Some women may dream about Pedj Bojic's six pack, right now all I'm dreaming about is Matt Simon's knee.
It wasn't a nasty tackle from Colosimo but the massive downpour prior to kick-off sure didn't help. Matty looked wobbly and some minutes later we were watching him slumped on that sodden pitch in Melbourne grimacing in pain.
Now I don't know about you but for me it was a moment of absolute cold-blooded terror.
As he limped off the park my heart began to pound and a nightmare scenario began to play itself out in my fevered imagination : Matt in a suit, sitting frustrated in the stands - oh, the horror ! With Top Two spot nearly in the bag and the Finals less than two weeks away, surely the football gods couldn't be this cruel ?
I mean, haven't the weather gods already played enough havoc with our game in the past few months ? Of course, football don't amount to a hill of beans compared with the terrible consequences of floods and cyclones so it seems unreasonable to complain about the bizarre circumstances of our match against Heart. It was quite amazing we played at all, let alone an entire 90 minutes.
Thanks to great drainage and a groundsman with what looked like a giant ShamWow on a roller, the stalwart fans who sat through the deluge finally got their reward. Credit also to both teams who managed to stay focused for over an hour as kick-off deadline kept being extended.
The Mariners were seen meditating, playing head tennis and bottle cricket in the dressing room ( superior training games Arnie learned under Pim ) while Clint Bolton described at length his penchant for yoga.
Five minutes after kick-off Bolton demonstrated the highly difficult "crouching keeper, hidden goal-line" position as he attempted to clear McGlinchey's shot. Strebre Delovski was obviously impressed. Later on, Matt Ryan attempted his own version but without the veteran keeper's skill it didn't quite come off. Don't blame the poor boy, it must have been well past his bedtime by then !
Anyway, Uncle Daniel executed a perfect "scrambling striker, gutted goalie" mere seconds later. Not to mention the absolute fortitude young Ryan showed afterwards despite his gaffe. Mistakes ? Like water off a duck's back !
Under the circumstances a point was good, but a win (or GCU drawing - damn you Glory !) would have made Matt Simon's knee just a little less important. Yeah, I know we've got McBreen and Kwassie but Matty's just hit top form and his ability to harass defenders is second to none. Some jealous observers may say he runs like a manic baby giraffe but when keepers see those knees flailing towards them they dissolve in terror.
Oh YEAH ! Matty on the loose ! Adrenaline pumping and firing up the boys as he chases the ball wildly like a crazed puppy after a beloved stick. Madly pursuing any goal-scoring opportunity with scant regard for his personal safety or dignity, arguing passionately with linesmen who try to crush his creativity. Who could ever tire of watching such a beautiful sight ?
To even contemplate his loss at such a crucial moment in the season causes me almost physical pain. Even if his injury is relatively minor it looks like he'll need to miss the final two matches. With Baird also nursing a crook knee our options on the bench are looking pretty thin. Time to bring in one of our talented Youth League players like Bernie Abini-Isei or Mitchell Duke.
While I haven't caught much of the Youth League this season (sadly, a bit harder to follow without the benefit of pre-A-League matches at Bluetongue) both players have been in great form and deserve to be given a go against GCU or Newcastle. With the support of Arnie and the general team confidence, you can only expect they will rise to the challenge.
Even so, I'll still be checking for Matty's knee updates on an hourly basis in the weeks ahead. I'll be dreaming, yearning (okay !) even fantasising about that beautiful knee in perfect condition flexing itself ready for battle in the Finals Series.
To face Roar without that knee upfront is simply unthinkable.
