Why this game?
That was the question I was asked when I put my name next to this contest and then distributed the roster to my fellow Mongrel writers a couple of weeks back. I mean, I can see their point – these blokes weren’t playing for sheep stations in a contest pitting two of the bottom three teams against each other, but I had my reasons.
People who watch a little bit of footy sometimes get surprised when a team makes a leap up the ladder. Whether it is North Melbourne or Richmond, in a couple of years time, there will be plenty who are wanting to know more about some of the stars that now wear the famous yellow and black, or the blue and white stripes. Had they watched these games, when both teams were finding who they are, and who they’re going to be, they’d have more of an idea.
Then again, some people like to be surprised. Me… not so much.
And so, it was with that focus that I turned into the game featuring the Tigers and Kangaroos in Tassie. What I wanted to see is just what these teams had at the moment, and just what they were cultivating to populate their lists in the next several years.
And I probably got it, too.
This was the season North were expected to make a move up the ladder. It hasn’t happened. This was also the season that the Tigers were supposed to bottom-out and go winless, according to some of the boffins looking for a cheap click in the pre-season.
A big hello to Mark Bickley, by the way.
The Tigers have surprised, and the Roos have stagnated, but the seeds of something are always there, and that’s where we start this review. No green shoots… the last bloke who used that phrase a little too often is now sitting alongside someone who knows how to do his job.
I’m looking for a little more than green shoots. Here’s what I found.
The remainder of this article is for our members. They support me, and I provide for them. It’s a good deal.
Oh… a Mongrel paywall… the worst of all paywalls. Why? Because HB believes work such as this is worth a mere pittance per day. Whilst you could stick with Caro’s Arrow or Kane’s Vol-Kane-O, you’ll get your 500 words in the newspaper and be happy, or you could dive articles like this. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. You’re welcome to join and keep reading if you do.
