong: Duncan 4, Cameron 3, Rohan 3, Hawkins 3, Henderson 2, Miers, Stanley, Close, O’Connor, Henry, Menegola
West Coast: Allen 2, Vardy, Brander, Darling
BEST
Geelong: Duncan, Guthrie, Selwood, Stewart, Hawkins, Henry, Smith
West Coast: Gaff, Redden, Witherden, Darling
INJURIES
Geelong: Kolodjashnij (hamstring), O’Connor (left hamstring)
West Coast: McGovern (right groin)
SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: Clark (replaced Kolodjashnij)
West Coast: Ainsworth (replaced McGovern)
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About Roger Lowrey
Roger Lowrey is a Geelong based writer who lists his special interests as reading, writing, horse racing, Roman history and AEC electoral boundaries. Some of his friends think he is a little eccentric.
Extraordinary day Roger. Surely the Cats aren’t that good.
Estimated time into the game when the Eagle cue went into the rack?
Your recollections differ from mine Roger.
Q1 – disisgood. Q2 – disbelief. Q3&4 – disinterest.
Glad to meet another self-catering footy family. The price & quality of merchant food is universally shite. At least we have one thing in common.
Roger, I recall rushing back to milk after I’d played footy or cricket in my early 20’s. The dairy was the last place you’d want to be.
Have a feeling that win will really kick start the Cats season in a big way.
Thanks guys.
Dips, we are not that good but we’re really not as bad as we have ben lately either. I reckon a lot of WCE cues were put in the rack at half time.
Peter, yes we always try to self cater. I’m just cynically surprised that the AFL caterers haven’t pressured the AFL into banning this practice. Thus far at least – but don’t put ideas in their heads.
Luke, on a late Saturday afternoon the cold old dairy may well have been necessary but it was always a poor substitute for the local pub. And I hope you are right about getting a kick start. We certainly needed one.
RDL