by Grahaml » Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:39 pm
Not nearly as funny as at the actual game the goal umpires had to run over to the scoreboard attendants to correct the score. At the end they had Central 20.6 124. Think it looks wrong? It looks worse when you find out we had actually kicked 7 behinds. And it was wrong all day by a few points.
They wouldn't have a clue how many were there. Got to the ground (a few minutes late mind you) and they gave me a ticket, but never took it off me. My sister has a season pass, they looked at it and let her in. They definitely didn't count her and I doubt they counted me. Suspect many people were in the same boat. Very hard to estimate the crowd, but was maybe 2500? Seemed to be lots of support for the dogs, and the Blanchetown BP was getting a lot of business from red white and blue wearing patrons on the way home.
And now for my rant. Got there only a couple of minutes late and the game was nearly over! We'd already kicked 2 goals(so I missed our first 2 goalkickers, so please note all noted goalkickers may have a goal or 2 more than I say) and kicked number 3 within seconds of getting into the ground. The first quarter story was all about Centrals running around the red and black witches hats and putting on a show. Schell starting up forward for the first time taking big marks at will, too quick, too big, too athletic and his hands were fantastic. He looked absolutely unbeatable. Then he kicked for goal. Could have had half a dozen EASILY. Got one or 2 (left my budget at the folks place so can't remember exactly). 7 goals to 1 in the first quarter, 5 to 0 in the second or something. Not really much of a game as such from there. The story really begins and ends with Central just winning mountains of ball through the midfield. Can't imagine what I mean? Just grab a copy of the 2004 GF and imagine central playing against west and that's the sort of midfield dominance the unfortunate west fans had to put up with. Giles and MacKenzie did a solid job in the ruck, and worked forward (Giles 3 goals) and back (MacKenzie) superbly and did much more than their opponents in terms of around the ground work. The prolific ball winners were the dogs attacking running midfielders. Ware kicked 6 goals while Slattery, Switala, Slade and Thomas were solid all day. For mine, Dutchke was the revelation of the day. Not polished but the way he attacks the ball and the contest at every opportunity is brilliant. If you could just bottle how he attacks the ball you'd give a bit of it to every footballer in the country. Trent Goodrem took on more responsibility in the middle of the ground and showed a lot. Not polished, like Dutchke, but again his attack on the ball was great. Richie Cochrane and Wilson were serviceable but their jobs were made pretty easy by the fact the ball didn't go into west's forward line with any look of trouble for 90% of the day. Lawry did his usual bullocking job, beaten once in the air all day, kicked a couple of goals and provided a superb target the while day long. Grima gets better and better every week. Was surprised at how assured and solid he looks for a bloke who's only 21. Judgement of when to mark and when to spoil is spot on, and provides a lot of run. Looking forward to seeing how he combines with Aufderheide in the future. Plays the sort of game that could get a full back enough votes to poll a few votes in the Magarey. Havelberg will be a star. He's 19 and at 189cm is probably developing too late, and isn't quite big enough to get the call from the big end of town but could be a smokey if he shows the sort of game he showed today for the rest of the season. Played CHB and ran straight and hard at the footy when needed, beat his man when needed and took some good strong grabs when needed. After looking like a ready made full forward we now have a guy who could play every key position on the ground and has the agility to play a running role.
In the end, the 89 point margin flattered West. The ball came out of the middle so fast and predictably that everyone was locked into standing 30m directly in front of the dogs goal, and we had so many running options it wasn't hard to find someone to give off to, but hard to find the guy who wouldn't trip over the feet of the other free running dog next to him.
BOG: Ware. 6 goals, clean polished and ran freely and did enormous amounts of damage. Hard to pick next best players, but thought Schell, Dutchke, Lawry, Grima, Havelberg, Giles and Goodrem were the next batch. Every dog played well in the end though.
Suppose I have to mention west since they turned up, but they didn't really do much. This was, in my opinion, the softest most piss weak effort from a league team I have seen for a while. Dutscke and Goodrem aren't big blokes, but the way they broke tackles and ran through blokes you would have thought West were trying to stop Jonah Lomu in his prime. West also found themselves under enomrmous pressure and coughed it up continuously all day. They fiddled about until they stuffed it up, and those same 2 aforementioned bohemoths couldn't be brushed off by even the biggest of West's players. I do think Prokopec played his best game since going to west: He spent most of the day running up and down the boundary. Truth be told, it was more running than he would have done had he been on the ground so maybe he might have shed a few of the 15 kilos he needs to lose to be a league footballer.
Anyway, good win for the Dogs. Crap from West. Dogs youngsters showing when the Gowans leave and some of our blokes retire in 2 or 3 years we'll still be a force.
Goalkickers from memory: Ware:6, Giles 3, Lawry, Callinan, J Gowans 2, Schell, C. Gowans 1. 3 goals missing so if anyone can help that would be great! West: Number 10? Kicked one. Number 13 did too. Was a good one, too actually. Far too quick for Richard Cochrane and finished off nicely from 40. Very quick. Hopefully he slows down a bit.