Still on
an outback adventure, this week I’ll be parking the family in line to view the
total solar eclipse and hopefully produce some nice enough exposures fit for
sale. When I say exposures fit for sale,
I’m talking about some pictures of an occluded Sun or some nice Solar
Prominences, not the Ginnivan or Crisp types of exposures. That’s the kind of exposure no-one wants.
Fremantle vs W. Bulldogs Perth Stadium Friday
Night
This is the annual Len Hall game in Perth. Fremantle usually put on a great and
respectful show to celebrate the life of Len Hall and all the servicemen and
women who have served our great country so well. This match is the day after the solar
eclipse. Will there be some kind of
trickery as a result? Was this eclipse
factored into the horoscopes of each of the Fremantle players or will Mars
retrograde motion unleash hell on the Bulldogs?
The Footscray Faithful finally feel free for forward flings flummoxing
Fremantle’s frenetic physical form…Phew!
The tarot cards say W. Bulldogs by 21 points.
Port Adelaide
vs West Coast Adelaide Oval Saturday
Afternoon
I know Fremantle were staying in Adelaide for the week
prior to Gather Round. Will West Coast
be staying afterwards to avoid the excessive travel. They could take a field trip out along the
Nullarbor. I’ve heard it’s nice this
time of year. Play a few holes of the
longest golf course in the world perhaps?
Go to Ceduna and enjoy the…the…the…basking shark skeleton (my google
search did not turn up much). West
Coast, being one of the most travelled sides in the competition, might enjoy
staying in Adelaide and doing some team bonding
activities (although best not to consult Adelaide
on that). Port Adelaide will be too strong for the injury
depleted Eagles. Port Adelaide by 52 points.
Greater Western Sydney vs Brisbane Manuka Oval Saturday
Afternoon
Canberra has given us many pleasures in this world. One of them is snow during a footy game. Another is a beautifully laid out city that
was the subject of a thesis I wrote in university. One of the notable examples of a planned
Garden City. If you’re attending this
match, take some time to meander through the streets and wonder at its layout,
and what that provides. I expect this
will be a great match with both GWS and Brisbane
fairly evenly matched when I scan through each of their lines. I’ll be making my way back home from my
vacation and will have the car tuned to the footy the whole way (if the family
allow it). Brisbane
will be turning the heat on as they push for finals so for me it’s Brisbane
by 11 points.
Geelong vs Sydney Kardinia
Park Saturday Night
I bet Geelong
were chuffed when the fixture came out and they saw they had a stand-alone
Saturday night fixture as their first at Kardinia Park
where they can unfurl the flag.
Unfortunately, it will be a pressure match and the tension in the crowd
will be palpable as the Cats will no doubt be 2 and 3 and trying not to go 2
and 4 for the season start. Sydney has a reasonable
recent record against the Cats at Kardinia too so don’t think this will be some
kind of cream-puff contest. I think Sydney will want some
Grand Final revenge and the premiership flag flying over the pocket will only
enhance their vigour. Sydney by 12 points.
Hawthorn vs Adelaide University
of Tasmania Sunday
Afternoon
Adelaide has been building nicely into the season, but Hawthorn seems to be
a different side when they are down at UTAS in Launceston. I’ve been there before, not for the footy but
my job used to take me around a bit. It
was a long-standing joke about Tasmanian’s and their two heads and after
visiting there, I can see why you’d want a second head. The vistas are so beautiful in Tasmania that you need
one head to look at them while the other keeps an eye on the road ahead. If you’ve never been to Tasmania, I suggest you investigate that as
a great option. I look forward to the
entry of a Tasmanian team and the prospect that our annual boy’s footy trip may
just take that in one season. Anyway, on
the footy front, Adelaide
will be too strong for Hawthorn here. Adelaide
by 26 points.
Carlton vs
St Kilda Marvel Stadium Sunday Afternoon
Both of these teams should be up near the
top of the ladder still by the time this match rolls around. And by this time, I will have spent a night
back in my own comfortable bed and will be lucky to be awake in time to see
this one. Truth be told, I’m sure the
kids will be awake by 5am, which means I’ll be awake by 5:02am and, in any
event, I’ll need be tending to an overgrown garden by 7am at the latest. When you’re a kid and you see your dad
working in the garden all weekend, every weekend, you think he’s a sucker. Then you get older yourself and grow an
unhealthy relationship with perfectly manicured lawn. Honestly, it’s like my 3rd child
(and I probably spend more money on it).
Carlton
by 14 points.
Gold Coast vs North Melbourne Carrara Sunday Afternoon
You see, the beauty of doing all that work
to perfect the lawn is the Sunday Afternoon.
You give that lawn a slight caress, it gives you a knowing look back and
you go and crack a beer, sit near it on the back patio and watch the TV through
the back window or listen to the game on the wireless. It’s absolutely the best part of the
weekend. Even the kids give you a few
minutes in peace. And this week’s Gold
Coast vs North Melbourne match is the perfect
vessel to share your moment with your lawn.
Uniacke vs Rowley in the middle will be just as hard fought a battle as
you vs garden slugs. The parallels are
endless. Gold Coast will win this one
though. Gold Coast by 29 points.
Melbourne vs Richmond MCG Monday Night
Melbourne and Richmond
will face off in their now traditional Anzac Eve match. Like before, if you ever get the chance to
make the trip to Melbourne
to take in this and then the Anzac Day match the next day, you should do
it. The night atmosphere of silent
reflection for those who gave their service is something to behold, followed by
a clash of titans. I think the Melbourne centres will be too efficient at getting the
ball forward and they will stifle Richmond’s
transition from the back. Melbourne
by 33 points.
Collingwood vs Essendon MCG Tuesday
Afternoon
The Final match of the round will see Collingwood
play against Essendon in their traditional fixture. Since the draw in 1995’s first installment,
this match, more often than not serves up a great visual feast. From the ceremonies at the start, the chill
of the last post and the iconic statement of 90,000 people standing silent in
reflection to the on-field machinations that usually turn out a close finish, I
can say this is not a bad place to be on Anzac Day. Collingwood will have benefitted from a
couple of >7-day rests in a row, which, after watching them against Brisbane, it looks like
they needed after such a hot start to the season. Essendon will be coming off a tough match
against Melbourne
in the Adelaide Hills and were hopefully able to remain focused enough to skip
the Steins and Sausages on the way down the hill before the trip home. It should be a close match and an exciting
feast of fast flowing and free footy.
But Collingwood will have just a touch too much class. Collingwood by 8 points.
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