Round 13 – Gold Coast v St Kilda: Changing roster, footy and scoring tides

Gold Coast v St Kilda
4:35 pm, Saturday, June 16
Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

 

 

 

Monday, June 11

Before the official final work roster for the last half of June was made, I was told that I would be working long hours on Saturday. I gave up watching my footy live.

Wednesday, June 13

Another restaurant in the same chain attracted customers hugely unexpectedly and the operation didn’t go smooth. A flag was hailed to my major premise and I was sent to the busy one.

The change of the roster meant I had to give up watching the Captain’s Run segment on AFL 360 where Nick Riewoldt and Bob Murphy are presenting every Wednesday.

At home in between moving to the busy premise, I submitted the Round 13 tipping and found that the Thursday night footy would be played by Port Adelaide and the Bulldogs. Then I decided to watch the match live after work.

However my plan to watch footy has lasted only several hours as I was asked to extend my working hours following day as the premise had been busy unexpectedly.

Thursday, June 14

Finally the official roster between 16th and 30th June was sent out. Luckily I would not need to work in the day time on Saturday, so I would be able to watch my Saints in action live, although I would have to leave in the third quarter to get to work starting at 6pm local time.

My day off on Friday was lifted up as I was asked to work in the afternoon as it had been so busy.

After work, I was translating messages my teammates sent in English to the group of the Dingoes. When I was about to do with the second message, my colleague rang me inviting me to drinks and I went there. The translation was done when another colleague had to give her old ID back to our boss.

Friday, June 15

I had had a plan to watch the Sydney versus West Coast match live, but I had a hangover and my feelings were down, so I had to give up.

Also outing the previous night cancelled my plan to practise footy in the morning. But even if I didn’t go, I had to cancel as it was raining.

Saturday, June 16

I went to bed so early in the previous night, but my feelings were still crap. And the footy field would be wet in the morning, so Saturday morning practice was cancelled, but I decided to do the light practice in the afternoon for an hour after joining a tour leader information session that was held in the morning.

After the footy practice, I went to a Starbucks cafe near the town premise where I would be working that night. But the cafe was a full house, so I changed the place to watch in a small park at an arcade shopping mall where free wifi was available.

Tuning in the Watch AFL app, Saints dominated at first and pushed towards forward line, but wasted opportunities as always. Inefficient ball uses were done by our boys.

St Kilda were so competitive whilst we played against Richmond and West Coast. We were defeated massively by Swans last week. However Suns were defeated more by GWS last week. So I had expected the mighty Saints to win.

But Suns rose up. Lynch and Sexton kicked goals. I was so annoyed with hearing their song each time they scored a goal.

I was extremely frustrated with seeing our sloppy footy. Each time I tried to hang in there and to be patient with the club, but seeing such footy against the low performing club was over the limit.

Even my thought that Alan Richardson should go came up. Our poor performances were not all his fault, but he should have helped developing our young players more.

I got another frustration when I went to a shop to buy my food at the half time break.

Watching footy again, but we were unable to narrow the margin. Seeing being trailled by 30 points was hopeless, I thought. I expressed my frustrations to my friends through Facebook Messanger.

Then I went off to Saturday’s workplace and took my colleagues to the isolated changing room. Whilst walking, I found out the margin narrowed to 17 at 15-minute time at the last quarter. I believed it would be hard to beat the Suns.

At work, I switched positions one and half hours each from the front house to the fryer (cooking deep fried beef) to the assisting cook (serve some small plates, rice and miso soup).

These changes might bring good outcome at the end.

Finishing working nearly midnight, we went off to the isolated changing room and I found out we won through messages from friends. Then I checked the score and tuned in “Oh when the Saints go marching in” through the official club App.

My yelling as the excitement scared my colleagues, unfortunately. My passion of supporting the Saints with love never changes.

Sunday, June 17

I left home at 8.30 am to fix my glasses in Osaka and then to the footy club’s board meeting and to the footy training.

Having plenty of time in between optometrist and the board meeting, I watched the replay of the last quarter at a Starbucks cafe.

Former Saint Nick Dal Santo urged St Kilda needing to stop Sexton that Jack Steven couldn’t.

Clearance has been done by Jack Steven after Longer’s ruck work at the first bounce of the quarter.

The birthday boy Armitage’s kick wasted in the goal square (Happy 30th Birthday Armo)!

