The 2020 Nicky Winmar Cup – Round 10

 

Greetings Tipsters

 

Half a million years ago, a distant ancestor picked up a pebble and threw it at his mate. Who caught it and threw it back.

 

Sport’s part of our DNA, ritualising and channeling native aggression and having fun at it. A game that we’d recognise as football was probably being played on African plains 50,000 years ago. No reason why Marn Grook can’t have been around forever. Fifth century Chinese records describe a football game, medieval English kings tried to ban it, Italians played in the town square where death was an honour. Football is instinctual.

 

Ablett runs about as far as Doug Wade. He bumps, he taps, he lures, he does a hundred things that aren’t the usual stats. Buddy kicked three from the wing. Geelong 12.15.87, Sydney 10.12.72.

 

Saints continued their winning form, the Wharfies were close in general play for much of the game but screwed their chances with atrocious goalkicking, including four OOFs. The last term was a bit of an exhibition for Saints fans, watching their boys kick five goals to two. St Kilda 15.10.100, Fremantle 9.14.68.

 

Port can’t catch a trick. Mad Kochie was all over the airwaves Sunday, complaining about the umpires and not without good cause. Still, as Ken said post-match, you can’t expect to win too many when you kick 10.15. Four straight behinds early in the third when they were all over Hawks cost them dearly. Hawthorn 11.14.80, Port Adelaide 10.15.75.

 

Crows got back to basics, hard at the ball in packs, finding space on the wings and forward. The Blues didn’t really have any answers tho they hung in there for two and a bit terms. Adelaide 13.13.91, Carlton 9.7.61.

 

Remarkably, the Bombers were three goals up at halftime. See, they can play if they really want to! Tigers had a rethink and a reset in the long break, came out and kicked five goals to zip in 15 minutes, the sharpest football they’ve played all season. Richmond 14.8.92, Essendon 11.10.76.

 

The Schoolies had a dip but, again, just weren’t good enough in a very fast, open game. Some have questioned the Lions for allowing twelve goals, but that underestimates their opposition and the nature of the match. It was great to watch. Brisbane 16.14.110, Gold Coast 12.8.80.

 

Demons are looking like the team they want to be. Gawn dominated the middle and kicked an important late goal against the determined Dogs. The teams drew even in reports, with two each. That might affect their next few games but a lot of us saw it as hard, honest bumping and Tribunal Chairman David Rhys-Jones probably thinks likewise. Melbourne 13.11.89, Footscray 11.11.77.

 

Magpies were hunting and pecking all over the paddock Sunday arvo. Used every inch of ground to deny Roos their grinding attrition, it looked risky early on but they held their nerve, cracked the oppo’s nerve and coulda, maybe shoulda, had a bigger win. Brown’s first goalfree match this year. Collingwood 14.14.98, North Melbourne 7.10.64.

 

There’s nothing quite like looking at the beautiful red space of the Nullarbor from 38,000 feet while sipping champagne in a private jet, is there? Ringo and Peter joined me in the corporate suite at Perth Stadium, cocky Eagles fans. Ten minutes in, Monaros 4.0 to 0.0, they’d gone quiet. Eagles never regained the lead but they got damn close a fair few times, after the first twenty minutes it was a close, exciting match, we had a great time. Kennedy kicked four and I’ve never heard a sound like that of the crowd when he goaled from 55 in the third to make it a one-point game. Local boy and GWS skipper Stephen Coniglio was clearly BOG in a display that had Peter B reminiscing about great Swan Districts players of the past. Not as good as Stan Nowotny in the ’81 GF thumping of Claremont but he said young Stephen could play after kicking 4 in nappies in the 2010 WAFL decider. GWS 15.8.98, West Coast 12.10.82.

 

Cheers Tipsters

 

P&C, A Stop Privatisation Of Football Production, a division of Trans-Dementia Inc
Brought to you with the assistance of Warumpi Band’s ‘Blackfella, Whitefella.’

 

 

WC	953	758	125.73	36
GW	972	711	136.71	34
Ri	938	833	112.61	30
Co	917	754	121.62	28
Br	894	815	109.69	24
Ge	889	817	108.81	24
SK	842	803	104.86	24
NM	762	745	102.28	24
Sy	834	794	105.04	20
Fo	749	790	94.81	20
Ha	772	830	93.01	20
Me	776	796	97.49	16
PA	799	819	97.56	12
Ca	787	881	89.33	12
Fr	687	781	87.96	12
Ad	721	872	82.68	12
GC	695	912	76.21	8
Es	607	902	67.29	4

 

 

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?
And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help keep things ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE
One-off financial contribution – CLICK HERE
Regular financial contribution (monthly EFT) – CLICK HERE