Yep - plenty of reasons . . .
Sun was in and out all day, along with two (maybe more) showers. Temperature was all over the place too - with sun out felt like ten degrees warmer! Wind was all over the place - was breezy then still, then back again all afternoon. The bomb site at the Paddo end was clearly affecting ALL players kicking to that end and was certainly not limited to the swans players struggling to convert down that end. Our six straight points in the first quarter were matched by the Saints doing the same in the last quarter. We remarked to each other on arriving what a different feel the ground had with the stand pretty much entirely smashed up compared to even a few short weeks ago. There was some big piece of ducting hanging behind the goals that looked like it was ready to drop. It was distracting to us in the O'Reilly concourse, so who knows what effect it had on the players!!!!
I seem to recall that accuracy was a problem at the MCG a few seasons back when the old Northern and Olympic stands had been torn down and looked much like the SCG does at the moment. Maybe there is a 'missing grandstand effect' - taking away the familiar spots that players aim at could be messing with their heads!
Probably was just one of those days and in the final wash up our boys handled it better than theirs. They've been handling pretty much everything (with a few exceptions) better than other teams all year too, as evidenced by games won and ladder position. Milne kept them in it. Kleenex was his usual inaccurate self (probably Kosi's fault for belting him - again) but he should be used to that by now! Umpires had their usual few howlers, but at least we got some of them - the second bite of the cherry to Reg was one of the softest frees in years, but hey, we'll take those if the three blind mice are going to hand them out. Both frees involving Goodes were a joke too - he slipped and got smashed under a bloke but gave away a free (still no-one knows what for) then he copped the cheapest of cheap shots getting belted in the back at the end of the third quarter, but they got a free in the middle before play restarted.
Top win - winning ugly when needed is priceless.
Bookmarks