well i thought i was going to see some stats that would have pin pointed where it all went down hill...in the scheme of things not really...the stats do not reflect fully what was the key factor...one word PRESSURE, no make that two words, UNRELENTING PRESSURE. and to think years ago i was a witness to FREO being a pretty dismal side, no make that a crap side and recall many a time they were thumped. now the shoe is on the other foot but i will certainly not begrudge them. having been a freophile for a good ten years i can support them but not before my number one team. but i say don't discount the old heave ho and i for one would be happy to see them take the flag this year only because i know we are still very green and would prefer them to gain experience on their way to becoming awesome. so think about that supporters or specifically those who were quick to jump on the bandwagon and point out how badly we were thumped and how... OMG if we play like that in the finals we will not get too far. well guess what viewers i personally don't give a rats ass and wonder what planet some of you are on...seriously let us put it into perspective. how long do you think it takes to cultivate a premiership winning team? the way that some of you carry on you would think it was overnight. and not using excuses but yes please put this into your memory bank. we are the third youngest side in the comp. the last few years we were dismal and played like losers because we were losers and apparently were allowed to have our mobile phones tucked away into our footy socks when we were meant to be training. ( i got that from a reliable source) and so let us be thankful that ken hinkley has been true to his word and has instilled some discipline and the core value of respect back for the club and for others.
as for me my personal stats were not very flattering. (shame on me) watching from the couch i was reported for using the f-bomb and paying out the pav coz he was playing for some lame free kicks. ( son number two who is a dual supporter did not appreciate this) add to that the word BS with emphasis but other than that it was relatively tame. and yes i did watch it entirely and it wasn't pretty. and i almost cracked and went to my room to read the lonely planet guide on hawaii...hee,hee!!! (because i am also planning an end of season trip) one consolation was finding out that essendon finally beat the blues. i have to admit keeping an eye on the score i was already beginning to imagine the magnitude of round 23. so yes we were thumped but the bombers won which meant that we were not going to be handed the golden ticket, which meant my request was granted, thankyou footy gods!!! nothing like being a legitimate finalist and i say simply fitting considering our season. now we will just have to see who our opponent shall be...tigers or pies? which one? which one would you choose?
i actually had the opportunity to put that exact question to an all time footy legend today. i had the pleasure of meeting and shaking hands with none other than mr. russell ebert himself...my childhood idol. and this is what i said..."hello mr.ebert. it is a pleasure to meet you and i just wanted to tell you that you were my childood idol and i wore the duffel coat with your number on the back..." which seemed to take him by surprise. ( and i think the reason it took him by surprise is that i look so youthful and so he might have been thinking that i couldn't have possibly been born then...testament to good slav genes!!! hee,hee) we had an indepth chat about the changes in footy and the pressure facing players in this era compared to his playing days. when i asked him which team for the finals he replied thoughtfully...richmond because he commented that port might be able to exploit them where collingwood were a seasoned finals campaigner and are coming into full strength ( and yes i agreed with him). so that was the highlight for me today. i must say he is in excellent nick for his age, very fit and very personable.
so as i am typing this it seems that the essendon saga has been partially resolved with the announcement that the bombers will not be playing finals which has caused a frenzied discussion about how the final eight will pan out. i am still predicting the roos because this whole scenario has been nothing short of crazy. so a crazy ending seems fitting. but i can tell ya there will be some teams hoping it ain't gonna be them. well i guess we will know come sunday. so until then viewers if your team is a finalist you might want to start considering your wardrobe. i certainly am looking forward to round 23 to witness the last game in the historic prison bar guernsey. my only regret is that i didn't buy one when they were on offer. who knows i might get lucky and be selected for one. yes footy gods if you don't mind that is my request for this week that i win a guernsey and that POWER are winners when the final siren sounds. bring on the finals!!! love FFFXXX.
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