Emotions, there are plenty of them, many which are felt day in and day out as a football supporter. I know I felt a wide variety of them on Saturday afternoon when the Crows took on Carlton during Round 18.
The game that would unfold before me was not the game I was expecting as I arrived at West Lakes. Umbrella in tow, I carefully sloshed my way to gate three at AAMI Stadium, having to dodge a newly erected fence guarding the construction of the club’s new facility.
Once I found solace from the rain, I vigorously shook my umbrella to rid it of any excess water before purchasing the Record and some lunch before finally making my way to my seat. Thankfully, it being situated undercover, there was only a splattering of cold water on the seat and I quickly got comfortable and tucked into some steaming hot fish and chips.
The players’ warm up came and went pretty quickly but it was big Ivan Maric who caught my eye. I could tell he was feeling pumped as he was ushering the players off afterwards, complete with pats on the back and ruffles of their hair.
With Maric fired up it was hard not to feel excited myself. After all, this was a big game in which the Crows were looking to push further into the eight, and I was particularly looking to quiet some confident Carlton supporters.
The rain eventually weakened as the Crows marched onto the ground and had all but blown over by the time the players were in position and the game began.
The Crows were able to find plenty of the football early but were making costly errors. It took 17 minutes to get a goal on the board, but it was a good one, coming from tagger Robert Shirley who played on and drilled the ball home from 50 metres out.
Proceedings began to get a little heated in the next passage of play when Kris Massie found himself on the receiving end of a solid bump from Carlton’s Bryce Gibbs. Moments later down the ground, Maric was getting stuck into Carlton’s Simon Wiggins, the two engaging in a good old tussle. It was on alright!
With one goal and a staggering seven behinds, the Crows trailed Carlton by 15 points at quarter time.
Quickly becoming a much loved player at the Crows, Jason Porplyzia nailed his first goal for the day from a set shot early in the second term. Youngster David Mackay was next to score from the goal square, as the Crows started to make some ground on Carlton.
As play continued I was following the ball closely on the opposite wing. My eyes were suddenly adverted back up the ground as I saw a Crows player on the deck, out cold. I quickly noted it was Porplyzia who was knocked out off the ball. My heart sank fast into my stomach. Porplyzia didn’t move.
The players rallied in the forward 50 as Porplyzia was moved onto the stretcher. Thankfully, he was conscious as he was taken into the rooms.
If you weren’t fired up before, then you certainly were now. I was even hungrier for a win; you can’t just get away with play like that and snatching the four points from Carlton would be sweet revenge.
Maric scored from a set shot as play resumed and it was only fitting he had a goal celebration to match. Shortly after, erratic forward Nick Gill pulled something out of nowhere and snapped a goal from fifty metres out. Yes! The Crows were in front.
However Carlton made up some ground by half-time, despite Brad Moran scoring from a free kick, and held a narrow 1 point lead at half-time.
Frantic text messages were hastily sent back home in the hope of finding out Porplyzia’s condition. He was ok, but would be unlikely to return to the field. I also found out Chris Knight’s had done his hamstring. The Crows were down to a two-man bench, could this be the against-the-odds win I was looking for?
A waft of salty sea air tickled my nose just as players of both sides were returning to their positions to start the third quarter. It was now or never and the Crows needed a big quarter to cement a lead.
And they did, kicking seven goals all up and building a good lead by the final break. Goals came from Moran, who proved to be an effective and accurate target up forward, he got three. Others to chip in were Shirley, who scored a goal almost identical to his first quarter one, Maric who scored from a snap and Tyson Edwards scored on the run.
Carlton had other ideas and unfortunately made a charge in the final term after Edwards scored the Crows’ only goal. Nearing the final siren, after Carlton had kicked three consecutive goals, the Crows employed keeping off tactics to successfully run down the clock and win by eight points.
As the final siren rang, the crowd rose and celebrated with the players who equally showed their ecstatic emotion on the field.
The joy of the win spilled over into the Crows Shed, with a much larger crowd than last time celebrating the win. Brad Moran received a rock star welcome as some very lively supporters proudly chanted his name.
I was extremely happy with the win, finally being delivered an against-the-odds victory since the iconic Round three Showdown. While I was happy part of me was also annoyed and frustrated at Carlton’s display on the ground, something I’m sure I won’t be forgetting any time soon.
I guess it’s just all a part of the enormous emotion we hold for the game.
