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There are some things about the annual Dreamtime Game that always impress me. I’ve attended a few of these matches over the years and loved encountering different Aboriginal mobs that have travelled from afar to attend the event. There’s a different kind of excitement amongst the crowd, with lots of people for whom a trip to the G is a very special event. One of the other things I admire is how the Dreamtime Round concept has worked to extend mainstream understanding of different Aboriginal cultures and identities. The fact that this land we call Australia actually encompasses a vast number of distinct Aboriginal cultures is still a novel concept for many people, so initiatives like the AFL’s indigenous players map are really valuable. (The 2018 edition can be accessed here)
For this particular Tiges vs Bombers Dreamtime encounter I found myself in Perth, in the traditional land of the Whadjuk people. Parochial TV programming meant that the game wasn’t on free-to-air, so I was obliged to download the annoying AFL Livepass app. in order to watch the match on my phone. (Paying good money to listen to the boorish ramblings of James Brayshaw was too much to bear, so I watched the game sans audio.)
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Our boys in yellow jumped fast out of the blocks (a bit like Connor Menadue in last year’s Grand Final sprint), with manic ball movement and ferocious tackling that frequently caused panic amongst the mob in the red sash. It’s always exciting when our team is so clearly switched on right from the get go. Dan Butler’s tackle on Michael Hurley was a particular first-quarter highlight, as was Josh Caddy’s miraculous ability to repeatedly place himself in a dangerous position in front of goal.
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I didn’t mind seeing us concede a goal to the excellently named McDonald-Tipungwuti just before quarter time, but it was more alarming to see the Bombers stringing a few more sausage rolls together in fast succession in the second stanza. Happily, normal service then resumed and, from this point on, pretty much all the play ran in a Richmondly direction. The most exciting dimension of the Tiges’ game in 2018 is our ability to run in waves, moving the ball from one end of the ground to the other with breath-taking fluency. Titch Edwards is always one of the slickest cogs in the machine, and tonight he was simply magnificent. As usual, his handballs were lightning-fast, but in this game his foot skills were also exquisite. His deft soccer kick into the path of rampaging Josh Caddy late in the second quarter was truly spectacular – the play of the game, in my humble opinion. (Watching the replay on the AFL website afterwards, I was doubly glad to have watched the game without Bradshaw’s inane comments at this point.) It’s his ability to see opportunities and then to act in a split second that makes our Titch such an incredible player, often with the result that commentators are too slow to notice his sleight-of-hand manoeuvres. If he’s persistently underrated then this must be the reason why. Tonight though, there was no doubting his genius, and he was clearly best-on-ground.
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Menadue got to reprise his road-runner routine in the third quarter, sprinting down the corridor in open space and goaling on the run. Meanwhile, it was terrific to see Callum Moore playing with enough confidence to suggest he might actually be able to make the big leap from VFL to AFL footy. He looks to me like one of those blokes where the critical factor is all between the ears. If he really decides he belongs at his level then perhaps he can consistently play accordingly. The jury is still out, but tonight he was full of promise.
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Our back-end players were solid all night, and I was especially impressed with the attacking flair of Jayden Short and Reece Conca, both playing with Bachar-like dash. Coming into this game, the Bombers had looked like a resurgent team, but the match played out in manner where the gulf in class between our boys and theirs was just immense. It’s an exciting time to be a Tigers fan!
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Benny Votes
5: Shane Edwards, 4: Josh Caddy, 3: Alex Rance, 2: Nick Vlastuin, 1: Dustin Martin
Coming up next, the 2018 season wrap and the winner of the Benny is revealed.
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