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When did we become such a whinging society of football watchers?
After a lot of pissing and moaning about the poor standard of the Fremantle versus Carlton and Sydney versus Essendon matches, social media was overflowing in praise about the free-scoring shoot-out between Adelaide and West Coast.
Fans that can’t appreciate all three styles of these matches are the ones that sicken me the most.
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Fremantle are a side struggling for their best form at the moment and, in truth, are a long way from it. But it was fascinating to watch them fight against themselves as much as the opposition, to see if they could dig their way out of a hole.
The inspiration that Nat Fyfe and Hayden Ballantyne provided in the last quarter to lift their team over the line, along with the ubiquitous Michael Barlow, might just be the first step back in the right direction for the Dockers.
Carlton have been the plucky, but losing, challenger too often for their fans’ liking this year, and had to settle for it once again. But their resilience has to be admired. The Blues don’t have the most talented side in the league, and won’t for many years, but they don’t make it easy for the better sides to beat them.
Sydney and Essendon fought out a scrap that displeased a great many people for not being pretty to the eye.
The Swans, like Fremantle before them, needed to get back on the winner’s list against an inferior but worthy opponent intent on throwing everything at them.
How could you not admire Luke Parker’s and Ben McGlynn’s bullish physicality, or Essendon’s third quarter response after a first half containing their worst football for some time.
The Bombers are still a developing side, and nowhere near the finished product. As such, they’re going to have down patches. It can’t always be sugar and lollipops.
Sydney and Freo are very good sides out of form, that don’t mind making it a scrap in order to get the four points. Winning is the only thing they respect. The whinging that accompanies these sort of matches is frankly unpalatable.
People seem to demand that every team be at the absolute top of their game for every minute of every match throughout the season, or at least those being shown on free-to-air in prime time.
What nonsense.
Every team would like to play fast, attractive football, and a lot of sides do when in form, but there is a balance that also requires defensive accountability.
When out of form, it is sometimes easier to stick to these defensive structures and principles, and work harder by putting your body over the ball and laying tackles until the wheel turns.
Think of any number of Geelong versus Hawthorn clashes over recent years for the perfect mix of two sides playing quality football, both attacking with relish and defending with zeal.
Unfortunately, not every club can be a top four side at the top of their game.
There are bad sides incapable of it, young sides that show brief flashes, average sides that aren’t good enough to attack freely, so they make do with defending stoutly. There are always good teams going in and out of form, and even great teams that are inconsistent.
Sometimes conditions play a part. Availability of the best and most creative players certainly does.
It also pays to remember we’re not just watching half an hour of highlights on a Saturday night any more. Every game is broadcast live. There are no more warts than in previous eras, it’s just that they are now on full display. But even then, they have their own beauty.
I hope Crows and Eagles fans enjoyed the free-scoring shoot-out on display at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. I know Swans and Dockers supporters will enjoy their team playing finals football instead.