Bugger!
Seriously, just...Bugger!
BUGGER!!
So anyway, Melbourne this week for the new Fremantle. There is no doubt that if they play as well over the coming 16 weeks as they have the previous fortnight we will win many more than we lose. Maybe even final. Unlikely I know but nevertheless, the efforts of the last 2 weeks are easy to watch and easy to like.
Outside Freo, I like the Bulldogs lots and lots today. Such a wonderful club, full of wonderful, fair, non-hittable types. Hoorah!
The rankings are stabilising a bit now with little movement of more than 1 or 2 spots. I'm guessing we'll see a rise from Freo and Collingwood in the coming weeks whilst Sydney, Richmond and North begin a slide. But what do I know. I'm an idiot.
Oh well, on to the rankings...
1(1) Geelucky - BUGGER!!! That stretch in the 2nd qtr was awesome to watch though. Easy to criticise Freo but they hardly let them touch it.
2(2) Hawklings - That Young kiddie rates as 1 of the best rookie list elevations in recent memory. Don't get me wrong, he's no Hayden or Sandilands, but he can play.
3(3) Bullies - Oh what a great way to spend an hour on a Sat night. I only saw the 2nd and 3rd qtrs but it was special. Kudos to the Dogs. Tough period ahead though. Sydney & Freo away and then North, Hawks, Saints, Brissie, Collingwood and Port. Don't know if the red rocket will still be as prominent by the time that stretch is over.
4(4) Crows - Knocked a bit of the fluff out of the Bloozers and only played 2 quarters from all reports. Enough to hold their spot.
5(6) North - Did nothing special but waste the game with a LOT of help from the umpires at crucial stages. Pratt is known to be a soft, poncey flopper amongst players, but he is now being noticed by spectators and commentators as well. The trouble is, when he flopps, the umpires reward him. This will only increase it and before you know it, we'll be watching soccer.
6(7) Sydney - Did OK to steal a draw in tough circumstances. 2 goals in the last were the direct result of poor decisions. They will be worse to watch than ever over the next 6 weeks or more. Poor Eyebrows will be foaming at the sight of it.
7(5) Saints - A good point from Dwayne Russel during this game. He was discussing that often after a game of a poor standard people have argued whose fault it was, like the Hawks v Saints game last year. He then said "I can't completely blame the Saints but they have been seen leaving the scene of the crime on a few of those occasions". A team with that many weapons should open it up a bit.
8(8) Brisbane - Noone goes up after beating the Dees at home. Noone.
9(9) Richmond - Tried hard but that game against the Hawks was deceiving. If Hawks kick just the easy goals they missed, that margin is 40 something points.
10(11) Collingwood - They beat Essendon and beat them well. Hardly an exclusive list of teams that can and will be able to say that.
11(12) Port - Signs of life for Chokko's mob. Life that could easily be extinguished after Ess, Syd, Hawks and then Freo in the next month. Only 1 of those at home against a side that likes playing there (Syd).
12(10) Carltoon - Ratten is a boy working in a man's job. Nothing he does gives me a feeling he has a real command of the demands of the job he's in.
13(14) Freo - That game should be played on loop in the homes of Sandi, Ibbo, Crowley and Rash until they retire. The standard has been set and it isn't too high to expect it every week, and not just from those guys.
14(13) Essendon - I'm sure Matty Knight's husband enjoys this attack at all costs game, as do those neutrals who watch it. But as a supporter of the club I'd be hoping that when you are getting flogged you might try to do something about stopping it.
15(15) Limp Bizkits - 4 games out of 6 they have been behind by 10 goals or more. 1 of those Port fell asleep and let them back in to a reasonable distance. This is a complete rabble. No leadership, no fight, no respect, no guts, no effort, no feeling. Maybe Curr was simply hanging his head in shame and did just run in to West by accident. He should hang it, along with the rest of the club, he has been exposed badly. The loss of players they experienced bears no resemblance to the lack of performance on the field.
16(16) Demons - The only light at the end of the tunnel here is the drafting of Rich or Natanui. Neither will lift them much higher.