Just wondering what you think of the stuff here.

So so long...

... well hasn't this been a nice break. Just looking at Ben's blog and I thought "what the hell" and here I am...

May 23 huh? Woah.

A very quick summary of some things happening since then...

* Footy finished up for the year - we (3rds) won 1 game for the year. I didn't particularly have a good year either. Which is disappointing. Hoping to rectify that next year.

* The Seniors made the finals in 4th and got bundled out first week. The Ressies fell 1 game short of the Finals. So ultimately a disappointing year for Yeronga FC.

* Footy Trip is on Thursday to Hobart! Wo00Ttt! Leaving Thursday, coming back Sunday. Can't wait.

* Paul's partner Ashlee is set to give birth in about 3 weeks. I will be an Uncle again, this time to a niece! Should be fun!

* Getting obsessed with photography. Trying out all sorts of stuff lately. Becoming, as usual with me, an expensive hobby.

* Everyone around is either pregnant or getting married. It's becoming a bit disconcerting. Perhaps I'm just getting older and therefore so are all my friends? Weird though.

* Crushed with the way the Lions finished the season off. Devastated more like it. Was in Melbourne and watched the Richmond game... terrible result, great match to watch, an absolute thriller... but left gutted. Brownie signing on for 4 more years is awesome as is the introduction of Vossy as coach. Having said that I was shocked and disappointed Lethal quit.

That'll do pig, that'll do.

Match Reports Update.

Also I apologise about the lack of match reports. Without having to mention it, it should be obvious that my lack of posting them is due to a certain lack of enthusiasm about the matches themselves.

I do plan to get around to it eventually so for those who have mentioned they like reading them, and there is a couple of you surprisingly, I apologise for not keeping up to date.

Horseshit.

Yup that's what I am thinking about the world at the moment. Complete and utter horseshit. I apologise in advance for the negative post but I need to vent as I just can't stop the negative thoughts.

Basically, and without going into it too much... as I just want to express my emotions a bit... the Yeronga Thirds last night forfeited tomorrow's match. Worse, at one point the coaching staff had also decided to throw out the rest of the Thirds season as well. While there has been a stay of execution there I feel if there are issues again the axe will fall...

... and if it does then that'll be the end of footy for me this year (barring some miracle whereby I start getting regularly selected for the 2s)... and potentially next as I doubt they'll nominate a team next year if this year's falls over.

Basic issues include a lack of numbers for most matches due to people being unavailable, injuries in the Thirds and further up the chain, only having 8 Thirds @ training every night and general lack of cohesion, organisation within the squad.

Sooo ever since last night I've been a bitter, jaded, frustrated and angry young man. Not to mention saddened, disappointed, upset and concerned. And a whole bunch of other negative emotions.

It's horseshit basically. On top of all that if you add in how frustrated and unenthusiastic I've been feeling about our matches so far this year I've got all these wild thoughts running through my head and am very defeatist today.

But for now I'm going to make every effort to put it all behind me, stop being selfish and self interested and concentrate on the good of the team and the club. Tomorrow is a big day for both the 1s and the 2s with potential season defining matches going on. Also the Yeronga Ball tomorrow night should be a great night so I need to get positive and enthused about that. Oh and there is the little fact that tomorrow is my birthday so I'd like to be in a better frame of mind by the time it comes around.

Just had to get a bunch of that off my chest and I have held back quite a bit of my thoughts on various matters to do with this.

GO DEVILS this weekend and hopefully the boys will inspire me back into a good frame of mind!

Yeronga Idol 2008

The night following Yeronga vs Uni matches we headed back to my place to prepare for one of Yeronga FC's best nights of the year. Yes it was time for another run @ Yeronga Idol.

For those unaware it's basically Australian Idol but with a footy club slant. This means it is in no way about musical talent, it's more about the... err.... entertainment factor involved in the acts.

