New Herald Sun column

[Supermercado]

Did anyone else see that new column in the "Main Game" section where you can write about the friday night game. I submitted one for next week but I seriously doubt it will get printed because...

a) It's 430 words long and they only want 250. The absolute waffle about Collingwood in there today was about 700 though - typical.
b) It mainly concerns that game in 1993 when we beat Richmond by 121 points
c) It mentions John Howat in glowing terms.

I'm working on a 'directors cut' version that's about 3 times as long as that and I'll post it here when I'm finished.

 

[BT]

You're a gun!

What a game that was.

 

[Supermercado]

Here's the one I did submit. The longer version is giving me the ****s at the moment. Bear in mind that I realise that you'll never get it printed if you're not optimistic so I wrote it before the game yesterday and didn't bother changing it. Personally I believe we'll get poleaxed, but if lying gets my name in the paper again then I'm there.

"Contrary to what you may have heard or read the Melbourne Football Club is alive and well, and competing in this year’s Premiership Season. Tonight we continue our “2004 – It’s an even year!” World Tour at the MCG against a Richmond side who represent our only serious rivals for the AFL’s highly sought after “offseason boardroom chaos” award.

There have been a few memorable clashes between these two clubs in the last fifteen years. Snapping the losing streak on a Friday night in 1997 and knocking the Tigers out of the finals race a year later on the day Jeff Farmer used Gary Lyon’s head as leverage to take the greatest Mark of the Year never to win the award come to mind.

My most enduring memories, though, come from Round 21, 1993. I remember it vividly. We won by 121 points, Andy Lovell and the immortal Allen Jakovich kicked sixteen goals between them and a bird used me as target practice at three-quarter-time. It’s been more than ten years since and I’ve never seen a Demon side dispatch the opposition (admittedly the Tiges weren’t much that year, but go with me here) with such ruthless aggression and efficiency. It’s no wonder the mere thought of the day (digestively challenged seagull not withstanding) almost brings a tear to the eye after all these years.

And who could forget some of the players who have pulled on the jumper of both clubs in recent years? Egan! Eishold! Funcke! Goodwin! O’Dwyer! Pickering! Robins! Sampson! Sullivan! I remember them all, even if nobody else does. Except Phil Egan, he only ever played one game for us and I was sick that day. And let’s not forget my all-time favourite representative of both clubs – John Howat. I keep suggesting this game be played annually for the “Howat Cup” but nobody listens. Shame.

As for tonight’s game I think it’s a historically proven fact, studied by students of the game the world over, that Matthew Richardson has his two good games a year against us so you’d have to expect him to have a top night. The rest of them though? Nothing special. We’ve got too much class up front – and if the fans are lucky Daniher will have got the video of that memorable day in 1993 out during the week and we’ll see something special. David Neitz will be playing the role of Jakovich and Aaron Davey will be Andy Lovell for the evening. Either that or we’ll fall over the line in the last quarter – as long as we get the points it’s no concern to me.

Melbourne by 10"

 

[BT]

Damn good effort that.

Johnny Howat Cup, that's a goer.

The Hayden Robbins medal for BOG.

 

[Supermercado]

Berry Street Cup my arse. The John Howat Cup and the Chris Sullivan Medal would raise far more money for the kids.

 

[BT]

The Hun are offically soft!