So the AFL grand final took place yesterday, between the Cats and the Hawks. I think the Cats were $1.30 favorites to win while the Hawks were out at about $3. At Half-time it seemed pretty even, but after that, the Hawks really bolted and slammed on about 6 goals in the third quarter while the Cats wasted all their opportunities and held out in the final quarter to win by 26 points.
It got me thinking about the whole year and how the Cats were supposedly a sure thing, even way back when, at the beginning of the season. Sport is very fickle, and momentum swings back and forth, and nothing is really set in stone. A lot of people said the Hawks winning was a major upset, but really; they finished second on the ladder, only lost a handful of games, and were quite competitive with the Cats last time they played. So I wasn't that shocked. I'm sure a lot of Cats fans are; their team just couldn't capitalize on the scoring opportunities in the first quarter, and when the Hawks got going, they went bang bang bang, grabbing their chances when they came. It will be an interesting season in 2009, and maybe this is the beginning of a great new rivalry for the modern era.
Although the AFL season has come to an end, the Premier League is only just begun. Last night the Merseyside Derby took place, between Liverpool and Everton. Although the first half was rather dull, the second half was where the game came alive, and two fantastic strikes by Fernando Torres sealed the game. Unfortunately we had a couple more goals ruled out - one of which was a ridiculous decision, but a win's a win and to Liverpool fans, the Merseyside derby between the fierce local rivals is the most important game to win all season.
I watched Hull beat Arsenal afterwards, which was a huge shock. Hull played well, and scored two great goals in the space of ten minutes, then held out for the win, so good for them. Any game where our rivals drop points is a good game. It's a long season, but at least things look good for us so far. Beaten the Mancs and the Evertonians. Couldn't ask for a better start.