Past winners have gone to extraordinary lengths to win and have been truly hilarious. You might be thinking, "but Mick you've only been to one of them in your time @ YFC!", but I've seen DVDs of others and trust me... they were good.

After putting together an act last year, and despite us thinking it was pretty good, we didn't really get anywhere in terms of the competition results. This year Duncan went a little nuts and organised up a storm for our act.

We entered as KISS and performed their song "Strutter". To fit into the footy club culture we knew we needed either cross dressing or nudity so we got Lukey to dress up in drag and be our "strutter" that we were singing about.

It went pretty well and our costumes looked awesome. Kudos to Bee for some fantastic makeup work! Well done baby!

We also did an encore style performance of "Rock and Roll All Night" later in the evening. Overall we came 2nd but lost out to the Rabbit who performed a truly hilarious rendition of "Walking on the Ceiling" by Lionel Ritchie. He's a deserving winner given his years of service to the Idol concept... perhaps next year we'll go a bit better.

Here are a few pics (excuse the mess that is the lounge room) and I hope to have video uploaded to YouTube sometime for perusal.

Yeronga Idol 2008

My Aussie Rules Rd #5 2008 Match Report

After my first Ressies game of the year in Rd4 where I kicked a couple of goals and earnt some praise, I thought I might be a shot at another Ressies match. Unfortunately I wasn't selected.

Gary told me I was very close to selection and my name was thrown around but it didn't get me home. Basically there were two spots left on the bench and Gary suggested my name but due to the existing team lineup they wanted other varying body shape/position players. They thought they had my shape/position already well covered.

So it was that Round 5 saw me pulling on the boots in the 3rds for a match versus the club our club loves to hate... University. We have a long and chequered history apparently and from what I saw last year there was certainly more to it than a bit of talk. They hate us and we seem to hate them.

The game was @ University and started @ 10am. We were scheduled to play Uni the night before @ home but swapped games with them because our Seniors and Reserves were playing them @ their ground the next day. So we had a 3 match day vs Uni @ Uni instead.

10am isn't a fun time to be playing footy. You could tell we were all a bit bewildered to be at the ground before 9am on a Saturday. Not an ideal time to play. Also by the time the match was over it was quite a hot day and it was peak time for the sun @ 12 by the time we were finished. I didn't envy our Ressies having to play from 12-2pm that day in that weather.

I started the match @ FF and within the first minute the ball was heading in my direction. I got out on a lead and presented and just as the ball was about to land in my hands it rocketed away from me in the opposite direction to which it came thanks to a punch from behind. That was as close as I got to it that quarter from memory. Uni dominated the quarter and my guy played quite tight on me and was a good challenge.

In the 2nd I played FF for a while and was told to play CHF for a bit too. Basically we lacked a Half Forward structure that was working. The Uni ground is quite short and we had identified earlier that CHF would largely be bypassed in favour of going direct to FF but we just needed something up the ground more for us to kick at across the HF line.

One highlight that I remember is getting involved in a scrap just in front of our goal square. With a crowd around the ball I ended up on hands and knees with the ball in my hands. Through the tunnel of bodies around me I saw our FF standing clear in the goal square. So I handballed it through along the ground to him, he gathered and spun and snagged a goal.

The only other highlight I remember is leading out to a centre wing position and screaming for the ball. It was kicked over my head and I had to turn towards goal and run on to it. As I did so I saw an opponent running at it from the other direction. This is one of those times where, last year, I probably would have soft cocked out. But this year I am making an active effort to go hard at it so I kept running and dived on it as he was almost on it. I can't remember if it was him, or someone else from behind, but I ended up getting crunched in the back for my trouble and earning a free kick. Nothing really came of the kick, just kicked it to the top of the square, but remember being happy to have put my body on the line and winning a free.

