We can win this

WEST COAST EAGLES v GEELONG

SUBIACO OVAL, 6.40pm, FRIDAY AUGUST 10th

Faith is belief in the absence of proof.” So sayeth a wise man (can’t remember who).

And the faith of the Eagles flock had been tested over the past 6 weeks as injuries mounted and form waned.   Then the Lord sent Catmanackers a sign for their perpetual arrogance.  “You shall have no other Gods but me.”  And he smote the groins of Chapman and Kelly.

Still my finger hovered over the tipping button, and came down Eagles by 3 points.  Belief in the absence of proof.

The desert nights have been chill in recent times, but this afernoon the 23° sun burned my skin as I waited for the bus home.  “Have you been drinking again?” the Avenging Eagle queried as she viewed my florid countenance.  “Touch of the sun,” I swore on the graves of my ancestors (there were a few drinkers in that crew).  

The evening had the unexpected air of the first day of spring for so early in August.  Jumpers were discarded for light jackets unzipped. 

This would be a cracking game.  The Cats skill and flair against our grunt and strength.  Hope fluttered (just).

The Eagles kicked the first goal as they were to do in each quarter.  The game was predictably frenetic, but you knew early that it would be worth watching.  Chris Scott does not do tactics.  Longmire and Lyon have written the playbook on beating the Eagles.  Tag Hurn and one of Kerr or Shuey.  Deny space and monster our small and slow midfield until they turn it over.

Chris Scott plays “we’ll beat you on our own terms with our strengths” football.  It is exciting and by midway through the quarter, ominous. The Tomahawk had taken several strong grabs and it only seemed a matter of time before his kicking compass adjusted to the magnetite in WA oval sand.

Who should we put on Hawkins?” the Avenging Eagle turned to ask at the 20 minute mark.  I pondered the lumbering MacKenzie, and wondered if Moses, Elijah or John the Baptist might be available to quell his talents.  

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.”  Clearly the Tomahawk has been watching too much Olympic diving.  Crashing a pack he executed the perfect backward two and a half somersaults with pike – but no tuck.  Unfortunately for Tommy, magnetite is considerably less forgiving than London bathwater.   I gave the dive a perfect 10.

WE CAN WIN THIS,” I turned and yelled excitedly to the Avenging Eagle. 

The Cats led 5.5 to 3.1 at the change, but you sensed that their best was behind them.

The first 20 minutes of the second quarter was all Eagles, but as usual there was little scoreboard evidence.  The half forward line of Lynch, Darling, Hill and Harms had collective shockers.  It was only when Cox and Natanui “rested” forward that we could score.

Scarlett repeatedly tried to out-body Natanui at marking contests.  Remembrance of things past.  It was like Sinatra trying to hit high notes late in his career.  Entertaining but sad.

At the 22 minute mark I made my usual call to my nephew (and fellow Almanacker) Brandon.  “Whoever wins the rest of the quarter wins the game.”  Uh oh.  The Cats got their run and gun game going to kick 3 goals in 5 minutes.  The Eagles responded with one on the siren to trail by 14 points.

I hastily revised my theory to “last goal of the second quarter wins” (we need some PFlynn statistical analysis of late first half scoring correlation to second half performance and match results).

The second quarter looked better for the Eagles in their control of possession, though the scoreboard would have you believe otherwise. The third quarter saw these trends continue to  play out.

Geelong’s midfield structures started to fall apart without the strength and smarts of Kelly, Corey and Chapman to run and fill space.  Their fill-ins scrambled bravely, but Shuey, Kerr and Hurn started to pick them apart.  

Having seen so many ’round the boundary’ teams (including my Eagles) this season, it was startling to see how the Cats invariably chance their arm with cutting passes through the centre, or rapid fire switches to the open side.  But by mid quarter their laser passes were becoming air rifle buckshot.

The loudest cheer of the game came mid quarter when Woosha substituted perpetual whipping boy Tom Swift for favourite son Andrew Embley, who was back after a long injury break with a busted shoulder. Youngsters Swift and Brennan are an interesting contrast.  Swift can play but has no self belief.  He works hard but is forever fretful when he gains possession.  Brennan is the opposite.  He  pulls regular clangers, but he is like the Road Runner always dusting himself off and charging at the next contest.  That dash and optimism makes him a useful foil for the dour Glass and MacKenzie.

