MURPHY’S Law reads; If anything can go wrong, it will. And, just for a double whammy, quite often this occurs at the worst possible moment.
Geelong and Hawthorn – two almost unbackable favourites to line up in this year’s grand final - will both be hoping they don’t catch a dose of the Murphs this weekend.
“Lock them in for the Granny now”, thousands of footy fans are saying.
The pundits have been saying all year that the Cats and the Hawks are certain to meet in the big one and their preliminary finals against the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda respectively are foregone conclusions.
While it’s the belief – and perhaps even the wish – of a lot of footy fans that Geelong and Hawthorn are already across the line to meet on the last Saturday in September, convincing cases can be made for the two overwhelming underdogs.
Bookmakers are giving both the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda little chance of upsetting their more fancied opponents and progressing to ‘The Big Dance’.
On Friday night the Western Bulldogs – who kept pace with the Cats for a half at Skilled Stadium in round 16 – get their chance at redemption.
The Doggies’ season lost pace after being clipped by the Cats in the second half that day, but there are signs Rodney Eade’s men are getting their groove back.
Ryan Griffen is running hard again, Shaun Higgins is back in the side and looks dangerous and Lindsay Gilbee’s bullets are as deadly as ever.
With a couple of finals now under his belt, Robert Murphy looks capable of causing any side a headache. Against the Cats two months ago Murphy, along with several teammates, lost his bark.
If a few can lift just a notch or two, they will be in the game far longer than 60 minutes.
One factor they do have against them this time is that Gary Ablett and Cameron Ling will be back for the return bout, and in-and-under specialist Daniel Cross knows his midfield buddies will need to be at their best to give their side a chance.
“We’re going to have to compete hard … we’ll make sure our contested-ball winners are really fresh,” Cross said after defeating the Swans in Friday night’s semi-final at the MCG.
“That’s the main part of their game and we need our pressure high if we’re going to compete with Geelong next week.”
While the Dogs’ biggest assignment of the season is on Friday night, St Kilda will try to repeat its round-16 victory against the Hawks the following evening.
For a club searching for its first premiership since 1966 and just its second ever, it has to like its chances of causing a boilover and reaching another season-decider.
Skipper Nick Riewoldt was dynamite against Collingwood on Saturday and he carved up the Hawks two months ago when Ross Lyon’s men won by 30 points.
And one key area the Saints look to have a distinct edge on their opponents this week is in the experience stakes.
Of its team that played against the Magpies, more than a dozen have played in a preliminary final.
Compare that to the likely Hawks’ line-up this week. Just four players – Shane Crawford, Trent Croad, Stuart Dew and Brent Guerra – have what one would call ‘big-game’ experience.
Some have played finals, but never gone this far in September.
Will the pressure of the biggest match of their lives get to them? The pressure of being such a red-hot favourite?
Remember Justin Murphy holding the ball aloft on preliminary final day in 1999? Essendon fans cringe at the thought.
The Bombers were supposedly home and hosed that day as they trotted onto the MCG to take on the Blues.
Murphy’s joyous grin – the eyes that said “we’ve just conquered the unconquerable” – also showed a look of disbelief.
