Eddie VukovicThe Holy Trinity
Living in Melbourne in September is a fascinating experience. People walk around the city excitedly, multicoloured scarves draped around their necks, not so much for warmth, but as demonstrated allegiance. After all, it is finals time in September. I'm sure you've all heard the ads on the radio, seen them on the telly. You know, the ones where that old crank from the bowling movie starring Mick Molloy yammers on about making history. What's his name? Oh yeah, Bill Hunter.
Anyway, like I said, September in Melbourne is finals time. AFL finals time that is. And this year, there's five, count them, five Victorian teams battling it out for the premiership flag. Although, if recent results are anything to go by, this finals series won't be so much a battle as it will be a slaughter. A football holocaust even, with Geelong, and to a lesser extent, Hawthorn dominating all before them. As the top two teams in the competition, it would be criminal for the public not to witness them play each other in the Grand Final. Well, if not criminal, then at least boring, as Geelong will inevitably demolish anyone else they play. But I digress.
This post really isn't supposed to be about AFL finals at all. In fact, it's not really supposed to be about AFL. That's just it with these things isn't it. You never really know what's going to come flying out of your fingertips until you start writing. Luckily though, there's that little thing called an idea, which can bring you back on track. Which, as it happens, is where Melbourne Victory seem to be. Ahaaa! How's that for some creative chicanery? Only took me three paragraphs to get to my chosen topic.
So Melbourne Victory, where have you been this last year? For the long suffering fans, football (real football, no matter what the Herald-Sun wants to call it) is back in town. The Victory are once again top of the pops and playing, by A-League standards, scintiallating football. With Carlos "who ate all the pies" Hernandez fit and firing, Ney Fabiano's gleaming bonce lighting up the Telstra Dome turf and Jose "Pupy" Lopez kicking shins, it's a case of Fred who? Only three games in and the goals are flowing faster than Brendan Fevola's faucet.
Bling FC is propped comfortably in second and is also banging them in for fun, with teenage sensation, Shannon Cole, really catching the eye, and the forever whinging Steve Corica in sparkling form. Mr Bling himself though, John "I run around with no shirt on" Aloisi has hardly lit the league up, and one has to wonder if this "marquee" signing is really worth the moula. Oh, and if Football Superstar is anything to go by (which of course it is) John Kosmina really is unlikeable.
Which brings me to the third participant in Lowy's menage a trio. Adelaide. Also undefeated, the Reds are spanking much A-League bottom, with Cristiano holding the paddle. And with the prospect of a more well deserved (I say this through gritted teeth) Champions League football ahead of them, they're certainly on course for a successful season.
So in the middle of AFL finals week, Adelaide come to sunny Melbourne to relive the memories of that grand final in A-League Version 2. And as much as Sydney hate to admit it, Melbourne vs Adelaide is the A-League's biggest rivalry. It will be interesting to see what kind of crowd this match will pull, given the timing. Will the travelling Reds come over in their droves, ready to jump on the likely smallish crowd and gain a foothold? Will the Telstra Dome finally see sense and allow the wonderful Victory fans to turn it into the football stadium it deserves to be? Will Ernie Merrick crack a smile? As this will be my first home game for the year, I'm looking forward to it immensely, and hope that the lure of a high quality football rivalry between two teams in brilliant goal scoring form will tempt the fair weather supporters to ditch the dead rubber at the MCG and watch real history being made.
Anyway, like I said, September in Melbourne is finals time. AFL finals time that is. And this year, there's five, count them, five Victorian teams battling it out for the premiership flag. Although, if recent results are anything to go by, this finals series won't be so much a battle as it will be a slaughter. A football holocaust even, with Geelong, and to a lesser extent, Hawthorn dominating all before them. As the top two teams in the competition, it would be criminal for the public not to witness them play each other in the Grand Final. Well, if not criminal, then at least boring, as Geelong will inevitably demolish anyone else they play. But I digress.
This post really isn't supposed to be about AFL finals at all. In fact, it's not really supposed to be about AFL. That's just it with these things isn't it. You never really know what's going to come flying out of your fingertips until you start writing. Luckily though, there's that little thing called an idea, which can bring you back on track. Which, as it happens, is where Melbourne Victory seem to be. Ahaaa! How's that for some creative chicanery? Only took me three paragraphs to get to my chosen topic.
So Melbourne Victory, where have you been this last year? For the long suffering fans, football (real football, no matter what the Herald-Sun wants to call it) is back in town. The Victory are once again top of the pops and playing, by A-League standards, scintiallating football. With Carlos "who ate all the pies" Hernandez fit and firing, Ney Fabiano's gleaming bonce lighting up the Telstra Dome turf and Jose "Pupy" Lopez kicking shins, it's a case of Fred who? Only three games in and the goals are flowing faster than Brendan Fevola's faucet.
Bling FC is propped comfortably in second and is also banging them in for fun, with teenage sensation, Shannon Cole, really catching the eye, and the forever whinging Steve Corica in sparkling form. Mr Bling himself though, John "I run around with no shirt on" Aloisi has hardly lit the league up, and one has to wonder if this "marquee" signing is really worth the moula. Oh, and if Football Superstar is anything to go by (which of course it is) John Kosmina really is unlikeable.
Which brings me to the third participant in Lowy's menage a trio. Adelaide. Also undefeated, the Reds are spanking much A-League bottom, with Cristiano holding the paddle. And with the prospect of a more well deserved (I say this through gritted teeth) Champions League football ahead of them, they're certainly on course for a successful season.
So in the middle of AFL finals week, Adelaide come to sunny Melbourne to relive the memories of that grand final in A-League Version 2. And as much as Sydney hate to admit it, Melbourne vs Adelaide is the A-League's biggest rivalry. It will be interesting to see what kind of crowd this match will pull, given the timing. Will the travelling Reds come over in their droves, ready to jump on the likely smallish crowd and gain a foothold? Will the Telstra Dome finally see sense and allow the wonderful Victory fans to turn it into the football stadium it deserves to be? Will Ernie Merrick crack a smile? As this will be my first home game for the year, I'm looking forward to it immensely, and hope that the lure of a high quality football rivalry between two teams in brilliant goal scoring form will tempt the fair weather supporters to ditch the dead rubber at the MCG and watch real history being made.
