...I'm dreaming.

I reckon that's what happened to Brent Harvey, and his gast was so flabbered by the royal untrousering he recieved, he imagined 300 more.

One minute I'm worried about how we might go in Geelong and whether we can back up the pussification of Geelong last year - the next, we're in the bloody Grand Final. How did that happen?

I'm also feeling an apology is overdue to Ross Lyon. I've criticised the style of play, because early on it was ugly and stifled the talent we had, but he righted that in less than a season, the players see it works, and have learnt to play it superbly. What Lyon has done in just two seasons deserves acknowledgement and respect. He had help from what and who Harvey put in place, but he's made this his team. It created some dull games this year (and probably will next year too), I won't concede that, but they've also put on some blinders.

None more so than the Prelim. I was nervous about this one; wondering if the occasion would get into the players heads. At present, I think that's the only thing that can hold them back. 15 mins into the Sydney game, despite the misses, I felt certain they were going to handle Sydney and the pressure - and then some. Then came that 2nd qtr. It was like a fleet of sledgehammers and steamrollers had set up a wall. The little men took marks in the square, Hill and Fyfe ramped up the flair, Sandilands doubled his career marks in one game. No one noticed Sydney's playmaker, because Crawley was chatting to him about how nice it had turned out, as they were supposed to get some bad weather.

I'm probably buoyed by the superlatives coming from Richo, Darcy and BTs call and analysis, after all, they're there to pump up the game. But seriously, in that 2nd qtr, Freo made Sydney look like chumps. I just wish Goodes was there, he might have made a difference for them, but then Freo just wouldn't have take their foot off the pedal in the 4th.

It was pressure football at its best; Sydney royally belted at its own game. The gang tackle on McVeigh, deep in their 50, after he'd had the ball for less than a second, was a microcosm of the whole game, Sydney had nowhere to go and didn't know what to do when they got there. 

We've never played Hawthorn full strength and fired up, for a long time. That Tassie fixture is as AFL-rigged as a trip to Simonds Stadium. Hawthorn won't have come across a Freo that's played like it did last Saturday. It's all very well that they're the best attacking side in the comp, but they can't do that if their midfield can't get on top, and if they do, they've got to get past McPharlin and the Fists of Zachary Dawson.

I don't know how players handle a week like this, they don't have the experience of something this big, but they look capable of creating complete mayhem if they can replicate the skill and intensity of the half of footy against Sydney, for 4 quarters. I hope it happens.

As an old Dockerland favourite was fond of saying...

UNLEASH THE MAYHEM