My first ‘live’ Crows game of the 2012 season was a tough day in the office.
It was Round Three against Hawthorn at the MCG. Now, this was one of the two games we were expected to lose in the first six rounds without any hopes, I went with no expectations. Hawthorn had played both grand finalists in the first two rounds; beat one of them and should have beaten the other and although we were 2-0 - neither opposition had been competitive enough to make us look like a top four contender. Leading up to the game, the Melbourne media had described the game as a real season-definer for the Crows. Hawthorn certainly looked like a 2012 premiership contender and today was definitely going to challenge us.
Somehow I managed to score a ticket to the Hawthorn President’s Lunch before the game. After a few costly drinks with my family and friends in Richmond, I headed over to the ‘G at about 1pm where drinks were on the house. Although there was a strict dress code i.e. suit and ties, I tried ever so hard to sneak in wearing my Adelaide guernsey. I still quite can’t figure out if I had to remove it due to the strict dress code or because it was a Hawthorn event. However living in Victoria, I have my assumptions.
Fortunately, there was no more Mr Kennett to listen to. It was the guy that no one yet knows, Andrew Newbold, who hosted proceedings. Although outnumbered, I was not alone as our own Crows CEO, Steven Trigg, had also been invited to the lunch, sitting only a few tables behind me. After a beautifully cooked three-course meal and a few beverages to lighten the mood and pump up the atmosphere, it was time to go outside for the first bounce…
Now, let’s be honest, the game was one to forget. Apart from sighting Adelaide’s number one ticketholder, Lleyton Hewitt, sitting a few rows in front with his son by his side, the day was not all that exciting. Our first quarter instilled some hope into the fans, only facing a six-point deficit at the first change. Kurt Tippett was a key figure up forward with two goals to his name but that was simply the height of his excitement - adding 1.3 from then on. Along with Taylor Walker’s two behinds to his name, our inaccuracy was a key factor in the end result. Our two best players, Dangerfield and Thompson only had 27 and 25 disposals respectively for the day, which was never going to be enough to beat Hawthorn away. The result - a 56-point demolition which was probably a fair margin.
A tough day at the office indeed.
Since then, we have run into GWS and Port Adelaide. And like they (the media) had said at the start, these were two easy wins. Although we encountered an early scare to half-time from the freshman of the competition, we got the job done in tough, wet conditions. Port Adelaide was a similar story. A resurgent comeback led by Justin Westhoff and John Butcher to lead the Crows by three points at the last break saw a mature and noble response from Patrick Dangerfield and the boys to win the game by a respectable, 19 points.
Our next big test comes this week against the Sydney Swans, who have made the perfect start (5-0). Like the Hawthorn game, I will be there to watch the boys crunch it out against yet another premiership contender. However, this time there will be no invitation to the President’s Lunch at a game which I’m hoping brings a different result.
Joel Smith
