Saturday came around and as much as I like to watch all the games on the weekend there was one game in particular that I was very keen on watching and that was the Saturday night clash between the Swans and Cats.  Now to give you some background the Swans have not won against the cats since that classic 05 encounter and between all the boys I love to dish it out when my teams gets one up over theirs and since that great day in 05 I have yet to experience the joy of letting Sarge know that the cats lost to the Swans.

Going into the match I was pretty confident that the Swans would win so I started talking it up pretty early as well as putting a wager on the game for a couple of drinks.  How wrong I was!!!!!  The Swans went down to the Cats by 27 points in a very wet game at the SCG, I ‘am very confident that the Swans will get back up and put a few more wins on the board but on this day the Cats were just better suited playing in the wet.

The aftermath of the game as you can imagine Sarge and Matty P all having a laugh while I sat their looking into the night sky wondering if this had actually happened and was I just having a bad dream but the reality was the Swans lost and after a few more frothies I was on my way home and getting ready for some more footy on Sunday with all the boys heading to the Suns Vs Demons game at the GABBA.

After a sluggish start to the morning I made the big trip up from the Gold Coast to Brisbane with alot of very confident and cocky Demon supporters and while it was a no brainer that they would walk away with the four points I was in the firing line from them as well, as a pretty passionate Swans supporter I was covered in head to toe in the great colours of the red and the white.  While the last time the Swans played the Dees was a draw in round one the clash before that we got belted big time and it’s a match I would rather forget as all the boys made the trip down to Melbourne for a footy weekend and that happen to be one of the games we saw and it’s a day that the boys never make me forget.

To add more misery to my weekend the boys all brought their Demons gear just to rub it in even more but I withstood all of it and took it like a man and we were entertained with a very one sided game with the Demons wining by around 90 points and to finish the end of the weekend we wrapped it up with a few frothies at the chalk hotel.  Hopefully the next time the Swans play the cats we get one up on them and Sarge watchout when that happens!!!!

My impression of the game and while it was wet and the Suns had an inexperienced team the Swans ran over them, but the good thing about the game each team were playing the way they wanted to get the most out of the preseason.  The Suns focused on playing their rookies to give them some game time and experience while the Swans brought back their senior players who have not played so far in the preseason to give them some game time while resting a few other senior players as well.

A few highlights of the match for me was the performance of Goodes and I have to say he is the Goodes while he spent alot of time up forward kicking 6 goals the Swans had McVeigh, Bolton and Jetstar running around in the midfield and they were too good for the inexperienced Suns midfield.  For the Suns the two standouts were Fraser in the rucks but he did have a very on and off period of where he would control the ruck but in other situations just make some very simple mistakes and the other being Patrick May who kicked two goals in the first half while the conditions were not so bad compared to the last half.

Overall it was a good match for both teams in getting what they wanted out of the preseason but the Swans ran away with the match with a 72 point win over the Suns.  A highlight for me was the opportunity to catch up with David Swallow at half time while we were both walking to the clubhouse while I couldn’t get a photo as my phone was dead I did get to ask him a few questions and he said the mood within the camp was really good and the boys were looking forward to playing round two against the blues at the GABBA, I do have to say he was really easy to talk to and thank him for his time and I do think the Suns are in for a big year but I’m sure they will back that up with their footy over the home and away season.

I know some people consider the footy to already have begun, but I can’t get behind these laughable pre-season exhibition games. It’s not so much the farcical, cringe-worthy ‘rules’ the AFL try out – it runs deeper than that. The NAB Cup is an embarrassment to this great game, but more than that it’s a giant middle finger raised to the very thing that makes us human. See when you strip away trivial things like field size, ball shape, rules, etc we all love the same thing about organised sport – it’s in our nature to be competitive. Throughout history we’ve donned tribal colours and yelled and screamed and done outlandish things to prove whose colours are best. The difference is now we pay athletes millions of dollars to represent us rather than club each other over the head. I know some clubs claim that they’re out to win the NAB cup, but the reality is no one gives a shit (this is painfully obvious after viewing the games on the weekend). That’s why I can’t stand the pre-season comp – I live out my competitive urges watching this game, seeing my team not try is like being tied down and made to watch my Dad get beat up.

Negativity aside, the good stuff is nearly here. We’re starting to see something other than Nick Riewoldt’s dick in the paper, so the footy must be close! To celebrate I’ll follow Sarge’s lead and review my goals of 2010 and set a new batch for the new season.

Matty P’s 2010 Goals

Footy Weekend in Melbourne

Mission accomplished, and while sitting through a Lions loss by ten goals at Skilled was one of the most painful experiences of my life, a good time was had by all, and at least we didn’t lose by as much as Sydney did.

Praise my club’s genius when Fev kicks his first bag

Check.

Deride my club’s stupidity when Fev makes the news for doing something stupid

Check. Check. Check. Check. Check.

