The Terrace

There is no doubt that, as Geelong supporters, we are often compelled to display outwardly what we feel inwardly about the club. I recall a story about my mate’s brother who, at the time, didn’t have the privilege of owning a genuine cats jumper. So his Mum acquired a fleecy ‘Geelong Cats’ windcheater as a substitute. For good measure and added kudos she sowed on a rather cheap-looking Terry Bright cloth portrait.

At the start of the following footy season he couldn’t find his pride and joy to show his faith. He eventually gave up and presumed it had been lost until a few weeks later he discovered one of his less desirable schoolmates sporting the Terry Bright treasure.  It turned out his Mum had donated a number of ‘ill fitting and undesirable’ items to the local charity bin – and the much-loved jumper had been included!  Needless to say my mate’s brother was furious, but willing to let the jumper adorn the back of a new age.

Whether it’s a poorly executed tattoo, a hand-me-down duffle coat, inflatable hand or a terry bright windcheater, the variety of merchandise available to contemporary supporters allows for expression (and consumption) like we’ve never seen. A point highlighted to me when I purchased a father’s day gift consisting of a GFC pool cue with matching GFC balls (including a Premiership Cup 8 ball). Here at The Terrace we have generally resisted the urge for modernisation (pool cue and balls being an aberration) and are BIG fans of the timeless bomber jacket. However you choose to wear your blue and white heart, the Terrace salutes
you!

Yours unfashionably,

The Terrace

I’ve sat through enough games where I’ve clung to the desperate hope that, somehow, Gary would muster an unlikely last-quarter revival and turn a game on its head. Well, maybe not the ’94 and certainly not the ’95 grand final, but you get my point. Ultimately, the game generally hasn’t turned and I’ve left the gates pondering the wisdom of waiting until the final siren when it’s a done deal. So, late on Saturday afternoon, as potatoe-head Guerra sent another home for the Hawks early in the last quarter to find a 28 point lead, I questioned myself: why would today’s game be any different? Will Geelong really come back from here after playing with poor form and injuries? No? So, for the first time in many years, I left the game and headed home for a cup of creamy pumpkin soup with garlic croutons to ponder the significance of losing 3 out of the last 4 games. Then, somehow…from somewhere…Geelong kicks the last 5 and wins the unwinnable…and my faith feels tainted like a bad bottle of wine. No! But I shouldn’t languish over my decision, should I? Surely they wouldn’t have won if I had stayed. I mean, Hawthorn would have kicked one of those goals, wouldn’t have they? Surely…

Anyway, i’m not one for regrets. Gulp. Each quarter in four words or less:

Q1. The Tomahawk is evolving!
Q2. Buddy, oh dear.
Q3. Lonergan ain’t great
Q4. Game over – NOT!!!!

For those who wisely stayed, and those who foolishly left, and those who didn’t make it all all – enjoy the last 5 minutes. The dream remains…

No regrets,

The Terrace

With an important game agains the Squawks this weekend, let’s take a step back to the electrifying eighties. This game includes 12 reports (eight belonging to Jacko), one infamous broken jaw (you can learn more about that in The Terrace’s N. Bruns profile), one broken nose and some very tight shorts. And that all equals some classic VFL football (‘some’ being the operative word, as there is no lack of ‘melees’). Of particular note and enjoyment is Bobby Skilton’s quotable qoute: “What happened to the football world. Joe? (asking the lone cameraman who can’t get get his camera off the brawling). Yeah, that’s where the ball is.” Oh, how times have changed…

The brawl – part 1

The brawl – part 2

The aftermath – part 3

By the way, does anyone out there know how many weeks Jacko got for his 8 reports?

Lastly, here’s to a win this Saturday boys. It’s fair to say we owe them a killer blow. Well, out of the finals and not death literally, if you get what we mean? Good.

Kind Regards,

The Terrace

Well, it was only a matter of time. The urge to use a Shannon ‘Byrnes’ pun in a headling has proven too great for…you guessed it…the Geelong Ablettiser.

At least you saw it here first.

Until Friday,

The Terrace

Sadly, as anticipated in our previous post, there was no tribute from Gary and the pussycats. But there were commemorative ponchos. Here at The Terrace we’d like to know if this is an Australian first for a commemorative item ? At the very least we think it’s the first commemorative poncho in Geelong. But the poncho doesn’t strike us as a commemorative item, does it? I mean, it’s no coronation silver spoon. But then again, a silver spoon doesn’t really resonate with Geelong, so a poncho is probably a suitable way to commemorate the Cats’ birthday. Pre-game there was a rumour (verging on fact) circulating around the ground that somebody stole three boxes of ponchos from The Terrace the night before the game. It’s fair to say that made us chuckle. And what about the ‘WHITEOUT’? What an idea!? That must be a world first for commemorative communal acts. As far as we are aware, the only other whiteout in existence is Australia’s largest gay and lesbian ski festival this weekend. Hmmm…let’s just wait for the commemorative aerial photo.

