Heartbroken Blues Go Down Again
Blues v Eagles
By Shane Thiele
June 16 2002
C'mon boys, gather round.....everyone in.....start 'em off Ratts, lets do it with gusto....da da da da da....da da da....why isn't anyone singing? da da da da, there's still how long to go??? Six minutes, surely not? Oh well, surely after last week it wouldn't happen again??.....
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Well guess what folks it did happen again (And stop calling me
surely!)
The siren sounded and all I could do was shrug the shoulders,
shake the head and look forward too next week. (Yes, I know very
well we have the bye). There was a time a while back when I wouldn't
speak to anyone after a loss regardless of the margin. One by one
though each loss has weakened me even greater as the festering wound
that is the wooden spoon opens deeper and deeper. I've lost the will
to fight. Supporters of the fifteen other clubs will whip themselves
into an orgasmic Nirvana as they take pleasure in kicking a wounded
dog. Good luck to them, I hope it brings a small ray of sunshine
into their sad little lives. I wonder if they realise that no amount
of taunting can make the feeling of nine losses in a row any worse.
Fortunately after the agony of last week, the club had just six
days to pick themselves up and get on with life. The general
consensus was that the Blues would resume where they left us last
week. Amazingly in a game between 6th and 16th the Blues started
favourites with the bookmakers. Although reasonably confident I
wouldn't have backed them with Monopoly money.
Deep down we all hoped that we would see a repeat of last years
thirteen to one goal first half against the Eagles but as they say
"Dreams are free". Carlton for all their efforts and possession
could manage just one measly goal before Camporeale slotted through
a trademark major in the final few seconds. The Eagles were hardly
dominating but the Blues hardly looked like scoring all quarter. The
loss of Corey McKernan to what at this stages seems like a long term
knee injury didn't help the cause either.
The trend continued in the second with the West Coast's lead
extending out to 25 points. You can win as much of the ball as you
like but the only way to win a football game is on the scoreboard.
The Eagles were cleaner and more efficient and the Blues were paying
the price. Time and time again the ball they would run the ball
throught the middle with consummate ease as most of the oppositions
attacks started from deep in Carlton's forward line. For not the
first time this season it took until the match was seemingly
slipping away before the boys decided to show some resilience. The
much maligned Simon Fletcher run rampant up and down the Optus Oval
wing and with Merrington, Hickmott and Camporeale all running hot
the Blues managed the last three goals of the half to reduce the
margin to just five points.
The third was a tight tussle with neither side gaining any real
ascendancy, the Blues for all their work still only managed to match
their opponents goal for goal. A goal to Fevola in the dying seconds
gave Carlton a rare three quarter lead with just seconds to go. The
resulting ball-up with 14 seconds left on the clock brought back
memories from last week as the Eagles surged forward only to be
thwarted by a tight defence. Good to see some lesson's were learnt
from the Geelong disaster.
At three quarter time, I prepared myself for the worst. Despite
the change of momentum and the dominance of the Blues all around the
ground I was anything but confident. A early goal to Beaumont
extended the margin to ten points however a crucial miss to Michael
Mansfield minutes after was a vital opportunity to starting nailing
the coffin. The Eagles answered through Lynch and the Blues did
likewise after some great work and clean hands from Fevola allowing
Whitnall the luxury of running into a open goal. The second of two
crucial misses in the final quarter to Fevola meant that the Blues
were only 12 points clear with still seven or eight minutes
remaining. As Dermott would say you jurrrsssttt got the feeling we
still needed one more, the boys disagreed and decided to shut-up
shop, the rest is tragic history.
Like all close games the focus of the umpiring and decision
making by players will be centered on the final five or so minutes.
We can all lament about the free kicks in the final few minutes and
start penning death threat's to the Goldspink household but in the
end we will still be bottom. Questions need to be asked as to why,
as like last week it took a large deficit for the boys to
spring into action? Understandably the confidence is low and the
motivation to not finish bottom is being reduced week by week
but surely a four-quarter game is not to much to ask for?
There were of course many positives including the return to form
of some of the veterans and the blossoming of those who were born in
the 80's but unless some of these kids get a taste of victory soon
there are fears that another belting may be once again on the cards.
Luke Livingston made his debut eight weeks ago, and with the next
realistic chance of victory now three weeks away, may have to
relearn the words to the club song. Blake Campbell has never linked
arms with Brett Ratten nor has Bret Thornton with Lance Whitnall.
A win would be invaluable, although we will at least learn a lot
about how much inner steel these players have over the coming weeks.
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« Round 12 15 June 2002 Optus Oval |
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| Carlton | 2.4 | 6.9 | 10.12 | 12.16.88 |
| West Coast | 3.4 | 7.8 | 9.14 | 12.17.89 |
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