Round 22 Recap: "When your Team has been Embarassed and Your President is in Tears...Then You have My Permission to Leave Perth"

I like to think to myself that sometime during the humiliation of Collingwood, NicNat towered over Wood and uttered those words. Probably not, but I guess he said it with his actions. His amazing, giant cat-like actions.

There was some kind of rumbling that Cox would miss this one and then a similar murmur about NicNat, but they both played and they both dominated the game. NicNat in particular had a blinder with 30 hitouts, 17 possessions and 1 goal. He really should have kicked 3 or 4, but obviously goalkicking isn't his strength. As I said I don't rate Jolly at all, but compared to Wood, Jolly is...almost like Cox or NicNat. They absolutely obliterated whoever Collingwood put in the ruck; Wood, Dawes, Pendlebury for a brief moment... and a little surprisingly our midfield made the most of it. The Kerr-surgence (36 possessions, 4 tackles and 1 goal) well and truly continued, whilst Shuey (27 possessions, 2 goals and 6 frees (all there)) and Priddis (29 disposals, 6 tackles) were also great.

Our forwards started very slowly but worked their way on top as the game went on. JJK was predictably subdued, but he's such a presence up there that others could find the ball. And by others, I don't mean a few folk from the Dharma Initiative, but a whopping 14 individual goal kickers!  Our backline was also all over Collingwood, as Cloke (haha) and co. looked amazingly weak. Like really, the Pies looked okay early as they attempted to play keeping off, but that lasted all of a quarter. We destroyed them. It was our first victory over the Pies since 07 and it was beautiful.

Final 8...Subject to Change

 It truly was a special performance and victory and we should savour it...but now stop savouring and look to next week. Because by itself it means nothing.

We are currently 4th, a win next week against the Hawks all but guarantees top 4. Unless the Pies beat the Bombers by 150 points or something in which case I would be...very....tearful. Let's be realistic though.Win and we're in. Lose and we will almost definitely finish 5th, in which case we would almost definitely play Fremantle or North Melbourne. Honestly I'm not afraid of either. But I don't want to finish fifth. We can beat the Hawks at the G on Friday night. Unbelievably we are around $4, whilst the Hawks are $1.40ish. They're not that good. We've beaten them already and we can do it again.

 But for now let's enjoy the victory a bit longer...haha...Cloke.