The Footy Almanac 2007 Round 2 – West Coast v Collingwood

The first printed edition of The Footy Almanac came out in 2007, before we had a website. In the absence of a real 2020 season, we will be publishing the 2007 pieces for the first time ever on www.footyalmanac.com.au. Follow the season!

 

 

West Coast versus Collingwood

5.40pm, Saturday, April 7

Subiaco Oval, Perth

 

By MATT O’CONNOR

 

WHY DID THE ABC MOVE West Wing to Saturday nights? Easter Saturday’s episode was the election episode, but I had a date with the Pies and the Eagles on Channel Ten. For those who haven’t succumbed to West Wing fever, Democrat Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) and Republican Arnie Vinick (Alan Alda) have been slugging it out to become Television President of the USA.

 

Priorities are priorities, though, so my nine-year-old son Daniel and I adjourned to the back room at my parents’ hacienda out the back of Arthurs Seat to watch Operation Down Coast unfold. Operation Down Coast is rarely successful. It involves Victorian teams sneaking into Perth under cover of darkness and attempting to steal the four points without waking the Judd. The Pies almost pulled it off last year, but the Judd came to life in the last quarter and that was that.

 

The night started with Kouta winning Before the Game’s ‘Tool of the Week’ for prancing about with a couple of delicate chaps in an underpants promotion. Over in the West, the Judd won the toss and proceeded to dart all over the Subiaco Oval with Ben Johnson in his wake. The Operation was in early trouble.

 

The Judd was not the only problem for the Pies. Such is Daniel Kerr’s standing in the game at the moment that you wouldn’t be run out of town for claiming he is the footballing equal of his sensational skipper. Kerr had Paul Licuria for close company at the first bounce, but if it had been a boxing match the referee would have stopped the fight after 10 minutes. David Wirrpanda started up forward and bagged the first two sausages of the game, the second a spectacular falling snap from the boundary.

 

With West Wing looking more attractive with every forward thrust from the Eagles, the momentum suddenly shifted. Scott Pendlebury came off the bench and immediately created opportunities across Collingwood’s half-forward line. The Magpie midfield started to win more of the pill, and Anthony Rocca got things moving with a 65-metre bomb to an empty square. That goal prompted three more, with Johnson and Shane O’Bree landing long-range efforts and Rhyce Shaw, now on Judd-watch, nabbing another to give the Pies a seven-point lead at quarter-time.

 

For reasons best known to himself, Woosha Worsfold shifted Wirrpanda back on to the hitherto unsighted Leon Davis in the second quarter. The move seemed to energise Davis at the same time as robbing the Eagles of a scoring option. The Magpie forward banged on three goals in a 10-minute burst that included another Rocca monster drop-punt goal.

 

The free-flowing contest seemed to suit Collingwood, so the game soon entered its third – and final – stage. Whether by Woosha initiative, or simply because the Eagles are programmed to go into shutdown mode, the goals dried up. This suited Tyson Stenglein and Scott Burns, who were still trying to work out who was the tagger in their absorbing duel. Wirrpanda, released on parole from Davis, broke the drought just before the main break, kicking his third goal to narrow the margin to four points.

 

The arm-wrestle continued for the second half. Collingwood’s avenue to goal was limited to Rocca, who kicked the Pies’ only two majors in the third term. The Judd added a couple, the second coming from a 50-metre penalty after Jimmy Clement’s first ever expletive was picked up by a sensitive official.

 

The Coasters went into their final huddle with their noses in front. In Melbourne, Kouta’s teammates were doing their own underpants promotion at Telstra Dome as the Big Cats ran riot, and while Vinick was holding California, Santos looked to be heading to the White House.

 

What is so impressive (or galling, depending on your point of view) about Kerr and Judd is that as well as being the most talented players in the West Coast side, they are also the hardest workers. With the game in the balance in the last quarter, they continued to win clearances and drop back into defence to help out their mates. Both were tagged for the whole game, but it served only to spur them on. Simply put, they were the difference between two otherwise evenly matched sides, and it was only when the margin had edged out to three safe goals that Judd was given a breather.

 

There was plenty to like about the Pies, and it was perhaps fitting that Rocca set up a late consolation goal with a clever tap to Burns. The big forward took the points against a tough opponent in Darren Glass, while Heath Shaw enhanced his growing reputation with another polished performance in defence.

 

Back in the front room, Matt Santos was now the President-elect of the United States. But he’d had it easy. There was no Judd or Kerr in the Republican midfield.

 

 

West Coast – 3.2 7.6 10.11 12.15 (87)

Collingwood –  4.3 8.4 10.8 11.9 (75)

 

GOALS

West Coast: Wirrpanda 3; Judd 2; Kerr, Lynch, Braun, Armstrong, Stenglein, Staker, Rosa.

Collingwood: Rocca 4; Davis 3; Johnson, O’Bree, R. Shaw, Burns.

 

BEST

West Coast: Kerr, Judd, B. Jones, Waters.

Collingwood: Rocca, H. Shaw, Burns, Pendlebury.

 

Our Votes:  Kerr (WC) 3, Judd (WC) 2, Rocca (Coll.) 1.

Brownlow:  Kerr* (WC) 3, Judd (WC) 2, Braun (WC) 1.

 

Milestones:  Stenglein (West Coast) 50 games with current club. Nicholls (Collingwood).

Umpires:  Stevic, Margetts, Avon.

 

CROWD 40,413

 

 

 

If you want a printed copy of the 2007 edition of the Footy Almanac, they can be purchased here.

 

2007 Footy Almanac

 

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 really 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

 

 

Comments

  1. Frank Taylor says

    Lovin’ the retro 2007 Matt.
    Ta

  2. These are the style of match reviews that shit on any dry MSM efforts anytime. Very clever, and you get the gist and be entertained. I managed to snaffle the ’07, ’09 and ’11 almanac from “a source” some time ago. Loved them. Have obtained the odd one or two since with my FA membership. I got ’17 this year. I doubt I’ll ever read it though!

Leave a Comment

*