A right spanking

Handing out a 12 goal football lesson to a previously in-form side is not a bad way to start September!
It was really game over by quarter time, and certainly mid way through the second stanza, as the Swans cut a swathe through the Hawks defence that had turned up after having popped one too many Mogadon’s
Very satisfying to see Lewis Roberts-Thompson aka The Ugliest Man In Football back on the paddock after entire year out.
UMIF had a solid, if unspectacular game, but what more can you expect from a bloke seriously short of match practice?
Thought young Ed Barlow had an excellent match throughout.
The kiddie has a bright future in front of him for mine, and ironically, there may not be room for him in the side in the first week of the finals.
With Hall having a little rest to sort his niggles, the Swans mid-field and forwards set up had a virtually free reign from SC Roos as evinced by the number of goal kickers…count ‘em…twelve in all!!
At one stage I think the television commentators said that UMIF was the only bloods man on the field who had not kicked at least one goal this season.
In fact, at one stage during the second quarter here was the weird sight of UMIF and Malceski running through the half forward line.
The Goodes train was very good for three of the four quarters, while Magic had probably had his best game of the season, with a goal in each quarter.
The last goal of the game from Magic was a top candidate for ‘goal of the season’ as he had the ball on the customary string, evaded four or five defenders, to find himself with both feet over the goal line in the behind area while still managing to keep the ball in play, then recovering to kick a snap at 90 degrees and boot the goal from about two yards out!
Magic indeed.
Nick Davis Come To Save Us managed to get some mud on him with four choice goals, while Spida did some very useful work in the ruck, however who could believe that Along Came A Schneider fail to kick a major in a 22 goal rout like that?
Would have had his pay docked, yet again, by the Match Committee
What all this means for the cauldron that is finals is anyone’s guess.
You’d expect the Hawks, if they turned up like that again, would be pretty quickly towelled up by the Crows.
And on that form, you’d expect that Swans would give the ‘Pies a right a spanking at the home of he Grand Final, and go all the way to boot, from 7th.
But who knows?
There’s not much for Sydney to learn from that game, and September is an entirely different kettle of fish to the regular season.
As my position on the national AFL tipping ladder suggests [107,122 out of 164,688 tippers!] couldn’t tip football to save my life, so don’t come to me looking to make any predictions, more likely to put the mock on someone or another.


SYDNEY: 5.6,14.8, 18.8, 22.9 (141). Goals: Davis 4, O'Loughlin 4, O'Keefe 3, Bevan, Mathews, Crouch 2, Goodes, Richards, Ablett, Malceske 2, Barlow, McVeigh
HAWTHORN: 1.2, 3.3, 9.5, 10.9 (69). Goals: Dixon 2, Boyle, Ladson, Hodge, Brown, Roughhead, Taylor.
At Sydney Cricket Ground.
Crowd: 27,498.

NB: As my home computer is broken for the time being this has not gone out on The Winter Game e-mail circuit as yet.