After The Game v Sydney - With Snaps Truly

One of the challenges and delights of being an ardent fan is the ability, week in, week out – to somehow summon or manufacture a profound hatred for your next opponent.

The creation of such bile is easy enough – mix bitter tears of your own team’s mediocrity with two tablespoons of brain-dead resentment; and add a dollop of personal slight, real or imagined – preferably imagined, which makes it even more potent and deranged.

Have a few beers, some chicken nuggets, bounce up and down a few times to create an inner sea of boiling outrage and then you are ready to expel, right from the first bounce.

But to be honest, whenever Freo plays Sydney, I can only ever manage the occasional burp of disapproval.

This team, this club has a personality unlike its adopted home. It is not flashy. There is no swagger of entitlement, just an annoyingly, terrific ethic of consistent high bar effort and achievement.

And that No Dickheads policy is a beauty, even if Tom Papley occasionally nominates.

Then there is Buddy and before him there was Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin and so many others. Players and people of character and courage and incredible talent.

And beyond that, what other club has a banjo solo in their team song?

On this clear Saturday night at Optus, I knew I had to gulp down my respect for the Swans and try to turn it into bilious resentment. And I failed.

Yes, Freo did get on the board first. Treacy marked strongly and goaled. AC/DC were “Thunderstruck” and frankly, so were we …

But moments later, normal first quarter service was resumed as Isaac the School Prefect Heaney answered with a long drive into an empty goal square.

Moments later, Haircut 100’s Nick Hayward bagged a couple within a minute and then Logan McDonald snapped another, followed by Callum Mills and then Tom Papley.

“Bloody Sydney” I burped, but it was more a hiccough of disappointment than an explosion of rage.

25 points down at the change and while I pondered profound but unanswerable questions like “Why does God hate Freo?” the crowd was momentarily distracted by The Footy Sprint and an invitation to vote on which song we want played at half time. Is it Smashmouth, Ricky Martin, Joan Jett, or Bonnie Tyler?

I don’t bloody care. I just want a few bloody clearances mate and a couple of goals.

Freo is too far behind to really close this up, but things do get better. Lachie Schultz, frantic but ineffective in recent weeks, lays a big tackle and Andy Brayshaw goals.

Jye Amiss rises to take Mark of the Year and even though it isn’t even close to being Mark of the Year, its bloody Mark of the Year. Alright?

Coming into the match, I was hopeful we’d seen the best of Buddy and I thought the Alex Pearce matchup would be a good one. But Buddy was up for a big one. Hard against the boundary in the “Don’t mention Round 12 of 2020” pocket, he effortlessly banged one through.

I clapped. Damn it.

Nick Hayward then bobbed up and kicked his third. He is having a Fantastic Day.

(I will pause here for someone interested in d80’s Britpop to explain that …)

So, 34 points down at the half.

They play Smashmouth.

Freo opens the third quarter with a clearance and a Schultz goal.

Sonny rolls another one through and it is back to 22 points.

But tonight, again we will flatter to deceive. A free kick to Franklin who answers immediately. And the irritating, but not really a dickhead, Tom Papley follows up to snuff out the home side’s momentum.

The final quarter contest is a good one. Goal for goal and Freo has some chances, but with the match in safe hands, School Prefect Heaney lobs one over the umpire’s hat on the siren to make the final margin 29 points.

I am trying to be disappointed. I reach deep within for some angry indigestion to burst forth with volcanic intent, but nothing comes.

We’ve lost again, but Sydney played well.

And just as I head for the stairs, I hear the banjo solo and I have to stop myself from doing just a little jig.

Yours Truly,

Snaps Truly

* By our multi-talented and amazingly insightful footy scribe, SNAPS TRULY. Snaps has seen and done it all. He may or may not have been a fringe player at Fremantle. Who knows? Don’t miss Snaps’ report after each Freo Dockers match throughout the season.

** In case you missed SNAPS’ and his fill-in Grumbles’ other match reports, here they are.

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