THE FINAL WRAP FOR SEASON 2010

FOR THE PHILOSOPHICAL MARNGROOK FAN

 

What a Season it’s been in Footy Eddie.  The Mighty Magpies took The Flag and left TLSJOF staring through their Jelden Window, wondering when Opportunity would next come knocking on their Jelden Door.

The drawn Grand Final replay once more proved to be an unequal contest.  This time it was The Humble Pies who learnt from the experience, and in someway avenged not only their 1977 defeat at the hands of Barassi’s Shinboners, but also expunging their 12 bouts of Collywobbles over the last half century.  Which raises two questions.

First, should we go for the 10 minutes each end – in other words split another Quarter of Football  – to find the winner on the day?  And what do we do if there’s still no clear winner?  Declare a dual Premiership or go for the golden goal?  And what if it’s blowing a gale to one end – who gets that end for the golden goal segment?  Or pouring with rain so that goals are nearly impossible to come by and the exhausted players have to slug it out for another 20 minutes and it becomes a last man standing affair?  After Saturday’s anticlimactic Cakewalk it bears some serious discussion.

The other question is The Humble Pies.  Who amongst us felt the beginning of an era?  And if the Collingwood supporters singing their soccer chant over the St Kilda Captain at the GF Parade and Wilbur Wilde’s rendition of When The Saints Come Marching In before the Replay is anything to go by, all those who have sympathized with them over their long and weary Premiership Drought will soon learn to hate them with renewed vigour.

We’ve all watched the game.  The Woodsmen got away to the start they wanted and St Kilda let the occasion get on top of them.  They played with a bad case of the jitters around the ground and when shooting on goal.  Long bombs, hospital hand passes and fumbled ball all contributed to their situation.  When St Riewoldt marked in the goal square and played on, all he needed to do was punch a hole on the sponsors’ fence mounted electronic advertising hoarding.  His efforts to drive the ball up into the 2nd tier gave Heath Shaw the chance to smother.  By the time Sam Gilbert had kicked like a backman thrice The Saints appeared to have spent all their pennies.

Some Students of The Game may like to argue that had they been in touch at the Long Break, The Saints could have ground out a win in the 2nd Half.  Others will argue with equal vehemence that after successive losses in close encounters, they need more firepower up forward.  The question then becomes, who tells Kossy?

Still other SOTG may suggest that St Kilda’s best chance this year lay with extra time, that they had a chance under those circumstances, that it would be the younger bodies of Collingwood that would recover better and the younger heads that would gain from the experience.

And weren’t those Mighty Magpies magnificent?  They were the best team all year and apart from a token Collywobble against Adelaide at Crow Park when Top Spot had been assured, they played with a quiet confidence and a flair that – and here comes the Big Statement – will carry them to next year’s Flag and possibly the one after.  (When Melbourne will be nearing their peak and Jack Who will be wearing the Brownlow, wouldn’t that be one for Purists? – Ed)  They have a young team, an experienced Coaching Panel, top class facilities and a settled administration.  Gosch’s Paddock of course will have to be up-graded and stands built to hold the adoring throngs on Tuesday & Thursday nights, but apart from that, Coach Brewery seems set to join the immortals with Four Flags and Bucks to pick one up on the grouter.

But as the Long Dark Summer throws its shadow across The Football World we say our farewells and thanks yous for Season 2010.  The biggest thank you of course has to go to the Good Ship Whingy Hill and all who sailed in her.  Where would we have been without the conniving and denials on those slow news weeks when the Ayatollah wasn’t pontificating, Maggot Central had got it right and the invertebrates at Jellymont House couldn’t find a skerrick of video evidence to lay on Bulldog Barry.

And let’s not forget the aforesaid scallywags that make up the appalling Football League.  At the end of the Season, all we remember is the Grand Final, who won it and how it was won.  Without them, there would be no GF, no pennant to celebrate and no Season to look forward to.  For that we thank you.

A special thanks to Le Fev, and good luck with your troubles.  As for Akka, now that he’s out of Football, maybe he can come out of the closet. 

We couldn’t possibly let the thank yous slip by without a special cheerio to our cousins down at Sleepy Hollow.  We know you must be grieving terribly, and we would like you all to know we share your grief.  To lose a president, a coach & your marquee name player, not to mention the Shield of Invincibility, all in the one fortnight would wreck anyone’s season.  Our deepest, heartfelt condolences.

For all those STOG, Pundits & Punters and The Long Suffering Faithful of all denominations, good luck with Trade Week and may The Draft bring you the next Achilles Jones.

We can’t let the opportunity pass without expressing our gratitude to Paul Daffy & John Harms for setting up the Footy Almanac so frustrated Footy journos could vent their spleen and praise their idols.  On behalf of us all we thank you.  And a special mention for John Butler and Andrew Gigacz for editing and posting each and every piece.  A truly great effort.

As for next Season, we look forward to welcoming the Gold Coast Meter Maids, may the sun shine on their season and their mishmash of mercenaries and novices.  And a very special welcome back to Football for Jimmy Hird and his select coaching panel.  We look forward to seeing them in action next year.

We leave you with the words of that immortal seeker of wisdom & truth – Mickey the Maltster – Our Best is Enough.

Good luck with the Long Dark Summer, and remember, if you read it in the Wrap you’ll know it’s not crap.

About John Mosig

I'm an Aussie Rules tragic who can remember, as a four year old, shaking the hand of Captain Blood in the rooms just before he ran out onto the ground after half time, as my Old Man slipped him a packet of under-the-counter Craven A cork tipped. Now it's my turn to take my grandson Ben through the ritual of character building that is the journey through PUNT ROAD to the outside world.

Comments

  1. John
    And thank you for the Wrap, Thoroughly enjoyable read each and every week.
    cheers
    Tony

  2. Peter Flynn says

    Well done Wrap.

    I enjoyed it.

    PF

  3. Great work this season – always an enjoyable read.

  4. John Mosig says

    Thanks for the kind words all of you. Much appreciated.

    Now down to business. What are the odds that Bomber turns up at Whingy Hill before the season gets under way?

    And isn’t it good to see Collingwood revert to type?

  5. You mentioned the ‘Downlow’ trifecta.(Pres. Coach and Minni Mesiah) John but there is probably worse on the horizon.

    Losing to the Tigers in 2011.

  6. John Mosig says

    Beating Geelong has always been a barometer of how the Tigers are travelling. Bring it on.

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