It’s that time of the year again (well the second time of the year) when footy fans in Western Australia start preparing for the best game of the year. It’s the Western Derby (der-bee), despite Bruce McAvaney intentionally mispronouncing the word.
The evolution of the pronunciation is interesting in itself.
According to JC Wells in ‘Accents of English’ the Bruce McAvaney pronunciation of the word as ‘dar-bee’ seems to have evolved from the uneducated in England around the 1800s – pronouncing ‘clerk’ as clark, ‘derby’ as dar-bee, ‘Berkely’ as Bark-lee.
Well I have no intention of being told what to do by long dead uneducated English, I am getting a hard enough time of it at the moment from those educated Brits with a pulse – thanks Lions/Andy Murray/English cricket team/Olympics/Paralympics/Brad ‘look at me ‘aircut’ Wiggins.
Thank god their football team isn’t likely to win anything anytime soon.
Anyway – back to things that matter. Football in the west! Tomorrow’s match has all the hallmarks of a classic.
Both teams would benefit greatly from the win. West Coast could sneak into finals contention without the need to plead with ASADA and the AFL to nick all of Essendon’s points.
Percentage and the fact that Port are playing the Hawks, would see them sneak in this weekend, and would also assist in stopping Johnny Worsfold’s demeanour being so sulky.
For Freo a win would take them to 11.5 for the season and keep them in touch with the top four (again without the need for ASADA etc).
So what will this game hinge on? If you listen to the commentators then Cox/NicNat v Sandi/Clarke is already a TKO to the Eagles. Dean Cox too mobile for Aaron Sandilands, Nic Naitanui too dreamy for Zac Clarke (just stop it now Bruce).
If you listen to the Freo supporters it’s a case that Ross ‘boa’ Lyon will strangle the life out of the Eagles, with Ryan Crowley about to apply the mother of all Chinese burns to Matt Priddis and/or Chris Masten.
If you listen to the Eagles supporters it’s probably “booooooooooo” or maybe “baaaaaaallllllllll” that’ll get them over the line.
For me the contests that this match will hinge on are the following match-ups.
Ballantyne v Waters
I think Darren Glass will go to Matthew Pavlich, Eric MacKenzie will take Chris Mayne and that will leave Hayden ‘Frodo’ Ballantyne the task of trying to run/niggle Beau Waters into the ground.
Ballantyne had a cracker last weekend against the Saints and looks to be in great form heading in this weekend.
If he gets taken out there’s always Mike Walters who can step up. The Freo forward line looks so much better with Pav back.
Johnson v Kennedy
With Luke McPharlin apparently out it’ll be up to Michael Johnson, with a chop out from Zac Dawson to try and keep Josh Kennedy to less than four goals.
I do hope that ground security are not instructed to check Freo supporters bags for xylophones this weekend, else we won’t get to hear a rendition of Fred Flintstone’s bowling run up getting belted out every time Josh lines up.
Regardless of running jokes (boom tish) Kennedy is the best in the business, the fact that Carlton fans are regretting trading him for Chris Judd now is testimony to that.
Lyon v Worsfold
Ross Lyon is lauded as one of the best in the business, seen earlier this year taking his time at the three-quarter break to sit and play with his magnetic board instead of talking to his players.
The claims of genius rely on the assumption that he had players names on the board and not those fridge magnets where you can make humorous sentences up for your flat mates to read next time they go to get some milk.
As I said before, Worsfold has been a little grumpy and sad lately.
A far off look in his eyes, not unlike Bilbo Baggins had towards the end of his time in middle Perth, I mean earth.
If he can come up with a few match winning moves this weekend he might be about to re-focus from cheap flights to Bali on September first to getting quotes from Dean Kemp to extend the Eagles trophy cabinet.
Freo have won the last two and nine of the last 12. For me they should win but will need to get out of the blocks a bit sharper than the past fortnight has seen.
Let the niggling begin!
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