Avid readers of my match reports will remember I kicked my first goal of the season in the 3rds against Aspley off a past from a mate of mine Matty (actually not sure I named him in the previous report). In the 3rd I managed to return the favour. Playing FF the ball ended up in our forward 50 deep in the pocket. I managed to snag the ball out of the back of a contest but ended up facing out of bounds a mere metre from the line looking out to the pocket. I thought briefly of a wild snap but in the end decided to try and centre it towards the goal square and hope for the best. I spun and kicked around my body in what I hoped would be the general vicinity of the goal square.

After I kicked I turned and watched it's trajectory and sure enough it had curled beautifully into the square. Even better I saw Matty charging on to it with an opponent in hot pursuit. It bounced and sat up for him as he ran on to it and from the square kicked a goal. So I repaid him for mine... Vossy still owes me one for the handball earlier in this game though! In his defence the 3rds haven't played since though.

Basically in terms of a match, it wasn't. Uni dominated the entire match and apart from only being about 2 goals down @ half time we were never really in it. I can't remember anything report worthy from the last but I know I started it on the bench and ended up @ CHB. Tried to provide an option out of defence a number of times and at one point after a long lead from CHB found myself on the CHF wing. Problem with doing that from defence is the long run back to your guy when you realise we've turned it over.

Only other things worth reporting is just how many hits Benny copped. At one point I saw the best shepherd I've ever seen in my time playing Aussie Rules. That includes watching Seniors and Ressies games too! Benny was hunting the ball and was whacked legally and beautifully into the turf. As Benny will tell you he was running and "the next thing I know I'm on the ground looking up at the sky". He had no idea it was coming and I heard the contact from deep in the forward line and it was in the middle of the ground. Benny copped a few more and ended up being diagnosed with concussion on the Monday after seeing a GP.

Our Ressies got hammered in their game but our Seniors grafted out a very tight and exhilirating win for the 2nd week in a row. The Seniors match has to be some of the worst behaviour I've seen from a club though. Uni are a rabble, plain and simple. Their supporters were providing a constant stream of abuse and nonsense the entire match. At one point a Yeronga player was tackled over the sideline in front of their supporters and a brawl started. The players were involved, spectators got involved, their runner was involved and even their bloody boundary umpire got involved. I can't say anything else except for... they're a rabble. Our runner even got manhandled by one of their players after the incident. Their officials getting involved in brawls and our officials being manhandled by their players crosses the line in my opinion. But that's just part of community level footy sometimes I guess... as much as it shouldn't be.

Needless to say it was very, very pleasing our Seniors got up.

My Aussie Rules Rd #4 2008 Match Report - Part 2

I awoke the next morning after our 1 point loss to Aspley and began my preparations for the day. I planned on getting to the Ressies game a little early @ Morningside in order to get Benny there an hour before the game like he needed to be.

On my way to pick up some breakfast I got a phone call from the Ressies Coach. When I saw his name on my phone display I got a little excited wondering if I was getting a call up, when the first question was "how did you pull up from last night?" I started to get a little more excited.

Sure enough, after a late pullout, Gary wanted to know if I was able to play Ressies that day. Acting nonchalantly while inside I was bursting with excitement I told him I would. So now not only was I taking Benny to be there an hour early I was also needing to be there an hour early myself!

As most of you readers will know it is my goal for the season to become a permanent fixture in the Reserves side. So getting a chance to play a game was pretty damn exciting for me. Gary told me he'd probably only play me for less than half a game or so as a substitute for some of our bigger forwards when they needed a rest.

Upon arriving at the ground, and given my #44 jersey was not available since I wore it the night before, I was presented with the big cash #1 jersey for the day's match. After some pre game chat we warmed up, got prepared and I headed to the bench for the start of the match.

In the reverse of the night befores game we would be fighting back from behind all game and be behind @ every change. It wasn't a good start to the game with the 5.1 vs 2.0 being the quarter time score.

I was inserted into the game from the start of the 2nd quarter playing in a forward pocket. The immediate difference between Ressies and 3rds was the space allowed to remain open inside the forward 50. I got out a couple of times on short leads and made a tackle or two (got a hard knock to the back of my skull in one of them). But the highlight of the 2nd had to be my first Ressies goal for the year.

