FREMANTLE DOCKERS V GEELONG CATS; 'CHAPPY' BY JOHN HARMS
9 April 2011

By John Harms of the Footy Almanac Saturday night. Kids are fed and bathed and hovering. I am on the couch watching the Suns get smashed. But really, I’m filling in time. Waiting for the Freo match to start. The kids know that if they are noticed they will be choofed off to bed. But they want to jump on Dad.

The Handicapper swoops.

Suddenly teeth are done and stories are being read and Dad has some peace and quiet as the Cats run out. There’s Chappy. Chest out as always. Muscle-bound and roly-poly in a fit sort of way. Battle-face on already. The disarming smile nowhere to be seen. The brow jutting. Preparing for the 200th time. What a player!

I can’t remember exactly when Chappy first came on the scene. His debut? Other than it was about the time I met The Handicapper. She had never seen football. I had never not. Our first date was to the opera, to see Madame Butterfly. On a Saturday night in Brisbane, when a stone’s throw up the road at the Gabba Collingwood was playing Brisbane under their new coach Leigh Matthews. Our second date was to the Gabba to see Geelong play the Lions. It was the match that launched the career of Jonathan Brown. He kicked seven. The Handicapper wondered why I was so sad. (Generally).

CHAPPY By John Harms - READ FULL STORY

GEELONG: 5.3 8.6 10.9 13.11 (89) DEFEATED
FREMANTLE: 4.4 7.9 8.12 10.18 (78)

GOALS
GEELONG: Menzel 3, Stokes 2, Varcoe 2, Ling, Bartel, Podsiadly, Duncan, Chapman, Johnson
FREMANTLE: Bradley 3, Ballantyne 2, Mayne, Mundy, Pavlich, Walters, Hill

BEST
GEELONG: Varcoe, Enright, Corey, Menzel, Ling, Bartel
FREMANTLE: Mundy, Hill, Bradley, Pavlich

REPORTS
GEELONG: Nil
FREMANTLE: Nil

INJURIES
GEELONG: Nil
FREMANTLE: Nil

CROWD: 37,004 at Subiaco Oval, Perth

UMPIRES

FIELD: Michael Vozzo (2) Matt Stevic (9) Jason Armstrong (26) EM: Todd Keating (31)
BOUNDARY: Alan Zanich Nathan Doig Jace Collingridge Richard Heptinstall
GOAL: Dale Edwick Brett Rogers EM: Matthew Laycock

THE CATTERY'S PRE-MATCH TIP? Freo probably the stronger side but think we can do another win at the death; Cats by 3 points

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