After The Game v Gold Coast Suns, Rd 15 2024 - With Snaps Truly

Gold Coast at Optus Oval on a beautiful blue sky Sunday afternoon. On the way in, I overhear someone saying “If we win today, we could be in the top five.”

All about me, there are murmurs of hope and wonder.

And yet, I want to tell him and them, that if Second Officer David Blair had not left the Titanic with the key to the locker that contained his binoculars – a day before she departed on her maiden voyage – someone might have used them to spot the iceberg and 1500 people might not have died and a film starring Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet might never have been made.

I want to tell him and them, that I am not sure I can take any more of the “If only …and what ifs …” conversations and the false hope that comes with them.

It was snake oil in the old days, it’s Kool Aid now and it tastes exactly the same. An elixir that deadens the senses to reason and reality and makes you believe in a lie.

I then realise I’m confusing the perpetual conundrum of being a Freo supporter with the announcement of the Dutton nuclear policy.

It’s been a fretful time.

But he and his mates are right. Win today in Josh Treacy’s 50th game and we remain a contender.

Within minutes we are playing catch up football. Goals to Sam Day and Precocious Lukosius give Gold Coast a dream start.

Then we begin to motor. Hayden Young contests a mark and then follows up brilliantly to put our first one on the board.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man and Treacy bulldozes a pack to take “mark of any other year” and kick our second.

With good clearance work the Dockers are three points up at the quarter.

We’d barely resumed our seats when the ball fell into Freddy’s lap from a clearance and he stretched the margin further.

Brayshaw was setting the standard in the midfield and that allowed Serong to drift forward. He got on the end of a strong piece of work from Johnson and kicked the fourth.

Josh Treacy was loving his 50th game. He took his second, “mark of the year in any other year” and goaled again.

Sam Day kicked his second for Gold Coast, but a Sturt steadier ensured Freo went to the half 23 points clear.

In the third, Jordie Clark produced the great moment of the match. Five bounces from defensive 50 before passing sharply to Brayshaw inboard. It was inspiring stuff and great to see our mids get on the scoreboard again.

Sean Darcy was also playing the best game of his season and when he goaled, Freo’s lead had ballooned to 35 points.

Gold Coast responded with goals to Swallow and the dangerous Lukosius, but it was the Cyclonic Treacy who was crashing the packs, frightening grown men, sending a flutter through the hearts of delicate women, and delivering the ball beautifully. This time to Sturt who goaled to ensure Freo set for home 34 points clear.

The final quarter had its usual moments of anxiety. Alex Pearce was off with a sore arm and goals to the effective Day and the evergreen Swallow closed the gap quickly.

The brilliant Hayden Young eased the tension with his third, but the Suns weren’t prepared to disappear into the twilight quite yet. Ben Long and Brandon Ellis took them within 15 points but they were running out of time.

Jaegar O’Meara, who’d played with good poise late in the game, then settled things with the sealer.

Freo winners by 20 points.

And yes, we lie fifth on the AFL table ahead of our trip to Sydney.

As we wandered over the Windan Bridge, I couldn’t help myself.

“If we can beat Sydney, who knows how far we’ll go.”

I’m back drinking the Kool Aid.

Oh, and it is worth remembering, the Titanic hit the iceberg at nighttime, so really, what use would the binoculars have been?

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. Don’t miss Snaps’ report after each Freo Dockers match here on the Shipping News throughout the 2024 season. Here are Snaps’ other 2024 season reports.

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