hibernation time

Fair weather fans,

Rather difficult to keep track of two football teams when they found themselves both playing away games simultaneously in the National Capital.

A classic game of two sides going through the motions, with Sydney allowed to just win in the end to avoid a stewards inquiry.
Only two things of any note to come out of the match were the first away win in 12 out-of-town fixtures [you can blame the Swans problems on that, there and then] and the abysmally miserable crowd figure.
Granted, the Canberra dawn started at sub-zero and the mercury never got above eight degrees on the day and there was a rugby league match in progress across town [but the two codes are by and large mutually exclusive], and it is currently hibernation time in that part of the world.
But struggling to get more than a few thousand in for the nation’s elite comp?
They are kidding aren’t they?
The turnstile staff would be the first to admit that they didn’t have an overly busy day.
Heard in commentary one end of Manuka Oval being referred to as the “café strip end”.
Perhaps that’s where The Man and His Dog got to, and no further, after seriously reconsidering their plans to go to the football.
[“I’ll have a hot Milo for me and a footy frank for the dog, thanks mate. How much is that?”].
No doubt the stats guru’s will be able to come up with the exact dates, but surely it has to be one of the worst AFL crowds, anywhere, in many a year.
If that hasn’t furrowed a few brows at AFL HQ, then nothing will.
And Canberra wants a piece of the Western Sydney action?
Gawd help us all!
{noted in the midweek fishwraps that the Canberra rules people are now crying out loud that it wasn’t their fault and that the AFL are charging a king’s ransom to stage a game and blah, and no one is really interested anyway, and they are now considering downsizing their blah bid to host up to six Western Sydney games to one or two, or none at all, on the grounds that, much like me apparently, they want to have their cake and eat it too}
Couldn’t help but notice that the bitter conditions appeared to have forced SC Roos, who looked like he’d forgotten his coat, scarf and wooly red & white jesters hat, from his favoured customary position on the sidelines bench, back into the air conditioned coach’s box.
After slapping his sides on the way up, he moped about on his feet for the last half hour in the back of the box [probably had a nice cup of tea and a read of the paper when the camera wasn’t on him] while Johnny Longmire was actually calling the shots through the microphone and headset.
A sign of things to come?

MELBOURNE: 1.2, 2.6, 4.11, 6.14 (50). Goals: Moloney, Jurrah, Miller, Davey, Newton, Whelan.
SYDNEY: 3.4, 6.6, 7.6, 10.8 (68). Goals: Jolly 3, McVeigh 2, Moore, O'Keefe, Mattner, White, J Bolton.
At Manuka Oval, Canberra.
Crowd: 7,311.

Seasoned observers at the ground, who have seen the Raiders glory days been and gone, couldn’t come up with any more descriptive words than ‘lackluster’ and ‘pedestrian’ to get a handle on this one.
But as the Club Secretary will always tell you, a win is a win is a win.
Balmain has been pretty well settled for the past six weeks or so with SC Sheens able to get the same motley mob together on the training paddock for the first time this year with no major injury, no one has been caught behaving badly in nightclubs or anywhere else for that matter, the forwards have seemingly got season fit and serious, the try scoring freaks are on song, and the two marquee players are doing what they are paid to do and making a closer inspection of the cash stashed manila envelopes passed to them in the rooms after the game to make sure it all tots up.
A cursory glance at the draw reveals the Mighty Tiges have more or less the perfect run home, a couple of soft touches along with some choice looking bash ‘em ups to sort the men from the boys at the finish.
5th Sea Eagles [H], 16th and stone motherless Roosters [A], 15th and second stone motherless Sharks [A], then 12th Eels [H], 3rd Titans [A], and 2nd Bulldogs [H]
Winning half of the last half dozen, especially the first three on the back of two wins and a bye, could well be categorized as a late season purple patch and they’d probably squeeze into the top eight, while a good result in either of the last two would almost guarantee it and be an excellent test on entrée into September.
You do the sums.
Hope springs eternal for the diehard, who’d never admit the jig is up, until the inevitability of Mad Monday rolls around, as always.

CANBERRA RAIDERS 4. Tries: Vidot
WESTS TIGERS 25. Tries: Moltzen (2), Morris, Tuiaki. Goals: Marshall (4). Field Goals: Farah (1).
At Canberra Stadium.
Crowd: 11,115.