Match Fixers,
Was it just my imagination, or was there some sandbagging going on here?
Sure looked like it, for mine.
The game was lost at three quarter time, and the portents were there much earlier.
Thinking the coaching staff at some stage would have issued the order "don't try, but whatever you do, don't look like you're not trying"
You only have to consider the fact that the scores were level early in the Championship Quarter, and then Geelong kicked eight goals to zip
Under normal circumstances, that would have required a Stewards Inquiry on suspicion of not running the horse out on its merits, but the favourite got up, the bookies weren't unhappy, and it was never contemplated.
Bob's your Uncle.
There was that kind of feeling that the Swans decided to throw the game after being outplayed fair and square in the first half.
They were at Kardinia Park after all, so why bother?
This might all be a conspiracy theory, but if it's not, and it's true, then it's very clever strategy.
On the face of it, the Swans have been found out by good teams three times in the past four weeks. which would be a worry for any other team, but what if they lost one or two of those on purpose?
Sure, they played Hawthron right down to the wire in a ding-dong fight to the finish just to show what they are made of, on account of the fact that the Hawks are the dead-set short-odds Premiership favourites and Sydney needed a yard stick to go by in what turned out to be the best contested game of the season so far.
If they haven't realised it by now, that'd make other teams sit up an notice.
But you have to wonder if the Collingwood game, even though the margin was a mere eight points in the finish, wasn't thrown as well.
Just look at how they gave up a healthy Champo quarter lead in that one, in a game that everyone said "they should have won".
It was as if Sydney did all they could to avoid winning the minor premiership after leading the comp for the best part of six weeks.
There would have been blokes down in the Football Dept. spinning the abacus in the first quarter, if not before the start of the game, knowing where the beads would settle, and saying: "look, there's no point playing real hard, the minor premiership is gone, and we can't finish second and with that goes the extra pressure of playing a home semi-final in week one, so we might as well finish third and go to Adelaide to play The Pretenders in the first week of the finals. That doesn't hold any fears for us, so let's just take the foot off the pedal, put the key players in cotton wool, finish with no injuries, and gear up for business time."
You know it makes sense.
In the grand scheme of things, the Swans are now in a position where they can field their best possible, fully fit, first-picked side for the finals.
Only now will they have their eyes on the prize.
They've closely studied the Hare-Clark-McIntyre-Duckworth-Lewis finals system, and deliberately engineered the best possible draw, avoiding all the good teams to start the pointy end of the season.
Brilliant!
And it's all been done with smoke and mirrors so that no-one really notices.
Let's face it, they are two games out of the Grand Final, if they want it, and at the very least, have the double chance, that's unlikely to go unused.
Smart, smart, smart, Coach Horse.
The most entertaining thing about the match was that there was no love lost between the two sides.
They hate each other.
Thought Reg Grundy going down to the Tribunal to argue what little case he had was a bit cheeky, given that he put a good forearm jolt plus an elbow don't argue to finish to the chin of the Podsiadly - who no doubt deserved it - but rules is rules.
So, he's rubbed out for a week?
No matter.
Lets just hope that sort of uncompromising attitude continues on into September.
They'll need it.
GEELONG: 4.3 7.5 12.7 17.10 (112). Goals: Hawkins 4, Podsiadly 3, Chapman 3, Christensen, Mackie, Bartel, Duncan, Vardy, Johnson, Lonergan/
SYDNEY: 4.5 5.8 7.12 11.12 (78). Goals: Goodes 2, McVeigh 2, McGlynn, Bolton, Kennedy, Jack, O'Keefe, Mumford, Walsh.
At Kardinia Park.
Crowd: 20,045.
Mad Monday of course came far too early.
Not surprised when we walked into Leichhardt Oval on Saturday night and found it not overly busy.
There weren't that many people in the scramble up Heartbreak Hill from the Parramatta River to the Mary St entrance, apart from a few old folk like us who huffed and puffed their way up and said to each other "it doesn't get any easier does it?"
It was clear early on that without the Best Leb In The Game in the engine room, the Mighty Tiges are a disorganised shambles.
Down 6-10 at half time, they were still in with a theoretical chance at victory, but on the evidence of the first half, everyone at the ground knew that the game was up, and all hope was lost.
It's never nice to see your side completely clueless at home.
Never mind that Balmain came into the match still, after interminable weeks of hanging on by the skin of their teeth, in with a mathematical chance of finishing 8th.
All they needed to do was beat Melbourne by more than 14 points, and then rely on the hapless NZ Warriors beating the inform Canberra who were coming home with a wet sail.
Needless to say, it never looked likely, neither of those things happened, and the Tigers ended up finishing the regular season in 10th.
