Hoops hopes
THIS is the time of year that you want to be wandering around the centre of Melbourne with a finals ticket in your pocket and a lazy grin on your face.
You want to be involved in the pre-game hype. You don’t want to be watching unattached.
You want to have some kind of skin in the game. But sadly this year, the blokes at the Cattery have let their latest opportunity slip. There, I’ve said it. I’m sorry to those who are offended by my brutally honest assessment.
When it comes to supporting Geelong I do my best to be optimistic. I’m not a fair weather type.
I follow with an authentic brand of positivity and steely resolve. I don’t get on the “socials” and bang on about who should be sacked and what should be done and who should get dropped and traded.
No. That’s not the way to enjoy the game. You must look through the lens of every positive angle. You must support, not condemn. But this year was tough. Two weeks running the Cats smashed 100-point victories into a percentage that guaranteed them a spot in the final eight.
But the rush at the end was never going to be enough to get them to the position that they needed to be in order to be competitive.
Yes, there were critical injuries at difficult times, but that’s not enough. There needs to be some serious questions asked inside the club and I’m available to lead that consultation.
But putting that reality aside for a moment, the sharp end of the finals is upon us once again and the Geelong supporters are now faced with this gnarly question:
“Who do you support for the last two weeks of 2018?”
Richmond v Collingwood is a marketing dream and security nightmare.
They’ll be closing off half the CBD, no matter who wins. But who can you honestly support out of this mouthwatering collision of ego?
Do you really want to see a yellow and black back-to-back? Tigers supporters around the office are already a slight shade of smug. Yes, there’s been a long time between drinks, but it’s still in living memory. Two in a row for the Tigers may be too much Dusty for the rest of us. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it might be nice to see the Magpies close the door on the Richmond bandwagon. Of course, only Collingwood supporters really want to see Collingwood run out on to the ’G at the end of the year. It’s nothing personal, but football is more than black and white. So I’m tipping with my heart and hoping for a draw, then overtime and a resounding Richmond victory tomorrow night. Perth is another story all together. Melbourne is on fire. The Demons took the Cats apart with ease and beat the Eagles on their home turf just a few weeks ago. West Coast has had the week off to freshen up, but as we have seen with the Bulldogs in the past, there is sometimes no need for the break. Momentum is a powerful argument. The absence of Nic Nat and Andrew Gaff has got to bite eventually and so the only conclusion is a Melbourne victory, which leads us back to the ’G for the grand final battle of the original co-tenants.
A great conclusion to a pretty even season. But as a Geelong supporter, who do you support this week?
The answer is obvious ... Geelong.
We’re very lucky in G-town, because we already have a grand final to go to.
It’s going to be a ripper. A battle of traditional rivals.
Geelong is playing Hawthorn in the 2018 VFLW Grand Final at Etihad Stadium on Sunday. The match is scheduled to kick off at 12.30pm and will be a curtain raiser for the men’s VFL Grand Final between Box Hill and Casey.
This is the end to the season that Cats fans have been hoping for. The social media footage of the Cats VFLW team singing the song after their preliminary final win was just fantastic. Their spirit was peeling the paint off the walls. These women know how to win.
This is a team that has battled on without the glare of the media spotlight. They have been winning their games and playing for each other. This is their time to shine.
This Geelong v Hawthorn clash is going to be the best game of the weekend.
Go Cats. Ross Mueller is a freelance playwriter and director