Second last round of rankings folks, and both of you who have lasted this long should be congratulated.
Some will see this season as a cause for mass sackings and the joining together in groups of 30 odd idiots and campaigning to the Premier for legalising lynchings for a brief period to ensure that there is more Freo at Freo. Happily not much of this is yet evident.
I prefer to see the positives in the current state. There is not much that we need to improve on next year to be right amongst it again very quickly. However, it is vital that we do improve as there is no more room for promise and potential, substantive progress is a requirement. These things must be addressed, and if they are, the light is bright. What are those things? Wait until next week and I will reveal all the limited depth of my thoughts. Be prepared for ankle deep water.
Rank on I hear you murmur...
1(1) Geelong - I'm not going out on a limb here in suggesting that anything other than back to back for these guys would be a surprise. Let's just hope to all things Jeffrey that there are no big surprises in the finals that lead to someone like North or the Saints getting to the last day. The GF can then still have some interest. If this mob keep it together they could shake that 4 in a row record held by that horrible club with all the drunk driving liars.
2(2) Hawks - Toyed with the Swill for 2 quarters before tearing the flesh off the bone of their hapless opponents. I like the look of that young Young. He was terrific against us and since then I have watched him a bit, he's going to be someone who gives all of us the kerrs for a number of years.
3(4) Dogbulls - Slid gently and easily in to the last round. Have to be taken seriously in the big games to come. The big stage could make or break this young team. The only time any of their Vets have got there they choked away a seemingly insurmountable lead in a prelim to Adelaide. Having said that, I think only West & Johnno survive that debacle so it's a ridiculously silly thing to bring up now. All of a sudden I feel like I've gone all Hagdorn on you. Excuse me whilst I shower in acid for about an hour to remove the stench.
4(3) Poos - Now if you've been paying attention you would have given the Poos a chance on the weekend. A big chance. Game no one expected them to win? Check. More important game for them than the opponent? Check. Laidley being a spaz all week with his infantile Mick Sheedy impersonations and distractions? Check. These are some of the rules I have been baying on about with regard to this team and they spelt out a an upset win for them against the Cats. Proof again that I am, in fact, an idiot. New rule, no other rules apply if the team involved is playing Geelong.
5(6) Colonwood - Fans of this mob, as well as living with 8 other people , 14 cartons of VB, 7 cars (1 of them working) and sleeping next to and with their father's niece are telling us that the Pies are peaking at the right time. "Mick knows what he's doing, this is the only time of year that matters". Well you freakshow of a supporter base, understand this. Your finals hopes rest on a floppy bunch of ponces including a Cloke, a Thomas, a Fraser and a couple of Shaws. Enjoy!!
6(9) Saints - Every criticism ever made of Freo can be equally leveled at the Saints. Conversely, every positive ignored by me and others regarding this team should be given more oxygen. They do have plenty of people who can play at high levels for sustained periods in games. The problem I can't get away from is that the mouse that is Coach Lyon locks down things and makes it far too ugly whenever he feels challenged. That caper is not going to win them games against the Cats, Hawks or Bulldogs. Hard to progress too far in the finals if you can't beat any of those guys.
7(8) Richmond - Nice little season but came up a bit short. If only that were something new for the Tiggers. I can't wait to see who shoots the club in the foot and how over the summer. My bet? Wallace turns a nothing topic (whether he'll re-sign after his expiring contract next year) in to a summer of speculation and rumour of him being chased by GC17 or WS18 etc. That should be fun.
8(11) Carlton - A nice little year for them as well. Along with RFC this is the other team that will finish outside the 8 on the ladder but is in the top 8 on current form. I'm predicting 1 of these teams will be every media stooge's "smokey" going in to next year.
9(5) Adelaide - This is a big drop on the back of 1 result after some good stuff in recent times, but that was a game that needed a much better performance from them. It has been said before by me that I just can't get a handle on these guys at all, nothing has changed.
10(7) Sydney - Stumbling and bumbling their way to an early finals exit or freshening up for a finals series onslaught? Either way the mid-season promise is hard to justify now. Roos can hand back that CotY award I presented to him at the 66% mark of the season and give it back to Thommo or Eade.
11(10) Lion Cubs - A really horrible last quarter of the season has taken the luster off much of what had happened earlier this year. These guys are as wobbly as anyone when the game is on the line. BUT, Bradshaw and Brown give them a great base up forward. Charman, Black & Power make them dangerous in the middle. SO, it's either the backline or the depth in those other areas that make them vulnerable. Both can be fixed from within for next year.
