Belief (or something similar)

It’s going to be brief this week, folks, cos W’s busy and I’m sick. (I actually had a much longer blog already written but lost it. I’ll try and remember some key points. And yes, I stole the title from Tee’s comment.) Here we are then, the shorthand version:

Beating Hawthorn
Was extremely satisfying and gave us all, players included I reckon, the all-important belief that this season's premiership is still very much do-able. Several players really stood up in the 4th quater, namely Mackie, Corey, Bartel and, of course, Joel Selwood. How good could he become? Better than Bartel, a brownlow medalist? Better than Yablett? Is that even possible? Anyway, he was good enough to move Mrs W to yell, “You’re awesome, Selwood!” every time he appeared on the screen. Good times. Good to hear that Lips fired up at the players too; “Best one of the year... Best one for a while… Not the best ever, though” Geez, I love that man.

Collingwood
Speaking of man-love, how uncomfortable does this coaching clusterfuck look like it’s going to be? Bucks showed no courage, Malthouse no self-respect and Eddie no class. I hope this shit blows up in his fat face.

Ottens Returns
And inadvertently buries Mark Blake’s career. If Ottens is fit, it’s he and Mumford. Otherwise I think they’ll stick with the one ruck thing with Hawkins and Mooney having the occasional run in the middle. Either way, no room for Blake. Time for a new Badge, Mrs Watson.

First Final Match-up
Looks like it will probably be the Dogs, but Collingwood, Brisbane and Adelaide all have claims to third spot. It’d be a nice luxury to land Brisbane or Adelaide here because Geelong would crap all over them. The Pies still scare me a bit and it will probably be another close one with the Dogs.

The St Kilda Juggernaut
Continues to roll on, although the Dogs were not that far away from them at certain points. That Scott Welsh brain-fart hurt, however. You really have to run at their zone and handball through it, or in other words, use the Cats’ gameplan of the last three years. They still haven’t played the MCG either... And that’s where they play for all the marbles!


Captain: NM, WB, Geel, StK, Bris, Rich, PA, Ess
Season Tally: 101-35

Mrs Watson: Carl, WB, Geel, Syd, Coll, Rich, PA, WC
Season Tally: Is unimportant at this stage

(Ask us a question on Twitter @BigLeagueLittle)

Round 17: Hook, Line and Sinker

For the first ¾ of the season I have swallowed the company line that the Cats are just biding their time, waiting til September.

They’ve been there before, and know that flags are not won in July, I tell myself. They’re resting and rotating. Trialling and experimenting. Going half-paced and just doing enough. This is clever, smart strategy, I wrote as recently as last week.

But this weekend Geelong must show its premiership credentials again. Bare the fangs. Land a knock-out blow. Find the eye of the tiger. The stage is perfectly set; Saturday arvo, the MCG and a hated rival, just coming into form.

They have to do it. They just have to. And there are so many reasons; 1) it would be a reminder about Geelong’s credentials, especially to St Kilda; 2) it could potentially end Hawthorn’s finals hopes, which would not only be satisfying but also prudent; 3) it would give the players enormous confidence coming into the pointy end of the season; and 4) it could kick-start a run of “ok, we’re serious now, we remember how this goes, get out of our effing way” games that would flow on to September.

Do we have any reason to believe this will actually happen? I mean, Geelong’s last three weeks have included two losses and a win over a Melbourne team whose best player is thinner than Nathan Deakes and speaks English as his third language (and is also in my Supercoach team). However, like Jon Bon Jovi, I have kept faith.

The biggest game Geelong has played in since the Grand Final was round 14 against St Kilda. The Cats, not used to the frenetic pace, pressure and, really, the challenge, were shell-shocked and gave the Saints a 5 goal start. But, tellingly, they woke up, and were able to hang 85 points (from 52 inside 50s), in essentially 3 quarters, (on a team that is allowing the fewest points per game since the invention of the ‘out of bounds on the full’ rule) and lost on a last minute, once in a year grab. Is this week’s game as big? Not to the media, but to the club, it should be.

This is it, Bomber. Get angry, play the best team we can play and show us that you’re the real deal. Because the alternative is something I just can’t swallow.


