What is it about Como Park? It is a big ground, to be sure, but not so different to Gillon Oval, and there are still goalposts at each end. Anyway, something went amiss yet again when Brunswick NOBSPC crossed the Yarra and had a nightmare of a game against Old Geelong on Saturday.

It all started well enough as Gerard Bence kicked the first goal of the game and our defence led by Chris Ford, Todd Cleary and Mick O’Donoghue was holding firm. A goal from a free kick for a trip in the goal square then triggered a spate of goals from horrible turnovers in the corridor late in the quarter.

Those easy junk time goals served to energise the home side in the second term to the degree we could not get our hands on the ball as we were out-hunted, out-run and out-tackled. Observers were left to wonder if they were watching the same team which had beaten Therry the week before. It was a horror movie as Old Geelong kicked 11 goals straight.

Not surprisingly, coach Luke Mahoney blasted his listless troops at half-time, which thankfully had an impact as we played with purpose in the third quarter to kick five straight of our own. But where was that purpose when the game on the line?

Our only slim hope remained to kick early goals in the final quarter but Old Geelong kicked them instead, the killer coming from yet another turnover in the Bermuda Triangle that was the centre of the ground, where we continually sent the ball only to have it disappear and end up in a goal to the opposition.

Credit must go to a handful of players who contributed well on the day, particularly our only goalkickers in Pat Kelly, Kyle Adams and Gerard Bence. Andrew Roberts continued his good recent form, while Ford and Cleary battled hard in defence.

Back at Gillon Oval next Saturday will be a whole different story when we meet Ivanhoe in a crunch game in season 2016. See you there.