This week I could stand to watch

After the debacle against Hawthorn a couple of weeks ago and facing the undefeated Geelong the following weekend ,the Partner and I decided to take in the sea air on the coast for a few days.  She a born again Geelong supporter was supremely confident, me a Don tragic, was looking forward to the cricket season.  We watched the game on delay and the Dons pulled off a fantastic win despite the fact that I went and sat outside, not being able to watch the closing five minutes of the game. The partner was not impressed with me or her team.

But that’s history, tonight it against one of the old traditional rivals of VFL days, Richmond. A team coming off an absolute thumping and the Dons, a magnificent  win against the ladder leaders. But previous form means nothing to both teams and I was a little apprehensive  as I took my seat at the “G”.  Both teams seem to play  ,” who can hand-ball to the other team”, “who can short pass to the other team” especially in the back line, and this was further complicated by puzzling umpiring decisions, especially against the Dons. This holding the ball rule leaves me totally perplexed.  I do like Stewart Crameri for the Dons, he’s strong, fast, has a great number on his back and a good kick for goal. Just on quarter time there was a bit of a rumble on the boundary  line and Paddy Ryder and Jake Melksham had their paper thin jumpers torn off, bring back the woollen jumpers I say.  Richmond by 6 points at quarter time.

The second quarter continued in the same way, pretty uninspiring footy, poor hand balling, poor foot passing, kicking backwards ,and inaccurate goal kicking. just two majors for each team and plenty of misses. Michael Hurley was doing a great job on Riewoldt and Mr Gadget, the ageless Dustin Fletcher, was everywhere in the back half. And how cool under pressure is Dyson Heppell?  The Richmond team jogged off the ground in a confident way leading by 9, and it could have been more if they had kicked better.  The Dons looked flat, has last week’s game taken its toll?

Richmond took the initiative and scored after Ricky Dyson held the ball too long!!!!! What garbage. Richmond kicked another , but then Paddy Ryder started to get his ruck skills going and David Zaharakis gave the Dons drive from the “ball ups”  I did feel a little sorry for  ex-Don Bachar Houli, when he had nowhere to go deep in the back line, slipped over and Crameri goaled. I have to admit I cheered when it happened though. It was like a turning point in the game, Essendon seemed to gather momentum and even though Richmond lead by three at the change I felt that the Dons were on a roll.

And so it turned out to be, within about ten minutes the Dons had wrapped up the game with goals to Zaharakis,  Monfries,  Davey,  Hocking, after a towering mark over the pack,  Jetta  and Stanton, after a fifty metre penalty. And just for icing on the cake, acting captain Mark McVeigh added a late goal. Richmond didn’t bother to add to their goal tally for the last thirty minutes.

Considering Essendon only hit their straps mid way through the third quarter and dominated the last,  I was pretty satisfied with the result. A win of thirty nine points is a good win. Can we do it against Adelaide in Adelaide, next Friday night?

Best for the Dons  Crameri, Hurley, Stanton, Heppell, Monfries and in the second half Ryder and Zaharakis.

 

 

Comments

  1. John Crofts says

    love ya work Sir Roderick

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