Return of the Wobble?

It came down to this in the last round. 1 versus 2 in an orgy of strutting one upmanship on the eve of the 2011 Finals series. The night was perfect. No wind. A light dew on the grass. We’d fuelled up on lamb, salmon and red in the Lou Richards room before hitting the terraces. Started well. Cats looked in headlights. The March to October publicity gamble looked like genius.

Then came the second quarter.

The Pies defence was in disarray. In the Pie darkness of that quarter, Cats free and open picked up party time goals at will, sending ten over the goal umpires end and into the shocked faces of the Collingwood members.

Big Screen footage of a disconsolate Eddie McGuire, Collingwood President brought a mocking wry cheer from Cats fans only trumped when Cheer Squad member and minor celebrity Joffa appeared, slumped and beaten as if he’d just lost a 4th Division winning Tattslotto ticket.

Half Time brought scones and coffee and discussion centred on the inevitable comeback – it never came. Cats kicked the first three then the Pies officially gave it away. Later in analysis we determined:

– Jolly was shot. Woods in insurance since Mick never plays 2 ruckman
– Without Nick Maxwell in the backline there was no leadership or direction up back
– Cloke and Dawes need supply. Cut that off from the centre and they don’t kick goals.
– Kick long through the Pies press and then stroll back through the guts with a long kick to the tall timber to fight it out with Chappie and Jimmy B front and square if Pods or Hawka spills the specie
– Pendelbury gets heap of the pill but needs to lead that team when the scrap is on
– I was wrong when these two teams meet earlier in the year when I proclaimed that Geelong’s time had “gone to God”
– The art of the bounce is beyond the reach of tonights umpires.
– Is Jason Jason Venkataya still in the mix for goal umpiring in the finals series after being name an emergency for the Lions V Swan’s game?
– Have the Hawks got the cattle and the mongrel to put away the Cats next week for the first time since that great 2008 Grand Final?

Next week, we pump up for two games – Cats V Hawks on the Friday Night. Pies V West Coast on the Saturday afternoon. Big cold fronts are on the way. Gonna be wet, wild and windy. Bit like the stomachs of the Collingwood coaching stuff after this most untimely of floggings. The little man at the back of my heads thinks that these two teams may well meet again in September. Tonight will be fuel for the fire for the Pies when that moment comes.

Geelong 22 17 149 d Collingwood 8 5 53