May 12th 2008
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Did you watch the game on Saturday night? Maybe you had something better to do. It was not exactly your typical game - it was more a case of watching out of curiosity, rather than anything resembling a desire to see how the result was arrived at.
I don’t think this sort of game will be back. Here’s why:
This game was all about the Vics. Whilst Boomer Harvey acted like Tim Cahill clutching his side’s emblem after a late goal, it’s hard to imagine one of the Allies, I mean Dream Teamers, doing the same.
The players might like it, but the players have known to be fickle. The IR series initially had plenty of interest, but that soon fell away when the novelty and fun with some mates gave way to the fact this is more work. Repeating this concept will go the same way and without the best players it isn’t even an exhibition.
As the game ebbed and flowed, you could tell the Victorian team had much more to play for than the DT. When the crunch comes one side was playing with a proud history behind them - the others were playing an “exhibition match”.
A weekend off (or two) might be what the players want, but I don’t think it suits the fans. I actually think it just gives AFL fans the opportunity to take up watching some Union and League.
Talking of League, it’s a pretty impressive effort to back up from a Test match Friday night and play again on the same weekend.
Didn’t the mexican wave tell you something about the fans attitude to the game? The game was still in the balance and the crowd couldn’t care less - and the home team was in front!
Whilst representative footy might be the pinnacle of other codes, I can’t ever see in AFL. How can a composite team vs. a state based team compare to the great inter-club rivalries our game has? Hearing the crowd so one-sided at the MCG for such a game was pretty strange if you ask me.
Daniel Kerr got injured. Dean Cox IS injured. Ditto Darren Glass. Our club got heaps out of it.
Anything is worth trialling once, but if we’re honest would we be concerned if we never saw a Hall of Fame Tribute match again?
May 13th 2008
I think you’re right, we won’t see a game of the same ilk again. The AFL needs to either be fair dinkum about S of O or put it back in the box where it has been for the last 8 years.