gav talks footy

G'Day, Some people think football is a matter of life and death!!!
but really it's much more important than that.
I know some foreigners who have been fortunate enough to have seen our national game played, may consider that there are no rules to our game, and in the past, descriptions such as aerial Ping-Pong have been used.

But in my honest opinion, what's wrong with Ping-Pong?

Its a fast and skilful game, and to make it aerial with a ball that has an unpredictable bounce and the full contact of 40 high bred athletes (with no padding) has to make it even more exciting.

My team are The Crows, and it is my job (and duty) to whinge and complain about the rules, the umpires, the fixtures, and the other teams. I'll be totally pro crow in all my arguments. and completely one eyed in my reports. And if you think that I'm unjust in doing so, Let me tell you about the AFL board.............It seems every year the Crows get the worst draw, last year we chalked up more frequent flyer points than the Wright Bros. Having to fly to far off, distant and exotic places just before the finals killing any chance of performing well in the big final games, We get less free kicks awarded to us than any other team. and because the (pro victorian) umpires vote for the brownlow medallist ( best player of the year) don't expect a Crow player ever to win one!



Just a few facts as we start into the 2003 season just so we know where we are:
Brisbane Lions have won the premiership Cup for the last two years, 2001 and 2002.
The Crows have taken out the preseason competition for 2003 (The Wizard Cup)

ROUND 1

Collingwood 13. 16. (94) def. Richmond 8. 18. (66) Melbourne Cricket Ground 7:40 PM

Kangaroos 14. 12. (96) def. St Kilda 10. 10. (70) Melbourne Cricket Ground 2:10 PM

West Coast 17. 20. (122) def. Port Adelaide 11. 8. (74) Subiaco 4:10 PM

Brisbane Lions 14. 20. (104) def. Essendon 8. 13. (61) Gabba 7:10 PM

Sydney 22. 14. (146) def. Carlton 10. 12. (72) Telstra Stadium 7:20 PM

Adelaide 22. 13. (145) def. Fremantle 13. 11. (89) AAMI Stadium 1:10 PM

Melbourne 16. 10. (106) def. Hawthorn 15. 10. (100) Melbourne Cricket Ground 2:10 PM

Western Bulldogs 19. 16. (130) def. Geelong 13. 13. (91) Telstra Dome 2:10 PM

The Crows opening game was a thrashing!!! lucky enough to start the year on home turf, we had the coach of the opposition (Freo) admitting we gave them a football lesson!!

ROUND 2

Carlton 13. 13. (91) def. by Collingwood 16. 11. (107)

Essendon 17. 10. (112) def. Melbourne 10. 15. (75)

St Kilda 15. 9. (99) def. Adelaide 13. 13. (91)

Fremantle 12. 14. (86) def. Sydney 8. 12. (60)

Port Adelaide 10. 16. (76) def. by Brisbane Lions 13. 8. (86)

Hawthorn 13. 13. (91) def. West Coast 14. 5. (89)

Geelong 9. 17. (71) def. by Kangaroos 13. 16. (94)

Richmond 16. 15. (111) def. Western Bulldogs 13. 11. (89)

I suppose your wondering what happened??? Well there's really a simple explanation. THEY LEFT THE ROOF OPEN!!!!

No, I'm not joking, We have one oval that has a roof that can be opened, the theory was, open on a good day and closed when it rained. But last year it was ordered to be closed for all the games as the TV cameras were having a hard time with the contrast between the sunny side of the oval and the shadow side. It didn't make for good viewing on the TV as you couldn't see a bloody thing. Not to mention the percentage advantage in the scoring when the roof is closed and there's no wind to contend with. So my question to the AFL is "WHO LEFT THE ROOF OPEN?" There is no doubt in my mind It would have been a different result if the roof was closed and the full skill of the Crows been unleashed.

The saints did take us by surprise in the first half and came out and jumped us, at one stage we were trailing by over 40 points

But as you can see it was only a meagre 8 point loss to the Crows as we hammered them in the second half, I swear 5 more minutes of play and the Crows would have won by 8 points

ROUND 3

Essendon 13. 16. (94) def. by Carlton 15. 15. (105)

Collingwood 18. 8. (116) def. Geelong 10. 9. (69)

West Coast 21. 18. (144) def. St Kilda 11. 8. (74)

Kangaroos 16. 13. (109) dr. Brisbane Lions 16. 13. (109)

Port Adelaide 19. 14. (128) def. Hawthorn 11. 5. (71)

Sydney 11. 10. (76) def. by Adelaide 15. 13. (103)

Melbourne 20. 7. (127) def. Western Bulldogs 14. 11. (95)

Richmond 14. 10. (94) def. Fremantle 6. 10. (46)

We're back on track with an away win over the Sydney Swans (who ended up being the ugly ducklings)

Even without our star recruit 'Wayne Carey', out because he "pulled a hammy" (hamstring injury) last week, the Crows played professional, accurate and precision football. blowing the swans out of the water.

ROUND 4

THURSDAY APRIL 17

Brisbane Lions 14. 11. (95) def. Collingwood 11. 15. (81) Gabba 7:40 PM (Easy! no one doubted it for a minute)

SATURDAY APRIL 19

Geelong 13. 12. (90) def. Melbourne 6. 8. (44) Skilled Stadium 2:10 PM (Witching hour with the cats and demons)

Hawthorn 17. 8. (110) def. Sydney 10. 8. (68) Melbourne Cricket Ground 7:10 PM (watch'n the feathers fly )

Western Bulldogs 16. 14. (110) def. by Essendon 20. 9. (129) Telstra Dome 7:10 PM (Just warming into the season)

SUNDAY APRIL 20

Adelaide 15. 16. (106) def. West Coast 10. 13. (73) AAMI Stadium 1:10 PM (More feathers flying)

Carlton 12. 12. (84) def. by Port Adelaide 17. 12. (114) Optus Oval 2:10 PM (A drop of port to beat the Blues)

Fremantle 25. 17. (167) def. Kangaroos 19. 8. (122) Subiaco 3:40 PM (and they were hopping made about it too!)

MONDAY APRIL 21

St Kilda 11. 15. (81) def. by Richmond 17. 5. (107) Telstra Dome 2:10 PM

Adelaide takes 2nd to top position on the ladder with a power house win over the West Coast Eagles. Especially from Mcleod and Riccutio , who played some amazing footy

click here to find out when the rest of the 22 regular season games take place
(and once they've happened...the results will be posted there)