Round 22 – Richmond v St. Kilda: Kalyekeh versus Kalyekeh

186. Round 22: Richmond v St Kilda

MCG

Saturday August 20^th 2016, 2.20pm

Kalyekeh versus Kalyekeh

(Definition of Kalyekeh: anybody not good at their craft or sport.)

It had been a great week.  I was back home in Melbourne.  I had babysat my 14-month-old recruited granddaughter the day after arriving, followed by hosting my good friend D from San Francisco and her husband and two children for two nights.  I had cooked up a Friday night dinner like there was no tomorrow, to feed the masses. Washing clothes and dishes, unpacking, eating. Looking after others and myself.

 

Come Saturday, it was all about getting out and about. Spurred on by my enjoyment of Pokémon Go, I took a different way into the MCG.  Heading down to a tram, and walking longer to get some exercise, and then leaving from Elsternwick Station.  I was rugged up, with my pre-order Pride Saints scarf now firmly ensconced around my neck.  The rainbow colours, and my Saints emblem, both make me smile heaps. Saints rucksack on my back.  Change of shoes for going out in the evening. And a day where the sun played hide and seek but was generally in a good mood.

 

I love exiting at Richmond, and catching Pokémon sees me slower than usual, leaving the platform after all others had marched on. I enjoyed the change.  Not just rushing to the ground to meet Uncle Bob, but strolling along, noticing everything around in the real world as well as my enhanced digital one.  I was catching all sorts of goodies, and noticing others doing the same.  I used the time I’d normally stand waiting to keep moving and playing. I am also taking heaps of photographs for my 365-day challenge.

 

It was lovely to see Uncle Bob.  Between his travels and mine, there have  been fewer games together this year. Five weeks since we enjoyed a game in each other’s company. Gary was working, so it would be just Bob, Rina and I. And the fourth level of the MCG amongst the Moorabbin Wingers.  Some were near the cheer squad, and some were way up high.

 

Rina would be joining us later, so we early birds headed through the tightened security.  We must have looked stuffed, because a member of staff kindly pointed us towards the lift that would take us up three flights.  We gratefully accepted the presumption that the stairs were too much, and climbed one set with ease.  Unfortunately, third floor was the AFL member’s area, and once through to the steps there was no going back down the elevator to meet with Rina.  But going down is way easier than trudging up.

 

On the wing, with terrific views, the day turned out much better than we’d anticipated.  Going to the G, you have to thinking rain and cold. Thankfully, we only had the latter to worry about.  Once I’d collected Rina (and come back up the lift) it was all attention on the footy.

 

What a weird game. Braham Dabscheck wrote a brilliant analysis. I just got the word ‘kalyekeh’ in my head. It was a comedy/sports events of great proportions and a wonder that any goals got kicked at all. Some other words came to mind: ridiculous, hilarious, comical. Monty Python-esque. Added to the comedy, there was a tiger’s roar every time they got a goal, which were only 6.  We weren’t much better, with only 7. Saints missed 13, and Tiges 10.  It may have been windy and blowy down there, and it made for a silly game.

 

McCartin was terrific before he hurt himself in a tackle, and it kind of went haywire after that.  Down one rotation, and sloppiness in front of both sets of goals, saw fans pray more than spray.

 

Snuggled together and warm, we just enjoyed being out for the day. The footy was just an added extra (laugh).  Even the Moorabbin Wing chanting was down to one guy and a kid egging him on.  I tried to join in with the chanting, but there really wasn’t much of it to be had.

 

Perhaps the sun was in the players’ eyes as it was in ours.  And it was a win, making the Saints record quite OK this year, a big improvement on the last few.

 

Rina and Bob headed back to the Station after the game, and I walked, taking my time again, to Jeff’s Shed.  My sister and my son and I were all going to see Beatles Back-to-Back, and I had all the time in the world to enjoy victory, Pokémon, fabulous sunset photos of city buildings, other crazy people playing the game, and a great dinner at Wharf Hotel which happened to be a sports bar with live music, great food, table tennis table and footy on the TV.

 

And to top the night off, there was Beatles music to be had with Russell Morris, Kav Temperley, Jack Jones and Jon Allen and a full backing of strings, wind instruments, drums, guitars, piano and everything else at hand. Seated up high (for the second time in the day), rocking away to Sgt Peppers and Abbey Road, made it a good day all around.

 

(Dear ED, there is such thing as red, white and black Pokémon and I caught one later in the week. How could you doubt.)