Captain: Coll, Geel, WC, Bris, StK, Syd, Ess, Adel
Season Tally: 95-33

Mrs Watson: Carl, Haw, WC, Bris, WB, Syd, Ess, Adel
Season Tally: One less than Gillard.

(P.S. Love the comments this week. Feel free to drop me a line on Twitter @BigLeagueLittle)

Rest, Rotate and Ryan Gardiner

(Note: Mrs W is still away, so the Captain is flying solo again, and, yes, I just referred to myself in the third person.)

Let’s get this out of the way: Resting players, or being overly cautious with injuries and recovery, is smart man management. Yes, the 6 goal loss to Brisbane was like looking through a time-portal to 2005, and yes, being exposed to Kane “the-final-insult” Tenace was the undigested corn in the turd sundae served up by The Cats at the Gabba. But make no mistake about it, coming towards the end of the season, having players had the chance to freshen up will be vital; or has everyone already forgotten last year’s finals when half the team was on one leg?

Unfortunately too many sports writers and commentators in this country are stuck with the 1960’s mentality about “flirting with form” and “respecting the game” and other such mythical nonsense. And I hope Lips and his crew don’t react to al the negative, out-dated journalism and rush back all their stars against Melbourne: Brisbane at the Gabba is one thing, the Demons at Skilled is quite another.

Seven changes, or whatever it was, is probably too many, but I say let’s continue with the rotation policy. Paul Chapman, with his history of soft tissue injuries a recent increased workload in the middle, is a prime candidate for a break. Trent West is worth another look, and 1st year man Shane Mumford could surely use the rest. Jimmy Bartel slammed into the goal post and then almost belted someone; maybe he could use a breather. Plus, let’s take an extended look at Hogan, Wojack, Lonergan, Laidler, Gillies, Djerkurra and Gardiner… I mean, Gamble. We may as well, right? Right?

As long as we finish second. That’s the only qualifier I will put on this. And being three games clear of the Dogs, it’s a pretty safe bet that we will. (Just looking ahead, while we’re on the subject, I reckon 2nd spot will be a better finish for Geelong for a couple of reasons: First, I’d rather play the Dogs in the first final, with a 2nd chance, and second, if Geelong wins they get the Saturday day-time Prelim, thus avoiding the bogey Friday night game.)

All in all, the past two weeks have probably been a good thing for Geelong. It’s reinforced a few things that we probably already knew, namely that we need Otto back, we need Ling to tag the oppositions best player, Scarlett is maybe our second most indispensable player after Mooney, and, increasingly like my hairline, we’re a bit thin down back. (The one thing that has surprised me is how much we miss Josh Hunt.)

The next seven weeks is important for all teams, be it building a run into September or rebuilding Brad Ottens’ knee, $6 million man-style. St Kilda are going to field the same team every week, Geelong will rest, rotate and hopefully arrive in September fresh and hungry.

So rest, rotate and get yourselves cherry ripe for the next 2 and a bit months. It’s the business end, boys and girls.


Captain: WB, Carl, Gee, Bris, Haw, PA, NM, StK
Season Tally: 87-33

Mrs Watson: Is probably drunk somewhere in Illinois.
Season Tally: 78-42

(And don’t forget The Captain on Twitter @BigLeagueLittle)

Round 15: Watto & Otto MIA, or, Thank God for Jimmy

So, it looks like it’s just us again… for a couple of weeks, anyway. (Mrs Watson is currently stateside, undergoing the same rigorous training as Nathan Buckley recently completed at Notre Dame, in the hopes of landing one the vacant coaching positions. Having had a look at both lists, the off-field structures, facilities and support staff, I can let you in on a little secret; Mrs W wouldn’t go near Richmond with a pole the length of Michael Gale’s ponytail.)

