Season 2011/2012 has been full of hard lessons. It didn’t all go to plan, the underdog didn’t beat the odds and still the winner didn’t really prevail.
The credits have rolled, the crowd has filed out and the lights have been switched off.
The scriptwriters misjudged their audience on this one – a solid drama with plenty of action, but not an epic. Not one you want to watch over and over again.
It didn-t all go to plan, the underdog didn-t beat the odds and still the winner didn-t really prevail. The award went to the wrong guy, and the name on everyone-s lips after the show wasn-t one of the original cast of 22.
It seems kind of par for the course this season doesn-t it?
The tool box is bereft of spanners, they-ve all been thrown into the works at various times.
The Gold Coast lost its glitter, Newcastle its steel, and well, there-s been few match reports of late that haven-t had a referee-s name up in lights. High voltage spotlights, that is.
The “little team that could” – Central Coast Mariners, were first past the post. Then as it turned out, come finals time – they couldn-t.
Harry Kewell wasn-t even in the country on Sunday, after a pre-season circus that suggested he would go toe-to-toe with Qantas Socceroos teammate Brett Emerton in finals football.
The wonderful football we-ve seen this season has oft been overshadowed by issues that have little to do with what happens from whistle to whistle on the pitch.
There-s no denying Brisbane are a wonderful team and Ange Postecoglou and his men have had a season to remember. Perth equally, have done themselves proud, climbing out of the mid-season doldrums to canter down the final straight.
But the real success story on Sunday was the 50,000 plus attendance for what should have been the showcase match of 2011/2012.
Fans are the lifeblood of football. Those truly passionate supporters who turn up in both rain and shine, stick fast through thick and thin. They are the glue that holds our game together.
And this season has been frustrating at times for even the most hardened of fans, leaving some a little battle-weary.
After the controversial finish to the Grand Final, the clamour for video replay grows ever louder though football has never been a game that lends itself to stoppages during open play.
Even if a method could be devised which didn-t compromise the flow of the match – it seems no one would agree in many cases, whatever the decision.
We-ve learned like never before that referees are as prone to human frailty as the next person. There is no doubt that aspect of the game should be addressed before a new season rolls around.
Yes, season 2011/2012 has been full of hard lessons. Lessons learned at times, for seemingly little reward. Often it-s been one step forward, two steps back – but gradual progress, hard earned, can be of most benefit in the long term.
Let-s hope someone was taking notes and let-s make season eight all about the football.
