UNREAL - Part One - Archived

Posted June 15, 201015 yr

UNREAL - Part 1 by Whispering Jack

Even before the game started there was something unreal about the whole event. We all knew that it wasn't really the Queen's birthday and some were asking whether it's appropriate to describe a game as a "blockbuster" when one of the participants sits in 13th place on the ladder, having won the last two wooden spoons? And to top it all off, the Demons opened this particular contest with the Magpies as if they really didn't want to play football at all.

At least that's how it seemed.

The game began in what has become characteristic fashion for the Melbourne Football Club in recent weeks. The team slept through the opening moments as Collingwood applied all of the early pressure, hitting them with everything but the proverbial kitchen sink. The Pies scored their first in a minute, followed that up soon afterwards with another and had a third on the board by the ten minute mark to lead 3.4.22 to a point (the point came with thanks to a Mark Jamar banana kick from ten metres that belatedly turned well after it crossed the face of goals). During this time and for most of the first term, the Demons played indirect football and displayed poor skills and decision-making that left many fans cupping their faces in their hands in despair but somehow, they managed to regroup. By some miracle they trailled by just two goals when the siren sounded to end proceedings for the first term.

From that point onward Melbourne was the better team and, despite the disparity in scoring shots, it should have won this game. Don't let the pundits tell you that Collingwood was statistically superior and therefore deserved a victory - they're wrong. The Demons had the greater number of disposals and had the dominant ruckman on the ground in Jamar who singlehandedly thumped the Magpie rucks. Brent Moloney was the leading midfielder and the two of them continued their season long partnership with career high possession tallies. Together they combined to almost pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season.

If there was one area where Collingwood's statistical advantage was almost decisive it was in the lopsided free kick tally that saw it hold a 10-5 lead at half time. I don't think I saw Melbourne get a free kick at all in the second quarter when the Demons were well on top in general play and could have rammed home a decisive lead had their own endeavours in the clinched been equally rewarded. Though there's no rule that says free kicks should be distributed equally, a bit of consistency with certain rules, notably holding the ball, would have helped avoid confusion among spectators. End of umpire bashing rant.

Well not quite. I have to report that there was a moment during that second quarter when the yellow maggots were giving us absolutely nothing that I noticed a sign that was partially obscured and it read, "Report Antisocial Behaviour TXT ..." I was sorely tempted to report the antisocial behaviour of umpire McBurney and his two cohorts but luckily for them I couldn't read the number thanks to a crowd of Magpie fans standing in front of it. This time, end of umpire bashing rant.

With one point separating the teams at half time, the Demons were back in the contest and they kept up the pressure throughout the second half forcing the Magpies to go wide, kick hurriedly and constantly try to kick the ball long to score rather than to patiently set up a goal.

It was no co-incidence that they were so badly off target in the third term. It was a result of planned, focussed defensive work with James Frawley, Matty Warnock, Jack Grimes, Clint Bartram, Jared Rivers and a revived Colin Garland leading a brilliant backline. Meanwhile, Melbourne straightened up and used the corridor better but wasn't exactly on target either during the third quarter. Cale Morton's goal was an absolute ripper.

The young blokes were all trying hard and those in the midfield would have marvelled at the precision kicking of Aaron Davey who swept aside last week's antisocial "incidents" from some Carlton gangsters to put in an absolute blinder.

But whose example does Jack Watts have to follow as a key position forward at Melbourne? At least Jack Riewoldt had a Matthew Richardson as his mentor in his fledgling years (and a cousin at another club who can play a bit when his hammy's not stuffed). Our Jack has none of that but fear not. He has great skills. He just needs to hone them and learn when to take his chances. Don't worry about a few of those gaffes because you learn by your mistakes and Watts is on a learning curve.

Tom Scully, Jack Trengove, Jordan Gysberts and Jordie McKenzie all contributed to the cause and I can't wait until another 22 games have passed and this lot really start maturing because, by then, the games between these teams will no longer be close and the results in our favour.

In the end, it was goals and heroics from Melbourne's middle aged players like Brad Miller, Matthew Bate, Jamar, Moloney and that fantastic smother from Nathan Jones that got the team halfway across the line.

That the result was a draw made it all a little more unreal.

Melbourne 3.2.20 6.3.39 7.8.50 11.10.76

Collingwood 4.8.32 5.10.40 6.19.55 9.22.76

Goals

Melbourne Bate Miller 2 Dunn Garland Jamar Jetta Jones Morton Watts

Collingwood Dick 4 Cloke Davis Jolly Lockyer Sidebottom

Best

Melbourne Jamar Davey Moloney Garland Morton Frawley

Collingwood Swan Thomas Sidebottom Reid O'Brien Dick

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Collingwood Maxwell (calf)