The weekend’s footy has setup an exciting Easter/Anzac Day round where seven games over four days can be likened to the third day of a golf major.
It will be the Saturday, moving day, where you’ll be paired up against someone of similar stature and it will be your chance to get the ascendency over your partner and make ground on the leaderboard.
Essendon showed guts and determination and scraped out two very valuable points, particularly given the crippling nature of what Jason Winderlich and Courtney Dempsey’s injuries did to their run. But the blowtorch needs to be applied to their rivals.
They turned up to an MCG bathed in wonderful autumnal sunshine with the chance to take down a big top four threat and sure Essendon got the jump but as soon as Dempsey was chaired off Carlton had the game in the bag.
Carlton let the unforgivable occur, and their big opportunity on the big stage got the better of them, or did we think better of them too early?
They have a chance for redemption Saturday night hosting an Adelaide side whose not quite sure what it is.
Are they an ambitious rebounding club ready to make a stance and aim to win a final, or were they indeed “bulldozed” by their crosstown foes? Because the last time we associated Port Adelaide with the connotations of a bulldozer Dustin Fletcher was still shy of his 30th birthday.
They need to now travel to Melbourne and with their backs against the wall and regain a grip on their season before they find themselves falling behind the leaders.
Fremantle accounted for North Melbourne and a horribly inaccurate final term against the Cats aside the Dockers would be hanging with the lead pair of Collingwood and Geelong.
Their mix hasn’t changed awfully, but the signs we saw last year of a gutsy, hard-working line-up who can take on anyone on their day holds them in good stead and come Anzac Day we shall see if the purple haze can keep up the pace or if the Western Bulldogs can shoot up the leaderboard and join them.
The Dogs got embarrassed by Essendon then have essentially had three consecutive byes since. They need a scalp, and a win on the road against a top four contender will get their season on track and perhaps get them ahead of Freo; a win for the home side keeps them ahead of the pack.
A wet SCG gave much so much more than just another four points for a revitalised Geelong. Not only did they defeat Sydney on the road, but to do so with the Swans looking ominous, in those conditions, shows the Cats are ready for all obstacles in 2011.
They have now beaten Fremantle and Sydney away, and find themselves paired with everyone’s favourite Collingwood. They sit as the first challenger to the reigning premier and at this early stage it’s hard to question that.
However, a pair back, Hawthorn, hasn’t looked as impressive but have shown, in spurts, utter domination against their opponents that has them seen as the people’s challenger, the one the betting agencies have as the clear threat to halting a black and white back-to-back.
These two powerhouses face off to culminate a big round of football, and for the winner offers great spoils.
A win for Hawthorn justifies the hype as Collingwood’s chaser. To knock off Geelong would stabilise a side that’s been lost in the rough searching for their ball for a good 24 months. A win would be nothing but fairway in the search for another flag.
Their opponents have been labelled as on the decline, but a defiant start to the year can be given the stamp of authenticity if they can knock off the Hawks, knock off the doubters who hold the brown and gold in higher esteem, and set up a final round pairing with Collingwood.
But undoubtedly the game of the round will be at the MCG Monday afternoon, Collingwood, in need of a proper test, facing off against the fast-approaching Essendon. The Dons are quite a few pairs behind, with not quite the score just yet.
The Pies need to win and win well, to remind the league when it matters, when the MCG is full, no-one can touch them.
For the last few weeks I have described them as idling, shuffling along in a low gear. Well expect the throttle to be eased slightly more into the carpet and for a higher cog to be initiated, here comes the time for the Magpies to turn it up the revs.
However, a gallant and determined Essendon will be plotting the downfall of their rival and show that they have the game to reach the top of the leaderboard when it’s all said and done.
We’ll know a lot more about how the rest of the season will look, whose serious about their 2011 tilt and whose not, after all the scorecards are in from this weekend of football.