Almanac Footy: What Finals Take

 

What Finals Take

 

We didn’t make finals this year in the ones or reserves. As a senior member of the playing list, I thought I’d write the boys a message…

 

Lads. For what it’s worth…

 

I try to time my season and training so my body is at its match peek for finals. That’s why I trained the last two Tuesdays. And did a bit extra on Thursday nights. Even though we are not playing finals, because I desperately want to play finals. Even at this age. I have a hunger for it. To walk tall, down any street, knowing I am a finals player, in a finals team full of finals players. That hunger is what it takes.

 

Every year we don’t make finals I go to watch the local finals, even though it makes me insanely jealous, if not angry. I go BECAUSE it makes me insanely jealous. It stokes the fire to play finals. To be my best. To work to be my best.

 

I still have a light run on Thursdays, even though I have an insanely busy life, and parenthood and work coming out of my wazoo. Because, if we were playing finals, we would be gagging to get to training this week. We would still have a month of excitedly living, breathing, talking football. Loving footy. BEING footy. That is what it takes.

 

I love being around you blokes, calling you my mates. That’s is also what it takes. When the year is over, I miss yas. That is what it takes. It’s how you play that bit extra, give that bit more. For your mates.

 

This Thursday, even though I am stupid busy, I am driving the 50 minutes from work in the bush to have a light run, then a counter meal at the Gelli pub, because I am dreaming of finals. Because not making them and shrugging the shoulders is not good enough. Even at my age. It’s not good enough. Because one or two of you just might be there. Stew, Burner, Corey, Reegs, Ewie. Or not. I’ll go solo. No surrender.

 

I will take my girl to support the netballers in finals, because, even though they are kids, they are from my club and in finals and I am glad for them and insanely jealous of them. Because that finals spirit will be in the air. Maybe I’ll be able to breath some of it in.

 

I would be there if we were in finals anyway. That is how long a season should run. How my season is planned out. Commitment to task. Finals.

 

I hope to see a few of you supporting the girls on Thursday night, because that’s how you build a club you want to play for. I hope to see a few of you at the Gelli pub, because that’s how you become mates. I hope to see a few of you at the finals at some stage, or that you go to local finals near you. I hope you are as jealous as all hell when you do. BURNING jealous! Angry jealous.

 

Because that’s what it takes.

 

 

Read more from Matt Zurbo HERE.

 

 

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Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

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