At times like this I am reminded of the comments of a very wise old Collingwood fan interviewed in The Bulletin magazine a number of years ago - "I hate Carlton. If they get beat and we get beat, I don't care" - which in my own way I have adapted with the Eagles as a personal mantra to get me through the hard times over the years.
That was immensely satisfying, even though I care for Carlton and Mick about as much as I do WCE. Of course, it really was kamikaze stuff by the Blues that wouldn't stand up to any disciplined defending and pressure, but it sure was thrilling to watch. Particularly gratifying was seeing Naitanui actually lose the game for them by gifting Carlton all that momentum at centre clearances through a series of silly free kicks.
On a serious note, do they put something in the tea in the WCE coaches' box? Simpson looks about as animated and engaged as Woosha did! OK, we can't all act like Mick or Brad Scott, but still...
It does set up a tantalising derby next week with a lot at stake. We're probably about due for a belter, given that the last classic was the Ballantyne kick after the siren.