By Roger Lowrey
“Don’t pay the ferryman until he gets you to the other side…”
Chris de Burgh
Notwithstanding the wisdom of Chris de Burgh’s evocative lyrics from his chart topping 1982 song, it is highly unlikely this reference forty years ago would have been contemplating the driver of Monday morning’s Geelong to Melbourne ferry being incapacitated with COVID.
But he was anyway – so in the absence of a replacement driver off the interchange bench with or without a green jacket, a dressing gown or anything else much, the ferry didn’t run.
And worse still, we had already paid and hadn’t stepped foot outside Geelong.
Fellow Cats fan and experienced Port Phillip Bay yachting enthusiast Anthony Beck reckons he could have run it across but there seemed to be little enthusiasm for his kind offer.
And so it came to pass, after a restorative coffee at chez Lowrey, that your hardy bunch of peripatetic Cats reverted to our old default option and resumed our love/hate relationship with V/Line’s footy trains.
Now, one direct benefit of being ready for a nine o’clock ferry that doesn’t run is you are ready for a much earlier train than most other footy fans. Moreover, not only did the 0936 from North Geelong run on time, but also it gave your author and travelling companions time to visit the Australian Centre for the Moving Image at Federation Square. Well worth a visit next time you are nearby, by the way.
The benefits of an early arrival in Melbourne continue as there is ample space at Tower6, an affordable eatery and one of the MCC members reserve’s hitherto best kept secrets in the absence of the temporarily closed Hugh Trumble Cafe.
But when Hawthorn’s Mitch Lewis kicks the opening goal inside the first minute of play and Dylan Moore follows suit with his first of four for the afternoon less than a minute later, it seems the Cats must have been elsewhere in Tower6 eating pizzas too as they look very sluggish.
Thankfully, by half time and goals to Hawkins, Cameron, Stengle, Dangerfield and Holmes, the Cats steady and the margin is 10 points Hawthorn’s way. Furrowed brows are the common feature of our pizza loving fans just the same.
But the optimistic Anthony Beck will hear nothing of it.
“Fourteen free kicks to eight their way and four goals from frees. We can turn that around easily enough,” he breezily informs us.
And it seems he may well have a point. Three quick goals to Cameron, Stengle and Hawkins in the first eight minutes of the third quarter and we hit the front.
The last of those - Hawkins’ third for the afternoon - follows a soft 50 metre penalty because the umpire doesn’t like the attitude of Tom Mitchell and Jack Gunston.
Towards the end of the quarter the elusive Tyson Stengle kicks his third goal after latching himself on to the end of a perfect pass from Brandon Parfitt who, in turn, receives a sharp handball from Joel Selwood while the skipper gets his head torn off – yet again.
One of our group suggests that after Selwood eventually retires he will stay in bed for three months. Given his typically inspiring game today it’s hard to argue the toss with that one.
Jeremy Cameron kicks his third goal just before three quarter time but it is the last goal the Cats will kick for the game despite near misses as Mark O’Connor and Tyson Stengle both subsequently hit the post.
As the Cats gather for the orange-time break two goals in front, we sense that the lads have things under control.
But Sam Mitchell must have whatever Allan Jeans used to have in the bottom of his bag as the Hawks resume the other side of oranges with renewed zest. They kick 4.4 to our four points and it is game over.
Curiously enough, that 12-point margin at the finish was exactly the same as the margin at the two minute mark of the first quarter while our lads were still cat-napping. Make of that what you will.
Best Cats are Selwood, Hawkins, Stengle and Smith. Best Hawks are Mitchell, Moore, Sicily and Gunston.
GEELONG 1.4 6.6 11.10 11.14 (80)
Geelong: Cameron 3, Hawkins 3, Stengle 3, Dangerfield, Holmes
Geelong: Stewart, Cameron, Smith, Selwood, Hawkins, Duncan
Geelong: Guthrie (corked quad), Bews (shoulder) Henry (foot)
Geelong: Jake Kolodjashnij replaced Jack Henry in fourth quarter
Crowd: 48,030
“Don’t pay the ferryman until he gets you to the other side…”
Chris de Burgh
Notwithstanding the wisdom of Chris de Burgh’s evocative lyrics from his chart topping 1982 song, it is highly unlikely this reference forty years ago would have been contemplating the driver of Monday morning’s Geelong to Melbourne ferry being incapacitated with COVID.
