It is not widely known, Digs and Bluebelles, that Our Fev is a great reader of the German dramatist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s masterpiece, Faust.
When Fev saw Dale Thomas from the Mephistopheles mob wearing black and white do the devil’s work on Our Murph one minute before the first-term siren, he calmly reassessed the situation and recalled Faust’s dictum: “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
Then the red mist descended and he charged through the Carringbush huddle dispensing Faustian epigrams such as "Divide and rule, a sound motto; unite and lead, a better one," and "Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must," with gay abandon.
It was a fine effort by Faustian Fev to educate the Carringbush Neanderthals – who still move their lips while reading a newspaper – about the finer point’s of Goethe’s Sturm und Drang (storm and stress). However, we have a slight criticism of the timing.
Einstein has long believed the best time to initiate a melee is the start of the last quarter rather than the end of the first. When I was a boy, it was considered wrong to be in the right place at the wrong time but it was considered all right to be in the wrong place at the right time – because at least you didn’t have the bad manners to turn up late for an appointment…
And you were certainly better off than those Carringbush supporters who go through their entire lives being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Being in the here and now is the embodiment of the pleasure-seeking, product-hungry new global society of which I am so fond. It is the spirit of the times – so you either better get over it, or use to it. It is the zeitgeist.
I was reminded of the zeitgeist last Sunday at Percy’s pub when two drunks the Mephistopheles mob wearing black and white burst in on our literary circle to regale us about, what they thought, were the excellent actions of a certain Mr Stan “The Man” Magro engaging in a high shirtfront wipe-out of Our Jezza during a home and away game at Princes Park in 1979.
I remembered it very well, as does The Ghost, who was standing beside me at the time. Jezza was running back with the flight of the ball when he took the mark. He was then met violently by Magro coming the other way. Magro jumped off the ground and made front-on contact with Jezza, hitting him to the head and upper body with his hip and shoulder. This led to a melee of monstrous proportions but no report was made by the umpire.
Peter Schwab reckons that today it would be a level five offence, which means 550 demerit points and if Magro were to take an early plea, he would be given a three-match suspension. Jezza starred in four Carlton premierships (1968, 1970, 1972 and 1979) whereas Magro has loser’s medals from 1977, 1979 and 1980. That’s karma for you.
Speaking of Carlton pubs, you should all get down to David Rhys-Jones’ Plough and Harrow pub (formerly known as the Canada) on Saturday May 26 for last drinks.
David got the Norm Smith medal in the 1987 flag winning side and still holds the tribunal record of 25 reports, 11 convictions, 22 weeks suspended. Well played, Sir!
Gold yamulka goes to Carraz with silvers to Scotto, Hoops, Simmo and Bench. Go Blues! – TERRY MAHER
Please Note: the views expressed in the above article are solely the opinion of the author and do not reflect the opinions of the Carlton Football Club or those employees of the Club. The Carlton Football Club would like to acknowledge the tireless work of those supporters who contribute to carltonfc.com.au.
