One for the memories
That goal, ‘Hawk’ and a smiling Demon …
LAST week’s game was certainly an interesting one.
Melbourne is one of the competition’s toughest teams and while we didn’t play the way we would have liked for most of the night, our ability to fight our way back into the contest should not be underestimated.
It was done largely on the back of guys like “Gaz”, “TK” (Tim Kelly) and obviously “Hawk” (Tom Hawkins), who played a simply outrageous quarter of footy.
You can’t help but just bask in the glory of Hawk in full flight — too big, strong and skilful for anybody to live with when he plays that way.
I was pretty lucky to get on the end of some good work from the guys up the field late in the game.
However, my only regret is that, at the time, I didn’t quite pick up on the advice Scott Selwood gave me, where he basically reminded me just how crippling missing could have been to our season.
Clearly he knows me well enough to know that such a comment would have been the perfect icebreaker to help settle any nerves.
That’s enough about that goal — although I can’t help but feel it’s already received far too much coverage.
If we’re not careful, I might actually start to believe I can play forward!
Something else that happened after the game that got far too much attention is “BernieGate”. A Melbourne player dared to smile. I know, it’s despicable isn’t it? Two players who have know each other for more than a decade, had the nerve to briefly speak after the game. Outrageous. I understand people are emotional after games and that’s good — we need that. But is there any chance we can just keep things in proportion?
Are we actually going to now ask or expect our players to brush past a friend simply to appease “Jimmy’’ — or who- ever — who has sat home screaming at the TV, demanding players cry or at least punch the ground as hard as they have just punched their couch?
I’ve said before that I personally turn into a bit of a sook after a loss.
I tend to trudge straight off, sit on the ground and have all the personality of a piece of wood.
However, should a former teammate or close friend come up to me post-game for a chat, not only would I chat with them, I would congratulate
them on the win and wish them all the best. Does this mean I’m thrilled they had just beaten us? Does it mean I didn’t try for the two hours of footy before that?
I don’t want to dwell on this, but just for the record, I’m not saying any amount of frivolity is OK, but this is so minor it’s laughable for the airtime it’s got in the media.
And, yes, I realise the irony of me complaining about the media talking about this while I write about it in the media, but I needed to get it off my chest.
Anyway, now that’s finished, onto this week’s game.
The Brisbane Lions look like they have arrived as a serious threat to whoever they play.
They’ve strung together some outstanding games over the past month and no doubt they’ll be looking at this game as “gettable”.
I suspect this might be another thriller, so if I can urge our supporters to bring the same energy they brought against the Demons, that could again prove vital.
See you all the GMHBA, folks.