Standing deep, a mere metre or two in front of the goal line, between the right point post and the right goal post I watched as the ball was bombed into me and my opponent. I slipped to the front of him and realised the ball was going over my head. Backing back I realised I probably wasn't going to be able to grab it. But reaching up I got enough hands on it to stop him from grabbing it and it fell behind us. Spinning, I ran around him and surprisingly beat him to the ball.

Problem was by the time I had it I was almost standing on the goal line between the point post and goal post. I tried to change the angle of my run and getting into a goal scoring position but as I ran towards the post I got tackled and bustled into the post. It didn't hurt but unfortunately the ball I was carrying also had hit the post. So I thought it was over... but then... I was awarded a free kick for being tackled high. Still not sure, given all the confusion, if he did get me high but I got to go back on a very tight angle to have a shot. But despite the angle being tight the mark was on the post so I really shouldn't have missed... and didn't.

Another highlight of that quarter was when I got out into some space on a lead and Benny kicked me a beauty from about the 50m arc. Being out in front of my defender I leapt and got both hands to the ball but the mark was dropped. I have a feeling he got some purchase on it as well but it would have been nice to kick another goal for the quarter and off a pass from Benny. But it wasn't to be.

For the 3rd I was told to play out of the goal square with Shelby our FF. Towards the end of the quarter he was pushed about 10m forward from the square giving me the square to myself. Got involved in some scraps for the ball and got another lead and mark out towards the pocket boundary which I dutifully turned and kicked to the top of the goal square as per team discipline. Probably could have had a shot but with a group of Senior players watching directly behind me on the boundary I didn't want to spray it (the wind was difficult from that pocket and it had been identified earlier as a tough pocket for goals), so I hit it to the top of the square. It wasn't marked and they cleared and I wonder if I should have had a shot. But the runner passed on a message saying I did the right thing and it wasn't my fault it wasn't marked so I guess I did the right thing.

In the last I again was playing out of the square and again got out on a number of leads. The delivery was another noticeable difference between Ressies & 3rds as was their respect of your leads. Unfortunately in 3rds you'll lead only to find the player not looking in your direction and even if they notice they either don't kick it to you or bomb it and don't give you much of a chance. Presented well a couple of times and creating an option and a contest which is all I was asked to do.

As I said earlier we were down at every change. At one point about halfway through the last we had fought back valiantly to be down by a goal. I got out on a lead on about a 30 degree angle and marked about 35m out. By the time I went back my full run up distance I was basically on the boundary line and a tight looking shot. Looking around for an option I didn't find one I thought was on so decided to take the shot. Absolutely nailed it. It never looked like missing from the second it left my foot. Put the team equal for the first time since the start of the game and celebrated with the guys around me. Was an awesome feeling.

In the end we won by 2 points. We kicked another goal or two and then they responded. Deep into the last they had a couple of shots on goal when I thought the game must have been almost over. One of them was after the siren for a shot to win the game from a free kick. It was a fair way out though and despite it looking good from his boot it was punched away and we won by 2 after being down all day!! A great result and I was proud to play a part in it.

I got singled out for some mention in the sheds after the game which was pretty cool and I was just stoked with how the day went. The Seniors also had a last gasp win against their Seniors to make it a demoralising day for Coorparoo (Sorry Lewis!) but a great one for us.

I was pretty rooted on Sunday after two games of footy. At one point I had been lazing on the couch for a long time and went to stand up and almost couldn't. My whole body was tired and empty, but you better believe it was worth it! Only thing that could have been better is if the Lions had managed to beat the Hawks the night before.

My Aussie Rules Rd #4 2008 Match Report - Part 1

Round 4 saw the Devils 3rds playing Aspley @ home on a Friday night. I love and hate Friday night footy. I love it because it's night time, the lights are on and it's just that little bit more special. I hate it because it's Friday night and most times I struggle to not be tired by the time it rocks around.

