Words of Wisdom #5

Cats demoralised Demons

GEELONG Cats 8.5 12.7 19.10 24.13 (157)
MELBOURNE Demons 0.0 1.3 2.6 5.11 (41)

It was the #101 meeting between Melbourne and Geelong at MCG on Friday night, and it took just 4 minutes for the Cats to register their first goal through Joel Selwood.


The Demons were scoreless in the first term, as Cats ran riot to win by 116 points – 24.13 (157) to 5.11 (41) in front of the official crowd of 34,610.


Geelong booted the first 10 goals, led 53-0 at quarter-time and were 61 points up when Melbourne managed their first point.


The Cats increased their percentage to a ridiculous 160.28, a boost of nearly 7 per cent, and a margin of nearly 35 per cent over next-best Hawthorn in third place.


Geelong's win means they need just one more victory from the remaining three rounds to secure the minor premiership.

Words of Wisdom #4

Baby-faced assassin

To understand the essence of Solskjaer it is important to rewind to Dec 5, 2006, when the striker was talking to his friend, Bernt Jakob Oksnes, a well-known reporter in Norway.

Solskjaer was musing on what qualities were required to succeed at Old Trafford. "You can't come that far with pure talent," Solskjaer told Oksnes. "You only reach the first team of Manchester United with the hard work and willpower of steel." The next day, Solskjaer took his usual seat on the bench as United took on Benfica in a Champions League group match. As the game pushed into the later stages, Ferguson gave Solskjaer the nod to warm up as he would soon be replacing Paul Scholes. And Old Trafford started to sing, Stretford End at first, then North Stand, and then the whole stadium: 'You are my Solskjaer, my Ole Solskjaer; you make me happy when skies are grey.'

"I asked him what he felt when Old Trafford sang his song, even at times when he was injured. 'I feel proud, but a bit embarrassed as well,' he answered. 'I think to myself: 'Why me?' A little man from Kristiansund.' A legend at Old Trafford."

As the 35-year-old bows out with a testimonial against Espanyol, all football will miss the man for more than just his goals. Solskjaer has been a wonderful ambassador for the game, and all proceeds from this match, and a planned telethon, go towards 10 new schools in Africa.

'You are my Solskjaer, my Ole Solskjaer; you make me happy when skies are grey.'

Cats mauls Tigers

Geelong Cats 2.6 8.8 15.13 20.14 (134)
Richmond 2.2 4.6 6.9 10.11 (71)

Geelong continued their imperious form, brushing aside Richmond to celebrate fullback Matthew Scarlett's 200th AFL match with a 63 points AFL victory in front of 42,238 crowd at Telstra Dome - their ninth in a row.

AS REALITY checks go, this one was brutal. Geelong showed emerging Richmond just how much more it must improve to challenge the best sides with an emphatic 63-point victory at Telstra Dome last night.



Richmond coach Terry Wallace said before the game he believed his emerging side could match Geelong for contested ball, and he was right.


What the Tigers couldn't equal was the Cats' skill, their furious tempo linking up through handball and their enviable variety of scoring options. But when Geelong stepped on the gas early in the second term, it was all the Tigers could manage not to eat the Cats' dust.