Game Day 2019 Grand Final - WB thread

There are so many ways to pitch this Grand Final.
  • Traditional club vs Upstarts
  • Sydney vs Melbourne
  • Serious fanatical fan base vs rent-a-crowd
  • True sporting values vs football as big business
  • The beginning of the end of life as we know it as the Giants commence a ten year dynasty of domination
  • An unwatchable snorefest because they are two highly unlikeable teams / fan bases

My take on it is this: I want Richmond to win. Not because I especially like them (although I don't despise them like some do and I'm close with a few Tigers fans) but because of what the alternative means. Call me vindictive if you like but I guess what I'm saying is I want the Giants to lose.

What a Giants win would mean

1. Every year we see the majority of clubs take notes from watching the premiers and try to implement what they see as the distinguishing features of their game into their own club. It goes back at least as far as the Baby Bombers of 93 when every other club went on a youth craze. We also saw an under-threat Damien Hardwick copy significant features of Bevo's approach in 2016 and then take the Tigers to a flag the very next year.

My worry if GWS win is that other clubs will go down the path of playing unsociable and unpleasant to watch football. Leon Cameron is quite open about it being their point of difference. He makes no apologies and says you have to do what you can "within the rules" (haha) when you are so close to a flag. I know every side that wins a flag has to be tough and apply ferocious defensive pressure but IMO the Giants take it too far and have got away with some stuff that should have been stopped. I don't want season 2020 to be full of GWS clones.

2. A GWS flag is inevitable sooner or later. To me it represents AFL as big business not AFL as a traditional sport. I accept that some will see that view as old-fashioned and I know we can't hold back the tide. But the AFL will not relent until they get some traction for GWS. It's a business investment that is simply too big to be allowed to fail. That means that they need the Giants to spend a LOT of time around the top 4 and preferably win a flag or three. Fair enough we can't change the AFL's business direction and it does help bring in a bit of extra TV revenue to football. But I just want to see the inevitable deferred for as long as possible. I want to see clubs that have worked hard with precious few handouts for decades get their just share of the spoils. I want to see long-suffering fans rewarded like we were in 2016. Let's not forget Tigers fans spent 30-odd years in the wilderness before their 2017 flag.

3. It's just personal - for me, so many Giants players are pricks. There are some likeable Giants players - Haynes, Ward, Coniglio etc but they are in the minority. There are a few well-publicised insufferable ones and it would really get up my nose to see them crowing in self-congratulation. I think I'll have to turn the TV off rather than have that post-match image burnt into my brain.

The opening 10 minutes will be worth paying close attention to. Will we see Mummy go postal and start tossing bodies around? I think he said he might just do that but was he just winding us all up?

I'm hoping we see some quality finals footy and not random thug acts. I'm even hoping we see some genuinely good footy from GWS. But in the meantime ...

GO TIGERS!!
 
Intense footy but that's because it's a GF. Standard is not high at this stage.

The nerves will be settling now so the 2nd quarter might open up a bit. No idea which way though.
 
I must not Barrack for Richmond.
I must not barrack for Richmond.
I must not barrack for Richmond.
I must not Barrack for Richmond.
I must not barrack for Richmond.
I must not barrack for Richmond.

(But it's pretty damn hard not to at this stage.)
 
So far it's a victory for classy football.

To be fair GWS have (mostly) not gone the knuckle/thumb. Yet.

I just think they have been nervous and not handled the occasion as well as Richmond. Certainly not playing at their best.
 
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