Spoon Swansong For Blues
Blues v Swans
By Shane Thiele
July 28 2002
A work colleague had a parting message for me as I exited the office. "When are you blokes playing this week?" "Saturday night I answer with little enthusiasm. "Sounds like a good way to ruin an evening!!" came the chortling reply.
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I grin meekly and realise deep down he will probably be
correct.......Twenty-four hours later "probably" has become
"definitely". Three hours of my life have just passed and there is no
possible way to get them back.
My most understanding wife sat with me during the third quarter and
I apologised for the performance. Well not necessarily for the
performance itself but for the fact that I'd blocked out 41 channels
of quality television (And that's including The Commonwealth
games!) just so I could sit through yet another pathetic loss. In my
sixteen years of supporting this club I've gone through just about the
full range of emotions that one could possibly imagine any supporter
experiencing. Tonight though I added a new one to the list - BOREDOM!!
Not once have I ever left a game or switched channels when watching
the Blues regardless of the losing margin or lack of performance
but tonight was as close as I'd got to doing so for a long time. Sure,
they have been bigger losing margins and more insipid efforts but to
see that margin stuck for so long around five goals I felt neither
anger nor passion. It was cold, it was empty, it was numbing and it
seems the players now feel likewise.
As much as we have resigned ourselves to the spoon I'm sure most of
us deep-down are still expecting everything to gel together at least
once this year. Once again it was not to be.
Although Sydney were not hurting us on the scoreboard the first
quarter was not much better than last week's. The Blues laid just
three tackles in the first twenty minutes as their opponents ran them
senseless. As usual it was all starting from the middle and the lack
of spark was evident from the start. Two goals in two minutes from
veteran Adrian Hickmott kept Carlton in touch at quarter time.
The signs were not good but at least this week we still had a
realistic chance at the first break. It didn't take long for the Swans
to end the contest piling on six goals to two in the second quarter
and effectively ending any hopes of a win.They backed themselves on
all occasions and cut us up for speed on every line. Williams, Goodes
and O'loughlin were having a field day, Crouch put the clamps on
Lappin and Ben Mathews racked up more positions in the 1st quarter
than his brother - currently on our injured/rookie list - will amass
all season.
To make the situation worse Blake Campbell injured an ankle in the
first few minutes and with fellow speedsters Justin Davies and Darren
Hulme on the sidelines the Blues run was all but extinguished.
It was after half-time that the boredom truly set in. At no stage
did the margin blow out to anything out of reach however never did the
Blues threaten to bring it any closer. We can blame injuries all we
like but we were beaten by an outfit with similar problems and as
make-shift as they come. With no Ricky Mott, Jason Ball or Stephen
Doyle, Adam Goodes filled the role of make-shift ruckman brilliantly
winning the ball out of the middle and pushing forward for a stack of
possessions and a couple of goals. Despite no Lockett, Hall or Daffy
they managed to find nine other goal-kickers. The midfielder was no
slower with the retirement of Schwass and at no stage down back did
they miss the presence of Schuable.
On the other hand it was once again up to Craig Bradley to play a
lone hand in the middle. For the most of the night he looked the most
likely do win the ball, break a line or dispose of it correctly.
McKernan battled hard, Camporeale and Murphy faded after promising
starts and Houlihan & Lappin look lost without a forward to crumb off.
Best of the rookies was Luke Livingston who pushed forward after
half-time to take 5 or 6 good grabs and Sean O'Keefe who showed clean
hands and courage on debut.
Five games remain against quality opponents (Quality being anyone
above 15th!) and we are as far away from another win as we have been
all season. A return bout with Collingwood is the next item on the
agenda and they will be hell bent on atoning for yesterday's loss
against the Eagles and seeking revenge from Round 3.
If by Friday I start talking up our chances by clinging to such
theories as they are coming off a six day break after a Perth trip and
that a game against the old enemy will bring out the best in us then
please shot me......we have no hope.
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« Round 17 27 July 2002
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| Carlton | 3.3 | 5.4 | 7.8 | 10.9.69 |
| Sydney | 3.5 | 9.9 | 12.12 | 13.14.92 |
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