Oh Yes!
Friday night footy, and the underdogs, who just happened to be the Doggies, were taking on the big boys, reigning three-peat premiers, Hawthorn. Everyone seems to have the Western Bulldogs as their “second team,” and the cheeky Doggies’ banner paid homage to that fact, reading, “Tonight The Hawks Have 75,000 Members But The Bulldogs Have 24 Million Supporters.”
A massive crowd of almost 89,000 packed the MCG for the do-or-die clash, and boy, oh boy, did it live up to the hype!
The Dogs nerves got to them in the first quarter. They had opportunities, but their inaccuracy was contagious! Hawthorn looked like they’d be cruising to an easy victory, and the strut started. By the main break, the Dogs had fought back hard. Only one point separated them, however, it was the third term that won the game for the Dogs. Six goals to one, and the red, white and blue crowd had gone wild with excitement. Some held scarves to their faces, not daring to celebrate just yet. This was Hawthorn, after all. There was a quarter left to play and their four-peat dream was about to end if they didn’t get themselves over the line. If anyone knows how to “play” Hawthorn, it’s Bulldogs’ coach, Luke Beveridge. He was part of their inner sanctum. He worked under Hawks’ coach, Alistair Clarkson for three years, as assistant coach.
It was an awe-inspiring 23-point win to the Dogs in the end. Ironically, Hawthorn led by the same margin at one stage, and even the commentators were saying that it’s a worrying sign. Hawthorn looked to be cruising. They may well have underestimated the grunt and fighting spirit of the underdog. Following the final siren, the scenes of utter jubilation were Grand Final-like in scope and excitement. Hawthorn fans and players were left staring blankly into thin air. What just happened? What does anyone associated with Hawthorn do for the rest of September? It’s over! This is a bitter pill, and one that the Hawks aren’t used to swallowing.
After the game, Alistair Clarkson made his way to the Dogs’ rooms to seek out his former assistant, Luke Beveridge. He gave him a warm, sincere, congratulatory hug. Pure class. In a moment of devastation, it says a lot for a man who will put his disappointment aside to share in the jubilation of the victory that ended his team’s reign.
In the post-match press conference, Beveridge said, “We’ve [he and Clarkson] shared some pretty special times together in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He was the one who sent out the olive branch to me to come and work at the Hawthorn Football Club, so I owe him a lot.”
And so, Beveridge finally got his moment, as head of his own team. The baton was passed. Beveridge learnt from the best, and on Friday night at the MCG, he beat the best.
Hawthorn are out! The Bulldogs now face a rested Giants team this week (Spotless Stadium, Saturday, September 24 @ 5:15PM). The winner will be assured a spot in the 2016 AFL Grand Final!
Saturday night, and the Swans hosted the Crows at the SCG. First observation…did the resting Geelong players get their voodoo dolls out? The contest was brutal and the body count stacked up. Geelong would be coming off a rest and they’d be facing either of those two sides competing to play them for a spot in the grand final. Both teams played like there was no tomorrow. Adelaide can fly home and lick their wounds, but for Sydney, there is a tomorrow, and they’ll face the Cats at the MCG in this week’s preliminary final. Sydney defender, Jarrad McVeigh injured his calf in the second quarter. He hobbled from the ground and took no further part in the game. Speedy forward, Gary Rohan opened Sydney’s goal-kicking account by getting their first major on the board, but with just 11 seconds to go before half time, he clutched at his knee and was taken from the ground with the look of dread that any footballer gets when his luck runs out. If Sydney does make the grand final, Rohan will most certainly miss it. A 38-point margin at half time, in favour of the home team, meant they had a nice buffer going into the main break, despite their injuries. Adelaide had their own injury woes. Jake Lever injured his ankle, also in the seemingly cursed second quarter. He didn’t play out the game. Defender, Daniel Talia played out the game with a groin injury that compromised his ability to run. His opponent, Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin kicked four goals, in what was, a return to form after last week’s goalless game. No doubt, Sydney set up their win from the first bounce. They kicked seven goals in the first quarter. The home crowd was pumped up and the visitors were on the back foot for the rest of the night. It was catch-up footy for the Crows, and although they made mini-comebacks in short bursts, they couldn’t quite pull the margin back enough to look like winning. The Swans led at every break and cruised into next week’s preliminary final with a 36 point win. The big question is…soreness. Play through the pain and maybe, just maybe, the Swans could knock off a rested Geelong team. They have a good record against Sydney, and momentum is a key element to this game. The rest isn’t always an advantage. Friday night (September 23, MCG @ 7:50PM)…we’ll know the answer.
Oh No!
What if? If Hawthorn’s Issac Smith didn’t go over that kick after the siren a thousand times in his head last week, he’ll be going over it a thousand times more for months to come. The double chance gave Hawthorn the opportunity to dust off that disappointment and still get to the big dance, but they had to keep on winning, and they didn’t. A goal instead of a point last week, and the Hawks would have enjoyed the breather that Geelong got this week. One straight kick and everything would have changed. Instead, it was a straight sets elimination. That four-peat dream is a “what if?” for all time now. It’s something that will stay with Smith, a knot in his gut, long after his football career has ended.
Only 24,000 fit into Spotless Stadium, and we have a preliminary final there next week. Tickets will be so scarce, they’ll be hotter than Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket! Can they set up massive TV screens in the car park? They should! The overflow of Dogs fans wanting to soak up the atmosphere could literally spill that far out. Not kidding!
Injuries! Hard, contested games have meant injuries to key players. The cruellest of blows is that some are long term, which could mean missing a spot in the grand final.
Could it be an all-NSW grand final? GWS vs. Sydney… it’s now a very real possibility. It could also be an all-Victorian grand final, Geelong vs. Western Bulldogs. The other scenario, and it’ll be that ol’ traditional rivalry between Victoria and NSW, one team from each state. Winner take all!
See you at the end of the week!
