I had been looking forward to this game for a couple of weeks.
At the `G and played early on a Saturday afternoon. To make things even better it was a mild - actually no, it was a warm winter’s day.
The game started with the usually mauling pack, ball ups, missed kicks, hard tackles, loud calls for “BALL” but very little scoring. I have some cousins over from the US and they told me, excitedly, they were going to the game; God knows what they were making of it.
There were few stand out players, however.
Sydney's Aliir Aliir, who obviously has superb stamina, was one. He was competing in the ruck, sharking hit outs, intercepting ill-directed passes and tackling opposition players non-stop.
On the Essendon side I was impressed with Dylan Shiel’s ability to get the ball, but his kicking consistently let him down. On a number of occasions he passed the ball with precision to Sydney defenders.
Basically Sydney just wanted to play “keepings off” the Dons. Little sideways kicks, backward passes, crossing the ground from one side to the other, seems to be the way they move the ball. Essendon got sucked into it too, and the game felt very ordinary to me. When I go to the footy I want to see fast open play with the ball moving forward and the scoreboard ticking over.
Not today though, at three-quarter time both sides were seven goals each and, inexplicably, Sydney were three points up. Is this another wasted afternoon, I found myself thinking. I have watched boring uninspiring footy on a beautiful sunny day. I haven’t jumped from my seat with excitement. I haven’t cheered or clapped. I’ve just sat and watched a game of football.
The enormous squad of coaches that Essendon employ must have agreed on a new approach for the last quarter. I’m not sure what their combined plan was but it worked as the Dons found a way of scoring goals and, even though Sydney persisted with their negative game, Essendon proved the superior side adding four goals to Sydney’s two.
A win is a win - but not all that inspiring for this Tragic Don.
ESSENDON 2.3 4.5 7.5 11.10 (76)
SYDNEY 1.2 3.6 7.8 9.12 (66)
GOALS
Essendon:Zaharakis 3, McKernan 2, Stringer 2, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Fantasia, Parish, Langford
Sydney: Reid 2, Parker 2, Blakey, Jones, Papley, Rose, McCartin
BEST
Essendon:Shiel, Zaharakis, Parish, Saad, Hurley, McGrath
Sydney: Heeney, Kennedy, Rampe, Hewett, Aliir, Mills
Rod's votes: Aliir 3 (S) Zaharakis 2 (E) Hurley 1 (E)
Tragic Don Rod Oaten is descended from four generations of Essendon supporters. His great grandfather was always helping around the football and cricket club back in the late 1880s, cleaning, painting, nailing and doing anything that might be helpful to the Same Old's cause. Rod's own sporting career spanned tennis, badminton, squash and football. He still plods around running tracks and along beaches in an effort to stay fit.