Orange time saw the Cats clinging on by a point.  I was optimistic based on the trend of play, but as last week showed you can never be confident against the Freddie Krugers of footy. 

The first 3 quarters were good because they were competitive, but there was little to excite the purists.   The last quarter turned that on its head.  It was the best quarter of footy I have seen all season (except for last weeks).

The Eagles got their defensive mojo back.  Repeated smothers, spoils and intercepts eventually yielded the turnover that gave Lynch a goal and an Eagle lead.

Chris Scott erred in sending his best defender, Harry Taylor, forward to offer a marking target, where he was repeatedly outpointed by Darren Glass. 

All right – I’ve got this far without mentioning the umpires, but here goes.  They were a ***###!!! joke and a disgrace.  In an open running contest there were 64 frees paid on the night, compared to the usual 30.  There was more prancing and preening by the umps than from the Lipizanners in the equestrian dressage.  

I rarely get excited about umpires, because I think free kicks are over-rated.  They slow play down and give the penalised team time to restructure and clog space.  They rarely provide a real benefit to the recipient team.  Fans yell and scream about them, because that is what we saw our forefathers do.  It is the fandom equivalent of Pavlov dog slobber.

And so it proved tonight.  Contrary to Chris Scott’s post match rants (he had a shocker tonight that was only rivalled by the men in lime) the balance of umpiring stupidity broke pretty evenly.  There were an incomprehensible 9 deliberate out of bounds awarded on the night (the average is less than one).  Some of which resulted in goals to both sides.  Maybe 3 of them were warranted if the umpires wanted to tighten their usual interpretation.

By mid way through the quarter the umpiring had descended to farce. Exasperated fans yelled “deliberate” when the attacking team’s shot on goal went off the side of the boot and tumbled across the line.  Will Ferrell was writing the umpiring scripts.

Here’s a really novel idea.  If the AFL and the Umpires Coach quite reasonably decide  that an aspect  of the game is getting out of hand, send a midweek email to coaches and the media letting them know that umpires will be tightening their interpretation in that area. Forewarned is forearmed.

On Friday night the umpires played Russian Roulette with their whistles, and 5 of their 6 chambers were loaded.  It was farcical and sad, and reflects badly on whoever instructs them.

Having said my piece,  I will now return to the game so I can get really angry.  At the 29 minute mark the Eagles were 2 goals clear when Natanui bombed a long ‘goal’.  The peanut in lime reversed it for a Darling shepherding ‘infringement’ on the goal line.  As the replays clearly showed:

a) The ball was a metre over the goal line when the ‘ infringement’ occurred;

b) Darling lightly pushed the Geelong player in the side as the balled passed over both their heads on the line.

This is a joke.  The umpiring has now gone from generally incompetent, to actively biased against us.  These umpires all have Attention Deficit Disorder and they pay frees because haven’t seen themselves centre stage on the big screens in the last 2 minutes!!!  

And don’t get me started on the pantomime theatre of video replay checking of scoring decisions.  Tonight we had endless blurred stop frames for 5 minutes to decide whether a kick from 30 metres out was touched off the boot, or when it went over the clutch of outstretched arms at the top of the square before it bounced through.

How many dickheads can you fit on the pinhead of an umpiring decision?  The AFL can count you the ways. 

I reckon the AFL should sack Gieschen and Angry Adrian.   Clearly there is one man who can combine both roles of AFL Operations and Umpiring Coach:

There are no knowns.  There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we do not know we don’t know.”

Straight out of the AFL Operations and Umpiring Handbook.  Donald Rumsfeld is between engagements these days, so I am sure he could come on board at AFL House and use his demonstrated skills to cut through the crap that Angry and Giesch have created.

The margin was less than 2 kicks as Woosha threw Cox back as a loose man in defence.  A tactic that I hate because it guarantees that the ball will be rebounded every time you run it out.   Stevie J was free kicked 35 out on a 45 degree angle.  38,000 held their breath, but for the second time in the match he failed to make the distance from easy range.

The last few minutes was continuous scrums and mauls on the Geelong forward line.  With less than a minute remaining Walker goaled from a (correct) free kick and the margin was 5 points.  

But the Cats had used their ninth life last Friday night.  Naitanui skilfully roved his own tap and the siren sounded as he bounced to the 50 with only a vacant Eagles forward line ahead of him.

The Eagles had done a Pearson rather than a Magnussen.  We had won by a touch in a contest that had looked our destiny since Hawkins’ demise. The double chance is still in our own hands with final games against top 4 rivals Collingwood and Hawthorn.  Tough but not impossible.

