Land of the Giants
Premiership Player
Well, that went just about according to plan, except for JC’s careless/reckless elbow to the jaw of Harris Andrews, which almost certainly guarantees he’ll be out for probably a month. It may as well have been Cameron himself who was injured, at least we’re used to that.
The timing couldn’t be worse. We’ve got a season-defining run of games coming up, starting with Hawthorn this Saturday night at Spotless. This will be a dictionary-definition 8-point game. Win, and we’re almost sure to return to the eight. Lose, and it’s back to cursing the draw with St. Kilda.
At least the fog of disinterest that descended on the team after Round 6 seems to have lifted. We were never really in doubt against the Lions; the class differential was obvious and the effort was there. But it was victory at what’s likely to be a very high price.
Try to look on the bright side. The loss of a star player is always an opportunity for someone else to step up and grab their chance. As to who that might be is yet to be determined.
So, who replaces Jeremy? Well, to be blunt, there isn’t anyone waiting in the wings, so Leon is going to have to shuffle the pack. If Patton goes back to the forward line, big Dawson will continue to ruck regardless of who we’re up against. I can’t see Matt Flynn debuting in the next few weeks, and there’s no-one else we can try in that position, the cupboard is bare.
At least the NEAFL team had a great win today, and it was pleasing to see Adam Kennedy and Matt Buntine being named amongst the best-on-ground.
Maybe there’s no need for too much pessimism just yet. The midfield looks to be back in action and we’ve got enough scoring options up front. The most important thing is the marked improvement in overall effort. Work ethic and persistence are everything. We seem to have rediscovered that in the last few weeks.
But the equation is simple. We have to win at least two of the next four games to make the eight, starting with Hawthorn. It should be a cracker of a game, just what’s needed to warm up a chilly night at Homebush.
I’m backing us to win.
The timing couldn’t be worse. We’ve got a season-defining run of games coming up, starting with Hawthorn this Saturday night at Spotless. This will be a dictionary-definition 8-point game. Win, and we’re almost sure to return to the eight. Lose, and it’s back to cursing the draw with St. Kilda.
At least the fog of disinterest that descended on the team after Round 6 seems to have lifted. We were never really in doubt against the Lions; the class differential was obvious and the effort was there. But it was victory at what’s likely to be a very high price.
Try to look on the bright side. The loss of a star player is always an opportunity for someone else to step up and grab their chance. As to who that might be is yet to be determined.
So, who replaces Jeremy? Well, to be blunt, there isn’t anyone waiting in the wings, so Leon is going to have to shuffle the pack. If Patton goes back to the forward line, big Dawson will continue to ruck regardless of who we’re up against. I can’t see Matt Flynn debuting in the next few weeks, and there’s no-one else we can try in that position, the cupboard is bare.
At least the NEAFL team had a great win today, and it was pleasing to see Adam Kennedy and Matt Buntine being named amongst the best-on-ground.
Maybe there’s no need for too much pessimism just yet. The midfield looks to be back in action and we’ve got enough scoring options up front. The most important thing is the marked improvement in overall effort. Work ethic and persistence are everything. We seem to have rediscovered that in the last few weeks.
But the equation is simple. We have to win at least two of the next four games to make the eight, starting with Hawthorn. It should be a cracker of a game, just what’s needed to warm up a chilly night at Homebush.
I’m backing us to win.
