Halfway through the third quarter of Friday night’s match between the Cats and Dogs I probably could have been excused for heading off to bed. After all my 2 year old son had been awake since 5:30am, I had done my eight hours at ‘work’, it was after 1 o’clock in the morning, I had just finished my fourth beer and the Cats had just booted four goals in a row to push their margin out to a match winning 37 points. A sane person would have switched off the Tele and waited to see the result in the morning news..
Brad Johnson & his Dogs team was so close on Friday Night
Something was drawing me in though, I knew if I had gone to bed that I would have missed something special. The Cats were starting to find another gear but I could tell that the Doggies hadn’t given up, they had already fought back from a 26 point defecit in the first quarter to hit the lead and were not far off opening up a few cracks in the Cats defence.
What transpired over the next 45 minutes will live in my memory for a long, long time as the Dogs and Cats threw everything they had at each other. The result in the end proved to be inconsequential, the reactions of both sides said enough. At the end of the game I sat stunned and even though I had been awake for 21 hours I was as wired as I have ever been in my life. I had just been witness to a heavyweight fight that brought back memories of one of my favourite movies of all time.
TV from a NSW POV
You see the thing is when you live on the mid-north coast of NSW and follow the AFL for 6 months of the year you end up looking like an extra from ‘the return of the living dead’. Unless the Swans are playing (because of course everyone in NSW follows the Swans) you are forced to sit through movie re-runs and the late news with the added nuisance of trying to avoid all contact with the outside world just so the result of the game is not given away.
I thought buying a set top box might fix this but alas instead of getting the 24 hour sports channel ONE HD we get a loop of a high definition demonstration with a caption scrolling along the bottom of the screen saying that ONE HD will be shown in the ‘coming months’, this has been going on for a couple of months. As for Prime/Seven well they have 5 stations that show the exact same thing, needless to say my set top box was one of the better purchases I’ve made in my 28 years. So after sitting through ‘Meet the Fockers’ and listening to Bruce and his mates go through their pre-game spiel the first bounce finally happened at around 11:45pm.
Geelong the Heavyweight Champs
What makes Geelong so very good is that not only have they won 51 of their past 54 games but in those 51 victories they have rarely been challenged. Like the heavyweight champion that they are they attack their opponents mercilessly from the opening bounce and most opposition simply get knocked out of the contest by half time.
Friday night was no different with the scoreline at one stage sitting at 40-14 and the usual suspects in Ablett, Selwood, Chapman and Johnson inflicting all the damage. Something strange then happened, the Dogs refused to go down. No matter how hard the Cats hit them the Dogs withstood the pressure and counter punched just as hard. Five unanswered goals saw them steal the lead halfway through the second quarter but again the Cats found a different level and kicked out to a 3 goal lead at half time.
Self belief is a magnificent weapon and even though the Dogs had fallen behind again it was evident from the way they were attacking the football and the man that they were not going to go down without a fight, they had opened up some deficiencies in the Geelong armour and even thoguh they were going to cop a few big hits they were willing to stand their ground and not be bullied into submission. For me sitting on my couch, sipping on a few ‘Pure Blonde Naked’s', it was like watching a very familiar movie. The Dogs were channeling the spirit of the ‘Italian Stallion’ the great Rocky Balboa.
As I mentioned earlier, halfway through the third myself and the Dogs were almost at breaking point. One more goal from the Cats would have just about snuffed out any chance the Dogs had of getting back in the contest. Old stagers in Aker and Johnno were magnificent but it was the in-close brigade of Boyd, Cross and two youngsters in Ward and Picken that really got the Dogs moving.
The Bullies did what not many sides have been able to do, they out tackled, out chased and smashed Geelong in the clearances. That the Dogs kept coming after falling behind so many times speaks volumes for their character. They were forced to chase for the majority of the game yet when the game came to the crucial last five minutes the Dogs remained full of running whilst the Cats were out on their feet.
As we know the Bullies, just like Rocky, were unable to deliver that final knockout blow but had that game gone for another 2-minutes I have no doubt that the result would have been different. Just like Apollo Creed the Cats were beaten everywhere but on the scoreboard, and they knew it. Apollo knew what was coming in his re-match with Balboa, I hope the Cats know it too. The Dogs have been creeping ever so closer to the mighty Cats over the last season and a half and that makes two teams now that have nothing to fear when they line up against the boys in the blue and white hoops. We will see in about 5 weeks time if the Saints can make it three.
Other Things I learnt over the Weekend:
- The real stuff is only just beginning - The Crows, Swans, Pies and Dogs all showed why they have been finalists over the last few seasons whilst the Lions and Bombers are making a statement. Strap yourselves in kiddies the season is about to tighten up considerably.
- The Dogs’ midfield is as good as any. Boyd got on top of Ablett and imho was a more effective player on the night, Ward stood toe to toe with Selwood and will only get better, Cross does what Cross does best whilst Cooney,Griffen and Higgins all have improvement in them.
- All talk of teams needing a Key Forward should be buried. The Crows and Dogs both showed that winning through the midfield and having your best one on one players in the forward half is just as effective.
- Three teams had questionmarks (for various reasons) over their coaches during last week. The Lions and Pies responded and fought it out for four quarters whilst the Tigers came out strong but packed it in when the heat got too strong yet again. It is going to be a long 13 weeks for all those who love the yellow and black.
- Hawthorn play the M.C.G better than any other team. For those of you who thought they were gone think again. Where are the majority of finals played again??
- I love footy.
Loading ...
