At the Trough Rd 9
The Pies steal a win in Adelaide but the price they paid could be telling. Fremantle’s new “game plan” is sending their supporters crazy. One man’s pain is another man’s ecstasy with the rise and rise of the Yellow and Black and the expansion teams continue to struggle. More big grabs and some cracking goals as the contest for the Car heats up and the Mullet is born again, in more ways than one. The high’s and lows of round 9.
Top Dollar!
5. Nic Nat Schofield: The big efforts are the ones the fans love to see. The big grabs. The searching runs. The big bumps. The Derby had it all. Unfortunately for the Dockers fans it was mostly one sided but we’ll get to that a little later. The walking highlight reel that is Nic Nat stunned us again when he pouched two contenders for mark of the year. Healy was right when he said this kid should get sponsorship on the bottom of his boots. Shit he get’s up. For a bloke that’s six foot five he has serious springs. Wil Schofiled also want’s a car given his 120 metre effort. Bouncing down the wing, a balk, the lay off, the re gather then to finish from outside the paint, on the boundary was red hot.
4. The Blair Stitch Project: A bit of claret here and there is good for the game. After all, it’s a man’s sport played at breakneck speed. Sooner or later there’s bound to be some collateral damage. When Jarryd Blair copped a, we’ll give him the benefit and say errant, elbow from Bernie Vince he wore it bravely. Given that it was behind the ear he might not have known how bad the damage was but the wound did require 18 stiches after the game. Nice gash. Wait, what?
3. Pretty Saad: Ahmed Saad is a quick little bugger and he has a boot load of tricks. I’m sure we’ll get accustomed to his repertoire as he establishes himself over the next few years. One thing I certainly didn’t expect from him, and a boon to all those Super Coaches who picked him up, was his defensive pressure. 11 tackles and another 9 pressure acts from the small forward. Scotty Watters must love his go.
2. Lenny 250: It seems to be generally accepted that amongst his peers, Lenny Hayes is the most respected and well liked bloke ion the comp. No nonsense, the ultimate competitor. Given that he underwent a knee reconstruction last year the big fella could have been forgiven for pulling the pin. Not Lenny, he’s back and playing some great footy in the way he does best. Hard and fair. In 1998 the kid from Pennant Hills won the Morrish Medal for the Best and Fairest Player in the TAC cup, the first and only player from the NSW/ACT Rams to do so. A dual St Kilda Best and Fairest, Norm Smith Medalist and Club Captain. A true Superstar. Well done Leonard.
1. Ivan Maric is Yellow and Black: Perennially Neil Craig’s whipping boy, reportedly due to his immense talent and non existent work ethic. The change of club and coach has suited him down to the ground. Richmond desperately needed a quality ruckman and the Mullet is proving to be that guy. He’s in all Australian form and it’s not just his tap work. He’s taking contested marks in defence and attack, winning the ball below his knees and giving a massive physical presence on the ground. His hair might be the reason for his cult following but his football will ultimately tell his story.
Shithouse!
1. Soft Hawks: For anyone within 10 blocks of Tony Harrison on Saturday, I apologise to you and your children. I couldn’t help it. When the team you love plays with such disdain. So little effort. So little passion it breaks your heart and rips out chunks of your soul. To say the Hawks played like busted’s on the weekend doesn’t do it justice. They were pathetic. Franklin can’t kick and if that’s the case, fuck him off to Box Hill until he sorts his shit out. Rioli is in and out. Lewis was ordinary, Mitchell was a non event. These blokes are supposed to be the leaders of this club. What a joke. If you don’t turn it around this week you’ll be sans another member.
2. Ross Lyon you wanker: Freo have been a good side for a number of years. Cruelled by injury they’ve under achieved and the reason for this was apparently the coach. After the fallout from the Ross Lyon appointment and the underhanded way that was handled Ross needed results and fast. He got it in round 1 with a win over the reining premiers but that was their best game of the year. They’ve been a shadow of that team in recent weeks. His defence first game plan is crushing the creative nature of some of his best players. It also doesn’t work at Subiaco. After the game he blamed the midfield for not playing better. Well Ross, pull your head out of your arse and realize that until you stop stifling them, this is the sort of shit that will bet served.
3. Family First: Travis Boak is a jet footballer. Port would desperately love to keep him and realistically, should be able to keep him if money is the only object. Boak has said he wants to return to Melbourne for family reasons citing homesickness. Fair dinkum, who are these princesses that they can’t stand to be a hour’s flight away from their mums. It is a crock of shit. He wants to go to a club with a chance of winning a flag. Pure and simple. The thing he doesn’t realize is that he’d get more respect from his peers if he just said that rather than being a fairy.
4. Lachie Keefe: It always hurts when a bloke suffers a season ending injury. It’s never good to see and you have to sympathize. It’s even worse when that bloke is a battler, trying to make a name for himself in the absence of more fancied team mates. He was making a good fist of it too. An innocuous incident at best, Keefe’s knee just gave way and the road back will be tough. All the best for the recovery.
5. Cranky Gazza: Just to clarify, I’m not saying that Gazza did the wrong thing on the ground. He’s the Captain of a very young side, learning the game and he should be commended for his passion. Blowing up at a team mate is no big deal. There should be more of it. Especially when they have fucked up so royally. My complaint is with the twitter bullshit afterwards trying to make light of the situation. That just makes you look like a dickhead.
