The last thing a team with the word wood in its name wants to see, is a carpenter in the opposition working on defence! Time to Restump Podcast Lukey Ryan’s woodworking masterclass and the hard-fought win over the Woodsmen.

It was always only a matter of time, but Lukey Ryan is back to his brilliant best. He’s moving fluently, his timing precise, he mopped up everything and got us out of strife on more times than we can recall. His stabilising influence and confidence he provides others add to an already well functioning defence. Quite simply, the apprentice chippie was too good for the woodies! 

Now that was a win! Don’t know about anyone else but we’re a bit bemused by the negative commentary surrounding the game from a spectacle standpoint. Despite the constant efforts of commentators to suggest we were struggling; the game was never, not even for a second, not in the balance. Every moment mattered, you were fully engaged and locked in and you couldn’t take your eyes of it. 

Admittedly the conditions and consequent errors didn’t help, but there were so many majestic moments amid the madness. Have we become spoilt by dry weather footy? Are we unrealistically captured by the desire for perfection?

Yes, he may have won the game for the Pies had he taken his chances… but how many times did we crunch Lachie Schultz? What about the moments of Murphy Reid mesmerism? Luke Jackson’s 4 huge grabs in a 5-minute period, Dudley applying chase down pressure, the Johnson goal, the Amiss goal, the Brayshaw lunging tackle and of course the Josh Treacy game saving clunk!

I’ll be back in 20 minutes, I gotta go watch them all again! 

Alex Pearce once again showed why the captain’s cap fits and it’s his for as long as he wants. You’d go as far as to suggest he’d be your first picked player if you were selecting the team. He and Josh Treacy have the ability to meaningfully impact the game without necessarily having ball in hand. 

Izzy Dudley’s rise has been meteoric! He’s gone from the sub to the sublime in the blink of an eye. Do we win that game without his contribution? He takes his chances and creates opportunities for others.

Given where they have come from, their journeys to get here and that they’ve had to fight for everything, it is incredible to realise that the tough, combative and courageous Wagner and Worner workhorses are integral parts of the war plans.

Gary Lyon and co going after Murphy Reid, chipping him for the occasional mistake, while somehow simultaneously suggesting he is miraculous, was a strange take. He’s a kid who performs on-field sorcery, something he can’t do if he doesn’t attempt it. What is that quote about missing 100% of the shots you don’t take?

We can’t end this parochial Docker diatribe without stopping, folding the arms and nodding in acknowledgement of and appreciation for Luke Jackson. He got the JL message loud and clear at half time and went on a rampage! In the five to six minute period between the end of the 3rd quarter and the beginning of 4th, he managed four big clunking grabs. Add those to his absurd output and you realise he’s actually going up levels before our very eyes!

We have to get Paddy back up and about. The AFL suits have destroyed his spirit as he now plays well within himself, without the freeing exuberance. He’s regressed inward and that is not helping him, the team or us fans. Could the Derby timing be any better? What better way to get your mojo back than unleashing the Pony mayhem in a Western Derby! 

Anyway, it was too big a win and there is too much more to say and not enough ink to say it all here! So, if you’re not ready to move on from the Gather Round, gather round and let’s contin

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