But Friday night it was and the boys were ready for a match. A couple of our Ressies players from last year who have been MIA were filling in for us this night as one of them's brother was the Aspley coach. The other was the Ressies captain and ruckman last year.... the 3rds finally had a ruckman!!!

Being named @ Full Forward was again interesting and exciting at the same time. I was picturing bags of goals with my name on it but knew from previous experience some midfield stuff would have to change for it to be on.

Also was named Captain just before the match as our usual Captain had been selected in the Ressies that week. Was a bit of an honour and enjoyed the chance to try and fire the boys up on a few ocassions.

The first quarter was a great quarter for the Devils. Ended up in the lead @ quarter time with 1.3(9) v 0.3(3) and could have been much more. Got involved personally with some scraps down forward after enjoying some scraps the week before.

Couple of those behinds could have easily been goals and would both have been direct assists from yours truly. One stands clear in my mind. The ball entered our forward 50 and it became a good scrap for a minute or more. Play was locked in and there was tussle after tussle and just as it would break free we'd wrap it up again. It ended when I went in, scooped the ball and out of the corner of my eye spotted a loose man just off the goal square. I had barely nabbed the ball when I realised I was being slung, but managed to squeeze off a side of the boot special towards him through the pack around me. As I banged into the turf I heard the claps from my team mates indicating he'd marked the ball. Was stoked as I'd seen him free just before entering the pack and it was good awareness otherwise I wouldn't have known what to do with the ball when I got it. Unfortunately he missed a somewhat straight forward shot.

The other I had drifted up to half forward. I presented and managed to produce some crumbs, then managed to get the ball back somehow just as the Ressies player mentioned earlier was sprinting past me calling for it. A deft, and reactionary, little handball off to him as he flew past saw him run into the forward 50 at pace with noone in front of him. He ran in about another 10 steps, put it on the boot... and missed.

So it could have been a much better start to the match with a bigger lead. We kicked 3 goals to 2.3 in the 2nd and 3.1 to 1.6 in the 3rd to maintain, and increase, our lead at every change. They had had their chances but were still down. We led by 16 at 3/4 time.

Spent the last quarter down in the goal square and it was one of the most frustrating I could remember. The ball only came in a handful of times as it was constantly going the other way. As Captain I was yelling encouragement and stuff but I was so far from the action I'm not sure it did much good. They kicked 3.5 to our 1 goal to win by a single point. Their last goal coming a mere minute or two before the final siren.

Was heartbreaking stuff. I was gutted. Also spent the first 10 minutes after the final siren searching for a lost tooth from one of our players. He'd been hit in the jaw after tackling someone, as he stood from the tackle the guy swung at him and knocked his tooth out. This is the same bloke that dislocated his finger the week before. So 4 games into his footy "career" and two bad injuries in two weeks.

As I said a heartbreaking game. The highlight for me apart from some of my work early was my first goal of the season. On the back of a 50m penalty in our defence the ball came to the edge of the square just outside our forward 50. Standing at full forward I watched the player march forward with the ump and, as he approached his mark, pushed off my opponent and led out. At first I wasn't sure he was going to kick it to me as he was looking at another lead, but in the end it was kicked out in front of me. I didn't think I was going to make it but busted my arse to get there and lunged at it grabbing it in my outstretched arms and pulling it in. From about 40 out on a reasonable angle, I went back and slotted the goal.

A reasonable game for me personally but a cracker from the boys. A damn fine effort and a disappointing result.

My Aussie Rules Rd #3 2008 Match Report

Round 3 was a shambles from start to finish for the Yeronga 3rds. Started badly on the Thursday night with team selections. Standard process is the Seniors pick their lineup, then the Ressies and then finally, with seconds to spare before announcement the 3rds coach gets a list of who is available and shambles a lineup together.

This particular round teams were announced and the 3rds had a team list of 14 available players. Given you need 18 to fill each position on the field (min 16. to legally play) and 4 normally on the bench we were a bit short.

