It’s clicked to me just what the Bombers are doing. Damn those sneaking buggers! First let me state my bias. I am a Freo fan.
Before that I had a soft spot for West Coast, and before that I was all East Perth.
Along this journey I have developed a deep dislike for all things Essendon. From the way Sheedy treated one of my favourite footballers, Derek Kickett, in 1993, the way the AFL gifted them an “away final” against West Coast at the MCG (1996) and to the first home final, and subsequent thrashing, for Freo in 2003.
This year however my ire has been raised by the disturbing tactics of Essendon when they travel to Western Australia.
In the week leading up to the match against Freo in Round 3 it came out that Hird had been injected (allegedly) with banned substances by Stephen Dank (allegedly).
Essendon went into damage control; players rallied behind their coach and headed off into the West with a siege mentality.
They won in the final minutes, thanks in part to Chris Mayne not being able to snap truly on his left, but also thanks to an incredible come back in the second term.
Cue images of players hugging the coach on Subiaco Oval. Damn them! And no I am not angry because didn’t get to hug James and ruffle those golden locks….
Fast forward to Round 14 (this week) and again an Essendon favourite, this time Jobe “Boo” Watson, has come out during the week leading up to a trip west with the announcement that he was indeed injected with AOD-9604.
Cue press field day/week, gnashing of teeth by the general footballing public and a new reason for West Coast fans to boo a specific player. Unlike last year’s target in Tom Hawkins, Jobe would not be carried around on a stretcher for the Coast fans to boo at.
Again the Bombers won, in the dyeing minutes. Cue images of players hugging it out after a week under siege. And they’ve gone ahead of Freo on the ladder. Damn them!
Well I’ve wised up to this tactic … but too late. The Bombers will not be travelling anywhere outside of Victoria with the exception of a game against GWS. And there’s no reason to invent a crisis to play GWS.
But if they are forced to return to Subiaco in the finals to play Fremantle, I am issuing a warning to the press. Ignore any stories leaked or pushed by Essendon about personnel being injected with things they maybe possibly shouldn’t have.
If Dustin Fletcher comes out with statements that he uses an anti-aging agent, ignore it. It’s all a ruse.
A plot to draw their players together as a tight knit unit. The siege mentality, us against them, win one for the Duster!
Instead I implore Freo to counteract with their own press release.
Crowley seen applying nipple cripples to the rookies as part of his training regime, Ballantyne was the stunt double for Elijah Woods without obtaining the correct screen actors guild ticket in New Zealand, Barlow does have his own football on the field at all times.
Anything to counteract Essendon’s underhand tactics!
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Essendon captain Zach Merrett says he would have relished extra time to decide a winner on Anzac Day, while Collingwood coach Craig McRae felt…
Does he have a point?
For all the pomp and circumstance that surrounds the now-traditional Anzac Day clash at the MCG, there has been one thing conspicuously lacking over…
Old mate summing it up better than anyone possibly could!