12(12) Essendon - They had a patch this year where they were playing as well as anyone not called Geelong. Does this prove that they will be dangerous in years to come or prove that any team with some decent talls can string some good games together. Those decent bigguns will mostly be gone in 3 years by the way, so I think more trouble lies ahead for Mrs Knights. Patrick Ryder is going to do to backline play what Buddy is currently doing for forwardline play. He is fantastic.
13(13) Freo - another one gets away in a frustrating loss. I am on record as saying we should keep Thornton on the list. I maintain that thought, but he should play very rarely and his current spot should go to Marcus Drum next year. Scotty makes goofy look like an admirable condition. Great to see Roger performing so well again too. My man-love for Adam Campbell continues to grow and he should make it OK for Luke to stay down back. That takes some pressure of Grover who isn't up to the top stopping jobs. That also brings to 3 the things from New Zealand that I appreciate.
14(16) Port - We are now entering the barrel's bottom, and it is a dark and scary place inhabited only by drunks, moccasin's, bent tridents and the morally bankrupt. Not all of those are at Port but enough of them exist to make them truly horrible. Goodbye to Wakelin, you tried hard and were truly forgettable. Brendon Lade much less so and if this is his last year it is a terrible way to send out an above average player.
15(14) Melbourne - If you were a father of a very talented, tall young Victorian footballer you'd be absolutely SPEWING if this year's draft was when he was going wouldn't you? Melbourne or West Coast? Obscurity or delusional hypocrisy. Ineptitude or ineptitude coupled with potential rehab? I'd be telling him to sign up for 2 years at the most and then head back to the draft for a do-over.
16(15) The Devil's Own - It may sound cruel to some but I saw yesterday's effort as being as fitting a result for a retiring player as the Derby win by Freo was for Macca.
The Scum were playing their last home game for what has been a wonderfully wretched year. They did so in front of a full ground who'd come in the hope of seeing Buddy kick 100 or seeing him prevented from doing so more so than they had to "celebrate" a highly suspicious career. The game was a bit tight when 1 of their key (yet injury prone) players in Hansen is smacked in the head by Mitchell. It was a pretty stiff hit that felled big Ash as it would have many others. It was illegal and possibly reportable. However, 20 seconds go by and still no one remonstrates with the guy who laid the hit!! 3 players from the toast cruise past in camera shot whilst Ash is down. Even Mitchell is looking around waiting for SOMETHING. Eventually a lone flag waver came from ¾ of the way down the ground behind the incident - all the way from Full Back. Even then Glass did nothing more than gently push the shoulder of the guy who planted his "mate". He did that whilst looking away, scared perhaps of a real confrontation. The push Glass delivered in protest would not have moved my 22 month old daughter. Are you impressed yet?
This mob has taken gutless and spiritless to levels not seen in any team in anyone's living memory. Even fixed games are played with more chutzpah in order to offer credibility to the rigged result. They accept defeat without even the slightest whimper of protest. The support they offer to each other is simply embarrassing.
However, congratulations must go to you all on yesterday's achievement. You managed to prevent Buddy from kicking 6 on your "Captain" and getting his 100th. You did so by cleverly watching him miss 2 easy set shots and drop a couple of simple marks only 15m from goal and right in front. You did so by taking off your courageous leader with 15mins to go just in case the tide of points turned to goals, confirming what was obvious to all in that he was as powerless as Rick Arden in being able to stop his opponent. He is not alone in that and what you did in removing him actually made him (and yourselves) look much worse in the process. You avoided the contest and you looked scared...again. There was no dishonor in having a special talent like Buddy bag 100 on your skipper. Your actions added to the long list of evidence that you believe honour is something that comes only from winning. Shallow indeed.
You are timid, you lack courage, you lack heart, you lack determination, you lack guts, you have no strategy, you have no guidance, you have no leadership, you lack everything required to compete at this level and most of all you lack that which you contend you hold high, you lack any CHARACTER.
If ever there was , there is now no doubt that you're third flag is tainted beyond any reasonable measure. Every Braun game where he can't keep up, every Kerr suspension, every Fletcher turnover and every pathetic JW tanty since the sharp focus of investigation turned on you all has taken the last shred of credibility off that cup.
You are the modern lesson for every parent who wants a real example for their kids of what happens when you achieve something that you don't deserve.
Karma exists and aint she a bee-yatch.