The View From Shepparton: Round 4

I have an increasing sense of doom as Brisbane in particular and the Gold Coast Suns seem to be getting into a deeper and bigger hole.

I suppose that followers of some other clubs, notably Richmond, the Doggies and St Kilda have have had more years of this stuff than they could forget, but really how can one hold out any hope at 4 zip down and the great showdown with the Suns to follow? Definitely a battle of the losers and a terrible look for Rules in South East Queensland. Don’t forget, supporters in Queensland (and New South Wales for that matter) are not rusted on because the long cultural history of the game which exists in the southern states absolutely does not exist in these two states. If their teams fall away so will the support. And in Brisbane’s case why not, with the Broncos on top in the NRL and State of Origin games coming up in that code?

I watched the West Coast v Brisbane game until into the third quarter and was just horrified by the appalling performance that my Lions put up. That miss from Zorko first thing in the third  quarter from right in front, having just broken from the pack, which a goal, had it been scored, might have inspired Brisbane, said it all. The boys just aren’t up to it. I thought, like many, that they would go places this year, but one player in particular, who as a born and bred Croweater and Norwood supporter I take particular interest in, James Aish, has simply lost all form, or so it seems to me. Why is it so? In more general terms, I am more than aware that we have had our share of injuries, but then so does nearly every other club. Finally, in a moment of near insanity, or certainly a moment of reckless faith and hope, I reckoned that Brissy would be premiers this year. I suppose that one inspiration by example is the way that the Power have picked themselves up from certain oblivion, or so it seemed so not too long ago. This gets me to an opinion piece which the Minister for Home Affairs just wrote:

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” ‘Port Power won!!!!, just imagine what is going through their minds. Right Now!! They are imagining celebrating with their first drink of the night.’ These are the words, or something similar,  of the commentator at the end of Saturday’s game between Hawthorn and Port when Port just held on to win by a whisker.

“Really! Don’t these footy commentators get it? Don’t get me wrong, I am not some sort tea drinking sour faced old woman; I have lived and enjoyed life in all of its fullness and still continue to do so. Thus at 66 years of age, not particularly ancient by any means but still old enough to have had plenty of life experiences I reckon that I have learned a thing or two. And in this instance I think that it beggars belief that this sort of rhetoric, at a time when the AFL has been surrounded with allegations of players, and in fact whole teams using drugs to get an advantage, and in addition when there is solid research showing us that excessive alcohol is bad for us, is allowed to continue, unchallenged, unremarked upon. Why, why, do the footy commentators persist with such lines?

“So what is the reward for winning in 2015? Could someone please tell me? And when we have worked that out, then let us put our best minds to instilling values into our young and very talented players other than those which centre around the thinking that a winning reward must merely consist of the downing of that first beer. It does not end there however, we also need to work on the footy commentators, and they too must understand what a healthy reward for winning really is. This culture of tacitly encouraging alcoholism is so last century, besides it makes a joke of all of the fitness and training routines and all of the rest of it that clubs need their players to undertake to be competitive.”

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I must say that Port had their minds on the job in that first quarter, particularly that first seventeen minutes. It was just as fantastic as the Lions were awful. Have to give credit to Hawthorn for picking themselves up, they really are a great team.

It’s ironic, Greater Western Sydney, they might not have risen from the dead yet but the signs are sure promising, but the Western Sydney Wanderers have fallen into a great soccer hole. How things, so far anyway, change. The Suns, like their Brisbane compatriots “are  not up to AFL standard” (I am plagiarizing an The Australian headline here).

Carlton had a good win away but really they, like St Kilda, won’t have anything to do with the finals this year. Good win for Mick however.

I reckon that Melbourne will though, they are a team on the rise. Richmond are the Brisbane of Melbourne but I do concede that they have won two games.

A great game between Sydney and Freo, the latter had the inspirational Pavlich kicking a goal when it really mattered in that last quarter. Have to admire the Swans who made a good fist of attempting to come back from the dead.

I wasn’t surprised to witness the Crow’s bubble come down, that they struggled against Melbourne at home suggested to me that they were by no means invincible. Hard to begrudge the Woofers a win; they are more than overdue for a decent season.

Geelong are “hasbeens” this year; they are “rebuilding” like all of the other teams who are struggling even though we have only just completed Round 4. Hard to get a take on the Roos.

High Light: Those present in  the crowd of 88,000 who managed one and all to maintain the respect for our Anzacs by remaining  silent.

Lo Light: Brisbane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Peter Schumacher

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

Comments

  1. The Eagles Brisbane game was the worst game of AFL footy I have ever seen. Have seen uglier games thanks to Lyon, Roos et al. But never more fumbles, miskicks, turnovers and handballs to blokes standing still. How do my Eagles play that badly with injuries to key players double that of the Lions, and still win by 8 goals???
    I have seen the Eagles when they were bad AND had given up trying and playing for the coach in Woosha’s last year of 2013. That is what Brisbane looked like to me, so Leppa and Rocket down the road have to go – sooner rather than later. Fans understand lack of skill under pressure, but not lack of effort. You were right to nominate Rulebook’s love child James Aish. RB and the Crows have offered him all the Farmers Union Iced Coffee he can drink to come back to Adelaide. His mind was elsewehere.
    Carlton and Geelong gave away Robinson and Christensen for a reason – and its between the ears – not talent. Dayne Beams is too cool for school and phoning it in.
    My Eagles are the best of the bad teams (would be mid table with McKenzie and Darling) – better than Lions, Suns, Blues and Saints. Main thing is our blokes respect Simpson and have a red hot go each week, so there is something to look forward to for the future.
    Leppa apprenticed under Dimma – need we say more?

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