For the second week running, early calls of “WE CAN WIN THIS” had proven prescient.  “Vengeance is mine,” sayeth the Lord.  “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.”

It was not a classic, but it was a serious contest between 2 good sides struggling to find their best in a season cruelled by injuries.  The Eagles are still serious contenders, with Josh Kennedy due back in a fortnight.  Cox and Natanui were awesome tonight, both in the ruck and in the marking contests.

Our defence is sound, and creates most of our attack from half back.  The midfield is steady, but only Shuey is quick and incisive when he finds space.  The forward line is currently disfunctional, but to their credit both Lynch and Hill lifted in the last quarter when the game was on the line.  A fit and in-form Josh Kennedy would transform the roles and opportunities for the rest of the forwards.  The rest of the forwards are all capable of best actor performancs in a supporting role, but they need their leading man back to give them that opportunity.

The Cats were brave and their attacking style makes them the most dangerous side outside the top 4.  I love watching Stevie J.  He has a unique awareness of space and other players.  His evasiveness is based around instant probability assessments of what space opponents will try to fill, and where his team mate are likely to be found.  He beats you with his brain before he beats you with his hand and foot skills.

But he is an 800 and 1500 metre runner who was forced to try the endurance events tonight.  It is not his go, which probably explains is relative fade out after half time and his lack of kicking power.  With Chapman, Kelly and Corey to do the gut running, he is an extraordinary creative prescence.

By contrast, Joel Selwood is the 10,000 metre runner who only came into the contest after half time.  He had devoted most of the first half to continuing the backyard Greco Roman Wrestling championships he started with his siblings in a Ballarat backyard over a decade ago.  Joel won the Gold tonight, but Adam played his best game for the season to earn the Seebohm  Silver.  Scott received a Bronze in the Tae Kwon Do because most of his kicks failed to hit the intended target.

Podsiadly deserves an honourable mention for his solo effort on a suddenly undersized Cats forward line.  Bartel saves his best for the MCG. Travelling for games is beneath a senior statesman.  Wherever Chappy was tonight, Jimmy was with him in spirit.

To my eye Cox and Natanui shared best afield honours.  Kerr was brave, though his lack of pace these days means he is less damaging with his possessions.  Hurn relished being the beneficiary of Chris Scott’s negligence (should that be arrogance?).  Scott continued to mouth off after the game with ridiculous comments about crowd behaviour toward Hawkins, when 99% of those around me clapped him off on the stretcher and again when he walked the boundary after the half time break.   I am sure there are dills in every crowd, but tonight they were mostly in the Geelong coaches box.

Above all the Eagles renewed their self belief tonight.  Kennedy and Rosa will make a difference, and we need the canniness of Embley in a midfield that compensates for its lack of speed with work rate and smarts.

Champion rucks.  Good defence.  Solid, workmanlike midfield.  An attack with plenty of scope for improvement and a renewed structure that opponents have not seen in recent months.  An experienced nucleus of coach and senior players who are proven September performers.  In a year with lots of good sides but no standouts:

WE CAN WIN THIS.

WEST COAST 3.1 7.3 11.5 16.6 (102)

GEELONG       5.5 9.5 11.6 15.7 (97)

GOALS – West Coast: Cox 3, Lynch 3, Naitanui 2, Gaff 2, Priddis 2, Kerr, Shuey, Darling, Masten
Geelong: Podsiadly 3, Stokes 2, Motlop 2, Hunt, Christensen, Murdoch, Hawkins, Simpkin, Bartel, Walker, Johnson

BEST – West Coast: Cox, Kerr, Naitanui, Kerr, Hurn, Shuey

Geelong: Johnson, Mackie, J Selwood, Podsiadly, Enright, Christensen

Umpires: Larry Stevic, Curley Schmitt,  Moe Pannell – dumb, dumber and dumbest
Official crowd: 37,812

MY VOTES:  Dean Cox (3); Nic Naitanui (2); Steve Johnson (1)

Comments

  1. PB – very fine summary of a tough game. Surely these two sides are better than the Crows who sit at the top?

    Even after the final siren I was still saying to my kids “Don’t woryy we can still win this” Suppose you call that blind faith.

