Your Excellencies,
Another get out of jail card deftly pulled from the pack.
Been saying all year that the Swans need to perfect the art of winning those close away games by narrow margins.
Given that the television coverage on Seven was limited to a two hour highlights package given their commitment to motor racing, found myself back in the Jason Recliner with a brandy sour in hand, and listening to the NewsRadio call of the game.
Rhino Keefe and Marty Mattner were best on ground purely on the number of times their names were mentioned on the radio call, which is always a .always a good indication, with Captain “never played a bad game” Kirk an honourable second best.
Who would’ve picked Odd Head McVeigh as a goal kicker in his old age?
SC Roos’ very rare fearsome spray at the players at three quarter time, along the lines of “if you lose this one you can all go and stew in your own juice, and you can count me out” was noted by some long time sages at the ground and passed on to the commentators
It must have got the lads going in the final quarter as they were almost run over in the shadows of the post.
It’s not often that you can use the word “pulsating” to described a half of modern Australian Rules football, but after a stellar Championship Quarter, to take a couple of goals lead at the start of the last quarter, see that pegged back, go again on the last legs for what looked like a match winning lead, and then have two goals kicked on you in the last few minutes of the game to witness the vision of the jaws of defeat opening up once again, only to go out winners when the match was called over inside 28 minutes into the final quarter, after three really long quarters, will do for mine.
The deep mysteries of AFL timekeeping are being kept in the inner circle, and those in charge are determined that they will never be revealed.
Six points clear in fourth on the ladder is a lot better than two, with Adelaide, Richmond and Carlton pretty much gorn for all money.
They should be able to comfortably dispose of the hapless Crows on the hallowed turf this weekend and push that out to ten.
The old stagers at the Crows Club down at Southwark must be saying to themselves “who was it exactly, who let Mattner go?”
CARLTON: 5.5, 10.9, 15.9, 18.11 (119). Fevola 5, Betts 3, Judd 2, Walker, Russell, Murphy, Kreuzer, Fisher, Grigg, Hartlett, Waite.
SYDNEY: 2.1, 8.5, 14.10, 18.13 (121). McVeigh 4, O'Keefe 3, Moore 2, Bevan 2, Jolly 2, Goodes 2, J Bolton, Playfair, Roberts-Thomson.
At Docklands Stadium.
Crowd: 38,401.
Possibly the worst first half blind refereeing performance of the season.
First the Bamford puts the young Moltzen kiddie [plucked from obscurity to stand in at full back for the injured Great Hoddo] in the sin bin for what amounted to an innocuous technical professional foul, then failed to call a pass that was a country mile forward that produced Souths first try with the Tigers down to 12 men, and then called a South Sydney try held-up in goal when the video ref, if it had been referred to him, would have clearly called it a Rabbitoh’s try.
Useless.
Luckily, someone convinced him to take off his dunces hat at half time and put on something sensible.
SC Sheens is reported to have used one of his favourite words, “ordinary”, to describe it.
Regardless of being caned in the penalties, Heighington, Blud Nut Gallaway and Robbie [he was described to me mid-week as “the best Leb in the game”] Farah all had outstanding games for mine.
Which only goes to prove the parable that if your forwards are going forward -- no matter what number jumpers they are playing in -- the backs can please themselves.
And they did just that, with Benji putting in by far his best game of the season; bought the kicking boots to the ground and did some fine work with the toe on the ball in general play, and was pretty well on song with difficult shots in front of goal in the absence of The Great Hoddo.
The trademark jink, step and weave are back….putting on two tries for his wingers, including a miracle set play down the blind side involving just a couple of sets of hands and a couple of well timed dummies, and suddenly the try scoring freak Lawrence was away as quick as lightning for 45 metres, tip-toeing all the while within inches of sideline to score in the corner, as the commentator said, alone and unattended!
You can’t coach against that.
It appears that Benji had some kind of epiphany during his Sunday morning ablutions, which can be enough to scare the living bejoisus out of anyone.
He said on interview after the game:
“I was standing in the shower this morning and thinking I was sick of losing the last few weeks. I'd forgotten how good I used to be, forgotten what I can do, and I just thought I'd try and remind myself of how good I can be if I tried.”
Not quite sure what he was saying there, but whatever it was, the faith that he decided to place in himself, worked.
The Pontiff was kicking himself that he couldn’t get to the game, as he was a bit tired and emotional after his morning duties at Randwick. Later realised he’d gone too hard, too early.
But he was happy enough to watch the match on the big screen in the lounge bar at St Mary’s while enjoying a cheeky little pilsner, and subsequently declared it an official miracle that the Mighty Tiges are now just half a win outside the top eight.
Shaking his head, he mumbled something about how forgiving the rugby league can be at times.
SOUTH SYDNEY 12. Tries: Simpson, Asotasi. Goals: Luke (2).
WESTS TIGERS 36. Tries: Ryan (2), Lawrence (2), Tuiaki (2), Farah. Goals: Marshall (4).
At Olympic Stadium, Homebush.
Crowd: 21,818.