May 25th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
As a result of the last 7 mornings being up at 2 or 3 five times & 6 twice thanks to my darling 3 year old with autism, the AFL at 8.30 in Victoria can even sitck it.
Cheat after half time via either the net or foxpsorts & then off to bed.
How the AFL can ask for $1 billion & screw the viewers is beyond me.
May 25th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
i understand that the game is not as popular up here and rugby dominates etc so i don’t mind having to wait for games, however, prime insist on playing all of the pre game crap and all of the half time crap and show ads after every goaleven at 2 in the morning!!!. at least with ten the opening bounce will start straight away, they play a chunk of the quarter before showing an ad and they cut out the half time rubbish. I really hope that nine get back in, as good as cometti is i can’t stand buckley, schwarz and watson.
May 25th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
In WA the Friday night games also start at 8:30pm but with the other games they usually start an hour or so after the live time. This imo would be a better option for AFL states. Even channel 9 did this so imo they aint the answer either.
Think the real reason Channel 7 show the ‘add ons’ with the commentators etc is because they all love the sound of their own voice (MacAvaney, Buckley etc)
May 25th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Deano
we’ve had a rugby backlash down here in Vic. Parents tape it for kids if Storm plays, but can’t watch it coz of sex ads. Starts at midnight.
May 25th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Free-to-air broadcasts will always be a compromise, even in devotedly AFL regions.Fox Footy Channel couldn’t make itself a paying proposition with 100% AFL, and, no doubt, there’s also not a large enough audience for 100% NRL. So, we are left with compromises. The AFL can bluster as much as they like, but without audience numbers, AFL footy won’t be shown in anything remotely close to prime time on FTA — and adverts at every goal are part of that equation too. Anyone who wants to change the situation can shell out the bucks for the next rights agreement and show channels 7, 9 and 10 how to make a quid out of AFL in prime time all ’round the country. You can bet your life they’d do it already if it made a quid for them.
aussierulesblogs last blog post..Who ya gonna call?
May 26th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Here in the Riverina we get the games live at 7:30pm on Austar Pay Television, channel 518. I don’t know about the other regions where Austar are broadcast but there seems to be a deal in place for the Riverina if the game is not shown live on free to air it will be shown on 518 instead.
Between this and all of the other footy coverage on pay (all codes, Aussie, League, Union, International & National Soccer), Austar is one of my favorite investments.
May 27th, 2009 at 9:24 am
@Geaghs – Is that just for Friday nights or for Saturday as well?
May 27th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Friday nights and occasionaly on Sunday (when Prime show the V8′s, not sure if this happens all the time or if the game I caught was a one off). Also the NAB cup games and final. Don’t think so on Saturday. The more I think of it the more I think it may be a deal with Seven as Ten show the Saturday games don’t they.
How delayed is it on a Saturday anyway, because the coverage here starts about 7:30.
May 27th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
So is Austar a second Channel 7 channel?
May 27th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Nah. Austar is the regional Pay Tv Provider (about 80 Channels at last count). You have Foxtel in the Capital Cities and Austar in the country.
May 27th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
i just don’t understand that when for instance prime has FIVE channels on the set top box that not one of them shows any variation, what is the point?? even if they replayed the games during the week at a suitable time so we could catch up. At least with ABC and SBS they will have completely different programming on their ‘alternate’ or second channel. where i live is halfway between sydney and brisbane and with the new team going in on the the Gold Coast and with all the trouble going on in rugby league the AFL should be trying to push a bit harder to promote the game up here but it is hard to expose it to young kids when they are asleep. There are so many talented kids up here, especially indigenous, that talent needs to be tapped into and i think the AFL is missing a golden opportunity to capitalise on the NRL’s misfortune.
May 27th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Deano – Do you guys get Austar or Foxtel where you are?? It may be worth checking out whether it gets shown on channel 518 up there as well? Admittedly if you don’t have pay TV it is a fair price to pay for just one channel but I do think the whole package is worth the price. I hardly watch free to air at all these days.
On the subject of the extra channels that are available to seven and ten, I have been reading up online about the plans for free to air tv (freeview for those who have seen the ads) and every station will be entitled to 3 channels, the standard channel, a second standard channel and a high definition channel.
I think Channel 10 are the only ones who have announced there channels yet, Standard, One on Standard Definition and One on High Definition. And the reason that regionals haven’t got One yet is because we don’t get channel 10. We have Southern Cross (or another affiliate) which has not decided what there 2 extra channels will be yet (but they will most likely broadcast One as well)
May 27th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
we do get austar but one wage + 2 kids + car,food,petrol,rent etc, = no austar
June 1st, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I live in Rugby League heartland. The sutherland shire (or Cronulla to u unknowning) and i work with people from parramatta, bankstown and all over. Rugby League is HUGE in Sydney, BUT. AFL is growing. people are noticing the the speed, the skill, the high flying marks and the bone crunching hits. Someone very close to me sat down and watched a AFL game for the first time and walked away saying it was rubbish. Less than a year later she really likes AFL, more so then League. (and i might add chose the Mighty Western Bulldogs as her team! heck yeah lol)
its not a phenomenon yet, but with the contraversy and cash strapped clubs in the NRL, they are facing n AFL takeover. They have the money, the power, and the interest, even if little. saturdays in the city theres usually one live game on in the afternoon, and then the swans delayed by 30 or so mins if its not the sat arvo game, other than that not much but it is improving…
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Try following NRL in Melbourne if you think you’re being hard done by! Wee hours only on FTA. Plenty on Foxtel, but no more than AFL, Super 14 and ‘Football’.
aussierulesblogs last blog post..A slow-motion bus crash