It had been stinking hot all this week and was again yesterday with afternoon storms predicted so I had expected our "big day" to be ruined by the weather yet again.
Things started badly for me as, due to a misunderstanding, my lift didn't turn up so, having exhorted others to be early at O'Leary's, I was (as usual) late.
There was a good crowd in the bar including our esteemed chairman, Tony Petty, who was having what looked like a good natured and friendly chat to a small group. I gather that it all boiled down to an eventual move to Carrara if things don't improve here in Brisbane. Forza's Fred, Wee and Mrs were present and full of compliments about our weather and the Head Forza seemed not altogether displeased to here of Marth's late winner over Spirit :-). Geoff Coy was visiting too down from his Noosa holiday.
After a few desultory songs and anti-Carrara chants (not as intense as I had expected - perhaps the mollifying Petty effect) and a few Boddies, Craig stood in front of a banner constructed by les enfants Croft bearing the legend "Say no to Carrara" and made a short speech or encouragement and it was down to the ground early to attempt to remain en masse as it were. that was no great problem as the fruits of our labours during the week was not exactly a sell out crowd, I haven't heard a figure, but you couldn't say it was vast. During the game we were visited by KP of OTB fame and Spencer Housen from ABC radio had his wandering microphone into which I had the pleasure of saying a few probably incoherent words during the half time break.
There had been a late campaign to use yellow balloons as a symbol of I'm not quite sure what, but a couple of hundred were duly inflated and thrown into the air when the STRIKERS ran on after a period of mainly anti-Carrara and not anti-Petty songs.
So, everything seemed to have gone to plan - fair (if hot) weather, a biggish group of enthusiastic supporters in a block, the chairman willing to communicate with us sympathetically, media attention to our plight and the prospect of a win taking us top of the league. Pity about the rest of the evening.
Oh, and the game? I suppose the STRIKERS may have played worse this year and they had had a physically rough encounter the week before with many carrying yellow card points accumulated, and they had been forced to train in energy sapping oven bake conditions all week, and there may have been some on field response to the off field bollocks which has been going on again this week, and there may be some other excuse that I haven't thought of or don't know about.....BUT there was no fire in the belly last night and the tactic of hoofing Wimbledon balls up to be easily dealt with by four giant lumbering defenders seemed to me to at best futile and at worst downright stupid. I prayed all night for us to just once get to the goal line. I know I harp on it and I don't think we did even once.. Marconi did and scored from the move.
This morning I feel very deflated. All that effort by supporters, a thousand or two extra in and not only a loss dropping us out of the top six for the first time this season, but a very poor game on the park. That stuff will not keep those bums on those seats.We had better improve on that performance or it will be Carrara for sure.