Commemorative poncho instructions

Each commemorative quarter in four words or less:

Q1: Game over…
Q2: Keep trying Melbourne
Q3: Who stole my poncho?
Q4: The commemorative celebrations begin!

Commemorative regards,

The Terrace

This photo is most definitely worthy of a Friday. We just love the strategic placement of Gary’s Adidas trainers in the foreground. Apparently, after banging home a bag of sausage rolls at KP, there was nothing Gaz enjoyed more than heading home to play the Sax on the floral couch – in his socks.

Nice trainers, Gary.

This weekend is the big 150 celebration. Happy 150th Geelong! It would be nice if, as a prelude to the big game, Gary  plays a rendition of the club song on his sax (with Dennis Walter and Daryl Somers on vocals). Well, we think it’s unlikely, but here at The Terrace we can only hope.

In birthday celebration,

The Terrace

Today we continue our time-honoured tradition of saluting players with surnames that double as nouns. Moving forward, for clarity and humour’s sake, we’ll refer to them as ‘surnouns’. And this week’s player really is a beauty: Ray ‘Swap’ Card. It goes without saying that ‘Swap’ shares his surnoun with that of a trading card, which is, as the portraits below suggest, highly fitting!

To be fair, there was more to ‘swappy’ than a great surnoun. Firstly, he wore a mean mo’. Secondly (and one might argue most importantly), Ray was a rugged, skillful and negating defender, so much so that he won the ’83 ‘Carji’ greeves medal. He wore number 20, played 110 games between ‘77 and ‘87 and kicked just four goals.

Swappy, we salute you, your surnoun, your  mo’ – and your sense of humour!

Until Friday,

The Terrace

It’s been a rare and somewhat uncomfortable feast in recent weeks: a double serve of humble pie. Like a veritable taste test, here at The Terrace we’ve been trying to decipher exactly what flavours are in this meal. We can’t taste bitterness, we can’t smell panic and are sure (well, hoping!) there’s a good recipe being followed. Proudly, neither our Captain or Coach are on record sighting the number of missing players as the reason for the loss. They can leave that to the supporters. If you ask Rohan Connolly, it’s effectively all over red rover. Well, Rohan, we say a week is a long time in football, and a month is four times that, and two months is two times four. And that equals eight. That is, gentlemen and ladies (that means you Rohan), how far the finals are away.

As we all learned painfully last year, there is only one game that represents feast or famine. For the moment, we are happy to eat something less palatable (Smorgy’s anyone?) if it means saving the right ingredients for the Spring banquet of savoury jaffles at Corio Bay Roadhouse!

Geelong's Guggenheim...with savoury jaffles

Each quarter in four words or less:
1st: Shaping up very well
2nd: Imagine Brown at Geelong
3rd: They do look tired
4th: Hogan in the best.

With the 150th anniversary of the club this coming Saturday, it’s yet another big week for the club. So, as the sun sets on our Brisbane encounter, it’s a new dawn in the City of Dreams. Hell that pun was terrible, but we just couldn’t resist!

Keep the faith,

The Terrace

With a game like last Sunday’s, it’s only fair we spend some time at work enjoying the highights.

‘Ave a great weekend,

The Terrace

Some time ago The Terrace launched the Geelong book of records, an exclusive – ummm, sort of, we think – insight into the many records achieved by our great club. Our good friend Michael Rogers, the gatekeeper of all obscure VFL/AFL facts great and small, has been kind enough to share a few more (11 in total). That makes our record count 23. Michael’s weird and wacky stats include:

1. Highest combined margin against a single opponent in one season: 325 points v St Kilda – 3 matches in 1899.
2. Most positions in the all time top 30 combined season margins: 9.
3. Team which has been the holder of the record score the most times: 4.
4. The highest last quarter score by a team winning only the last quarter and the match: 11.5-71 v Richmond, round 10, 1985.
5. Of the top 100 biggest winning margins (117-190 points) Geelong has the most entries, 14.
6. Of the 98 lowest scores (1-15 points), the least entries is for Geelong with 3.
7.The greatest margin of the winning team’s first quarter score over their opponents full time score: 42 points.
8. The record for consecutive matches achieving the greatest winning margin of the round: 6 rounds (7-12 1989).
9. The most wins of 10 goals or more in one season: 11 in 1992.
10. Geelong has currently gone the longest of all current teams without suffering consecutive 10 goal or more losses. (Since rounds 3-4 1985.)
11. Since 1987 Geelong is the only team never to have  finished below 12th on the ladder.

Michael, here at The Terrace we’d also be interested to also know the following:

1. Is there a higher probability that a red-headed player will end up at the Cattery?

2. Is Caroline Wilson more likely to tip against the cats than any other football critic?

3. Do football supporters who stand in The Terrace generally have more fun than those who don’t?

Anyway, enough of that dribble. The Terrace salutes Michael Rogers and his crazy stats!

Yours in numbers,

The Terrace