the next one to go

Apologists,

No Hall.
No cigar.
Season over.
As simple as that.
Even the supercoach has said as much.
Quite startled to read in the Tuesday morning fishwraps that SC Roos had publicly conceded the likelihood of missing the finals for the first time since 2002 was now a dead set certainty, even though the club is yet to slip into the nether world of mathematical calculations.
It’s something SC Sheens, just for instance, would never admit to publicly.
Then again, if you are turned over by a side of the likes of Essendon to the tune of five goals for the Marn Grook Trophy, there is probably no use in pretending anymore.
St Paul also foreshadowed that the pogrom will be well and truly on in coming weeks as a number of shoulders will be tapped, old crocks will be ruthlessly cast aside, the lame and the crippled will be pushed out of the igloo, more names added to the column headed DELIST, and younger players given ample opportunity to “show their wares in the top grade”.
But what youngsters?
From where?
Wonder what this year’s draft picks are up to?
Are they still injured and struggling through a Melbourne winter in short pants?
The Veszpremi kiddie, who’s had a couple of decent games in the past few weeks, was a draft pick of a couple of years ago, maybe even three years ago, so he’s been a long time coming on.
Noted that Jesse “James” White [who some crazed supreme optimists have foolishly dubbed as the new “white Goodes”] kicked 11 goals last week in the seconds against the mighty Tuggeranong outfit, and is crying out for a game in the seniors, but as for Mike Pyke, the former Canadian rugby “star”, holding some sort of future as a handy ruckman, well sorry, serious students of the game don’t rate him as anything more than having the potential to become an ordinary journeyman.
It’s a long row to hoe when your year is condemned by the main mentor as a write-off just a little way past the half way mark in the season.
Any rookies the Swans are able to pluck out of thin air will be eaten alive by the likes of Geelong and St Kilda over coming weeks, and with an it’s-all-buggered frame of mind instilled in the team by no less than the main mentor, Sydney is now in real danger of becoming a Fremantle-style laughing stock.
With such a defeatist attitude, at Sunday morning smoko by the magic waters, SC Roos, as he gazed out to sea, stroked his chin, and ran his fingers through what hair he has remaining – would have been having a good ponder, and the thought must have crossed his mind “am I the next one to go?”, surely?
Good to see that the club did in fact load BBB Hall into the back of a ute for a single lap of dishonour at the G.
But it came far too early for mine, with the suppurating sores still too raw.
My spy at the ground suggested that Bazza was about as popular as the recently deceased Robert “Dolly” Dunne as his single vehicle cavalcade passed the bays housing the rapidly dwindling ranks of Swans members.
To quote:
“The silence from the long suffering faithful in the stands on the western side of the SCG told the story. Who cares? Fukc off. You let the team down. We need you to be lining up at half forward today. Who cares about past glory? A tear welled in his empty eyes as he was paraded like a sideshow freak. I felt sorry for the bastard. But the Swans couldn't care less about how a broken man feels? Just get out of the Club! Now!”They should have waited for the St Kilda game for Hally’s tribute as he’s probably got more friends at the Saints for leaving the club when he did, than he does in Sydney right now.
Next thing, he’ll be lining up against Aussie Joe “I went twelve rounds with Ali” Bugner to slug it for the Australian heavyweight title at some sort of Rooty Hill RSL club rag tag fight night.
Five bucks in, and all the cheap beer you can drink.

SYDNEY: 4.2, 5.8, 7.11, 10.12 (72). Goals: O’Loughlin 3, Veszpremi 2, Roberts-Thomson, Goodes, O’Keefe, Barlow, Crouch
ESSENDON: 4.6, 8.8, 12.12, 15.17 (107). Goals: Lloyd 3, Winderlich 3, Lucas 3, Dyson 2, Reimers, Lonergan, Welsh, Stanton
At Sydney Cricket Ground.
Crowd: 30,924.

Easiest two premiership points of the year for sitting around and doing nothing.
This Sunday afternoon’s 2005 grand final rematch against the Cowboys at the Spiritual Home of Balmain rugby league, which this year happens to be 11th v 5th, will no doubt be season defining.
Might even make an effort to get on the 445 bus.

WESTS TIGERS: Bye.

Clark, Clarke & Co.

Willowists,

And the hopeless jokes purporting to run the game are seriously talking about four day test matches??
Bah! Humbug!
Bring back timeless tests.
Make ‘em battle it out to the death.
Ban the draw!
Or-Straya made a fundamental fatal mistake before a ball was even bowled in the Cardiff test match for mine, by not picking Clark No-E.
Why on earth would you leave out a bloke who is ideally suited to the conditions, has form on English tracks, heart, hates Poms and loves the Baggy Green?
Unforgiveable.
No-E would have tidied up the Pommy tail on the second morning instead of bleeding 99 runs, and would have won the match for you any time you liked on day five, if only he was asked, instead of seeing a platinum opportunity to take a priceless one-nil lead in a five match series go begging.
The tragedy is that barring anyone completely dropping their bundle, Stuart Clark now probably won’t get a game this tour, and will be condemned to rearranging the tumblers of well chilled gin & tonic on the dressing room silver drinks platter.
Still, no use crying over spilt milk, and in the final paralysis, the Poms have absolutely nothing at all to celebrate as they go to Headquarters.
Pleasing to see that MJ Clarke has left nothing of his talent and technique in South Africa, or at home for that matter.
However he did end up quietly frothing at the mouth about not managing to go on and score a big hundred, when a matter-of-fact ton was staring him in the face at 83 not out.
Suitably booted himself up the arse in the Monday morning fishwraps.
Still punching the cover drives and the classical straight drives, as well as the usual trademark off cutting off the back foot that give the field out there absolutely no chance at all,
while the pull shot off the spinners seems to have come back into his canon for this series.
And why not?
Can be an almost risk free profit on the scoreboard in the hands of a proper professional.
As always, impeccable footwork and seeing the ball like a footy with an eye like a dead fish.
He would have been filthy with himself about the shot he got out to -- for once his footwork deserted him and he found himself shuffling across the crease and then cramped for room by a short ball, only to watch the dolly fly away for a simple chance.
Silly.
Seems Pup has been drawn even closer into the inner circle this series as the board of directors continues to groom him for the captaincy.
Did like him playfully pretending to call the batsmen in well before Punter made the actual declaration, appearing on the balcony with his skipper at all the right moments etc, still, there were some terse exchanges as the Captain and Vice-Captain fielded at first and second slip late on day five and appeared to argue over what eventually became some rather bizarre bowling changes at the dénouement.
Doubt that Pup would have accepted any responsibility for the morning session on day two.
Suppose that’s the luxury to have when you are not actually in charge.
Bring on Lords for another round of the finest sight in world sport – Poms being ground into dust.