Teary Hopefuls,
Well, as fearlessly predicted here last week, Big Bad Barry Hall shamelessly hounded out of the game.
A full blown obituary to come on Mad Monday, but suffice to say for the moment that he was an absolute ornament to the game.
Just a few words from one of the few people who really loved the flawed genius, SC Roos:
“As his coach for the past six years I will remember Hally as one of the greatest players to have played for this club; one of the genuine superstars of the game, his ability to be a match winner enabled him to take us to the level of the 2005 Premiership”.
It’s just very sad that he played his final game, in a losing side, on some god forsaken blasted heath in Adelaide, and that there will be no home ground farewell.
Having conferred club life membership on the bloke last year, the least the Swans could do is make the home game against St Kilda his benefit match; drive him around the SCG in the back of ute at half-time to allow his legion of fans to say goodbye.
All gate proceeds to The Great Man.
Watching the game on television on Sunday, it crossed my mind that no one really realised just how important BBB Hall is as the principal spearhead in the Swans forward set-up, until such time as he was banished to the sideline to write out his two hundred lines as punishment:
I will not clock blokes after the three quarter time siren.
I will not clock blokes after the three quarter time siren.
I will not clock blokes after the three quarter time siren.
While Magic tried hard at full forward, The Goodes Train had a quiet day by his standards, and while Barlow, Bolton and The Bird all chipped in from time to time, the absence of the big fella up front almost saw the Swans fall short of kicking enough goals to win.
While Rhino Keefe had his best game in weeks, and Rhyce “Rick” Shaw [who is looking more like a suicide bomber every day with that weird beard thingy under his chin] was clearly the best on ground by the length of the street; it was a pedestrian performance at best against an average opposition, who effectively gave the Swans a free get-out-of- jail card in the Championship Quarter.
Still, the stats guru’s are suggesting that with two teams way out in front, eleven wins might be enough to make the top eight this year.
Now without Hall, that remains a very very tough ask indeed for Sydney on six wins, with eight to play, four away, and St Kilda and Geelong still to come at home
On another worrying matter, seasoned observers at the ground insisted that the crowd figure was outrageously inflated.
Hardly a soul could be sighted in the new Doug Walters Stand, there was plenty of room in the cheap seats, and no one could be entirely sure if The Man and His Dog were even there.
Members who found something better to do, and the trainload of supporters from Blacktown who got waylaid in the Captain Cook Hotel on their way to the ground, must have been counted at the turnstiles, just to avoid the acute embarrassment of posting a crowd figure at the SCG of less than 20,000 for the first time in six years.
It was plain for all to see that Sydneysiders will just not show up to watch known losers go around.
God help the Western Sydney Shamrocks, because no one else will.
SYDNEY: 3.4, 7.6, 11.7, 15.10 (100). Goals: Barlow 2, J.Bolton 2, Goodes 2, Bird 2, O'Loughlin 2, Richards, Roberts-Thomson, Shaw, Veszpremi, O'Keefe
NORTH MELBOURNE: 3.3, 8.5, 10.6, 13.7 (85). Goals Jones 3, Harding 2, Swallow 2, Firrito 2, Hansen 2, Harris, Ross,
At Sydney Cricket Ground.
[Official] Crowd: 21,929.
No sooner than you blame the forward pack for the entire job lot of problems besetting the Balmain peninsular, what happens?
They play a collective blinder.
Admittedly, the forwards only really got going with Robbie Farah winding up as the main turbine in the engine room, with The Best Leb in the Game having his best outing since being selected in State of Origin One.
Crikey, even Ol’ Man Skando managed to barge over for a try, long after the issue of who got the premiership points had been settled.
But, some good old fashioned busting of the advantage line and some deft Farah dummy half work gave the backs some room to play for a change, and as a result the Human Wrecking Ball scored three first half tries without even raising a sweat.
As the Sunday fishwraps put it “Tigers feast on Bunnies”.
OK OK, so the Rabbitioh’s have let in a million tries his year and aren’t near the bottom of the ladder for nothing, but the Tiges now find themselves just four points outside the log jam that is the current top eight, so faint hope remains.
The win was all the more meritorious given that more than half the side was struck down with a gastric flu mid week, and SC Sheens was unable to get a full squad on the training paddock at anyone time, with one bloke or another tucked up in bed with a bucket.
On interview after the game, Benji was asked if he was among the afflicted.
He recounted his dressing room experience just before kick off.
“It sounded like I was murdering someone in the toilet. A few of the boys were pretty freaked out. It was a massive power spew”.
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS 20. Tries: Capewell (3), Merritt. Goals: Sandow (2)
WESTS TIGERS 54. Tries: Tuiaki (3), Ayshford (2), Payne, Moltzen, Ryan, Skandalis, Gallant. Goals: Marshall (7).
At Olympic Stadium, Homebush.
Crowd: 14,856.
