It has been an interesting week in the A-Leagues. We've seen so-called boycott, active groups go to war on social media, and the APL take fans for suckers yet again.
While our City boys attempt to get into a fourth straight Grand Final, our Yarra End Collective active group will be boycotting the finals. It will certainly make things harder for the boys on the pitch, but that does not mean we won't be supporting them from afar.
The finals series has certainly become a farce, but for those who choose to watch it, we will be spoilt with a two-legged match against a Sydney side who have struggled to make a real impact this season. If our City boys are switched on, we could inflict rightful pain on those Sydney FC fans who decided to become boycott-back-flippers.
With politics at hand, here are the three talking points leading into the first leg of the semi-final:
The Cove do not have a leg to stand on
It is really infuriating to see a somewhat successful boycott of the finals turn into such a farce. All it took for the Cove to back down is an 'apology' and the creation of a Fan Representative Group which should have already been in place.
The fact of the matter is that the Cove really do not care that the league has sold the Grand Final to Sydney; they'll be able to attend either way, right? The boycott was against one thing, the fact that the APL sold out the fans.
They even went as far as calling out the RBB (rightfully so in my opinion) for not boycotting, only to completely back-flip, practically remaining as Danny Townsend's lapdog.
Our Yarra End Collective will not be attending either semi-final leg. Majority of City fans I know will not be attending either semi-final leg. We're sticking to our guns, regardless of how many empty promises the APL decide to make.
Chance to make it four on the trot
If you told me during the Warren Joyce era that we would be possibly going into our fourth Grand Final in as many years by the end of 2023, I'd have laughed in your face.
It is a possibility now. This group of staff, players and fans have spent an unimaginable amount of energy devoted to these moments. While it is a shame that these Championships will always have an asterisks in many fans' minds, it will still be an incredible feat if we're able to make it to the big dance yet again.
Scott Jamieson and his playing group have so much to take pride in. Despite the boycott, we'll be cheering the lads on from afar, hoping they make the most of these semi-final legs and push hard for yet another piece of silverware.
Will the curse continue?
We'll be wearing the infamous, beautiful, historical and albeit terrifying red and white away to Sydney this Friday night. While the overwhelming majority of City fans adore our original colours, they do carry some pain with them.
The curse of the red and white has been long-lived, especially against our Friday night opponents in the 2019/20 Grand Final, where you'll remember Harrison Delbridge's effort wrongly ruled out only for us to concede - and eventually lose - from a Rhyan Grant nipple.
But curses must come to an end. We need to persist with the colours, and turn them into somewhat of a hoodoo for opponents.
No matter what your feelings are regarding the finals, we're all in the same boat. Let's just hope for a solid performance by our City lads!
Score prediction: Sydney 1 - 2 City
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