Then inability of taking a mark by Longer was the reflection of our poor ball handling.

And unfair decision making by umpires brought me more frustrations.

But joy replaced frustration. Long kicks starting by Billings towards Membrey, McCartin and then Battle were great. The 19-year-old took a good mark and scored a goal beautifully. He kicked with stretching his leg straight up. I must adopt his goal skills.

After Savage running and kicking long, Armo took a mark inside 50. But the birthday boy missed.

McCartin’s contested mark was hit his shoulder by Leslie. The number one draftee in 2014 was awarded a free kick and scored a goal with a banana kick.

Good attitudes were seen – Carlisle’s incept mark, Sinclair’s runs and bounces and three Saints chasing the ball. We never gave up. But sadly Carlisle had a groin problem.

As a player, I sometime sense soreness on groin as kicking hard.

Membrey took a mark but was pushed off. He was awarded a 50-metre penalty and did his job that narrowed the margin to 11 points behind.

Gresham was tackled but handballed well and McKenzie finished his job.

Fox Footy commentators mentioned audience about social media’s reactions. Richo has been said he should go at the third quarter, but it was lifted up.

Weller couldn’t take an opportunity at 52 metres out.

But it was not the end of the game.

A big battle of getting footy was occurred and Gresham picked and ran. He put us in front by a banana kick.

Richo raises his arm at the bench and St Kilda diehards were excited.

The final siren sounded and “Oh when the Saints go marching in” was played at the stadium.

Hours later, only four players turned up our weekly training. I was the only Japanese player to attend.

Three Australian blokes helped me improving kicking skills. They urged me to drop the ball and not pushing up. It was hard, but it was getting better. Kicking accuracy was the priority, and kicking distance was not the matter. It was another change.

Monday, June 18

It was the day to set a new working record. It was the first month I have been working at five different premises in the same month.

At the fifth restaurant, I had never been positioned at the fryer. It was the first time there, I cooked all deep fried beef while I was there.

Then off field task of the translation was done after work late at night.

By the way, you might have heard that the big earth quake hit the West Japan in the morning. It was a big one but I am safe, thanks god.

Tuesday, June 19

Staying up late in the previous night, I felt exhausted when waking up early in the morning. So I didn’t practise footy.

It was raining in the late afternoon. So I missed an opportunity to practise after work. I regret not having done in the morning.

My passions of and love affairs with footy are the same and big all the time.

GOLD COAST 4.2 9.7 11.12 11.12 (78)
ST KILDA 3.2 4.6 6.11 11.14 (80)

GOALS
Gold Coast: Lynch 3, Sexton 3, Holman 2, Ainsworth, Lemmens, Ah Chee
St Kilda: Battle 3, Membrey 2, McCartin 2, Gresham 2, Newnes, McKenzie

BEST
Gold Coast: Weller, Sexton, Lynch, Witts, Harbrow
St Kilda: Steven, Ross, Billings, Battle, Gresham

OUR VOTES
3. Battle (STK); 2. Gresham (STK); 1. Sexton (GC)

 

Official crowd: 10,181

 

See other articles by Yoshi, HERE.

About Yoshihiro Imagawa

Love, passion and pride are seen on the footy that is the biggest part of my life. 1. St Kilda Club member: I am a passionate and crazy Sainter. Just hope we will win the second flag soon, especially after Dogs and Tigers having ended long premiership draughts. 2. The Osaka Dingoes Player and Public Relations Officer: Player number 44 that I chose to honour Stephen Milne with my wish being like a small forward like him. Lenny Hayes' hardworking attitudes are adopted on my trainings and practices. Nick Riewoldt's great plays are in my player audiobook too. 3. Writing: Here on the Almanac and also on the World Footy News. My skills utilise on great footy websites.

Comments

  1. Jarrod_L says

    Well, it was more than frustrating from a personal view, but I’m happy that you’re happy Yoshi! You, Jen, Yvette and all the other diehard Sainters here on the Almanac deserve some good news!

  2. Cheers Jarrod! At the end, it was all good. Keeping patient was so hard. After the match, I read an article on the AFL App Richo never giving up the faith to his boys that is a good reminder I need to be faith and to hang in there. His patiences are so good. Hope we keep playing goid footy. Can’t wait visiting Melbourne again next month.

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