Swans vs. Brisbane
Saturday 03 September
SCG; 4.10pm
And so we come to the final game of the regular season, a week after the Swans played the best and most perfect four quarters since the 2005 Grand Final. Talk about a shot in the arm for the Swans this week. It's been wall-to-wall media coverage. The only bad thing is that now they won't be the dark horses heading into the finals. There'll be no sneaking into September action this year. On the flip side, the red-and-whites have shown the football world that they'll be a force to be reckoned with, if they recreate the disciplined and committed effort they showed last week in Geelong.
A Brisbane Lions outfit who won't play finals this year come to town this afternoon for their season finale, looking to be the spoiler for the Swans, who need to record a win and hope that Carlton can beat St Kilda (7.10pm) and so gift Sydney a home elimination final against the Saints next Saturday night - Sydney venue still TBD. The Lions have looked reasonable in the last few weeks, running Collingwood and West Coast close, so they should not be taken lightly.
The waiting and hoping, scoreboard watching is what kills me. We'll enjoy the game this afternoon, then go home and be glued to the television, hoping that Chris Judd can keep the Sherrin on a string and give Carlton the win against St. Kilda that'll give the Swans a home elimination final. Never thought I'd say this...but c'mon Blues!
Big week of news for the club off the back of the Geelong win. Excellent for all fans to see Jarrad McVeigh come back into the side. That he turned up and told John Longmire that he wanted to play this week and help his team prepare for a finals assault says a lot about the character of the man. Of course, the grieving process has only just begun for McVeigh and his wife in the wake of the tragic death of their newborn daughter Luella, but being around the support structure of the club is definitely going to help. Having McVeigh working in the engine room is definitely going to help the Swans, too.
Sad news: favourite Irish son Tadhg Kennelley is retiring. To be honest, I saw this coming a few months ago, and wondered when he'd make an announcement. His form, sadly, hasn't been quite the same this season as in previous ones, the dash off of halfback not as sprightly as it had been. The statistics don't lie: his marks, kicks and handballs are all down, and, of course, he's been in and out of the first grade side in the last few weeks. Better to retire now, basically on his own terms, than be forced to end his career in reserve grade. We'll always love Tadhg for his tireless work down back, for occasional highlight reel goals and for that amazing jig on the platform after receiving his 2005 Premiership Medal. We'll miss you, Tadhg!!
So the game is on, twilight style at the SCG, and the Swans need to first win - I think they can, and should by a healthy margin - and hope that the Blues do us a favour and beat St Kilda at Etihad. Personally, I believe we can beat St Kilda either here or in Melbourne, but it would be nice to have the home crowd advantage with us, rather than with the opposition.
Fearless Prediction: Swans by 32
Go Bloods!
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