Round 2, 2009

The ground was tense; the excitement immense - fists clenched and you were on the edge of your seat. Another forward entry was progressing, with Lions zooming in to defend. One man took the ball, spun and kicked – straight through the middle. The noise we all made as Big Fev ran round the forward 50 with his finger in the air was astounding – we almost lifted the roof. That moment wins this week’s Play of the Week.

Fev, you win Play of the Week for those Final Quarter goals, and the last one in particular. 40 metre no look snaps something you practice at training?

Plenty of practice at training, no doubt about that. Our change rooms at Visy Park are about 50 metres out from the goals down near the redevelopment so there are plenty of freakish snaps when we are leaving the ground.

After the goal you ran around on a big arc with your finger in the air, celebrating as 40,000 Carlton fans cheered for you. Do you ever get sick of that?

No! And I hope the fans love it also.

Play of the Day could have also gone for your chase-down of Mitch Clark in the opening minutes of the game. How much of a buzz was it to get the first goal off your own hard work?

It’s always a buzz, its something I pride myself on and I have worked pretty hard on it. I think its something that footy fans love seeing, you hear the crowd lift when you’re out there and it can change the momentum sometimes.

There's a big milestone coming up for you - 500 goals. Is that something you aim for?

I haven't really thought of it. It's a fair few goals and it’s probably something I'd look back on once my footy career is over.

You're a bit off Kernahan and Vallence for goals - are you aiming to be Carlton's #1 goal-kicker? If so, how long is it going to take you to kick another 250 or so?

They are two pretty special names around the Carlton Footy Club aren't they. I hope to get there as soon as possible, because that would mean I'm kicking plenty of goals! But really, if I get there I would be really honoured. There is no bigger name than Stephen Kernahan at Carlton, he is so highly respected by everyone in the football community.

The forward line in 2009 seems to be working really well, with more runners and only the 2 big marking targets in you & Cloke. Are we giving you more space?

Yeah, there's a bit of that, Clokey and I are pretty big targets, and then we have our smalls, Eddie, Jeff Garlett and Robbo followed by our midfielders pushing down kicking goals. The greater spread of goal kickers we get, the better it is for the footy club.

What about delivery to you this year - a few went over your head in the first half in particular. Any noticeable improvements?

I love having Hoops back in the team, his kicks generally come down lace out. Yeah a couple went over my head, I think a few went over Browny's head at the other end, but I think its fair to say, like many other areas of our game that we have improved in that area as well.

Would you knock Cloke over if he got in your way?

Yes! And he'd probably knock me over as well!

Does the game these days need more speedy forwards like Eddie and Garlett, and do we have the right mix? Could we play Yarran up there when he's ready as well?

The Kangaroos have shown what an important role the small forward can play, if you're a small forward who can kick goals and can add to the forward defensive pressure you'd be really valuable to a team. I think Eddie and Jeff have also shown that this year and I don't think there is any reason why Yazz couldn't play that role either.

Marc Murphy has suddenly become a gun goalkicker as well, with 5 majors straight to start the year. Is that something the club has worked on?

We are pretty fortunate now at the Blues with our development area, Darren Harris, Harves, Teaguey and through in Braddles and Diesel. It's something Murph, like all players has worked on and it looks to be working for him. The more goalkicking midfielders we have the better we'll be.

Last year you kicked some bags against the Bombers. Fletcher is sure to be near you again - how do you think you'll go?

I'd like to kick a bag! A massive crowd at the 'g' it's always a good feeling when you go well. The bombers beat us twice last year, and I kicked a few in both games, if it means we win and I miss out on a bag, I'll take that.

Where will Carlton win or lose this match?

Everyone has been talking about our midfield, there is no doubt its been important for us, I think if we win it out of there it should mean we go well!


Fevola has a ripping game in the Round 2 win over the Lions, and looks set to be a key player against the Bombers. Although normally the boys at Mike & Dan like to show calm restraint and a little modesty before a game, we hope the Bluebaggers smash them.

