Round 9 – Pards’ Preview: Essendon v Sydney

 

This Essendon season feels like a title fight against Jeff Fenech coming out like a raging bull every round, and right now I’m sitting on the stool in the corner wondering how come I didn’t take any head shots in the previous round and actually came away with the points. What’s going to happen in the 9^th? I’m scared that it won’t stop, and that somehow I’ve got to do it all again, and I’m only a supporter.

Imagine being a player. But they love it. In the last quarter of round 8 they smelled blood and pounced on their quarry in two’s and three’s at every fumble.

Still, pride comes before a fall, and Essendon fans are no strangers to false dawns and painful defeats. To steel myself for round 9, I’ve been meditating on losing a preliminary final by a point. Which one felt worst?

A)  1996 – When Lockett kicked a point after the siren at the SCG

Or

B) 1999 – When Mercuri was denied a gap to slot the goal in the dying minutes.

(A) is my pick. When Tony Lockett marked within 50 and the siren went, the next twenty seconds was agony. Watching it on TV made it worse. We all sat on the couch with a noose around our collective necks waiting for the floor to drop. After the kick, out of the cold silence, my young niece chirped, “Who won?” Nobody answered. The words were too difficult.

Even so, I don’t mind the Swans. They gave us all those Danihers for Nifty, and all that Hollywood glamour on Sunday afternoons: Warwick Capper’s tiny shorts, Leanne’s big hair, pink helicopters, plus we got to barrack for Merv.

This week’s game is our first interstate trip for the season. Last year we spent most of our time interstate and the youngsters relished the school camp atmosphere. I’m hoping the magnums of joie de vivre and bonhomie flow again and keep us drunk on victory.

 

 

The smaller dimensions of the SCG suit our style. Our defence goes better in crowded spaces and we’ve got players who can roost it. Redman might get one from the centre and Big Pete from well outside 60. It’s a ground where Hind can break ten seconds going coast to coast with 4 bounces.

Prediction:

Keep your heart pills handy. When I woke this morning I caught the remnants of a dream. I think we won. We got a free kick then the siren went and the entire stadium held its breath for twenty seconds. It was Dylan Shiel with the ball, kicking from 45 on a 45 degree angle. Jesus wept. You couldn’t write this stuff.

 

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