Frantic phone calls were made by everyone to a range of people. Ranging from those who have played for the club previously and haven't been down to training or matches this year, those who said they weren't playing this year, people we know who maybe once mentioned they'd be interested in a game all the way through to people that had never even thought of playing before. That's how desperate we were.

Friday day and Friday night were furious action organising a team and we ended up with a squad of 22. Then Saturday morning the Ressies stole another player after they had a late pull out and despite our mammoth effort we ended up with 21. Still a very good effort considering where we were.

Drove all the way out to Strathpine for our first Day game of the season. Their club was in Div 1 last year versus our Seniors & Reserves but due to issues had dropped all the way back to Div 3. So we were playing their Senior side which had previously played against ours for years.

I was named in a Back Pocket which actually didn't upset me, in fact I was stoked. The previous two games I was frustrated as I wasn't getting any action. This move ensured I got some... and boy did I!!

Basically we didn't kick a single goal for the entire match and went down 106-3. A hammering but funnily enough didn't seem like it on the field. We all thought we toiled pretty well throughout the day.

I was involved in so much action I was absolutely rooted by the end of the day. At one point late in the 4th I was on my knees and about to handball off and felt cramp tingle down my hammy. Not badly but an indication I was going to pay a price for my efforts.

Played by far my best game of the year and was stoked with the way I went. Thoroughly enjoyed it and got involved in a lot of physical stuff which I've not had that much of a chance to in the past. Basically through either being a softcock and shirking or playing forward and not really having that opportunity.

Few highlights include me getting a free (or two) for making a tackle and getting a holding the ball decision my way. Also one bit the ball was rolling and in between a few of us running for it. I realised I wasn't going to beat the guy in a foot race to it so dived and slid into the ball pulling it into me. He cannoned into my back as he slid and I was awarded a free for in the back.

Numerous times as the ball was falling into their forward 50 I led my opponent to the ball and hit it at pace and either cleared or knocked it forward back towards some contest where we could hold it up.

Also almost forgot to mention we lost 3 players in the first 10 minutes of the match and 2 of them never came back. One ankle injury and one dislocated finger. So it was tough with only 1 on the bench, remembering we started 1 down, for a majority of the game. I never saw the bench personally.

Basically think I had a good game and a lot of people said so. In fact this is backed up by the match results here --> Div 3 Rd 3 Results Strathpine v Yeronga


So all in all despite getting hammered I felt we toiled overall quite well and personally think I played ok.

Was a shambles of a round though...

Quick Update

Just a quick update on a couple of things... been a bit slack lately and I apologise. Still wanna catch up with a couple of match updates that are missing as well but I'll get to that soon(ish) hopefully.

Firstly some not good news. My Dad went into hospital yesterday. He's been sick for a couple of days and has basically been bed ridden. Hasn't been eating or drinking much and was so dehydrated the GP sent him to the hospital when he went yesterday. He's been there ever since. Blood tests show a high increase in white blood cell counts indicating his body is attempting to fight some form of infection. He has undergone Cat Scans, Chest X-Rays and a Spinal Tap to attempt to isolate the infection. They at first believed it to be brain related. All tests have come back clear encouragingly but they admitted him last night for observation and also to diagnose further. So tests clear = good but still in hospital = not good. Am sure I will find out more today as things progress.

Secondly better news. The AFLQ are running a Division 3 Rep Game. Every club has been asked to nominate a few players for a training run with a chance to be selected for the Rep Game. I have been asked if I would be interested if the club was to nominate me. I have at this time said yes. Training Run is Monday with a match Friday night. It is a match against a Darling Downs Rep Team. Anyway would be pretty cool to have a chance at being selected and to see how that turns out.

I think that'll do for now. Currently stressing about my Dad, trying to get a bunch of work I don't want to do done by the end of the day (stop procrastinating Michael!!) and trying to figure out costume pick ups and training tonight.... more on the costumes later...