    Speaking of faith and matters religious, I believe that this week’s gospel message was about how The Big’un told Elijah to stop being a bloody whinger and get up off the ground after Elijah had thrown in the towel. I guess the Cats took that message onto the ground and just kept at it. But credit to the Eagles, they were too steady in the end.

  2. Obviously I didn’t read this report due to my vomit reflex however I did notice something.

    Evil best players: Cox, Kerr, Naitanui……

    Votes 3. Cox; 2 Naitanui

  3. Pete,

    not a bad report but you still obviously have not recovered from the ‘Les Everetting’ you got the week before.

    I seem to have missed the bit where the human ‘bottle (as with long neck, not Callistemon species) brush’ Priddis kicked a last quarter goal from one of those dodgy decisions. You did mention it did you?

    I wait with interest the decision on the Johnson bump. The MRP’s integrity is on the line here. I seem to remember Johnson being polaxed a few weeks ago and also a few Cats elbowed in the face for a grand total of one citing and one week total suspension last week.

    Sorry to keep moaning, but I think I mentioned a month ago that we will find out soon who the AFL’s preferred teams are by the way the tribunal goes.

    Johnson two weeks.

    (I think we got a fair indication of who the toughest, meanest Selwood is.)

  4. Thank you for an excellent and very entertaining report Mr PB. It was a well deserved win to the Evils.

    And Mr Phantom, at the risk of stirring your pot too vigorously, just how long is that conspiracy bow that you’re drawing. The AFL’s preferred teams are decided by the tribunal? Really? That’s your baseline position? Really? I want to laugh but I fear this is your actual reasoned view rather than another of your bait lines. Are you suggesting that the AFL is deliberately trying to exclude Geelong from the 2012 Grand Final party? If so, it would seem a pretty weird way to do it by disallowing a West Coast goal in the dying minutes of a very tough and tight game, wouldn’t it? As Kurt V would say, and so on.

    Cheers

  5. That’s the Umps, not the MRP Rick.

    Conspiracies; remember when Neville Chaimberlain returned from Germany in 1939. I have just spoken to Mr Hitler. War, what war?

    I used to laugh but there seems to be a pattern. The Geurra hits were worse than the Johnson one because Johnson did not raise the elbow. You can bet that Johnson will go, while the Tupee Terrorist continues to have a smashing good time.

    Good to see you are up and about all the same. My Chokito Hawks supporting mate was last seen slamming the double glass door at the WFC two Friday nights ago and has apparently vanished into thin air screeming like Rumpelstiltskin in that wonderful Disney animated story.

  6. I was up and about Saturday morning following the Hawks/Cats game, when I posted my first comment on the Almanac site about that game.

    And yes Mr Phantom, I cannot but assist in your downfall into diabetes with another Freedo. If your cave has an address, I am willing to post a box of the bloody things! I have a similar bet with a friend from Warrnambool, but for a six pack a game. When I handed him his latest, I said, the best I can take from this is that following our first bet, I’m glad we didn’t agree to double or nothing stakes. I would now owe him about 9000 beers. (Mr Flynn and Gigs, please don’t add it up as I fear then number may be even higher).

    As for your conspiracy, noice. Isn’t it a bit too specific? Is the MRP are a rouge cabal within the AFL? You know, like the Vatican bishops that established the rat-lines to assist Nazis fleeing Germany for South America?

    One day we can watch the Geurra ‘hits’ (as you call them) together and while I probably won’t change your mind I will enjoy the back and forth about them. As I saw them at the ground and on review, both were good solid bumps that are part of footy and were part of what made the Hawks/Cats game so compelling.

    The Cats are not Alter boys and definitely throw their weight around. Like every great side, they have mongrel in them. They are tough and uncompromising when it comes to giving and taking. Where I was sitting I saw the holier than thou Cats elbow, knee, slam, shove and shoulder Hawks body every chance they could. And a lot of that contact was in the grey area between the laws of the game and its spirit. What I’m trying to express, is that there is no conspiracy. Your boys hits are as bad as any other sides and when they get reported/suspended you have to suck it up and get on with it.

    Cheers

    Sorry Mr PB for taking the discussion away from the game it’s just me and Mr Phantom haven’t chatted for a while ?

  7. I tips me toupee to yer Rick, and I am sure PB understands. He is currently immune to all pain and distraction after the hooter went on Friday night.

    Next time you are talking to Clarko ask him if he can arrange an eleven goal last term against the Cats. It might just work.

  8. John Harms says

    You’ll be hearing from our lawyers PB.

