Philosophers,
There are now three certainties in life.
Death, taxes, and Geelong winning the 2008 AFL Premiership Flag.
Other teams in the finals mix can pretty much suit themselves, and live in hope of the extremely unlikely event that the Cats will have a bad day at the office on their way to that One Day in September.
The Pontiff’s seed is just far too strong.
It’s no use having seven goals kicked on you in the first quarter.
It’s no use putting on “brave”, but ultimately fruitless fightbacks.
There is no way you can win a game of football against this mob if they kick seven goals on you in the Championship quarter.
It’s no use reducing the losing margin to a ‘respectable score’ at the dénouement.
It’s no use BBB ‘Slugger’ Hall finding some form after spending far too much time in the Sanitorium.
And they got it all wrong from the off if Cap’n’Kirk and My Mate Marty end up with their names on the scoresheet.
SC Roos is trying hard not to appear to be at the end of his tether.
The Swans fielded at least half a dozen players over the age of 30 in this match by my reckoning.
Supercoach Thompson would have told his young turks…”half these blokes should be playing in the veterans league on some suburban oval in the Hills District; just go out there and give them a smack and then run rings around them.”
Whoever signed Spida must have been suffering from a brain aneurism at the time, and to think that until his self inflicted season ending injury, Nick Davis Come To Save Us had been continuing to collect his generous contract money for not trying in the seconds.
Perhaps it’s time for the Swans match committee to make a booking for the Room Full of Mirrors, then have a word or two in a few shell-likes re going forward, and then give the football department some serious cash to attract bright young things with genuine futures to the club, and at last make use of the favourable draft picks available to Sydney.
Maybe it’s just time for a good old fashioned pogrom as far as the aged players are concerned.
“Veterans” be gone; there is absolutely no room for sentimentality in this caper.
They should take a tip from the Eskimo’s, who just push their old folks out of the igloo and onto the ice when they reach their use by dates.
SYDNEY: 4.1, 6.4, 8.5, 14.10 (94). Goals: Hall 5, Moore 2, McVeigh 2, Goodes 2, Kirk, Mattner, Bird.
GEELONG: 7.4. 9.8, 16.10, 20.13 (133). Goals: Byrnes 3, Ablett 3, Lonergan 3, Johnson 2, Mooney 2, Varcoe 2, Stokes, Prismall, Bartell, Gamble, Ottens.
At Olympic Stadium, Homebush.
Crowd: 49, 955.
Once again, otherwise engaged, and missed the entirety of the Monday night Tigers game.
Surely must make the effort to struggle up the hill to Leichhardt Oval for the Sharks match, the last home game of the season, Friday week.
Surely?
Otherwise could be cast as a fool to myself, and a burden on the community.
Seasoned observers at the now tumble down Parramatta Stadium suggest that the Tigers simply didn’t turn up to play and lost the one game they should have won in the win at least two out of the last four to make the finals scenario, badly.
No one played well.
There were even dark mutterings mid week that some players who shall remain nameless for the time being, had had a metal snap, and were thinking of Mad Monday and the team’s end of season trip to Waikiki Beach, too early
All reports suggest it was the Tigers eighth straight loss to the Slippery Eels in a losing streak that dates back to 2003.
Balmain players were probably running around the dressing sheds afterwards with their thumbs in their ears flapping their fingers about and making low hooting noises along the lines of “ooh noo! not another hoodoo!”
SC Sheens is in two minds about how to approach the week ahead, but will probably in the end reach for the large cane basket full of cat o’ nine tails’, and flog them on the training track.
But there is always the associated danger of over-training a team who find themselves on struggle street on the road home.
Nah, bugger it, get out the whips.
PARRAMATTA EELS 40. Tries: Tautai (2), Hayne (2), Moimoi, Hindmarsh, Mateo. Goals: Inu (6).
WESTS TIGERS 12. Tries: Marshall, Heighington. Goals: Hodgson (2).
At Parramatta Stadium.
Crowd: 13,065.
