Crunch time.

No more missed tackles.

On the highway with Uncle Bitter. White knuckle driving at its best. Mad Max-esque. If you see two empty seats in the throng of the Hill Stand you'll know we crashed and burned

Just looked out the hotel window, sky is mostly blue, some wind, but not gusty, and according to the weather app on my phone, any chance of rain will be 0% by 1:30pm at which time the temperature will be 11c (feels like 1c).

This has been a public service announcement. 

So another game day in an exciting season. I am sure we all do different things on game day and I am wondering what others do. 

This is my game day.

A game in Canberra, so a lot of supporters will be in the same boat as I am every week, unable to get to the game and watching live on a screen. 

I am based in Europe so I am 8 hours behind. Game starts at 5.45am for me. I wake 15 mins before the first bounce. Do what I have to do. Watch the first half on an iPad in bed. Come half time I have a shower, get the coffee ready and breakfast. Second half is had over breakfast. The cereal ends up all,over the table. The hangover (Italian wine this evening) is either pounding (we're losing.... ) or receding (we're winning...) it is a fine balancing act.

it really is a knife edge existence, not attending games live. It is, in some ways, a lonely existence. I can hear the crowd reaction on the visual and know why they are yelling, but I am apart from it.

so, I yell,at the images, tell,Goodwin what to do... abuse the maggots.... tell,players in no uncertain terms how useless they are...... all ok milk and cereal...

.... and then, when the game is over, I have to go,about my day... win or lose..... go about my day.... 

In the evening, in a calmer frame of mind I watch the replay with a drink or seven....

the boys will,win it today...or tomorrow.... for themselves and for supporters like us.... the ones that, no matter what the circumstances, are there, week after week watching, cheering, cursing.... wanting the rewards a win will bring.

what sort of day are others looking forward to?

 

 You beat me to it Hardtack. Bit damp underfoot at the moment (Manuka has very good drainage though) and sky clearing out here in the Western badlands where the weather blows from.  Should be tropically balmy by the time the game starts and will only require the one beanie!

Edited August 4, 20178 yr by grazman

No Patton, no Cameron, no Greene. 

Awful last quarter last week. 

Bulk of the mids are back.

Really no excuses

30 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

On the highway with Uncle Bitter. White knuckle driving at its best. Mad Max-esque. If you see two empty seats in the throng of the Hill Stand you'll know we crashed and burned

Look out @Moonshadow next thing you know uncle bitter will be heading further north and taking you to the Mardi Gras 

46 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

On the highway with Uncle Bitter. White knuckle driving at its best. Mad Max-esque. If you see two empty seats in the throng of the Hill Stand you'll know we crashed and burned

The lads passing Holbrook...

Chris Connolly once told a meeting of Melbourne supporters that when you make five changes to the team, your chances of winning are slim. At the time, he was talking about a situation where a. combination of injuries and poor form looked like making that eventuality necessary for the Demons. 

I hope the same applies in the case of GWS. If our weakness is in combatting tall KPF's and dangerous small forwards then the absence of Cameron, Patton and Greene should be a factor.

 

5 minutes ago, Kumamoto_Ken said:

The lads passing Holbrook...

Picture that with a Demons scarf around the neck. Mad Max crossed with Pricilla.

I like our selected team, especially given the expected conditions and the GWS 'outs'. The match will be won / lost in and around the contest, which has been our strength for most of the year.  I'm confident of taking the points in what I expect to be a fairly tight, low scoring affair.  Really looking forward to seeing what Corey Maynard can bring to the table..

Edited August 4, 20178 yr by Deeoldfart

Finals start today.

16 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Chris Connolly once told a meeting of Melbourne supporters that when you make five changes to the team, your chances of winning are slim. At the time, he was talking about a situation where a. combination of injuries and poor form looked like making that eventuality necessary for the Demons. 

I hope the same applies in the case of GWS. If our weakness is in combatting tall KPF's and dangerous small forwards then the absence of Cameron, Patton and Greene should be a factor.

 

Good job we only made 4 then 

Relax we've got this . 

Perderson is in . 

Im a sorry sack of [censored] after last week. Predicted an easy win and had it rubbed in my face. Not gonna happen today.

GWS by enough to [censored] me off. Hell even 1 point will do that.

Good luck to all who made the effort to attend in person.

Just heading past Tarcutta...

Supremely confident of a win

Pedersen to kick a couple & be a big factor

49 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

Picture that with a Demons scarf around the neck. Mad Max crossed with Pricilla.

I've had enough disturbing visualisations from this road trip. Right now I'm thinking Thelma and Louise.

Peds will have a field down chasing down GWS's kids. 4 goals and 11 tackles.

Just dropped the girl off at her gymnastics class...can sadly confirm that the wind is a fricking icy blast.

Beanie, scarf, gloves required...the whole shebang today.

Well done to all having a traveller to get there today.

i reckon this is the strongest side we've put up all year. Really looking forward to this one.

3 minutes ago, Biffen said:

I've had enough disturbing visualisations from this road trip. Right now I'm thinking Thelma and Louise.

Are you thinking that you're Brad Pitt Biff?

Bumped into a player on Wednesday night, it's fair to say he was furious with the effort last week ( particularly a handful of players ). If the look in his eye and want to redeem is replicated across the whole team we will win.

21 minutes ago, Biffen said:

I've had enough disturbing visualisations from this road trip. Right now I'm thinking Thelma and Louise.

Give it a break-- More like that vile mrs Brown & dame Edna.

Win today (which I expect) we are likely to storm home with confidence the last 3. Lose today I would not be surprised to see us whimper home 1 and 3 with a bad taste in supporters mouths. We played our best month of footy with Jones, Viney, Tyson, Vince, Lewis playing (bar Jones missing West Coast). Midfield depth and maturity is what drives consistency and quality.

Hoping this allows Trac to go back to prowling the forward half and Salem to be released onto a wing (one of the only players that understands what lowering your eyes means).