The Cats have made four changes this week, losing Ling, Scarlett, Milburn and Kelly to injury, and bringing in Gamble, Lonergan, Wojcinski and debutant Tom Gillies. The wraps on Gillies are that he’s a stout defender in the Scarlett mould, and following in Matty’s lead, Tom hasn’t exactly been blessed in the looks department. And good! We don’t want no pretty boy full-backs! Look at the great full-backs of history, all of them hideous. Anyone watch those footy flashbacks on Channel 7? Check out some of the games from the ‘80s, plenty of good, old-fashioned, honest, ugly as sin footballers. There were none of your Jason Gram-types back then: Peroxide was used for cleaning, wax was for your surfboard and a solarium was an unknown, futuristic device assumed to be for the purpose of space travel. That’s the kind of player we need down back! No gloves, no designer stubble, just an ugly, angry man with one fist on the ball and one up the ass of his opponent! It’s probably out of necessity, but it’s a good time to bring him in; get him some exposure to the big time and on some good players (he might spend some time on Dallas Bradshaw) and have him ready should another one of our suddenly brittle tall defenders go down. Also good to see Wojack back; he’s a bit like Max Rooke in that he’s not going to get 30 touches a game, or kick 5 goals, but he brings something few AFL players have and as such his impact is felt with only a few key contributions. Gamble also gets another go and, although he has plenty of fans, he’s about three more average AFL games away from me making several Charlie Gardiner jokes.

Where is Hatchet Hawkins at? If Mrs Watson had a say he’d be in Bendigo this weekend. It’s times like this that Nablett’s laconic mediocrity looks relatively intense by comparison. If this was Round 7 or 8, I’d say let’s try another combination, but it’s almost too late in the season to drop him. Lips Thompson seems to have his favourites and he sticks with them. Although, given the turn around of Shannon ‘Brownlow’ Byrnes, maybe we should trust Lips’ perseverance. Or rock up to the Gold Coast with a(nother) bag full of cash for Nath.

But besides a physically ailing backline, a mentally crumbling forward line and a number one ruckman whose knee is taking longer to heal than Fidel Castro’s gout, Jimmy Bartel played his best game for the year in the biggest game of the year. Don't worry, everything’s fine.


Captain: WB, Syd, Carl, Gee, Adel, Haw, PA, StK
Season Tally: 83-29

Mrs Watson: WB, Syd, Rich, Gee, Adel, Haw, PA, StK
Season Tally: 75-37

(And don’t forget The Captain on Twitter @BigLeagueLittle)

Twitter: A few quick notes

Yes, as the title suggests, The Captain has joined the most useless of internet apps, twitter! And all for the sake of you, the loyal readers, who need more of me than the usual, diminishing weekly returns. Check me out @BigLeagueLittle and I'll tweet you good and proper, you rotters!

Now, a few notes on the game before Mrs Watson adds his thoughts later in the week...

The Contest
Terrific, just terrific. Both teams going hard, the pace frenetic, the crowd rowdy and the pressure unbearable; for the Cats in the first 10 minutes, anyway. StKilda's tackling pressure in the opening term was unbelievable and Geelong looked nervous and slightly rattled. They stood up though, eventually, grinding their way back into the game. Great to get some practise at a finals level game. Interesting to note Geelong won 18 more hardballs, easily the Saints worst result thus far.

The Hero
Gardiner, who has not, and never will, play another game like that in his life. Huuuuuuge grab in the dying minutes to KO Harry and the Cats.

The Villian
I reckon Tom Harley was fairly ordinary; turned it over early, got beaten a few times by his direct opponent and didn't get over as third man up to effect enough contests. (It just gets boring blaming Mark 'Silkworm' Blake)

The X-Factor
Was sitting in the stands, probably fit enough to play. Leaving Dog Johnson out was a complete mind-game from Lips and the gang.

Next Time
Tighten up on Sam Fisher and Sam Gilbert, release Brad Ottens from the boot of Mark Blake's commodore, play Mooney at CHF, figure out the advantage rule, give Chapman and Ablett time at FF, start Jimmy in the centre bounces, hope Michael Gardiner's deal with the Devil has expired and then see how the Saints handle the wider, more spacious MCG (on which they've played one game this year)... Oh, and try not to give 'em a 5-goal start.

Thoughts on the game, folks?

And don't forget the all new twitter @BigLeagueLittle

Round 14: Better By Sunday


Collingwood v Essendon
Captain: Collingwood are finally in form, as good a recent record against the Cats as anyone and a chance of finishing fourth; an intriguing prospect come September? I don’t think so. This team had more mirages than the Simpson Desert. As for Essendon, I’m sick of thinking about them at all, so I’ll just hate them like I used to.

