Benchmark

Is young Murphy Reid now the benchmark? He certainly is at the MCG after leaving a mark on the bench that Brayden Maynard callously and recklessly shoved him into! Time to Restump Podcast the thrilling possibility door opening win over the Pies.

Other than putting it down to heart and soul, a relentless work rate, self-belief, an absurd forward efficiency and a defensive collective that should be paid triple time for the amount of work it did, I’m not exactly sure how we won that game!

The Pie’s pressure was mental, the ball lived in their forward half and they pumped us for inside fifties. I mean we lost the inside fifty count 63 to 40! We had the lowest number of inside fifties of any team over the entire weekend; it was against the league’s best team who sat games clear at the top of the ladder and yet we somehow managed to not only keep them to one goal from a massive 20 inside fifties in the 3rd term, we scored one in every two of our total entries to win the game. And, I may add, against the best defence in the league! 

That stuff needs a bearded stooge in a lab coat armed with a beaker, a petri dish and bunsen burner to work out how it all happened. 

Is it a sustainable on field football business model? Well, if the Prancing Pony can guarantee us he’ll bang through 6 straight every week, then absolutely it is. However, in reality here on earth, as talented as Vossy is, it’s an unfair and unrealistic request. 

So, the answer is probably no, it isn’t sustainable. We can’t put those expectations on our defensive unit or an individual. But to momentary hell with that, it worked on the weekend, the valuable 4 points are in the bag and while we’re trying to keep a lid on things, the “why not us” question is gaining some traction.

You should never ask a question you don’t already know the answer to. So, with that been said, is Luke Jackson the best kick at goal in the entire AFL? Under pressure from long range… he’s kicked 14 goals 3 this year. 

We have to say it’s comforting having a fit Jaegar O’Meara back. We’ve missed his presence around the ball and when he does get an opportunity to hit the scoreboard, he’s usually of the Luke Jackson ilk. 

And speaking of welcomed returns, do we win that game without a quarter and a bit from Hayden Young? Maybe, maybe not, but I’m glad we don’t have to find out. 

Could Josh Treacy be the greatest swingman the game has ever seen? One game saving mark is happenstance; two separate game saving marks could be classed as coincidence. But now a third separate game saving mark is a behavioural pattern! We wanted to speak to JT about it but he’s in surgery having Darcy Moore’s knees removed from his spine! 

And lastly can we have some gratitude for and send some love to the serial scapegoat and whipping boy, Bailey Banfield? He had a ripping game and has thrived upon becoming a part of the backline band. 

We’ve now beaten Gold Coast on their home deck, GWS at their circus showgrounds and Collingwood in their Colosseum. However, nothing is assured and there is plenty still to play out, and while unfortunately a very good team is going to miss finals this year, we’re in some serious shape. 

For now, though, let’s not worry about the what ifs, let’s disregard the data, put aside the predictions, projections and premonitions and continue Monday marvelling at our mastery in a magnificent moment at the MCG. So, pull up a pew, pour yourself a potion, press play on the pod and partake in our picking apart of the Pies and the Purple. 

Send us a text

Support the show