After The Game With Gerry ‘Gero’ Robertson – Thanks for the Memories, Dave!

Collingwood x 20
Could’ve been a lot more
Freo never in it
Sorry to say.

Well, Freo’s great year, Dave Mundy’s last, has come to an end in front of a bumper 90,000+ crowd at the G.

Fortunately, I was there to witness it.

Unfortunately, I have to report on the game.

Again we gave the opposition a start.

That the Pies got a 6 zip start before they managed a point, was the story of the night.

That they finished up 11.13 tells you why Freo was, sort of, still, sort of, in it with 10 minutes to go.

But Freo’s 9.5 was a totally misleading account of the contest.

Freo never looked likely.

I have to tell you that, from Level 2A of the Shane Warne Stand, just below where I sat during the 2013 GF loss, after quarter time I sat silently wondering just what had happened.

Darc got first touch most of the night, but rarely did our on-ballers get to use the Sherrin first. The few times they did, we scored or threatened.

Mostly though we were running second, playing catch up.

How was it that only Ginnivan was behind the pack for the Pies first?

Turnovers were a killer. And they were embarrassing.

And the trend continued.

You have to acknowledge de Goey was Nat Fyfe like. Just tossed our tacklers off.

Poor old BW, who I’ve lauded all season, even with his couple lapses per match, had a game to forget. Many near me thought he’d discover a corky during the half time break, but alas, not so.

It’s wrong though to suggest BW’s slip ups were the reason for our loss, as excruciating as they were, because he wasn’t alone.

The Pies were, from the start, irresistible. The way they spread with so many options forward left you feeling helpless. You couldn’t even blame the umpires for what was happening. Goodness knows how the coaching staff felt. The Pies were marauders. We, innocent victims. We looked second rate. We were.

Freo simply could not find a way out of defence most of the night. Kick outs from points were raffles. More often than not, the ball came flying back to the goal square. I’m not sure what the Pies did to achieve that, but it worked.

All night the Pies out-kicked, out-marked, and generally out-thought and out-positioned us. Their pressure was relentless.

Shooter and Sonny were always engaged.

The Lobbstar was too. Perhaps we erred making him the regular forward target. But the options were limited.

Andy and Caleb did their best.

Darc, as I say, nearly always had his hand on the ball first.

And Dave was always round about.

But really I’m trying to find positives on a bleak night out.

It was not a night for the highlights reel.

Last week I commented how Nightmare on Elm Street turned into Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Well, tonight it was just the Nightmare.

One has to say the Pies look premiership material. Fast, creative, clever.

Too fast, too creative and too clever for Freo.

Dave Mundy played a wonderful game. Professional and silky to the end. His goal in the last drew applause from around the ground.

A great career.

And the send-off and love from the crowd for Dave’s contribution to our great game was palpable.

On the tram to the pub after the game, black and white beanies said to my Freo beanie what a player Dave’s been.

Thanks, Dave, for the memories!

But let’s also celebrate an amazing Freo season.

It’s been an absolute beauty.

Can’t wait for ‘23.

See you then,

Gero

If you missed Gero’s earlier reports, here they are.

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