Joisus, Mary & Joseph.
What a miserable season it panned out to be, after one that held so much promise with the mid-season purple patch, only to be cruelled by injury.
Even though they had a basketful of excuses, The Great Benji on interview after the game, as the stand-in skipper, couldn't hide his humanity and his bitter disappointment, but was sensible enough just to say and leave it at "we only have ourselves to blame".
At half time went around to the Norman "Latchem" Robinson Stand to strain the potatoes in the expansive urinals under the stand, and then go out the back to blow a number amongst the dumpsters.
A rather dishevelled Tigers fan stumbled out of the dunnies with a wild look in his eyes and botted me for a smoke.
The conversation went something like this:
"Aw mate, can I get a fag off you? I've just been in a fight, and the bastard broke me flag", evidenced by the fact that he cast his Balmaim flag attached to a stick of dowell that had been busted in the middle onto the ground in a desultory fashion.
"Jesus! Where did that happen?"
"Just in there, in the dunnies there."
"Why? Was it a Melbourne fan?"
"Nah mate, he was one of us, a Tigers supporter"
"Bloody hell. You idiot, Why did you do that?".
"He was bagging Benji Marshall really loudly at the urinal, and I can't stand anyone bagging out My Benji, so I decided to go him"
"What happened?"
"Well, it wasn't a fight really, I just wrestled the prick to the floor, on the tiles there, and thought about giving him a couple, but didn't want to get into any trouble, so I didn't, even though the arsehole still broke my flag", and then launched into an apologia "Look at me. I'm not a fighter. But I was a high school wrestling champion in my time".
From there on in he just started jibbering about the Glorious Olden Days, rattling off the names of some of the great players of the 80's, and wondered if anyone remembered them anymore, and then launched into an apologia "Look at
The bloke was clearly unhinged.
Asked him about how he came to be a Balmain fan, telling him that my fandom began on moving to Sydney almost 30 year ago.
"I've never lived here", he said, but then failed to explain how he got his obviously ardent attachment to the Tigers.
"I live in Orange. I've lived there all me life, mate. I come down for all the Leichhardt Oval games every year, and I get usually get to the Parramatta and Penrith away games too. I love Leichhardt".
Takes all types.
Took my leave, and went back to re-join the Good Lady Wife in the bucket seat next to mine.
Must say that the new bank of seating they've installed on the small terrace which runs along the length of the ground below the mighty imposing Hill.
It's raked back in only five rows from the touch line.
They are the best seats in the house.
It would have cost them next to nothing to put them in, but it is a welcome long overdue improvement for a heritage ground that has never boasted first class spectator facilities, given that 80% of the crowd have always been, and still are, accomodated in standing room.
We were parked three rows back right on the southern 20 metre line, and when you are that close in that kind of man-made ampitheatre, you are for all intents and purposes right there in amongst the action.
When it's an uneventful passage of play and the crowd is quiet you can literally see the grunting grimmace on the player's faces and hear the thwacks as they are relentlessly crunch each other in the tackle.
Magnificent!
That Pom Ellis did nothing in his last game after four years at Leichhardt.
Why kill yourself to bring down the curtain on a short but outstanding career in the No.1 grade?
Rest on your laurels and take the plaudits on retirement is obviously the only way to go, son.
Vale Gareth, you've been a credit to the club and an ornament to the game.
SC Sheens didn't pull any punches on interview after the match, saying he would take full responsibilty for the debacle of a season and walk, if the Club Sectretary asked him to.
Said he'd go quietly if he got the tap on the shoulder, adding that that was up to The Board, and not something he had any control over.
Shrugged his shoulders and said "that's football. we'll see what happens".
Not about to fall on his sword, but you get the feeling that St Tim wouldn't mind getting the chop, even if only for the sake of his own sanity and general well being.
With the aim of getting a quick get away at full-time, we watched the last ten minutes of the match from directly behind the Melbourne in-goal, out the back of the disabled reserve where they put all the people in wheelchairs.
Felt right at home.
Wondered why the two blokes standing in front of us - who were well dressed in smart-casual with no signs of allegiance - weren't screaming and yelling like everyone else, but then spyed them signing each other, and realised that they were deaf mutes.
Even though they couldn't hear the full-time hooter at the denoument, they knew it was game over, season over, and waved goodbye to everyone around them in a jolly fashion and then left the ground, silently.
There was simply nothing more to say.
Rather apt, really.
WESTS TIGERS 6. Tries: Marshall. Goals Marshall (1).
MELBOURNE STORM 26. Tries: Hoffman, Manu, Norrie, Proctor, Waqa. Goals: Smith (3).
At Leichhardt Oval.
Crowd: 10,834.
