Going Going GeeGone
Round 18 – Geelong Vs Melbourne – Going Going GeeGone
Liam Chambers – our correspondent in Coffs Harbour
I know it’s a terrible title but what can I say. We were leading by twenty nine points at the start of the fourth quarter and then the unthinkable happened. The Cats scored eight goals, including four individual efforts by Tom Hawkins, to break Melbourne hearts. We played so well; few missed chances for sure but overall it was a performance to be proud of. It would also have been a rebuke to the naysayers who point out that the Dees haven’t beaten a top eight side all season.
Well, we still haven’t beaten a top eight side and now we face three top sides over the final five rounds. A herculean task but one I still believe the Dees are capable of pulling off. It will be the ultimate test of character for a side still learning to play to their true potential. The Adelaide Crows at the Oval won’t be easy and after the Gold Coast Suns embarrassed the Sydney Swans, no one is going to write them off as a pushover. The Swans and GWS at the MCG will be very tough and who is going to bet against the Eagles in Perth; except Essendon of course. Are we saying the Bombers are better than us?
There were so many positives for the Demons. Clayton Oliver was superb yet again. Tom McDonald is back with a vengeance, though he had a shaky start. What can you say about Angus Brayshaw except that if every one of the Dees played with the same intensity we would be sitting on top of the ladder and I would have booked a ticket for the grand final. You cannot fault his determination and skill.
This game meant a lot to the Demons. Petracca’s tears after the siren said it all. The Melbourne fan’s are gutted but imagine how the players are feeling. Having said that, we’ve got to learn how to defend a lead of almost thirty points with less than thirty minutes to go. We had them on the ropes but then we let the Cats believe that they still had a chance and that was disastrous in the end. Even in the dying seconds we didn’t employ enough smart tactics to ensure Geelong didn’t get a chance to get anywhere near Melbourne’s goal. The did and this time they didn’t miss like the they did against the Bulldogs.
We go to Adelaide Oval next week and we will need to heed the lessons of the Geelong game. We need to put the loss behind us and be 100 percent focused on the win. I still believe in fairytale endings and in my mind the Dees are already playing finals footy in September. There are approximately forty three thousand register members and if all of them focus on that thought we will be there cheering when Gawny wins the Norm Smith Medal.
GEELONG 2.1 5.3 8.4 16.14 (100)
MELBOURNE 2.3 5.8 11.9 14.14 (98)
GOALS
Geelong: Hawkins 7, Dangerfield 2, Tuohy 2, Jones, Duncan, Henry, J Selwood, Kelly
Melbourne: T McDonald 4, Garlett 2, Melksham 2, Brayshaw, Spargo, Jones, Hogan, Gawn, Petracca
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