Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose
After three quarters of the 2011 Grand Final there was only a kick in it. This was it.
10 minutes later, after Tom Hawkins had briefly morphed into Wayne Carey, Donnie picked a crumb of Fletch Duncan's plate and calmly lobbed a left foot snap through the goals. At that point I knew Geelong would not be bested.
The next 10 minutes saw Collingwood throw everything they had left at the Cats, and it saw them come away with absolutely nothing for it. Bartel kicked his third, secured the medal, and the lid was officially off.
Last season saw The Cats lose their dual-premiership coach and the best player in the competition. It also saw them lose a preliminary final to Collingwood by, what was in the end, a flattering 40-odd points.
This season they were written off before a game was played, they were ignored while on top of the ladder and dismissed when they beat Collingwood every time they faced them.
They lost Daniel Menzel, their third leading goal kicker in the first final, Steve Johnson, their second leading goal kicker in the prelim and their leading goal-kicker, Podsiadly halfway through the second quarter of the Grand Final. No matter. They just kept winning.
What an amazing effort. What an amazing team. So many good performers on the day, and throughout the year, who continue to do the job, to put the team before themselves, to play the right way.
About a minute before he kicked that left foot sealer, Varcoe found himself in the exact opposite position on the field; about 40 metres from Collingwood’s goal. He was alone and standing under a high, floating ball with Magpie players furiously closing in. Varcoe backed into the traffic and an ugly contest. He stood his ground, won the ball out and charged forward.
Just like Varcoe, this team’s courage to contest, their strength to recover, and their will to push forward with another effort, was rewarded with the ultimate.
After three quarters of the 2011 Grand Final there was only a kick in it. This was it.
10 minutes later, after Tom Hawkins had briefly morphed into Wayne Carey, Donnie picked a crumb of Fletch Duncan's plate and calmly lobbed a left foot snap through the goals. At that point I knew Geelong would not be bested.
The next 10 minutes saw Collingwood throw everything they had left at the Cats, and it saw them come away with absolutely nothing for it. Bartel kicked his third, secured the medal, and the lid was officially off.
Last season saw The Cats lose their dual-premiership coach and the best player in the competition. It also saw them lose a preliminary final to Collingwood by, what was in the end, a flattering 40-odd points.
This season they were written off before a game was played, they were ignored while on top of the ladder and dismissed when they beat Collingwood every time they faced them.
They lost Daniel Menzel, their third leading goal kicker in the first final, Steve Johnson, their second leading goal kicker in the prelim and their leading goal-kicker, Podsiadly halfway through the second quarter of the Grand Final. No matter. They just kept winning.
What an amazing effort. What an amazing team. So many good performers on the day, and throughout the year, who continue to do the job, to put the team before themselves, to play the right way.
About a minute before he kicked that left foot sealer, Varcoe found himself in the exact opposite position on the field; about 40 metres from Collingwood’s goal. He was alone and standing under a high, floating ball with Magpie players furiously closing in. Varcoe backed into the traffic and an ugly contest. He stood his ground, won the ball out and charged forward.
Just like Varcoe, this team’s courage to contest, their strength to recover, and their will to push forward with another effort, was rewarded with the ultimate.
posted by the captain at 9:29 pm
4 Comments:
Much more impressive than East Dillon's win @ State!!
it was magic
Had tears in my eyes at the match and again after reading this.To paraphrase another world's greatest treasurer "This was the sweetest victory of them all".
Go Cats forever.
Jed Bews, our next father/son superstar. Nobody else bid for him so we get him with our last pick.
Must be something in the water down there. Even with Mark Blake we're still well in front with our father/son's over the years.
The B man.
Post a Comment
<< Home