Second Half Blitz

Editor's note: I actually did make it today but as I've had a football related nervous breakdown in the last couple of weeks and couldn't do anything but sit there, feel that it was all pointless, how everything was black and all sorts of other Nietzschean bullshit I've handed the reigns over to a guest reporter for the week. Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome "Rowdy"

What a strange game footy is. I turned up to the MCG on Sunday afternoon feeling decidedly seedy after my friends 21st, but very optimistic of the Dees chances against a depleted Kangaroos outfit. In the first half I was sitting in my seat, feeling suicidal at the prospect of missing the finals due to another late season collapse. Add a couple of hours; I’m standing up applauding the team and thinking about a top 4 spot again. After trailing by 20 points at half time, somehow the team woke up and finished 50 point winners. I tell you, it’s a strange game.

Crowd Watch
Sat in a new place for me, bottom level of the new Olympic Stand on the 50m arc. Really liked the position, and it was mostly Melbourne fans which was good. Had a bogan Roos supporter behind who was talking such drivel, his own family were looking embarrassed. Had kids running in and out of my aisle for the whole game, Christ knows what they were doing. Maybe they had the runs or something.
End Crowd Watch

The game itself started out in gloomy circumstances with the Roos deadset jumping us and kicking the first 3 goals. It took a Drew Petrie brain explosion for us to kick our first through the skipper. I don’t really feel like talking about the rest of the quarter because apart from Adem Yze putting his body on the line TWICE, nothing exciting happened. The Kangas continued to dominate us and we continued to muck around with the ball, handballing more often than kicking & missing our targets when we did kick.

The second quarter was much of the same. The Roos continued to run us off our feet, with our guys standing around watching them for most of the time. Jess Sinclair was sweeping the ball off half back and Petrie was taking good grabs as well. If it wasn’t for Nathan Jones, Neita, Greeny and Brock then the margin would have been double what it was at the main break.

Ok, now I’ve gotten past the shit that was the first half I can move on to the third quarter. What the hell did Danners say?! Whatever it was worked, because it was a different team that ran out for the second half. As usual, it was the Flash who inspired us, stealing a Watt handball and then kicking the goal from 40m. That got me sitting a bit more alert in my seat, and when Yze drilled one from 50 on the boundary right in front of me, the blood was well and truly pumping. Bate, McLean, Green and Ward were running hard and creating space and dare I say it, but Brad Miller presented bloody well in the third quarter. His decision making is still fucking horrible at times, but there were some encouraging signs. The delivery into the forward line was superb, and Neita took full advantage, kicking the Dees into the lead after Bate had just about killed him with a lethal pass. Davey was just everywhere, and kicked one of the longest goals I have seen him kick after Whitey intercepted a stray Roos kick. And so ended an awesome third quarter, eight goals kicked by the Dees, seven of them through Neitz and Davey.

The last quarter was a training run. The Roos stopped and looked like they couldn’t be assed and we buried them into the dirt. Robbo kicked a couple after being well held all day, and Brucey started to find a bit of it after being well tagged for most of the match. Neita kicked a ballburster for his 8th, and then took himself off when the match was won. All in all, pretty good win by the boys considering we had such a shithouse first half.

2006 Allen Jakovich Medal Votes

5 – David Neitz (kicked 8.4 so could have and probably should have kicked 10. Was superb all day and was the dominant player on the ground)
4 – Brock McLean (was awesome around the ground and had 36 touches. Delivered the ball beautifully by foot all day and was tough in around the clinches. Going to be a star if he’s not already)
3 – Aaron Davey (kicked 4 and was instrumental in the comeback. He is so important to this team its stupid)
2 – James McDonald (was his usual brilliant self, hard at it and laying tackle after tackle)
1 – Nathan Jones (25 touches and was terrific when it counted. Should get the Rising Star nomination for that)

Apologies to Green, Ward, Rivers & Yze who were all good too.

Next week: Geelong at Skilled. Lets be honest, we’ll probably lose as it’s a shit ground and the Cats play best when there is nothing at stake. If we want to finish top 4, then we have to win so it’s a huge game. Should get Pickett back as well.

Now I gotta go do some uni work, so I’ll hand the reins back over. It was fun.

2006 Allen Jakovich Medal Leaderboard

37 - Cameron Bruce
34 - Brock McLean
34 - James McDonald
24 - David Neitz
20 - Brad Green
20 - Aaron Davey
19 - Jared Rivers (Leader: 2006 Marcus Seecamp Medal for defender of the year)
16 - Byron Pickett
15 - Travis Johnstone
13 - Nathan Carroll
12 - Matthew Whelan
10 - Matthew Bate
9 - Colin Sylvia
6 - Russell Robertson
6 - Adem Yze
4 - Chris Johnson
4 - Daniel Ward
4 - Ben Holland
4 - Nathan Jones
2 - Brent Moloney
2 - Brad Miller
2 - Clint Bartram
2 - Jeff White
1 - Nathan Brown

Note: I definately won't be going to Geelong as for the first time in 21 weeks I'm working when our game is on. I've had a shithot run with getting away with it all these weeks and if I had any leave of any form I'd go anyway. What this means is that once again we need a guest reporter. First in and best dressed. Extra points if you promise to hammer the locals about living in cardboard boxes and growing huge marijuana crops in their basements