Win dreamteam league again (stretching my streak to about 6 years) and finish top 1000 overall

Well I didn’t come close to top 1000, but I’ll put that down to being out of the country for nearly a month early in the season, a fact that makes my continued league dominance even more amazing. Both the boys sat above me on the ladder for most of the season, but like Lethal’s Lions the Mashers knew how to go up a gear when it mattered!

Beat Beno in the $100 challenge

Won the whole damn thing!

Matty P’s 2011 Goals

Get down to the Gold Coast a bunch of times

Man, it’s gonna be nice to be able to go to the footy every weekend. Will obviously get to the Sunshine Stoushes (or whatever it is they’re gonna call Brisbane vs GC games, I really hope it’s not sunshine stoush), and try and get to a few more. Geelong, Carlton, Saints games will all be a good.

Attend a first week final

If Brisbane are at the Gabba (it could happen!) I’ll be there, otherwise I’ll head down South with Sarge.

Defend my dreamteam title

Every year I go in as reigning premier it becomes more and more unlikely that I can defend. How can one team stay up after such a sustained period of success? Surely being the hunted every year takes its toll. The sharks are circling. I’m pretty sure Beno has quit his job to focus on dt fulltime, and Sarge is probably not going to pick Relton Roberts this year, so that’s a start. If one team can pull it off, it’s the mighty Mashers.

Win the betting challenge again

Phase 1:  Open sportingbet account with $100

Phase 2: ?????

Phase 3: Profit!

Stick fat

This is the most important one of all. I’m quietly confident that my Lions might surprise a few people this year, but most pundits are predicting we will fall in a heap this year and if I’m honest there’s a good chance they will be right. It’s not easy, but sticking by your team through rough patches is the true test of a footy fan, but it’s well worth it – the hard times make the victories that much more sweet.

That’s a start! Big year ahead of us – new teams, new rules, new.. stadium sponsors! Consequences will never be the same! Get pumped!

Will Beno humiliate himself yet again with his drunken antics? (we sure hope so!) Will any of our teams win? Will Matty P be dancing with his sister yet again? (I.E. see another Lions draw?!) Will we go to the same old shitty pub we always go to? Will we find another Big Buck Hunter arcade game to play? Will we catch up with our Melbourne buddies and/or meet some new ones?

The Itinerary

We arrive in good ol’ Melbourne town on Friday afternoon and will be starting off proceedings attending the Saints/Hawks blockbuster at the Dome on Friday night which will surely lead into a massive night consuming many a drink (we need to double our efforts in that photo above!)

Saturday will see us into the great town of Geelong to see the ridiculously one-sided affair in Cats V Lions at Skilled. Depending on what’s happening in Geelong we may just stay there and watch the Dons/Roos game at a pub, otherwise we’ll jump back on the train and head to the Dome and see that game live in the flesh! Another great night ahead.

Sunday will see the purchasing of Demon gear. Yes you heard right. Matty P and myself will be kitted up with DEES GEAR! We’ll be hitting up the MCG seeing the Dees smash the Swans and enjoy Beno’s whimpers. Personally the Pez Beanie looks like a great buy! After the demolishing the Dees serve the Swans Beno will no doubt be looking for a great pub to drown his sorrows and watch the Adelaide Showdown on telly.

Monday will see us back in Brisbane town. Yes I know, only a short trip but it will be AWESOME.

One thing I forgot to mention is our awesome bud Winchy will be joining us on the trip. He’s just become a saints fan so Friday night will be huge for him.

We’ll keep people informed with all the crazy shenanigans we get up to on twitter and facebook – let us know if you want to meet up at anytime!

That's the margin between your team and my team, Beno.

Beno sucks at Dream Team and the swans are poo

Lots of love,

Current Players and Wifes of the ageing Sydney Swans.

and Sarge.

P.S.
Beno sucks at Dream Team and the swans are poo

I have posted a copy of our current dreamteam ladder and this is some pretty simple viewing, i’m coming first and as you can see i have not lost a game but next week will be the week i blow dreamteam apart when i play the mashers but i will get into that in a second, my question to Sarge and Matty P where are you coming on the ladder and what makes you dreamteam experts?  Pretty sure i’am the dreamteam guru!!!!

Now to the big game next week with Matty P, this is not just another game this is a must win game to finally prove that i’am the real deal but i’m going into the game with my same line up that has delivered me a perfect season so far, my advice to Matty P your season isn’t going to get any better and i think you will be lucky to make the 8 this year and next week i will beat you pretty easily and to Sarge you need to focus on your list management if your ever going to beat the top teams like mine.

What about the Swans sitting above the cats (only by %) I’m going to take the opportunity make mention of that as its been quite a long time since that has happened but Brisbane are still on top and travelling alright they play Sydney in two weeks at the SCG and will see Braddy come up against the team that sold him out, my prediction is Braddy will kick 6 majors in that game and the Swans by 4 goals will also see Browny and Fev have quiet games due to Sydney’s blistering defence, next time will talk about round 5 of dreamteam and my predictions of who will win and who will get chopped up and a little info on my thoughts as to other dreamteamers and their teams.