Alf at least you picked a winner.

[magpie24]

Preview
By: Alf Andrews
Date: 23/04/2001

With a less than impressive couple of quarters against Richmond on our resumé, there is no risk of us starting favourites against the Same Old in the annual Gallipoli re-enactment on Wednesday. Expect to see plenty of grass being thrown up in the air.

Expect to hear lots of polite applause. Expect Licuria, in his 50th game, to get king hit by some cowardly Essendon thug when no-one's looking. Expect a long frustrating afternoon as repeated Collingwood forays into attack end in the usual barrage of behinds. After beating an entirely unwarranted rap for a perfectly executed bump last week, expect Jarrod "He's Innocent" Molloy to see plenty of action. But make sure you say a few Hail Mary's as he lines 'em up because his strike rate ain't pretty.

Expect the worst. But be there, anyway. Because I can almost guarantee there'll be a moment … a brief but glorious moment … when it will all come together. Tarrant will take a screamer … or two. Bucks will get 25 touches … in one quarter. Lonie will show absolutely no evidence of nerves in front of 90,000 people and play like a veteran … all day. McKee will take some telling marks. And for 5 minutes we'll look half a chance. And our crowd in the Ponsford will think it's 1990 again and react accordingly.

Then … in an instant … with a minimum of fuss … some scumbag in red and black will capitalise on a Collingwood clanger … or a bad umpiring decision … or whatever … and snuff our hopes out in an instant. And we'll know that our task was always as futile as the Gallipoli landing. And we'll go home impressed by the good moments, and contemplating how good we're GOING to be … one day.

And then, the next day, we'll read the papers. And they'll tell us that Essendon won because some player we've never heard of, and didn't even know was playing (because we're so one-eyed we didn't notice him) was the dominant force in the match and was chiefly responsible for the win.

Essendon by 13 points.

By Alf Andrews


Are you in the cheer squad ?????????????????????????????/

[AlfAndrews]

Gee, that wasn't too bad a prediction, was it?

The margin was only 5 points out.

Licuria didn't exactly get king-hit, but he was right in the thick of it and copped his usual buffeting. Great game, Lica.

Molloy was pretty ineffective, I thought.

Tarrant took plenty of marks ... but obviously the "screamer" of the day went to Leon Davis.

Bucks got plenty of possessions. Gee, wasn't that a clever prediction How did I work that one out?

And Lonie did, in fact, play like a veteran, apart from a stuff-up or two.

McKee, of course, didn't play. So, I was wrong there.

We did see a fair bit of grass thrown up in the air. But not a lot of it was thrown up by Lloyd. I think Caracella has got a similar ritual. It's bloody annoying whoever does it.

And I was spot-on about the "polite applause". Can you believe those Essendon supporters. There were as many Essendon fans at that game as there were Australians killed in World War One. And yet they barely gave a yelp all day. I was watching them whenever Essendon got a goal. And I could see a few flags being waved. But then I could also see lots of people in red and black just sitting there doing nothing. I think they're bored with winning. Seriously.

And yes, there was certainly a period in the game when it looked like we would win. And it went for a lot longer than 5 minutes, I might add.

But, as I predicted, we were close ... but no cigar.

And we're all going around talking about how good we're going to be one day.

What a tipster! What an expert!


**floreat pica**

[AlfAndrews]

P.S.

Yes, I'm in the Cheer Squad.



**floreat pica**

[ytry4]

And is that really you Alf, the pic on the left? lol

Go PIES 2001

[AlfAndrews]

Well, I suppose there's a bit of artistic symbolism in the picture. But it WAS a picture of me ... before I put all the special effects on it.

**floreat pica**