Generally speaking the match was a solid foundation for the rest of the season but not exciting in it's own right. The missed chances, notwithstanding the sheer bad luck on occasions, will not be affordable on tighter occasions. The defence looks solid though Zane was hardly a great test yesterday. If the Confederation Cup takes place in January then without Wilkinson and Hay it could be a different story. The midfield and attack must question why they could not overrun a team with 10 and then 9 men.
The Spirit were a major disappointment. It the game was not the spectacle it should have been it was because there was very little resistance from the newcomers and therefore no tension. The Glory always looked like scoring and the Spirit never did.
Having said that the class act on the pitch was Robbie Slater; he was in a different time zone compared to his team mates. Troy Cranney did his best to keep up but Bilokapic was a sad figure compared to the player that shone with Sydney United at Perth Oval last year. It was evident from his first tackle that he was red card material. The incessant purple attacking waves only exacerbated an existing frame of mind.
Markovski was the Glory's class, some delightful touches and visionary passing. The Glory now has a target man who can hold the ball to lay it off to colleagues coming though at speed. This is a dimension to their game that has always been missing and augurs well for the future.
The Shed is always referred to as 'The Hill' in Glory officialdom therefore the sign reads 'The Hill to Glory'. And yes having seen some of the telecast I can confirm that the mikes gave no indication of the volume emanating from the Shed. I have always suspected that Channel 7 use numerous enhanced mikes simultaneously to create an artificial atmosphere at AFL matches. Certainly the sound seems to bear no relation to the demeanour of the crowd. Apparently the ABC take the opposite approach.
I noticed a new sign in the Shed 'warning' that the area might be considered a 'members only' area if the language did not improve. Is this a clever recruiting initiative by the club?. If the club did follow through on the threat and there was not a mass enrolment of members where would they go? The family stand?
On second thoughts maybe a mass attendance of fully paid up members from the Shed at the after match reception is what the club wants. If there is a club lurker on the list, bring that one back!