sandbagging started before the game even began

Beach lovers,

Been a denizen of the East Coast of the island for nigh on 30 years now, the most part of it in the Emerald City, and cannot remember a worse season for the "August winds", a well-know phenomenon in these parts.
This year they turned up six weeks early, and have been howling on and off ever since.
The biting gale seems more freezing than in years past - bone rattling - as it sweeps in from the south-west over the vast expanses of suburbia affectionately known as "Sydney's armpit", routinely gusting to 70-80kph, after being funneled in off the Great Dividing Range and onto the wide open Cumberland Plains.
Everone's saying they are the worst in living memory, and who's to argue?
Not me.
There's no denying something's going on with the weather.
You can only throw a rug over yr shoulders and pop a tea cosie on yr head, and cup a small glass of brandy to warm in your hands to ward off the shivers.
Why has any of this any relevance to the question at hand, you might ask?
Well, anyone from Melbun, on hearing the winter weather sob story from the Emerald City would say "Perfect weather for football! What are you on about? Hard'en up!"
Certainly, the punters scattered about the stands looked utterly miserable on the telly in their ice-suits and woolly hoodies as they sipped hot drinks and guzzled smuggled booze from their Thermos flasks.
The only thing my Spy at the Ground could offer was a desultory "cheer, cheer".
And all they came to look at was the Swans having another routine, albiet rather brisk, Saturday evening stroll in the park doing just enough to win, never mind that the Bombers put in a good effort in the Champo and came within ten points at some stage, it was never in doubt from the first bounce.
And that, after the sandbagging started before the game even began.
The officials were told an hour and a half before the opening hooter that L.Franklin would not be playing, and T.Membrey would step into the breech in his absence.
It's all by the book as long as you offer a good excuse for a last minute injury; "knee soreness", "general soreness", "complete rootedness" will all do just fine.
So long as the umpires have something to sign on off in the scorebook.
Marvellous.
And there will be a few more with creaking bones who'll take unscheduled "rests" between now and then, mark my words.
The Goodes Train would be a prime candidate.
He knows what September is all about, and it's truly remarkable how he manages on one leg at his age, only a yard or two slower than he used to be, hasn't lost any of all those skills, and can kick goals.
What money to have the Strayan of the Year on your side?
Checked the boards at my bookmaker's the other day and found the Swans posted a clear shoe-in to win the Premiership, and JP Kennedy a very short priced favourite in a field chock full of runners to win the Brownlow Medal.
For the most part unbackable.
The most astonishing thing about the season so far, after their really atrocious start, is that the wheels have never looked like falling off, movie-style.

SYDNEY: 5.3, 7.8, 9.8, 11.13 (79). Goals: Tippett 2, Goodes 2, McGlynn 2, McVeigh, Rohan, Pyke, Kennedy, Reid.
ESSENDON: 1.1, 3.4, 6.6, 8.9 (57). Goals: Ryder 2, Myers, Ambrose, Howlett, Carlisle, Hurley, Heppell.
At Sydney Cricket Ground.
Crowd: 36,804.


What a strange week in Tigertown.
The skipper Robbie Farah on "stress leave" on account of he's "very upset", but what exactly he's upset about has never been clearly explained, except that some buffoon north of the border called Gordon Tallis has been putting words into his mouth.
Tallis, of course, has never played for Balmain and has no right to be meddling in their affairs, so why would you worry about anything the bloke says?
Who cares if he is badmouthing you behind your back?
Especially as the buffoon is well known for untruths and hyperbole.
The Club Secretary says if he's done anything to offend The Best Leb in The Game, then he'd like to talk it over with him and sort it out, without actually articulating what needs to be sorted out.
And then Coach Potter found it necessary to hold a rare Sunday press conference ahead of the Monday game to explain himself, and defend himself against criticism from faceless men who should know better.
Can anyone tell me exactly what's going on here??
With all the palaver of the last fortnight or so, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that there are football matches to be played every week.
So it wasn't surprising that the Westen Suburbs Magies faithful failed to turn up in their droves to Campbelltown "wouldn't go that far on me holidays" Sports Ground.
The blokes on the comedy radio commentary got a tweet asking if the crowd was dead in the fx mics, to which they said "no, it's just that there's no one here".
The match itself went to script, at a predictable 6-12 down at half time, it was only a matter of time until the floodgates opened.
Balmain went in with the early try and it was all down hill from there as they were out-foxed by a team of seasoned professionals on their game.
By all accounts, the Tigers played like they were unsettled.
They're no show like that for September.
It'd be much better if they failed to make the eight at all, rather than get eaten for breakfast in the first week of the finals, and shat out the other end.
Good to see Simon Dwyer was at the ground.
Now there's a bloke who's had shocking luck.
A promising career cut short when he snapped a few tendons off his spinal cord attempting an innocuous tackle in some nothing game, and now has no use at all of his right arm at age 25, three years on.
Seems some influential people in the Injured Players Benevolent Fund noticed that Simon had fallen on hard times, but was reluctant to ask for help.
They didn't owe him anything, but they promptly organised a very large testimonial dinner for him at a ballroom at some 5-star in town and raised more than $300,000.
Then at the ground through sponsorship, donations, raffles etc they raised another $70,000.
At least the poor bastard won't end up sleeping under a bridge that way.
Now there's a club looking after its own...

WESTS TIGERS 6. Tries: Akauola. Goals: Richards: (1).
MELBOURNE STORM 28. Tries: Koroibete (2), C.Smith, Chambers, Waga. Goals: C.Smith (4).
At Campbelltown Sports Ground.
Crowd; 7,782.