But he was anyway – so in the absence of a replacement driver off the interchange bench with or without a green jacket, a dressing gown or anything else much, the ferry didn’t run.
And worse still, we had already paid and hadn’t stepped foot outside Geelong.
Fellow Cats fan and experienced Port Phillip Bay yachting enthusiast Anthony Beck reckons he could have run it across but there seemed to be little enthusiasm for his kind offer.
And so it came to pass, after a restorative coffee at chez Lowrey, that your hardy bunch of peripatetic Cats reverted to our old default option and resumed our love/hate relationship with V/Line’s footy trains.
Now, one direct benefit of being ready for a nine o’clock ferry that doesn’t run is you are ready for a much earlier train than most other footy fans. Moreover, not only did the 0936 from North Geelong run on time, but also it gave your author and travelling companions time to visit the Australian Centre for the Moving Image at Federation Square. Well worth a visit next time you are nearby, by the way.
The benefits of an early arrival in Melbourne continue as there is ample space at Tower6, an affordable eatery and one of the MCC members reserve’s hitherto best kept secrets in the absence of the temporarily closed Hugh Trumble Cafe.
But when Hawthorn’s Mitch Lewis kicks the opening goal inside the first minute of play and Dylan Moore follows suit with his first of four for the afternoon less than a minute later, it seems the Cats must have been elsewhere in Tower6 eating pizzas too as they look very sluggish.
Thankfully, by half time and goals to Hawkins, Cameron, Stengle, Dangerfield and Holmes, the Cats steady and the margin is 10 points Hawthorn’s way. Furrowed brows are the common feature of our pizza loving fans just the same.
But the optimistic Anthony Beck will hear nothing of it.
“Fourteen free kicks to eight their way and four goals from frees. We can turn that around easily enough,” he breezily informs us.
And it seems he may well have a point. Three quick goals to Cameron, Stengle and Hawkins in the first eight minutes of the third quarter and we hit the front.
The last of those - Hawkins’ third for the afternoon - follows a soft 50 metre penalty because the umpire doesn’t like the attitude of Tom Mitchell and Jack Gunston.
Towards the end of the quarter the elusive Tyson Stengle kicks his third goal after latching himself on to the end of a perfect pass from Brandon Parfitt who, in turn, receives a sharp handball from Joel Selwood while the skipper gets his head torn off – yet again.
One of our group suggests that after Selwood eventually retires he will stay in bed for three months. Given his typically inspiring game today it’s hard to argue the toss with that one.
Jeremy Cameron kicks his third goal just before three quarter time but it is the last goal the Cats will kick for the game despite near misses as Mark O’Connor and Tyson Stengle both subsequently hit the post.
As the Cats gather for the orange-time break two goals in front, we sense that the lads have things under control.
But Sam Mitchell must have whatever Allan Jeans used to have in the bottom of his bag as the Hawks resume the other side of oranges with renewed zest. They kick 4.4 to our four points and it is game over.
Curiously enough, that 12-point margin at the finish was exactly the same as the margin at the two minute mark of the first quarter while our lads were still cat-napping. Make of that what you will.
Best Cats are Selwood, Hawkins, Stengle and Smith. Best Hawks are Mitchell, Moore, Sicily and Gunston.
Results
HAWTHORN 5.3 8.4 10.4 14.8 (92)GEELONG 1.4 6.6 11.10 11.14 (80)
GOALS
Hawthorn: Moore 4, Gunston 3, Lewis 3, Breust 2, O'Meara, MitchellGeelong: Cameron 3, Hawkins 3, Stengle 3, Dangerfield, Holmes
BEST
Hawthorn: Newcombe, Sicily, Mitchell, Moore, Scrimshaw, ImpeyGeelong: Stewart, Cameron, Smith, Selwood, Hawkins, Duncan
INJURIES
Hawthorn: Reeves (shoulder)Geelong: Guthrie (corked quad), Bews (shoulder) Henry (foot)
SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: James Worpel replaced Ned Reeves in second quarterGeelong: Jake Kolodjashnij replaced Jack Henry in fourth quarter
Crowd: 48,030
Roger Lowrey is a Geelong based writer whose special interests include reading, writing, horse racing, Roman history and AEC electoral boundaries. He has been an MCC member long enough to see Geelong win three premierships.