Round 3

For the first time in two years I was actually at footy match, at the MCG to boot and starring the Cats and the Magpies.

First up, for all of Dennis Cometti’s commentating skills, where oh where has the seconds warm up game gone? Oh OK, I am aware that this format went the way of the Dodo years ago but trying artificially  to create an atmosphere amongst a mostly disinterested audience seems nuts to me.

I became a  sort of honorary Geelong supporter for the evening, only because a ginormouse sheila wearing some hoops, sitting next to me, questioned me very early as to  the matter of  my allegiances, and for the sake of peace and quiet acknowledging Geelong seemed like a good idea. Thus I was nervous that Collingwood’s warm up work seemed much slicker than Geelong’s. This impression might have been helped by the fact that they were doing their drills right in front of where we were seated whereas of course we could hardly see anything of Geelong at all from our particular vantage point.

The impression of differing skill levels  seemed to be confirmed when Geelong were run ragged in the first quarter. I have to confess with some guilt that because of limited TV viewing and match attendances I was constantly perusing the “Footy Record” or whatever it goes by these days trying to identify players whilst the action was about two minutes ahead. 

For me the moment the match turned around was not the missed shots for goal by Collingwood early on in the second quarter, at which point I leaned across to my friend and confided softly to her, that “your mob is looking pretty sick tonight”. No,  it was the missed mark by Medhurst at centre half forward,  about 5 minutes in, which surely would have resulted in a goal and a momentum hard to stop. Instead the ball  was scrambled away by the Geelong defence and soon the first of their 8 goals for the quarter was scored. This was a scintillating display although Ablett was quiet. Chapman wasn’t.

Collingwood looked at times in the third quarter that they could stage a recovery but again a missed Josh Fraser shot at the end of that time robbed them of an important morale booster.

Geelong again looked  fantastic in the last quarter, especially Ablett, in his case right throughout the second half in fact. What a pleasure it was to come and see him at his best. In general terms though, on reflection I think that they could be vulnerable in the backlines even though they do have Scarlett,as  just for one quarter they seemed completely at sea against fast leading forwards.

One of the best things was the camaraderie of the  footy supporters who had come to enjoy a good game and got it in spades. I was proud to be an Australian as I left the ground.

Regarding  the rest of the round, it was great to see Lloyd and Tredrea back in form. (The Carlton Essendon game was an absolute shrip norter which I was forced to listen to in a distant part of the house whilst all of the other footy back sliders watched a singularly unamusing film, “Blazing Saddles” in the footy time slot).  Richmond, Melbourne and Freo are going to struggle to make any impact this year it now seems apparent. My mob should beat Collingwood at home which will be a great start for us. North Melbourne are not the sort of team to be readily written off but one wonders where to from here for them? Adelaide and Port Adelaide might do something this year but in this last round they were playing very weak teams. Hawthorn have started to move.

Peter Schumacher

About Peter Schumacher

Wannabe footy commentator and writer, used to be a wannabe footballer

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