close but good enough for 2013...freo for the flag

so close yet not quite there...the cats definitely had more than nine lives that night. what can i say? it was a bloody good game and the team really took it up to them. and yes i almost held my breath believing that hey after that westhoff goal perhaps we could do it again ( and what a goal that was) but alas it was not meant to be. and although i was disappointed it didn't last long. when i put the whole season into perspective and under the microscope...my observations lead me to believe without a doubt we are now on the road to somewhere and that is awesome...GO POWER!!! bring on 2014...

PS i watched the hawks /cats game and to be frank hawthrorn did kick themselves out of the game and at times looked lack lustre. franklin and roughhead failed to fire up. the cats should have dug in their claws the opportunity was there but obviously they only scratched the surface. for the hawks to come back and win, credit though to tough it out. but i have to say watching freo systematically demolish the swans in the first half...it is going to be a freo flag!!! GO DOCKERS!!! win and my dual supporter will be over the moon...

elimination final: fear, fantasy and fact

before the game in the back of my mind the fear lurking which i have no doubt was shared by more than just myself is that our young team would become overwhelmed by the awe of finals and succumb to the pressure. that collingwood being a seasoned finals campaigner and holding court with a supporter base that would easily outnumber us at the G would rise to the occassion; considering their form was gaining momentum and that perhaps the sleeping dog was finally awakening. i actually posed this question to the great russell ebert himself (as i had the opportunity to chat with him during a school visit and was curious to see whether we would be on the same page and of course i did want to impress him with my footy know how...lol!!!). and i have to say i completely agreed with him. i considered richmond to be the easier opponent and as russell contemplated in his own words, " port might be able to exploit them more..."

     my fanatsy of course after hearing big mouth complain about the inconvenience of travelling to the west when not one game had even been played. freo would knock off the cats and port would clip the pies wings and send them hurtling beak first into the ground...SPLAT!!! i watched the freo geelong game with son number two who is a dual supporter. he really took freo on board this year as a gesture no doubt fuelled by the fact he misses his dad who is also dockers supporter. i actually tipped them...call that one gut feeling but i was surprsied that even geelong although quite entitled would host their final at home considering the capacity of the stadium. then i dared to dream that eddie of course had cursed himself and his club because it was one down and one left to go...

     the fact is i watched it along with my boys at a friends place screaming as if we were there and it is just as well that nell turned her hearing aid off. OMG what a game, the best game they have played all year because from start to finish despite a comeback the boys kept going hard, tough and strong. they rose to the occassion undaunted by the majority of the crowd against them; unfazed by the premier stage of the G.and they brought it home much to the surprise of many who really did not rate them much of a chance. so unified, such a team effort, superb game from youngster ollie wines, captains goals and the accolades could easily continue. the fact is we took collingwood on and we won, fair and square, convincingly and to watch such an outstanding effort keeps one brimming with optimistic assurance that this viewers is a team and a club that has finally risen from the ashes...

finals fever...

the finals are here viewers and according to bigmouth we don't seem to stand a chance. well it would be poetic justice to prove him wrong. and it would be just for him to have to wear the prison bar guernsey in public too...how about that??? now don't get me wrong fellow supporters...i am ecstatic that the boys have earnt their spot in the finals. to begin with not many would have predicted this at the beginning of the season. call it a fairytale or a cinderella story but that it is not. it is the result of hard work and developing respect and the right culture at the club. i did have the fortune of listening to ken hinkley address the supporters after the melbourne game and i was impressed. and what impressed me most was one thing he mentioned and that was..." i am about relationships..." and when i heard that i knew there and then he was the right man for the job. and this season has proven it was sooner rather than later. 

     and at the beginning of the season it seemed like i hardly knew who some of these boys were ( i had to buy the footy record and do some study) and wondered where they had been hiding. and acccording to a good source...(yes i do have my sources,) someone had to come in clean up and lay down the law...(apparently some were keeping their mobiles in their training socks) and heavens to betsy if that was happening in my classroon, hang on it wouldn't happen, hee,hee. if there is one thing i know from my own experience and that is this... relationships form the core of success among other things. a positive relationship built upon mutual trust and respect is a key. and that key can open the door to self belief. self belief is the foundation. if it is shaky it won't be strong. build it with the right ingredients and an effective plan and self belief can take you places where once upon a time you may have feared to tread. 

     and  even though i will not make it to the hallowed MCG this time my support remains steadfast. i was discouraged (especially after my mum found out my plan to wear my prison bar t-shirt under my clothes which i intended to reveal to an irate collingwood crowd after we had won...hee,hee)
i do believe this is just the beginning and i for one do not intend to miss our next grandfinal appearance...my prediction 2015. so until saturday night, enjoy the first final and i say in support of my buddy (not buddy franklin) but buddy pascoe...GO THE SWANNIES!!! short and sweet.

cheers, FFFXXX

PS footy tipping was a family affair this year...my brother in-law came equal first and lovie the legend came in third in the RI Industries footy tipping comp...well done!!!

    

last game at AAMI...

 

farewell EBO...

weather was perfect. the prison bar guernseys looked awesome. the lady army plus two were almost in full force. great to go to the game not feeling like it was a do or die situation where we could have been knocked off the perch, still we would have got the golden ticket but am extremely pleased we did not have to. the team got there on their own merits. i have to say i have enjoyed this season and am glad i made the decision to join the club when they seemed to be down and out coming into 2013. the carlton supporters behind us were good sports but ectstatic that they got over the line. a great night enjoyed by all of us apart from son number two having a meltdown coz the boys lost by a point. but he's ten and so he is allowed to. amazing atmosphere, 45,000 plus crowd...well done POWER!!!

looking forward to the next one...