One win at a timers,
From 16-0 up at half time, this one was never in doubt, really.
Forwards were just too strong, the backs too clever, and the "Kings of The Set Play" as they were described in the television call can't be coached against, because no one, except themselves, has the faintest idea about what they might be up to next.
The Moltzen Kiddie is telling SC Sheens, that yes, he really is a full back, not some utility bench player, with an oustanding Man of the Match performance.
How they lost to Parra away in the early part of the season remains an unsolvable puzzle.
The Parramatta Eels have been a curious kettle of fish this year.
A team with a few out and out stars in the form of Hayne, Hindmarsh, Moi Moi at a pinch, and yet they are set to finish with the wooden spoon.
Who would have thought of it on paper?
They now find themselves in a hard fought battle with Gold Coast and Canberra to avoid finishing at the bottom of the heap.
Parra reminds me very much of Belfield, the team that the youngest daughter plays for in the Canterbury Women's Hockey Association comp.
She is a big burly forward - there are not too many girls who stand at 6'1" in that league - who is renowned for taking no prisoners in a violent game, and is more than a half way decent striker to boot.
Never mind that she scored a goal with 3 minutes left on the clock last week to level it up at 1-1 with the already crowned Minor Premiers; Belfield ran stone motherless last by a long way on the premiership table.
Still, she gets to play in the curtain raiser on Grand Final Day in the Pennant Cup.
It's a match between last and second last on the ladder; the winner of which proudly lifts the Pennant Cup.
It's taken very seriously.
If there is no result at full time it goes to extra time and if neccessary a penalty goal shoot out.
Is there any other sporting competition in the world that awards a handsome trophy for coming second last??
Gawd - there's a digression for you.
Back to the football.
They are still winning without their left edge with What'd I Do Guv and the Try Scoring Freak both out [but expected back for the finals], and That Pom Ellis didn't play either, after doing himself a mischief in training.
Bearing that in mind, they did it standing on their ear.
Top four is not out of the question, but they have to win the last two, and win them well, and have some other results fall their way, however the prize is well worth getting - the double bite at the cherry is priceless come September
As an aside, it's always pleasing to see justice being done mid-week, with some Magistrate acquitting the Great Benji of a trumped-up assault charge, after hearing a glowing character reference from no less than Our Dawnie Fraser.
Never mind that Marshall was outside the George St McDonalds at 3.30am of a Sunday when the incident took place [who knows what he was thinking?], in her judgement, Her Worship on throwing the charge out of court did say to Benj from the bench something along the lines of "Who can blame you? People can't go around calling other people "black c--nts" and get away with it. It's just not on. You should have clocked the idiot harder, just to teach him a lesson".
Marshall, to his credit, thanked the Magistrate for her infinite wisdom and bustled past the waiting media scrum outside court saying only "That's over. That's good. Now, let's play some rugby league".
WESTS TIGERS 31. Tries: Ayshford (2), Utai, Marshall, Ryan. Goals: Marshall (5). Field Goals: Farah (1).
PARRAMATTA EELS 12. Tries: Smith, Hicks. Goals: Burt (2).
At Sydney Football Stadium.
Crowd: 18,626.
Mr Ed must be as mystified as everyone else.
He certainly hasn't come up with a solution to the significant problem of the Behind Blowout.
Here's a mob of blokes who must kick a thousand goals in practice every week, and yet can't find the tall timber to save themselves when it come to match day.
Certainly, a quality full forward would help, but really, what the?
Just the ten goals, all kicked by different players
As a seasoned observer who was at the ground said to me "23.10 would have been a much prettier score".
12 behinds to half-time was a worry, and then they only won the Championship Quarter on the back of more behinds scored.
Won't be winning many finals matches on that showing.
While it looked for all the world that they could have been robbed blind by that turd Ray "Artform" Chamberlain in the opening stanza, after he gifted St Kilda two easy goals from questionable free kicks, then there was the 50m march, lawd strike me, in the end, the Swans were always in danger of having only themselves to blame in yet another horrible behindathon.
Just as perplexing is how players can have absolute shockers one week, and then feature in the "best" list in the fishwraps the next week.
A prime example being Teddy Richards; after playing the worst game of his life last week, had a very good game this week, and was close to Best on Ground for closing down Riewoldt the Elder nice and tight after he'd kicked two early goals.
Odd Head was on song, Rick Shaw was handy, The Hannebery Kiddie did some nice work, while Mummy also had a claim to Best on Ground, with his phenomenal number of hit outs in the ruck.
Would have got the three Brownlow points.
Bamfords like that sort of thing.
No wonder Seaby can't get a game.
With the paradox of the team still not being guaranteed a place in the top 8, but the prospect of a home final still in play, the Club Secretary must be shitting himself about the miserable crowd figure.
Everyone knows that Sydney sports fans are very fickle, but the 25,025 allegedly in attendance was the smallest ever crowd - by a long shot - for a Swans game at the Western Paddock [they were averaging 60,000+ in the years after the Premiership win.]
The club must be kicking themselves that they are locked into a contract to play three games there until 2016; while patrons facilities are unsurpassed and public transport is free for ticket holders, the surface is worse than a field full of cow pats, and the skinny latte sipping, chardonnay slurping, croissant munching basket weavers from the Eastern Suburbs hate going there, much preferring their own backyard at the G.
Can't be doing anything at all for club revenue.
A very sad note to finish.
The bush telegraph in the corner of the loungeroom chattered into life last night with the terrible news that Jarrad McVeigh's first born had died at just one month old.
Joisus wept.
Poor thing.
Vale Luella McVeigh.
That will knock him, and the club, around, for sure, and only goes to remind you of your own mortality.
Of course, no one blames him for not playing this week; in fact he's been brave to play in the last two.
The rest of the team will no doubt be motivated to Do It For Jarrad this weekend, and break Geelong's 29 match winning streak at home.
Let's go to Kardinia Park and see what can be done.
As the Stats Guru has pointed out, never mind that the Swans haven't won there for 12 years.
SYDNEY: 1.5, 3.12, 6.17, 10.23 (83). Goals: Shaw, McVeigh, Hannebery, O'Keefe, White, Reid, J.Bolton, Spangher, Goodes, Mumford.
ST KILDA: 3.3, 6.4, 9.6, 10.8 (68). Goals: Riewoldt 2, Armitage 2, Goddard, Gilbert, Ray, Lynch, Milne, Polo.
At Olympic Stadium, Homebush.
Crowd: 25,025.
