It’s Saturday morning and I am at AAMI Stadium getting ready to call the Adelaide v Carlton game. It is a credit to Crows fans for their loyalty and passion. The game doesn’t start until 2.40pm but fans are already lining up and preparing to rush in and grab their favourite spots. Others have sausages sizzling on the BBQ and are sipping wine getting themselves ready for a release of their inhibitions.
I glean the Hawks team for about the twentieth time and think we have a fair lineup, however I must concentrate on the job at hand first. The Crows are away and it’s all one way traffic. A win by 64 points and the Crows are on top of the ladder. I clean up and get my summaries done so that I can rush home to the TV and get ready for Saturday night fever.
I drive within the speed limit (as usual) and miss the first 15 minutes. Did I really miss anything? We are getting plenty of the ball but have too many turnovers. They hurt big time when you are playing a team with class. The scoreboard paints a sorry tale as we fall further and further behind. Why is it that the Swans always find a man when they have possession and we don’t?
Let’s look at the positives. Buddy is back, Ben Kane gets plenty of the ball and Robert Campbell is a real goer. Jordan Lewis is also impressive after a week with the Box Hill Hawks and ‘Spida’ gets his hands to plenty of the ball. We can’t expect miracles and I plead guilty to getting a bit carried away by the results of the first month.
Is there a more painful experience than watching your team struggle and eventually get beaten?
We need a run of goals, a big mark or an umpires decision to go our way -- just an ounce of luck but it never eventuates. This is a game where we have control of the ball for so long but can’t hurt the opposition on the scoreboard. As soon as they gain possession of the leather the men in white coats with the sticks get ready to do some exercise. The opposition are on their way to more action in September.
The night is not a happy one and the long walk on Sunday only brings back memories of what went wrong. What makes matters worse is that the two South Australian teams scored wins and the office is buzzing with cocky supporters. With Port finding some form I am try to find a place to hide. The ABC building has eight stories but each floor has so many Crows and Port fans.
I almost forgot to mention that the Box Hill Hawks won, that’s two in a row and John Barker got through unscathed. The irony is that they beat North Ballarat the place where I was born.
Next week it’s the Western Bulldogs, what can we look forward to? No matter what we are still a happy team at Hawthorn.
