The Pony Rodeo

The difference between Shai Bolton and us Freo fans? Shai's head is literally in the clouds, ours metaphorically are! Do we even remember what defeat feels like? Time to Restump Podcast the cutting of the Cats claws.

We don't want to speak in a forgone conclusionary tone and we don't want to put the purple cart before the pony, but is use of the term ‘dynasty’ a little premature? 

Yes, we know, we hear what you're saying... ‘But Geelong didn't have Tom Stewart or Bailey Smith and Jeremy Cameron only had the use of just one arm!’ Well... we didn't press the Wharfie Time button, so it all cancels each other out!

Thursday night's scoreboard may reflect a narrow 9-point Freo victory, but it was effectively a 5 or 6 goal comfortable win. If it wasn't for our inexplicable wayward kicking, with the exception of Paddy Voss, Geelong wouldn't have gotten a look in. 

3 goals 11, a scoreless Josh Treacy shot that didn’t make the distance, a Jye Amiss out on the full and a couple of posters to Sammy Switta and Murphy Reid! We couldn't have hit water if we fell off a jetty! Josh and Jye were like blind darts players in cyclonic conditions! 

Yet despite the mayhem, despite the fact we couldn't win a centre clearance early and that we were dealing with a 28-point deficit at some stage, there wasn't any panic in the coach's box, on the ground, in the stands or in the lounge rooms.

It never felt like it was out of control. Both teams were punishing mistakes on their scoreboards, but the difference was we were handing out punishment in ones. However, you were quietly confident it'd get rectified. 

Talk about rectified personified! 3 goals 11 turned into 13 goals 11 in the final quarter. Did we find the accuracy switch or what? And from being on the wrong side of a 3 to 10 centre clearance count, we soon found our midfield mojo to win 15 of the last 16. 

Individually speaking, All Australian ruck, Brownlow and Doig favourite Luke Jackson has no peer at that moment. It must be a tad difficult being a Melbourne supporter watching prime time LJ putting on absurd spectacles... and we don't mean the Mason Cox kind.

Does anyone actually work harder than Andrew Brayshaw? Is it possible to actually work harder than Andy Brayshaw? Not that anyone had forgotten, but he just gave everyone a reminder of his courage and capability conveying a compelling and commanding case of captaincy consequence.

Murphy Reid is outrageous, Shai Bolton is ridiculous, Paddy Voss is preposterous and the 150-game celebrating Captain Pearce is tremendous.

But overall, it's the confidence of the collective. It’s the belief and the hunger and the selflessness across the board that has us in this enviable position a game clear at the top of the tree.

We could bang on all day about Bolton's marks, Murphy's magic and Paddy's fend offs, but.... wait, we can bang on all day about Bolton's marks, Murphy's magic and Paddy's fend offs! So, join us on the pod as we bang on all day about Bolton's marks, Murphy's magic and Paddy's fend offs!