Mrs Watson: Ok, a maths question: a team can only beat the teams that are put in front of it (see 2007 Grand Final). Collingwood have only beaten shit teams. Essendon is a shit team. Will Collingwood win? Yes.

Melbourne v West Coast
Captain: For a schoolkid playing his second game, Jack Watts is copping an absurd amount of criticism. I know we live in an immediate gratification society and all, but geez, is patience in that short a supply? Now, in complete contradiction, how good was Natunui? He had done nothing all night and then bobbed up with three last quarter goals to bury the reigning premiers! He’s the anti-Roughead!

Mrs Watson: Gold! Yeah, this Natunui character is going to be pretty good – especially when he improves his bouncing skills. One awesome goal and two pretty shabby looking passages that somehow led to full scores. Good on him though, I fully support anyone who’s made a fool out of Hawthorn this year. I’m going to go for West Coast here, and won’t be tipping Melbourne anytime soon.

Port Adelaide v Brisbane
Captain: Port Adelaide remind me of the United States about 12 months ago; dip-shit leader with an over-inflated sense of self, an economy about to shit itself and hated by the rest of the world.

Mrs Watson: Makes me wonder who Port’s next coach will be. Terry Wallace? Loves a speech, could convince almost anyone of anything, and certainly has the darkest skin of any AFL coach. Brisbane.

Richmond v Adelaide
Captain: Seeing as though you’ve already squeezed in a shot at Terry, and that you refuse to comment on Adelaide games anymore, I’ll just tip the Crows for the both of us, shall I?

Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn
Captain: Do you realise that without my blind, masochistic tipping of Hawthorn all year I would have correctly tipped every single game for the entire season?*

*May not actually be correct

Mrs Watson: This’ll be a pretty good game. With all the bullshit surrounding Sunday’s game, I didn’t even realise this was happening. Now, let me see... I tipped WC against Hawthorn last week, so what reason do I have to think they’ll beat WB? Well, for a start, Hawthorn’s awesome backmen are starting to retu.............. Bulldogs.

Sydney v North Melbourne
Captain: What’s wrong with Barry Hall? Seriously, if you can’t make it through two hours of the afternoon without punching someone in the face then maybe you have bigger problems than the three year “form slump” you’re in. I wish this prick would start boxing so a few people can smack him back. Who knows who wins this fucking game.

Mrs Watson: Sydney to win this one very easily without Hall, Captain. They have a tendency to do so... which makes Barry’s impending retirement almost as boring as Michael O'Loughlin’s.

Fremantle v Carlton
Captain: Boooooooooooor-riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.

Mrs Watson: Captain, can you remind me to trade Pavlich before Friday? Carlton.

St Kilda v Geelong
Captain: I reckon the Saints are travelling a bit better than the Cats, Mrs W, but I can see this happening one of two ways; a) it’s the battle royale everyone has been waiting and hoping for - an epic arm wrestle that is tight until the last 5 minutes, when someone will kick consecutive goals and break the record for pump fists, or, b) The Cats win by 40. Thoughts? Key match-ups? Problems?

Mrs Watson: I agree the Saints are playing waaaay better than the Cats right now, but I think the Cats don't mind if that is the perception. The question I keep asking myself is... will the Cats flex some muscle here? Ideally, I'd obviously love a wake up call to the Saints, but I truly don't believe that will happen. I do think that whoever wins this will go into the Grand Final with a lot of confidence. But confidence, as we know, doesn't kick goals on Grand Final day, and I'm sort of hoping that if we're lucky enough to get there, we might already have a cross against us. Saints.

Captain: That’s a real coin flip, isn’t it? Confidence or the wake-up call? Did we learn from last year? Did Thompson? Are we different? Are we facing a different team? Will we be closer to knowing by Sunday evening? I don’t think so, but I am looking forward to the pressure cooker atmosphere, and to seeing who responds and who doesn’t. We all want the questions of ’08 put to bed and the promise of ’09 to be real. The best we’ll get, however, is another Geelong victory.





Captain: Coll, WC, Bris, Adel, WB, Syd, Carl, Geel.

Season Tally: 78-26



Mrs Watson: Coll, WC, Bris, Adel, WB, Syd, Carl, StK

Season Tally: 69-35