Well what can i say that was one of the most error ridden finals games i have ever seen with both teams making stupid mistakes throughout the match.
The first quarter after getting over the shock of Horse and Boland missing out and the pure amasement of Elliott getting a game and not a midfielder then watching EF keep us in the game with poor kicking - I didn't know if I should laugh or cry !!!
Elliott is young and has a future but is not capable of reading the play or the movements of his opponent and is one dimenssional. He will be up to league standard one day but not at the moment - he was out bodied,out classed,out played and let Lester-Smith find form that he had lost all year. If he had kicked straight (along with others) they would have won easily. This match-up alone could have easily lost us the game. I knew when Elliott was named that they'd put him on Snuffy and it would fail. I hope Elliott and the selectors have learned from this game.
The first quarter EF had most of the play and missed 5 shots that should have been goals one snap shot and two that were forced. Subi missed two sitters that Wheeler should have goaled. Both teams used the ball poorly but EF bombed it in from long range and didn't look to their forwards for any marks where as Subi looked for leads and had better delivery to their forwards. For EF Schoey,Eardley,Dalziell,McGough played well and for Subi Twomey (who's family were all over from the East to watch) had it on a string,Phelan,J Deluca,Mahoney and McDougall played well.
Ef should have been up by 3 goals but Subi just led.
The 2nd EF continued to be less effective up forward with Boyle missing 2 sitters and poor Pernam missing a snap that should have gone through the middle but turned at right angles to miss !!! Ef had 3 more forced behinds by Subi's backs with Rumble playing well as skipper along with Leishman who blanketed Peake.
Subi's forwards looked better with C.Deluca and halligan dangerous.
There is no way subi should have been up by 20 points at half time - probably the sharks by 4 goals would have been a true reflection of the game but as my old mate Cactus Jack says poor kicking is poor footy and 2-15 is you get what you get ???
For Subi Twomey continued on his merry way with probably 20-25 touches by half time setting up many attacking moves as a spare sweeper through half back. Hilda played his best quarter in over a month and Bristow,C.Deluca,Halligan and Stevenson and the rest of the backs played well. The Sharks had good players in ROB,Dalziell and Macca and their mids but again the forwards were not getting good delivery and shots rushed when they had more time to make sure they kicked 6 pointers.
In the 3rd EF played well but were wastefull again with misses from Lester-Smith x 2,Charters and Boyle again who was playing well but let himself down by not steadying b4 kicking. EF hit the lead at the 25min mark of the 1/4 and subi looked spent and breathing hard. Sharks should have been up by 6 goals but for continued poor kicking. C.Deluca put his body on the line against Read to set up Subis only goal and strechered off looked gone for the season ???
Lester-Smith ran Elliott a merry dance,BOB,ROB, Boyle and Macca,McGough and Young got a bit of the cherry. For Subi the backs battled hard to stop the bleeding along with Bristow and Mahoney but we were on the mat waiting to be knocked out !!!
The only light for Subi was we were kicking to the scoring end in the last.
Lester-Smith missed another that should have been a six pointer and they had it down forward a bit but Subi missed three shots that should have gone through also.
Step up Subi in defence - rock solid under extreme pressure. Back on the ground like the second coming and going in as hard as ever C.Deluca and up forward step up Yarran with two marks under 20m out for goals.
Subi hold on against all odds in the last when they looked shot. I thought we'd roll over and go down by 4 goals. The turning point for me was when Rumble stuffed up a kick in and Howlett couldn't get a toe on it to tap through a goal and subi rushed it through for a point. That summed up the Sharks unlucky day. Very proud of a lucky win but I loved the way we got up in the last with pure grit anmd desire.
The game was an ordinary spectical except for the tight finish and pressure play. Sometimes you get that ??
Well done to the Sharks for a good season and Stavros for turning around their season. Well done to Dodd,McGough and Young(if he pulls up stumps) on great careers for the Sharks - Iv'e seen these guy's play their guts out for the blue and white many times and have been proud of the way they go about it !!!
Lets beat the EP bastards !!!
In the last McDougall was great and Delahunty,Yarran,Rumble,Leishman.
