After every grand final, footy fans around the country grieve, aside from fans of the Premiers perhaps. They mourn the loss of footy for the six or so months to follow.
The weather heats up, schools close, and of course we are glued to the screen watching the cricket until late January, around the same time that most of us start to suffer serious footy withdrawals, with cold sweats and sleepless nights.
.
Suddenly it’s February. The Test matches are done and dusted, and smiles reappear on faces as we drive around town seeing our beloved goal posts re-erected on local footy grounds. Footy is back in the news, once again taking pride of place on the back page of the papers.
With that come the inevitable debates of this time of year. Who will win the flag? Who will win the wooden spoon? Will GWS win a game? Will Jonathan Brown make it to Round 4 or will injury end his season 18 weeks early?
Don’t you just love it?
Already fans are clogging up the airwaves talking up their club’s 2012 chances while taking potshots at opposition clubs and their supporters for no apparent reason. Not a ball has been kicked in anger, yet Collingwood and Carlton are the subject of ridicule from talkback callers on a daily basis. Brilliant!
In the summer months we all band together as one in support of the Australian cricket team. We rejoiced together as we watch the merciless thumping of India without an ounce of sympathy. Yet as footy season comes upon us, we segregate ourselves from the other fans, and quietly pray that as much misery and humiliation as they can endure falls upon them.
I’m struggling to contain myself.
So many questions to be answered and so much fun to be had. We all like to think our team is a realistic chance of a flag this year but deep down we also know that it is probably a four-horse race at best.
North will hover between seventh and 10th with limited impact on anyone. The Dogs will lose more games than they win with nobody quite understanding how this can be possible, again.
Richmond will show early promise before losing traction at Round 11 and completely falling apart by Round 16, blaming fatigue, and Freo will become the new St.Kilda – impossible to score against while not scoring themselves.
The big guns will be there again. Collingwood, Hawthorn, Carlton, Geelong and West Coast will fight for positions in the top four, before one falls one hundredth of a percent short and is labelled a failure.
Ah footy season; the time where cynics thrive.
To answer the questions of earlier, Carlton will win the flag. GWS will win their first of many wooden spoons, and Jonathan Brown will in fact make it to Round 4 without a season-ending injury. Just.
The footy season is upon us and not a minute too soon.
Bring it on!
Lachlan
Roar Guru
Footy's neally here!!! My life, Religion and any form of a conversation-starter is back. NAB Cup, for the next 5 weeks then striaght into it the next week, with the Giants and swans, then the week after the rest of round 1, then the season follows. 3 weeks to my first trial, theen season will be just around corner, cant wait
TW
Guest
I predict the Eagles and Dockers will make the 8 - The Crows should also because they play GWS and Suns twice = 4 wins plus to get to the 11 usually necessary.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Even Im not sure the Blues can win the flag, but the gap between the Blues and the top 3 is lessening. Geelong havent been all that much better than the blues recently, and they did well against the Pies and Hawks (eventually). We think good things can happen.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
TomC True - not to mention that there's also basketball and baseball - in fact the baseball grand final completed its 3 game series last night.
TomC
Guest
And soccer. This isn't the first article I've read that happily assume that anyone who follows footy couldn't possibly follow another sport apart than cricket.
Steve
Guest
Not completely sure about the Blues winning the flag although at their best they are a bloody good side - along with a few others of course. As for the rest of the article, well I agree. Thank god the footy is nearly here.Freo I think will be fine by the way. They had about 17 of their best 18 injured most of last year. A full side will see instant improvement but the problem is, with Ross coaching them, they will never score! Cmon Round 1!!
Stam
Guest
I don't see freo having an instantly better season under Ross Lyon, his game plan (assuming he implements the same he had with st. Kilda) is something that will take a while to become ingrained in the team. I am interested to see how St. Kilda fair, I think that they have the most scope for finishing positions, I honestly wouldn't be suprised if they finished anywhere from 4th to 14th!
The Cattery
Roar Guru
The author forgot to mention supercoach and dreamteam.
Redb
Roar Guru
Ha! you lost me at Carlton will win the flag. They may make a prelim but Geelong, Collingwood and Hawthorn are better teams. Agree with the sense of new AFL season though, the Fox Footy Channel Ads have been priming that along nicely, its an enjoyable 20 mins watching them scroll through on 504. Pretty good first round as well with the Collingwood v Hawthorn matchup an absolute highlight which weather permitting should pull a 80,000 crowd and big TV audience for finally a LIVE Friday night game. Gold Coast should show improvement and win 5-6 games. Predicting Essendon, Fremantle & Adelaide to have better seasons.