""What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?"" - Bill Murray, Groundhog Day
At around 5:30 pm, Saturday afternoon, I had a distinctly uneasy feeling that something weird was going on. Or “had” gone on? Or maybe even “will” go on? Confused? So was – or should that be am? - I.
For starters, I had just watched a football match that I was near certain I’d seen 7 days earlier.
In fact, I was by no means sure that I hadn’t just lived the same day in it’s entirety for the second time! Perhaps I should explain.
It started early, with broken cloud and winter-sun to accompany a very pleasant drive north to Bendigo. “Just like last week”, I mused. Naturally, forward planning not always a strongpoint, I had to stop off at Kyneton for some fuel.
That happened last week too.
A hasty detour to Harcourt for some fresh apples – where I was served by the same lass – replicated a not-so-distant previous event and then the run into Bendigo greeted me with the same sunny conditions. The sunlight on the majestic Church Spire struck a cord.
I pulled into the exact same car park in front of the aquatic centre with a sense of detached amusement, and enjoyed the same scents of early spring beneath a lovely warm sun as I disembarked.
I entered through the gate, and the same gent selling tickets checked my membership with the same comments and same mannerisms as he marked it down on his sheet.
That’s when the first pangs of apprehension kicked in! Have I been here before? And, err, very very recently?
The Bendigo Bombers certainly didn’t offer much in the way of helping to dispel a growing feeling of pre-cognitive dread! Overuse of the ball, an ill-functioning zone defence, missed chances, light-bodied kids struggling in the clinches and a lack of run compared to the opposition. And all this undertaken beneath near-identical meteorological conditions and in front of a fairly quiet crowd.
Oh hell, it’s all happening again!
In desperation, searching for a way to break what felt ominously like pre-ordained fate, I went to the canteen at half time to buy a drink. I was damn sure I hadn’t done that last week. But I found no comfort there, as the courteous greeting “Hello there, so what can I get for you this week” and a knowing look merely set the nerves jangling and self-doubt set in! Was there really an accent on “this”, or simply imagined? And why did I get the uncomfortable impression that she knew who I was!?
Be that as it may, as Bill realized in the quote that led off these ramblings, attempting to break away from the pattern proved futile. Bendigo continued to struggle to close down space and win the disputed ball. Coburg – apparently it was they, despite contrary growing impressions that it was really North Ballarat – continued to control most of the play and inflicted a lot of damage on the rebound, particularly from midfield turnovers.
It all seemed disquietingly familiar! As did the final margin of nearly 10 goals as the boys headed for the rooms in slowly-fading light.
Now, in truth, there were enough differences in events to give me some hope that I wasn’t completely caught in a time-travel vortex.
For starters, Essendon midfielder Sam Lonergan returned, largely unlooked for, from a long-term injury. And this proved to be a big positive for the day. Showing few signs of the expected rustiness, he competed hard and won a good share of the ball.
Matt Little and Tyson Slattery fell victim to 1st half injury, and this may have forced Lonergan to play more minutes than had been planned. It certainly didn’t seem to adversely effect him as he was still going strong in the second half.
Ricky Dyson also provided a point of difference after being in Perth last week with the senior side. He managed to accumulate a lot of the ball, particularly in the latter stages when most others were fading. He is also a general for the defence, attempting to organize and instruct even in the face of overwhelming incoming supply. For four-quarter effect, none could claim a better afternoon for Bendigo.
Likewise Scott Gumbleton also returned from intermittent injury problems. An absence from the goal-kickers list is not ideal for the big forward, but he did show some reasonable output in important areas. Several contested grabs hinted at his promise, and his willingness to fight when the ball was on the deck was pleasing, but two goals went begging from set shots. The chance to have a pretty useful outing was thus short-circuited.
Alongside Gumbleton in attack, Ariel Steinberg most definitely did not repeat the previous week. Far more mobile and willing to hit the contest on the move, he looked refreshed and infinitely more dangerous. The nature of the game flow meant he had to work further up the ground but he presented well and took several nice marks. Like Gumbleton, he also could have had several more goals to his name but kicking let him down. The definite improvement was a welcome sight.
Other variations included the unexpected inclusion of first gamers in Jacob Thompson and Steven Stroobants – both needed a game to qualify for finals and add some depth to eligible players – and the absence of captain Ben Duscher through illness.
Essendon grabbed Michael Ross for possible senior duty, and Travis Colyer bypassed a Bendigo return completely. In doing so, some badly needed pace around the ground was lacking.
But the overwhelming feel as the final siren went, and I left ground, was that I’d seen it all before. And all too recently at that. Particularly the over-run midfield and resultant exposure of a defence that could not stop its opponents getting goal side too regularly or running free through half-forward.
It should be noted that the team’s make-up was not ideal on several fronts, and was definitely hamstrung by the two game-ending injuries. Even at VFL level, reduced rotations is a factor in modern football. There is legitimate cause for optimism that a much stronger line-up will take to the field for next weeks Elimination Final.
Speaking of said final, I’m told that this will take place next Sunday at Port Melbourne against the Bullants. If so, Bendigo are a real chance to win should they rediscover the intensity and running power on display at times this year. Get along for a look and support what will be a team full of young Essendon talent.
I sincerely hope to do so, because should the day break with a glorious blue sky and lazy cloud cover, and find me unaccountably traveling north to Bendigo, these reports will become a tediously repetitive footnote of history.
Jason Hannigan - Bendigo Bomber Fan in the Outer