I think the Bluebaggers need to go back to the classroom. Now do not get me wrong, I am happy, very happy. 2 from 2, who wouldn’t be, but (ah the proverbial but, ‘I’m not racist, but… I like to go out with you, but… ) I think they need to learn a bit about our great history. It is obvious they have heard some things about the great teams of the seventies and eighties, but I fear they have got a fundamental aspect dreadfully wrong.

Lesson 1: The premiership quarter is not the First!

Yes we do love it when we start off with a rush of goals, but only if we keep going through the whole match. Against weak teams a rush at the start can be good, breaks the opposing team’s spirit and such but against good teams we may just find ourselves defending an eroding lead and feeling horribly vulnerable because we tried to put them away too early. Luckily (or good planning?) Richmond is not a good side.

Lesson 2: The second quarter is better than the first but fundamentally it is floored.

The problem, as we discovered on the weekend, with belting the bed sheets out of a side in the second is that they can go in at halftime and regroup, replan, re-jig, reinvent and any other ‘re’s’ Voss and Co could execute. Never give a sucker an even break. We almost discovered what happens when you do. Now it didn’t help losing Jammo, but still. The second is not the right quarter – read your history books.

Lesson 3: The third quarter is the premiership quarter!

In the glorious days of my youth when as a young man I could jog the Park street path to Princes Park, there for the game, back for a few at The Rising Sun, home for a shower and then off to Poynton’s for a fair few more, it was well known that the third quarter was owned by Carlton. You could see it the eyes of the opposition as they emerged after their halftime reprieves. They’d all look up at the Heatley stand or stare sadly at the glorious turf of Princes Park and know, just know, the that third quarter Bluebagger tsunami was about to unleash itself upon their sad, socks down, hands on hips, despairing selves. In those days we always kicked a bag in the third.

The signs around the ground would be banging, a tribal beat calling the goals home, a roost of goals scattering out of the undergrowth of muddied legs and hands, goals conjured out of think air by Jezza or The Buzz, goals between legs by the mosquito fleet, spectacular marks, long goals, chain of handballs goals - for some in the eighties it was raining men, for us Bluebaggers, it was raining goals.

So Bluebaggers of 2009. Here’s the thing. Yes give us a clutch of goals in a quarter but please, for the old ticker’s sake, for the sake of grandchildren yet to know their Pop, for the sake of blood pressure and a happy ride home in a blueberry jammed train, belt them home in the third! Belt them home in Parkin’s premiership quarter. Take heed Bluebaggers, that’s the time to let loose.

Now I know you’re a young team and young team’s find it difficult not to come screaming out of the blocks, but please, take a breath, play tight for a time then wallop ‘em in the third. Or if it’s Richmond (or the Bombers this week and especially the pies, always the pies) belt them for all four quarters.

But if not, then hold back until the third and then let loose, let the skies open and the deluge of goals begin. That’s the time to unleash the Bluebagger beast. In the third. It ruins the other team’s chances. They cannot regroup; they have no long break and only a quarter of football left to play catch up. Trust an old man who has seen a lot of great victories spread out in a tapestry of magnificent quarters like some Hollywood film, give ‘em the smashing in the third, its much better that way.

Of course if you must let loose in the second then remember 1975, remember that second quarter! Oh the glory; fourteen goals in a single quarter. I was there that day and it was mad, mad like a wild thunderstorm after a drought, mad with smiles, and screams and open mouths of wonder. Fourteen in a quarter! But the thing was, after that second quarter onslaught came 7 goals in the third and a strolling 5 in the fourth. Now that was a game to savour! (Thanks to the Blueseum for assisting the memory time has dimmed in this old noggin)

Just on a side note my heart goes out to young AW but remember Tex this side is growing and it awaits your return, icing on a formidable cake. You’ll be back and I for one, cannot wait to see the number 1 streaming forward again, or flying high to take a grab.


Go Tex,
Go Blues!