The Footy Almanac 2007 Round 7 – Brisbane v Adelaide: A rock ‘n’ roll experience

 

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!

 

 

Brisbane Lions versus Adelaide

7.15pm, Saturday, May 12

The Gabba, Brisbane

By PAUL DAFFEY

 

I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS GAME. Adelaide had been faltering, while the young Brisbane team had exceeded expectations. There was a lovely tension. One of the intrigues of footy is trying to predict just when an ageing team is on the slide, and a young team is on the march.

 

I was also, in a strange way, looking forward to making my debut at a pub down the road from my home in Northcote, the Albion Charles Hotel, which in the 1990s was the administrative headquarters of the Fitzroy Football Club. In recent years, it’s been a pokies barn with an enormous TAB setup and many television screens. I liked the Fitzroy link, rather than the trashy ambience.

 

The Fitzroy link was irrelevant to the viewers at the table next to me, Liam and Josh, who were Queenslanders. I don’t say that in a light way. A bona fide Brisbane fan, to my mind, is one from Queensland. These boys had recently moved from Queensland to Melbourne to further their musical careers. For two months, they lived in a tent, so no one could ever accuse them of not paying their dues. Then, in a nice rock ’n’ roll touch, their drummer absconded.

 

In the Albion Charles, Liam, the guitarist and lead singer, slouched in stovepipe jeans and white gym boots. Josh, the bass guitarist, also slouched. He was wearing a black Led Zeppelin T-shirt.

 

To confirm their Queensland credentials, the boys drank schooners. They knew every fact imaginable about the Beatles, but they weren’t so big on the Stones. They liked Jason Roe, but not Scott Harding. I’d never particularly watched Harding until this night. I thought he had a nice mix of skill and hardness. I also love the Stones.

 

The first half was entertaining. Both teams tended to fall down at half- forward through poor execution. Both teams made many mistakes. Adelaide were more methodical, while Brisbane relied more on brilliance, usually in the form of Jonathan Brown, who was well held by a bigger and stronger opponent, Brett Rutten.

 

It was an incident involving Brown in the second quarter that defined the game. Until then the Lions had given everything to try to break the shackles. A booming goal from high-stepping Tim Notting, one of the competition’s enigmas, gave the Lions hope that they would be able to bound away. Then, with the ball in Brisbane’s forward line, Brown hunched a shoulder and bent down for the ball. In doing so, he cannoned into Robert Shirley, the Adelaide player who looks like a back pocket who is AWL in the midfield.

 

Shirley’s a tough nut, but on this occasion he was clearly shaken. A few minutes later, he was back in business. He popped through an easy goal that put Adelaide six points ahead at the half-time break. It looked like the Crows would withstand all that was thrown at them.

 

The band boys’ main comment at half-time was about the Lions’ predominantly white strip. “I hate those white socks,” said Josh the bass player. A young bloke lay full-length on his couch in front of us with his hands clasped behind his head. On the next couch, a little Italian man smoked cigarettes. In the poolroom, a young woman moved around the baize wearing black shorts and black, knee-high ugh boots. I was among old migrants and young groovers. All were willing on the Lions.

 

Unfortunately, the Crows were too good. In the third quarter drizzle, they shut down the Lions, and kicked four goals themselves. In the last quarter, they kicked another four goals to put the game out of reach. The dynamos behind the Crows’ second-half surge were Tyson Edwards, who was best on ground in his 250th game, Andrew McLeod and Scott Thompson. Young Chris Knights was also good for the Crows.

 

It was a very Adelaide performance. They had no dominant forward and no backman who could be described as outstanding, although it must be said each defeated his opponent. And as a unit, the defence was formidable. The match was won with an even contribution from players on all lines mixed with a touch of midfield brilliance. Scott Welsh, in his 150th game, worked hard for his three goals and was the best forward in the match.

 

As Brisbane’s fortunes declined in the second half, back pocket Jed Adcock was one of the few to keep running. The 21-year-old has a big heart. Most of his teammates were disappointing, even Simon Black, who got a lot of the ball but was part of a midfield that was thrashed.

 

After the game, Liam, Josh and I had a short talk about footy and a long talk about the Beatles and the Beasts of Bourbon, before they headed off to Brunswick Street to see a mate’s band. I wished them luck in finding a new drummer. Then I headed home.

 

I’d been to a pokies barn to see a footy game and had a rock ’n’ roll experience.

 

 

Brisbane Lions  3.6 5.8 6.12 9.15 (69)

Adelaide  4.2 6.8 10.13 14.16 (100)

 

GOALS

Adelaide: Thompson, Welsh 3; Goodwin 2; Knights, Shirley, Perrie, Bock, Edwards, Griffin.
Brisbane: Notting, Brown 2; Charman, Johnson, McGrath, Harding, Rischitelli.

 

BEST

Adelaide: Edwards, Knights, Goodwin, Welsh, Rutten, Doughty, McLeod, Thompson, Stevens, Mattner.

Brisbane: Adcock, Roe, Rischitelli, Power, Black.

 

MILESTONES:  Edwards (Adelaide) 250 games, Welsh (Adelaide) 150 games; Matthews (Brisbane) 200 games as coach at current club, Johnson (Brisbane) 200 games at current club.

 

UMPIRES:  Kamolins, Ellis, Jeffery.

CROWD 26,978

OUR VOTES: Edwards (A) 3, Knights (A) 2, Welsh (A) 1.
BROWNLOW:  Thompson (A) 3, McLeod (A) 2, Perrie (A) 1.

 

 

For more Round by Round reports of the 2007 season click HERE

 

Printed copies of The Footy Almanac 2007 can be purchased here.