    (Although I found the read entertaining, the analysis warped, and the conclusion that it was not a game for the purists accurate. Not sure how much we learnt about either side)

  9. John Harms says

    PB, I am just off the phone from talking to ABC Perth.

    Sounds like the people of Perth have gone nuts at the accusation of being a crowd of rabid supporters. Although their upset was doused by an Eagles caller who had taken their 7 year old and could not believe the behaviour and attidude of the crowd.

    What did you make of it all?

  10. Perhaps Les could offer an objective comment regarding the ‘crowd of rabid supporters’ John.

    But you could understand why they were just a little bit agitated. They got smashed the week before and with the state the Cats were in a 5 point win was a fair bit over par – and they know it.

  11. Peter Flynn says

    At the time (on TV), I thought the Eagles supporters treated the situation appropriately.

    I wasn’t there so I can’t be sure if there was a minority element.

    All I know is that its a great ground to watch footy.

    PB: Great description of Johnno.

    Cheers PF.

  12. When WA went into the national competition our football culture became twisted. Suddenly we were all expected to barrack for the same team. In the old days East Perth and West Perth and Subiaco etc etc supporters were just as passionate about their team as any Collingwood or Geelong fan. But things change.

    So a lot of people have grown up, or become used to, being in a crowd where just about everyone is supporting the same team. No loudly expressed opinions are challenged. Any free kick against the home team is an outrage.

    During the Fremantle-Essendon game James Hird and Mark Thompson were drawn into what was described as “banter” from a Freo fan sitting close to me. He was abusing Leroy Jetta. It wasn’t good-natured. It wasn’t funny. It was sustained, loud, personal and stupid. People sitting around him thought it was great. Security spoke to him. “It was just fun,” he said, “I wasn’t swearing.” Hird wanted him kicked out. So did I.

    Are Eagles fans worse? Probably. They’ve been doing for longer and they currently have a group of players who play for free kicks by throwing their heads back when tackled and incite supporters into a belief they’re getting a raw deal.

    Is there are solution? Yes. Deregister the Eagles.

  13. Stop sitting on the fence with respect to the solution Les.

  14. Andrew Fithall says
  15. So, there we go, predicted a month ago.

    Cheers AF.

    Also to come: Hawkins, for gagging while unconcious on the ground 2 weeks for an early guilty plea.

    J Bartel: for picking his nose in the dugout while he thought no one was looking, 2 weeks – with an extra week added for last suspension loading.

    Corey Enright: two weeks for farting on the plane on the way over with an extra two weeks for blaming the old lady asleep in the seat behind him.

    And on and on and on……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

  16. Basso Divor says

    In response to Rick’s earlier response, “The Cats are not Alter (sic) boys…” They might not be, but the Chook Lotto that is the MRP certainly is! Their lack of consistency and ability to “alter” precedents is simply astounding! Last week, the MRP dealt Freo’s McPharlin a week following a shoulder high bump on an opponent; whilst this week, Cat magician Stevie J doesn’t even rate a cursory glance for an identical collision. Then they cite Joel Selwood for an open handed push to a player on the ground after both players (fair and squarely) tried to knock each other into next week?!?

    How about some consistency from both the MRP and umpiring confraternity?!

    PS Yes, I’m a Cats’ supporter.

  17. The young Brennan did the same thing to Christensen.

    Maybe the penalty is more heavy when it’s your brother.

  18. Basso Divor says

    A footnote to my previous entry. The Merriam-Webster on-line Dictionary lists “alter” in its transitive verb form as meaning:
    “1: to make different without changing into something else
    2: castrate, spay”

    The MRP really are “Alter boys”!!

  19. Mark Doyle says

    I like this review of the West Coast/Geelong game, which I have not seen on TV because of the Melbourne Film Festival. I was also amused with the Catholic religion and other political metaphors. I also think that the comments about Chris Scott’s strategic game management are accurate; I believe that the attitude and competitiveness of this Cats team is because of the legacy of Mark Thompson’s coaching from 2000 to 2010. The jury is out on whether Chris Scott will become a A-grade coach. I think Scott has done a good job in managing the assistant and developement coaches plus the player fitness, but I am not sure of his footbal teaching and game strategy skills.
    It seems that the West Coast ruckmen Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui were the instrumental matchwinners in this game; Dean Cox is a great player and a great role model for Nic Naitanui, who could become the best player of all time. It amazes me that the garbage Melbourne Football Club did not draft Naitanui a few years back and preferred a white upper middle class boy from Brighton in Melbourne who had a private Anglican school education.

