Queen’s Birthday Clash To Collingwood

// June 9th, 2009 // AFL, Demons

Me and Brad Miller

The Queens Birthday Clash with the Pies is a huge tradition, and a game all Melbourne fans look forward to each year. We know that on the day, no matter which team is doing better in the football season that year, it is any teams’ game.

However, the 2009 Queen’s Birthday was Collingwood’s from about 15 minutes into the first half.

The first 15 minutes of the game saw a competitive brand of football, with both teams looking fairly even, and just one goal to the Pies. But with 15 minutes down, the Pies ran over the Demons and scored 6 goals to nil, leaving the score at the end of the quarter at Pies 46pts to the Demons’ 4pts.

Jack Watts, the young 18 year old recruit, was able to get out onto the ‘G’ for his first game during the first half. As he ran on, there was an almighty cheer, and the ball went directly over to him. He was pounced on by three Pies’ players and won a free kick for in the back. Later in the quarter Watts’ had a shot on goal, and missed.

The Demons seemed revived after the first break, scoring 5 goals in the 2nd quarter to the Pies’ 3 goals. I was hopeful that the Demons could continue working at that rate, to catch the Pies and win the big game.

The last half of the game saw Collingwood boot a further 9 goals to their tally, whilst the Demons mustered a further 3 goals. Demons 0.4, 5.6, 6.9, 8.12 (60) to Pies 7.4, 10.7, 16.11, 19.12 (126). The Pies won by 66 points, which gave them a big boost to their percentage, whilst the Demons went home with more than a few problems to look at, the top of the list could be a number of things from intensity at the ball, to trust in team mates, or perhaps poor decision making.

The last half was played in a down poor that didn’t stop. We sat in our ponchos and froze, with no goals to cheer it made for a very bitter end to the game.

After the game, we went over the the Aftermatch function, as we do every year. Usually we see hundreds and hundreds of loyal Demons fans show up, however only a couple hundred came over to drown their sorrows.

The Demons players came over to the rooms and apologized for their terrible performance, and promised to do better for the fans. We’ll see!

I did get to meet a few players and get my photo with them. Even though my boys are not winning very many games, I love them anyway, and someday soon the Demons will come out of the slump, and be a great team.

My Brownlow votes: Dick, Lockyer, Anthony.