It doesn’t often happen, but when it does, the fans shuffle in their seats craning for a better look, and the broadcast cameras square up iso-shot after iso-shot.
And on Friday night it happened after Blues star Patrick Cripps collected 10 first quarter touches and five clearances, and Marcus Bontempelli was sent to do something about it.
Luke Beveridge, speaking to SEN’s Crunch Time on Saturday explained his thinking in pitting two of the League’s brightest young stars against each other in patches.
“We felt Cripps had too much influence in the first quarter. We tossed up whether or not we try to shut him out of the game or not and we didn’t,” he said.
“Marcus and Jongy went to him after (quarter time) and I felt they quelled his influence after that.”
Bontempelli’s second quarter numbers were exceptional: 11 disposals, six contested possessions, two inside 50s, and two score involvements, and was ultimately the Dog’s best in the much needed 21-point win.
Cripps also got his numbers, finishing with 32 possessions, 24 of them contested, but was blunted just enough around the stoppages for the Dogs to wrestle control of the match and get the points.
“It was just that Cripps had a few too many clearances, a bit too much possession, Beveridge explained.
“We thought maybe if we can just quell that, as well as capitalise on that energy through there, then that will give us an extra spike.
“I thought we got what we wanted.”
As did the fans, who got to enjoy the rare treat of watching two of the game’s best midfielders face off, a rare highlight in an otherwise scrappy affair.
Channel 7’s Bruce McAvaney probably spoke for football fans everywhere when he said: “The two young stars, the two young champs. Don’t you love it.”
