John Crow Batty

He was running towards goal at a slightly wrong angle for a right footer. He checksided the ball a bit to get it on target. If he kicked it straight it would have gone for a behind.

My great grandpa reckoned Vin Coutie, Basil Onyons and Jack Leith were gun forwards and George Margitich was better than Norm Smith.

Pointless comparison. No way to compare what was a local amateur suburban competition to a nationwide professional one. Like comparing a T Model Ford to a Tesla. Best to honour great players in context of their own era.

His elite disposal, coolness and decision making pushed Hunt out. Bowey and Salem across half back makes our transition play rock solid on either side of the ground.

Absolutely amazing fitness and running power. It was like he was subbed on in the last quarter the way he moved so freshly. He was making his opponents eat dust with his running.

Bontempelli was the only one having a go in the last quarter. His teammates to a man had all given up.

Embrace the challenge.

We have had a dream season but we still don’t beat teams we are certain to beat often enough. Better a tough game with players fired up by the occasion and opposition.

Pickett also tackled and dispossessed Weightman to enable Bowey to get the turnover and pass it to Brayshaw for his lead changing goal. He also harassed the Bulldog players to force a turnover for Spargo’s goal.Three very important efforts that directly turned into goals. Never got much ball himself but was always in the thick of the forward line action.

That means we also have to take in Nathan Buckley.

Yep, he’s a specialist lock down player. May be superfluous to play on an average player but is high value against big guns.

That will be Keath who kicked it long to the wing where Naughton took another impressive contested mark.

I nearly cracked it after Gawn was tossed by the dwarf. They were toying with us at that stage. Couldn’t sit down anymore and got out of my seat and watched the miracle unfold from the aisle.

Maybe NQR but still up to his old trick of playing for the free. After being dispossed in the Kickett tackle Weightman flopped forward causing Kickett to fall on top of him. Luckily the umpire wasn’t fooled. No sympathy from me.

I was touched by this clip also. A lifetime of pain, humiliation and suffering from a fan extinguished. He knew we were going to win.

Not fair on St Kilda fans of us highjacking their favourite debate.

“they are totally gobsmacked” That was the beginning of junk time. When we scored 2 goals in the first two minutes of the last quarter it was already an anti climax. 5 goals scored in 3 minutes of actual game time. The bulldogs were broken and no fight left.

Kelly needs to go from yellow to red on your list.

That two week punishment for molesting Sam Collins did wonders. For too many seasons Viney always seemed to come back from injury early and it always impacted on his ongoing form. What many saw as an injustice turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The extra rest did him well and played arguably his best footy for several years.

The look on Petracca’s face was very telling after kicking the great dribbler in the third quarter. He had the look of someone possessed by supernatural powers. Not over celebrating but something demonic and unstoppable about his expression. Overall I believe he was shaded slightly by Oliver over the season but delivered his best on GF day. Oliver was almost as good as well. But this was Petracca’s day.

His output whilst outwardly impressive seems too scattershot, loose and individualist to gel into what would be considered focused team play and structure which is critical in finals. He just plays his own game and when the cats play bad it does little to lift their fortunes.

Just give it to any one who wants it or a new kid and move on. Throughout our history their have been many great players who could arguably had their numbers retired. Why honour one but not others?

And not that guy who kicked 6 in the GF.

Cameron complete dud in Prelim. Cameron also in prelim.

It’s Chris Pelchen who worked at the Hawks in 00’s. Says they should have started the rebuild 4 season ago.