  20. Dean and Nic – who are both good players – looked even better with Geelong only playing one ruckman. And the big O did well, on the ground, intercepting the ball, reading the play. But then perhaps I am numerically challenged (for those who love the stats sheet)?
    Phantom, your conspiracy theory is spot on given charges laid in recent hours, and the long, long list of those transgressions on the footy field that are excused, glossed over, explained away by our glorious media who own the game – the AFL and the MRP are consequently, in their employ.
    Look to a fixture that fixes a lot, before a ball is even bounced. And for the AFL to suggest that it all evens out over 3 years is just smoke and mirrors – got to keep the punters punting.
    Good article PB – a good scope of the game and one that gives a decent attempt to be fair and unbiased – something I never attempt to do, because I cannot.

  21. A very good read, PB.

    I have an alternate theory as to why there were so many deliberate out-of-bounds frees paid.

    All night, Dean Cox was being held by at least 1 arm (often 2) at every boundary throw-in. This left the umpires with a terrible dilemna: would they have to cross their masters at the Herald Sun and the Victorian Coaches Association and award a free to an Eagle for an infringement?

    They came up with a more creative solution: stop having boundary throw-ins…

  22. So the MRP conspiracy is to NOT suspend players from teams like the Cats that they apparently don’t want to make the GF. Mmmmm. Missed it by that much …

  23. Winding a twisted logic even this self confessed conspiracy theorist cannot fathom, RK. Or is it a bloke thing?

  24. I would like to rise to the bait and respond to that Rick but I could not understand what you said as the only other language on offer in ‘ye days of olde’ at my school was French.

    Talking in tongues was only introduced to the cirriculum after I left.

    How’s Squirrel’s shoulder. It wasn’t the toupee terrorist that got him I hope.

    (I was just over at a neighbour who has one of those wiz bang satelite channels. I was mesurised watching Dermie kick three for the Pies in a narrow win against the Hawks. Not a good look.)

  25. The crowd behaviour issue warrants serious discussion, but I honestly thought Hawkins was very warmly acknowledged by 99% of the Eagles supporters on Friday night. There are a whole raft of categories of barracking that each have their psychological and ethical perspectives.
    The only one that worries me about Perth (and Adelaide) barrackers is the one-team crowd perspective (combined with the minority who can’t attend without a skinful).
    I can remember from my SANFL youth that you had to learn to barrack passionately and mockingly, but outright abuse rightly earned you an earful or a fistful. It forced you to learn reasonable boundaries.
    I have friends who are lifetime supporters of interstate clubs who refuse to go to Subiaco because they (and their kids) cop a gobful (and worse) just walking into the ground in opposition colours.
    Its disgraceful and exhibits the cowardice of boozed-up mob rule. Dunno how you stamp it out.
    But most of the in-game barracking I have witnessed at Subi is fair game by a passionately irrational crowd at a passionately irrational contest. I am frequently guilty myself. There are no end to the denigrated bosses; battered wives and cowering dogs who are grateful that we get a fortnightly outlet for our spleen.
    Its panto not venal. But abusing people for just supporting a different tribe is Nazi xenophobia.

  26. Basso Divor says

    ‘’I have friends who are lifetime supporters of interstate clubs who refuse to go to Subiaco because they (and their kids) cop a gobful (and worse) just walking into the ground in opposition colours.”
    I was drinking with a couple of other lifetime Cats supporters at a local bowlo last Friday who refuse to attend games at Subi. Neither of these blokes could be described as shrinking violets, but one said he wouldn’t go again because he’s the sort that won’t back down and recognises he’ll always be in the minority against the Subi pack mentality and therefore be the one evicted.
    My 16yo daughter has only been to one game at Subi and has sworn to never go again.

  27. nathan jarvis says

    Obviously deregistering the Eagles is the only way forward.

    Weavils supporters are a disgrace and a blight upon the Great Game. That they – like all the other sociopaths – are unaware of this is proof enough.

    Deregister the club and neuter the supporter base.

    FYI I have reported this “match report” to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Its appalling admixture of blasphemy and bullshit should see you receiving some metaphorical red slippers up the date any day now.

  28. Thank you Chris Scott for reiterating what i said a couple of months ago
    Eagle supportera are a disgrace!!!!!

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