Times like these people turn to the book. The good book known as the holy bible. I also turn to the good book. However my good book is one of a different religion being the sports betting book. “Let thou not be discouraged by imbecilic men of the news scrolls. Let thy noble odds setting men shine the light on the path and lead thou way to enlightenment.”
The fine men of the betting boards more times than not get it right when it comes to football. So at times like these when many were quick to give their negative comments and opinions regarding Fremantle’s loss to Geelong, they should first consult those who have a fair idea and a decent grip on what is going on in the Fremantle football world. The Bookmakers have further shortened the Freo boys into $1.60 to make the final eight and didn’t slightly flinch or feel any temptation to wind them out when we were over run by the Cats.
The recent loss to Geelong was unfortunate and disappointing from the view point that the fans would have loved to see the boys in a grand final of any nature. But it genuinely counts for two fifths of bugger all. If anyone of us thinks that loss or the way it occurred will have a bearing on our fortunes or is a sign of things to come in the 2006 home and away season then take up badminton or miniature golf and have a crack at those because football isn’t your caper.
The team showed us enough in the first two games of the preseason to suggest that bigger and better things are in the very near future. The forward line works a treat. The addition of Jimmy Walker, coincidently absent from Saturday night’s loss, to the midfield is a winner, a fully fit Byron Schammer’s creative run from defense and Sandiland’s natural improvement in the ruck will be incredibly difficult to combat. Throw in a Robbie Haddrill, a Graham Polak and a Roger Hayden to the backline plus the enabling of Dessie Headland to become the link player running forward like he was at Brisbane then we’re red hot. Ad in a couple of stand up men of sorts the likes of Josh Carr and Steven Dodd and get a couple of games under Cook’s belt and we’ve now got the whole box and dice.
Don’t downplay the fact that our first two games were killers. Don’t kid yourself. It’s not as if we were trying to build a railway in the comfortable 25 degrees with a soothing sea breeze. We were playing football in temperatures that would have had Lou Seafer going for the ice vest. Two weeks running we hit the excruciating heat and performed admirably. The third week against Geelong we had to travel and rely on the hope that we had enough in the tank to get through. Over the previous two weeks we’d performed a workload that would’ve dropped Mother Teresa and yet we still managed to take care of business for the best part of three quarters the following week. The players were giving their all in the final quarter. Many of them were genuinely and understandably dead on their feet as the three tough weeks caught up with them. The fourth quarter wasn’t one of disappointment from the player’s effort aspect as what was commentated and reported. It was disappointing from being physically unable to get over the line and make the grand final. Jeff Farmer could not have gotten up any higher had he launched from a trampoline while wearing a cape. It was pure exhaustion.
In recent years we all know teams that traveled to WA struggled the following week. With us playing two incredibly tough weeks and then traveling to Melbourne we were entitled to come up short at some stage. At the risk of touching on the “honourable loss” tag, getting rolled by just a fraction more than two super goals wasn’t a bad effort. All you would hope for now is the majority of the best twenty two get rested and refreshed for the start of the season and only the players that need the hit out take the field in the upcoming match.
Losing the semi final was at first a dent in our hopes of having something to celebrate. But let’s be honest in all seriousness, and I know it’s the text book line to knock it once you’re out of the running, but winning the preseason competition is up there with winning tickets to a Whiteman Park Bush Dance. You’re initially stoked you won something but the winning feeling is extremely short term.
