THE CIRCLE GAME by Whispering Jack

"We're captive on the carousel of time

We can't return, we can only look behind

From where we came

And go round and round and round

In the circle game."

Joni Mitchell - The Circle Game

The first hour and three quarters of Sunday's Melbourne v Kangaroos game at the MCG evoked memories of the message contained in the supple chorus of this classic folk song written in another generation by a singer/songwriter who would be unknown to good many of those in the crowd. That however, did not prevent me from wondering how was it possible that this young Canadian woman, writing in the 1960's (and in all probability breathing in the smoky fog-like mist that was so reminiscent of the times) could have so accurately predicted how the Demons would play out the first three quarters of a game of football some forty years in the future?

What's that you say - can't understand what I'm talking about?

Well, if that's the case, then you didn't live through the sixties and you probably weren't at the game on Sunday either.

It was simply apalling what the Melbourne team was able to do on the football field while playing the Circle Game. It wasn't as if the Kangaroos were any good either, because they weren't (any good). It was just that while Melbourne fiddled around with the football, playing on when they should have gone back for a kick, taking their time when they should have been playing on, handballing at the feet of players who weren't moving or expecting to receive the handball or just plain stuffing things up. The skipper started it when his opening shot for goal from the Andrew Swallow flank went right across the goals and out of bounds. Travis Johnstone's snap hit the post before Robbo showed how it was done and then Nathan Jones ran into goal but missed. After ten minutes on top, the Demons allowed two easy goals to Corey Jones (one from a stupid free) and within thirty seconds, the lead had evaporated. There was a momentary respite when what looked to be a Robbo miskick found the skipper for a goal but then the Kangaroos' more direct play gave them a handy little lead at quarter time.

The second quarter belonged to Shannon Grant who for some strange reason was being looked after by Brad Green and the umpires. His four goals for the quarter was more than the difference between the teams. Melbourne was as ragged as it has possibly ever been - its players running around in circles, giving away needless free kicks by failing to recognise the umpring trend (which was to ping the bloke at the bottom of the pack for holding the ball every time). I seem to remember it was at some stage in this quarter that Jess Sinclair got hold of the footy in the centre of the ground and he did something incredible. He sunk the boot into it and it landed on a pack within ten to fifteen metres from goal. Grant snaffled up the loose ball and goaled. You would have thought that the Demon players might have taken the hint from that example but it was not to be the case. They just kept going round and round and round. Thankfully, a late goal on the half time siren to Robbo gave the supporters some heart as they marched off to play their own circle game looking for a place where they could by some pies and chips without having to mortgage the house in the process.

After the break it was more of the same but it was even worse because both sides were now infested with the fuglies. They say that your ineptitude can rub off on others around you and, in the case of this game, it certainly did that with the Kangaroos developing the kicking yips; it was only Grant's fifth goal that kept the crowd awake. That and some strong defensive play from Nathan Carroll who was great taking some strong contested marks but somewhat lackadaisical with his kicking. Surely he hadn't been breathing Joni Mitchell's air?

During the three quarter time break I sensed that certain Demon fans were already deserting the ground but I turned to my neighbour rather unconvincingly told him that "we can still win this if we stop going around in circles and start playing a bit more direct." He nodded in agreement but, when the Roos kicked the first goal of the quarter, I felt my optimisism might have lacked some credibility in his eyes. I would have asked him if that was the case but, by the time I thought of it he had already left the ground clutching his return train ticket in his hands and muttering swear words below his breath no doubt.

I suppose that it was just then that the carousel turned and Melbourne forgot about the run and carry and tempo and shmempo and started playing football just like it was doing at this time last year and, in the space of a quarter of an hour, it had seemingly turned its season on its head with seven unanswered goals. A lead of six points with time running out and the Kangaroos appearing to be out of puff. One more foray into the forward line would have done it. A single point could possibly have been enough but it wasn't to be.

A few years ago, Andrew Swallow was considered a likely first round draft selection until the recruiting community decided he couldn't kick if his life depended on it. The Kangaroos took him in the forties and the kid who supposedly couldn't kick managed to sink the ball with the exact pinpoint accuracy and over the precise distance required to clear the goals by a poofteenth before it was touched by Nathan Carroll’s outstretched fingers. That was enough to deprive Melbourne of its first victory of the season.

After the game, coach Neale Daniher lamented the fact that his team was unable to keep possession on the last point kick-in when there was a little over a minute or so to go before the siren. The Reverend was trying to be poetic and philosophical after the game when he said, "Footy sucks sometimes." It sure does, but he should leave the poetic stuff to experts like Joni Mitchell, forget about the Circle Game and concentrate on getting his team to play as it did in that final quarter throughout every game and during every week.

Melbourne 2.4.16 4.8.32 4.10.34 11.12.78

Kangaroos 3.5.23 7.7.49 8.14.62 10.19.79

Goals

Melbourne Neitz 4 Robertson 3 Bruce 2 Green Jones

Kangaroos Grant 5 Jones 2 Campbell Swallow Thomas

Best

Melbourne Bruce Jones Bell McDonald Carroll McLean Neitz Bizzell

Kangaroos Grant Simpson Harvey Sinclair Petrie Swallow Gibson Rawlings

Injuries

Melbourne Nil

Kangaroos Nil

Reports Nil

Changes

Melbourne Bate (hamstring) replaced in selected side by McLean. Yze (groin) replaced in selected side by Brown

Kangaroos Watt replaced in selected side by Hale.

Umpires McLaren Kamolins Pannell

Crowd 30,662 at MCG

Well summed up.

I know it would have been highway robbery had we won but we can't take a trick at the moment.

Agreed that we should have done better in the first three error filled quarters and we probably would've won it easily.

A great read WJ, I know Joni well and I was there with my son on Sunday. We got a lot of pride back in the final qtr, let's hope our team did as well!

great work there w.j.

the last quarter was what football is all about. notwithstanding that effort , if we had won the game , it would have been a travesty really as we were the team that lowered the tone skills wise.

what has happened to our skills? they were there in the main last season; do skills desert you or are they attitude driven?did the players expect to win even.

i sell jewellery for a livng and if my sales staff dont perform ie dont reach their targets for the week, its got nothing to do with

lack of skills or training, its lack of hunger and desire

these guys are cruising!

forget about the game plan or lack thereof - this wont affect basic skills or poor decision making.

very very frustrating; the last quarter will probably get me back to next weeks game though