Fellow RevHeads,
Fresh from the utter madness that is Formula One qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix, found myself on Saturday night in the Viper’s Nest.
The Prince of Wales Hotel on Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, to be precise, with a noice view over the bay and Coopers Ale on tap.
And only a drop kick from the Junction Oval, and then a banana punt to the now all but derelict Lakeside Oval, for that matter.
In for the local derby given that the only thing that separates St Kilda from South Melbourne is Albert Park.
There was some consternation among the patrons just on kick off as the televisions continued to show the Brisbane v West Coast game, as die hard Saints fans berated the bar staff along the lines of “What the fcuk is that crap on for! Don’t to know where you are, you fool?”
It was then that my mate Trev decided it might be a good idea to remove his Sydney Swans “loyal member’ cap that he had been wearing all day, but it was too late, he had already been spotted, and of course, couldn’t hold his tongue.
Someone with a frightened look on their face soon scurried out from behind the front bar with a channel changer and all was right with the world.
The Swans, uncharacteristically, opened the new football season on fire, with loose men everywhere and winners all over the park.
Then, inexplicably, they went to sleep.
On the snooze, siesta time baby, comatose, not back from the tropical islands just yet.
Soon after half time it all became too much as yet another goalless quarter loomed, and the lure of the tapas bar just up the road became irresistible, after which Trev dipped back into the pub just in time to see the last minute dénouement and a miserable 15 point defeat.
Taxi!
Noted in The Age the next morning SC Roos quoted as saying that he questioned “the commitment” of some of the senior players [crikey! this early in the season?!] given that kicking five goals in the first quarter looked good on paper, but then just four more for the entirety of the rest of the duration cruelled any chance, given that “it is very difficult to win games” when you can’t even kick ten goals in a match.
Earlier in the day, had spotted a wild eyed bloke with a shock of sandy coloured hair barreling along Fitzroy St as if he was unstoppable.
He was wearing a t-shirt that read “I Bring Nothing To The Table”.
Perhaps he was referring to the Swans ageing roster and ‘leadership group’?
Probably a bit harsh with what seems like autumn barely upon us, but the proof will be in the pudding come spring.
Will refrain from comment on individual players given that tickets in the cheap seats are in hand for the Hawks game this Saturday night at the Western Paddock, where you’d expect the bookies to be offering a generous price about a Swans win and the umpires to be given a frightful bollocking.
Considering dressing myself in my newly acquired bright red Ferrari polo-shirt; in solidarity with losers.
ST KILDA 1.1, 4.4, 9.6, 12.8 (80). Goals: Milne 3, Koschitzke 2, Gardiner 2, Dal Santo 2 McQualter, Goddard, Gram.
SYDNEY 5.4, 5.6, 5.6, 9.11 (65). Goals: Grundy 2, Goodes, Hall, Jolly, Jack, Mattner, Bevan, O'Keefe.
At Docklands Stadium.
Crowd: 32,442.
It’s remarkable how the legion of Melburnian sports fans, who are well known for gathering in numbers to watch two flies crawl up a wall, display no interest whatsoever in the rugby league, despite having an NRL Premiership Cup in trophy cabinet.
They will tell you the Storm’s home ground is always full of ex-pats and it’s best left that way.
So of course, not seen a single frame of the Mighty Tiges game, not even on the news reels.
Some correspondents who were at the ground suggest that Benji had his best game ever, while others put Robbie ‘The best Leb in game” Farah down as man-of-the-match.
Farah is certainly putting his hand up early for the vacant spot in the NSW side, while the Tigers are well aware that for them to go anywhere, Benji just has to have a stellar season.
It’s as simple as that.
SC Sheens would have been down in the Secretary’s Office on Monday morning opening up the Coaches Ledger, and scratching the appropriate mark in one of the two neatly ruled columns headed in copperplate with “we’ll take our wins” and “we’ll learn from our losses”.
Perhaps rugby league is too easy to understand for those south of the Mexican border?
Sydney Roosters 24 Tries: Aubusson (2), Kenny-Dowall, Anasta. Goals: Fitzgibbon (4).
Wests Tigers 40 Tries: Lawrence (2), Collis, Farah, Ryan, Tuiaki, Moltzen. Goals: Marshall (6).
At Sydney Football Stadium.
Crowd: 14,426.
