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- May 7, 2007
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It’s been a week of deep breaths at the Eagles, as the dark black clouds are being replaced by regular grey ones. It’s still raining a bit, and the bureau is saying there’s every chance it could kick off again, but for the time being, the arks are staying firmly in the sheds. Which is quite fitting given our opponents and location for Saturday’s game.
The Bulldogs received the bumming that they had to, and once again the mighty Eagles showed that there are few better teams in the league when it comes to beating up on minnows. In truth, we did play quite well, but our dominance was largely down to the fact that we kicked goals instead of behinds. With all the emphasis being placed on zones and slingshots and all that fancy shit, it’s good to see that we’ve stripped the game back to the basics. Kick goals equals win football, as QS would put it. Most pleasing was the backline, as it regained the sort of formidability that we are so used to. Smith played his best game of the season, and Mitch Brown looked every single bit an AFL footballer. There’s a hunger in Brown that is just a little infectious at the moment, and he’s doing all the little team things that we have missed at times. Long may it continue.
In the pre-game, most of us were only concerned about two things – Sharrod Wellingham and Nic Naitanui. The good news is that those two fine men were clearly two of the best parts of the game, with Naitanui’s cameo enough to make us believe that anything is possible this season. Wellingham was just boss. He won his own ball, showed all kinds of ridiculous swervability and wasn’t afraid to dish out some pain. The latter is something that has me particularly excited, because we have been way too soft this season. It was great to see Wellingham tackle like he meant it. Some have criticised his disposal a little, and fair enough, but it will be amended quickly I’m sure. Most of the time it looked as if he was just a step ahead of his teammates, trying something a little too creative and having it not quite come off. Hopefully he isn’t deterred by this and keeps trying it out. Overall, his debut was very promising indeed.
It’s quite a sight watching our two big boys up top in full flight, and both Jack Darling and Josh Kennedy are playing the house down at the moment. The Bulldogs have struggled with our big boys for a couple of years now, but it must be scary for other teams as they try to work out to stop both of them. LeCras wasn’t great, and he’s kicking like he’s missing a foot, but he’s still slotting goals and looking silky through the middle. We are still yet to see his best again, which is encouraging. Shuey is playing really well at the moment, and is slowly starting to look like a player that believes he can shit all over the opposition. He’s taking on tacklers and winning with both strength and speed, as evidenced in that brilliant goal he kicked in third. He’s been our best midfielder all season, and will no doubt improve further once Wellingham makes himself at home.
But now to this week, and to Brisbane. The Gabba match is one very dear to my heart, as an expat who has made the Sunshine State his home. Although as eluded to in the intro, that’s a tag that probably could use some revision. The good news is it hasn’t rained here for a couple of weeks, and the weather looks like it will be perfect for footy on Saturday arvo. Our opponents are struggling at the moment, with some crucial injuries not helping their cause either. Daniel Rich is pivotal for them, and his absence will no doubt make life a bit easier for us in the middle. They will probably get Simon Black back though who remains, like Kerr is for us, a critical cog in a young side. I saw Black play for the Lions reserves a few weeks ago, and he is a class above the other young mids at the Lions. He will surely get the respect he deserves from our coaching staff.
It’s an interesting footy environment over here at the moment. Brisbane is fickle as anything when it comes to their sporting teams, and as the memory of the NAB Cup win drifts further and further away, so too do the crowds. They are throwing discounted tickets around left right and centre to get people through the gates, which is sad, because Brisbane are an exciting team and the Gabba is a fantastic place to watch footy. In saying that, if they do us in like they did last season, I expect just as many ‘lifelong Lions fans’ to come out of the woodwork with the sole objective of winding me up. I have found a lot of real Lions fans to be quite knowledgeable though, and I have taken a real shining to them over the years. This Saturday is one of only two days a season that I hope they receive a vicious and brutal drubbing.
This isn’t a game that we should be losing, and as such it shouldn’t be judged as some massive turning point if we do indeed win. But Brisbane at home is never an easy game, and it is certainly a step up from the two wins we’ve managed so far this season. We will need to be professional and awake for a full four quarters, otherwise it will be last year’s monstrosity all over again. I almost broke my hand and a Gabba chair when that arsey Polkinghorne barrel went through. We disrespected Brisbane last year, and we paid for it. It cost us our season, make no mistake. It would just about extinguish our 2013 should the result repeat itself.
We’re at full strength now, there is no room for a single excuse. Just do them, and do them swiftly. Please, for me?
Gee I cant wait for the shit I'm gunna cop after this one
