Photos

MATCH REPORT

Pogsy, doing his job as great club man, went out on to the ground before the match to inspect the ground. Having wandered around & had a chat with his mate from the Carnival team, Pogsy found a golf ball. Now this was not just a golf ball, THIS WAS A LUCKY GOLF BALL! It had the No.4 printed on it. The old change rooms at Parkville were like Pentridge prison cells, these new ones not much better, with an almost open dunny in the middle. I’m having a pee when Pogsy comes in, he’s in the best of moods, it’s his day, he’s had a sign, he’s found a golf ball with his No. on it!  I make a comment from the cubicle and Pogs decides to bounce the golf ball on my head. As I drop my head to pull up my fly & flush the toilet, the bouncing ball whizzes past me & in to the flushing bowl and down the pipe. THERE GOES POGSY’S GOOD DAY… DOWN THE SEWER!  It was a little bit like that for the rest of us too… after meeting the umpire. Yes, even though there was no real clash, we would change our jumpers. Yes, even though no one has ever cared, we would discard our T-shirts from under our jumpers. Oh, everyone would discard their T-shirts… EXCEPT POGSY… he was now in no mood for it!

There were many doubter’s. Bear in the forward line? Seems only the coach knew Bear’s true position… Centre Half Forward! We got the first centre clearance, going direct to Centre Half Forward for a strong BEAR mark. Going back the Bear nonchalantly slotted the goal. Again we burst out of the centre to Magoo on the lead. A great mark & our second goal. The backs were defending well, Louey grabbing every loose ball and Ashtray picking up possessions at will… till he ran out of energy & came to the bench. A good quarter to begin with. In the 2nd quarter we improved our ball movement. We played positive football, creating oppurtunities. Our positioning was great. Motty was good from the centre to Magoo who kicked another. Lamby found himself on the end of a string of handballs, again a goal. That’s when Magoo’s finger turned backwards….. like that head in The Exorcist! Luckily his opponent popped it back in. Manfully he played on, only to do the hammy as well. We kicked one more goal to finish the quarter strongly… was it Pinga?

Coming out after half time, no one had any idea what awaited us. By the end of the quarter we still hadn’t worked it out. We hardly touched the ball. When we did, we kicked it to Brunswick. Lamby went to tackle, but it looked like his opponent was electrified, as he whipped his hand back. We then realised he had dislocated his shoulder. Again, luckily his opponent popped it back in. The only chance we had was when big Stretch took a towering mark a few metres out, only to be told by the umpire he was over the line. Brunswick had wiped our lead in one quarter & lead by 2 goals.

At three quarter time I asked the midfielders to tighten up at the centre bounces. Brad started coming in to the square from the wing & put on great pressure. We didn’t let the ball out easily. We ran & carried, it was just the effort we needed. Rowdy was solid down back, contesting in the air & on the ground. Bear went back & he and Nicko didn’t let the ball past. Pinga was great at the bounces & Motty and Juzzy got the ball moving. Magoo persisted at Full Forward & Lamby came back on. From a long long way out Lamby put our first goal for the quarter on the board. Minutes later he almost repeated the act, just a little bit of shepherding of the ball through the big sticks
would have helped. In the end, one bad quarter lost us the game.

Report By Coach Dermie