Some times, four quarters just aren’t enough, yet can be too much, all at the same time.
There I was Saturday night, looking forward to a reasonable game between us and Port, so I proceeded to tape the game.
As the first quarter unfolded, and even though it was only early on, the signs were not good. Especially when there was a passage of play where a Port player had plenty of time to pick up a loose ball, go for a run and still no Tiger player was any where near him that was visible on the screen.
By the end of the first quarter things were definitely not good for us. So, I rewound the tape and taped the second quarter over the first quarter. I mean, what rational thinking Richmond supporter would want to watch that quarter of football again? It was painful enough the first time.
By the end of the second quarter, things were no better, even though we had managed to somehow score a goal. So, again, I rewound the tape.
At the start of the third quarter I taped over the second quarter. And even though we scored three goals for the term, somehow I just didn’t think that the Port camp would be shaking in their boots. Again, I rewound the tape.
Fine, I thought. Three quarters of football and not one good one amongst them.
I have no idea why, but I continued to tape the game and taped the fourth quarter over the top of the third quarter. The margin was 49 points at three quarter time, or something like that. And the only thing I had to cling on to was the thought of the 51 point turn around against Hawthorn last year.
The fact that it took us over a quarter to overtake them was immaterial and anyway, this was no time for technicalities.
As it turned out, the last quarter was no better than any of the three that had preceded it. Ok, so what to do with a quarter of football that no one would want to watch, other than a Port supporter.
As illogical, inconceivable and impossible as five quarters is, the imagination is a wonderful thing and, Channel 10, in their infinite wisdom, this year introduced the “Fifth Quarter”.
However, by that stage of the game, my interest in all things football was well and truly non-existent and I felt that four quarters had been way too much and five quarters, while having the ability to erase the last traces of four quarters of a nightmare, could only be more of a bad thing.
