By Steve Healy
What a great night this was.
As I stepped into the Clyde Hotel on Thursday, I was excited about meeting a group of people I knew so well but I had never met before, a group of people with one common link: footy. I walk inside, a pool table or two, a cigarette machine and many people surround me. I am greeted by Pamela Sherpa, a nice lady who barracks for Essendon as well as JTH himself, who catches me and says: “You must be Steve”.
I look around and see Josh Barnstable from Waaia, my Roos-supporting friend I had talked to many times before online, but never actually met in real life. He dons the ‘Argentina’ North Melbourne jumper and doesn’t cop any criticism (not that I saw, anyway). We shake hands and nervously talk to each other. I was texting Josh frantically on my way to the launch; he was sending me ones back like this:
Alright. Hurry up and break the ice lol i wanna talk to her but cant… come see me when u get here.
He was referring to Almanacker Danielle Eid, a 17-year-old Collingwood supporter with the right amount of teeth. She sits at the other side of the room, and I give her a stare.
I talk to my Dad, before I hear a voice from behind me: “Guess who I am?” says the voice. I turn around. Short, balding, familiar looking and 40-something. “Gigs”, I reply. He tells me an anagram of ‘Stealing Picasso’ and when I ask why he isn’t wearing his Bulldogs jumper he says he’s wearing it at heart. I had taken an interest in Gigs’ statistical knowledge throughout the season, he had done the same with me.
The conversation starts to flow a bit more when a Carlton supporter comes up to me and Josh. I know who it is, despite never before seeing him in my life. “Hi Damo”, I say. Damian Watson, 15-year-old Carlton supporter, good friend and Almanacker. Four of the Fab 5 had arrived. Michael Allan was still to come. Without having much to do or talk about, we decide it is time to have a kick with Josh’s footy in the alleyway next to the pub outside. I go up to Danni to ask her if she wants to have a kick but she says that she is not wearing the appropriate footwear. Very funny, I think.
On our way outside we notice that Michael has just entered the building, wearing Andrew Collins’ number 42 Guernsey proudly. He joins us as we partake in a kick-to-kick, which eventually turns into a handball-to-handball which seems to be more suitable for the dimensions of space. There’s not much talk, but we seem to be having fun. Josh and Damo handball and kick fluently, Michael looks a bit rustier but he’s still hitting the target. The activity slows to a halt when a car comes zooming into the alley, ruining our game as the woman screams at us from the driver’s seat. We sense that it’s time to go back, but I couldn’t help imagining how strange we would have looked from on-lookers. Four 15-16 year old boys in different team colours, handballing a signed ball in an alleyway next to a pub.
When we go back in, we have a five-way conversation with Danni included, a difficult one at that since none of us can hear each other properly. Anson Cameron (the launcher), John Harms and Paul Daffey deliver the goods, Anson’s use of swear words really got the audience hooked.
The Fab 5 pass around each other’s books and sign them, writing funny messages and writing a different thing on every book. Danni leaves early to “study”. I talk to Mark Freeman, the only other guy at the launch who was wearing a Demons jumper; number 36 was on the back. I realise he’s the same guy who writes reports on every racing event in Victoria.
Disaster strikes when I’m eating dinner with my Dad, Michael has lost the footy while kicking with Josh and Damo. Damo goes home, while Michael, Josh and I look for the footy. It’s hard to get – it’s on a balcony that is lined with prickly bushes. I squeeze through a fence in order to get it, as does Michael but I think it would’ve been a bit more of a challenge for Josh. It’s getting dark so it’s a hard task to find it. I give up and realise that I’m at the foot of apartment windows.
We return and I look in one of my Almanac’s and realise that Gigs had called David Zaharakis “Mark” Zaharakis in his season review, so me, Josh and Michael go up to him and tell him off. I talk to Michael and his Mum, and shortly after I’m the only remaining member of the Fab 5.
As I head home, I receive a text from Josh saying that we should all meet up at a match next year. I try to answer back but I’m out of credit.
What a great idea.
yay for my non-sensible footwear!
once again steve, great write-up! :)
jst got back from the movies.
New Moon was AWESOME,
team JACOB!!!
LUKE Ball has refused to meet with Melbourne ahead of the draft, but the Demons may recruit him regardless.
lmaoo STEVE
Lol if he refuses, he is out of the AFL for 23 months
LOL hes jst dying to get into a Collingwood jumper that Luke Ball!!
LIKE hes so determined that he wont even meet with other teams, which i think isnt very professional.
Yeah he should be happy that a team like Melbourne is so eager to pick him, my thoughts on Ball have gone down after that bit of news.
ohh ive found another pretty much older than me celeb.
Manu Feildel!! omggggggg hes gorgeous!
:)
add him to the list of Firth, Federer.
its funny though josh, cos everyone always baggs collingwood and then u get players like Jolly and Ball that are dying to go there.
makes you think eyy??
Manu who??
Well if i could pick a club to play for, it would be Collingwood because of the really good facilities and popularity. But then, i would never play for Collingwood at the same time.
FEILDEL!!
hes a chef, AND HES FRENCH!!
OMGG hes soo cute!! :)
he my cooking husband that makes me chocolate cakes!! :)
lol josh, well atleast the first part you said was nice.
Lol right. By the way, what do you think of Andre Rieu?? Some people i know thing he is the bomb, i tend to disagree lol
*That should be THINK he is the bomb*
OMFG i just learnt some shocking news. The Roos promised Brent Harvey that they would draft his brother Shane to the Roos. S. Harvey played 3 games for the Roos, the player that they could have gotten instead of Harvey was Aaron Davey!
yes id admire his mad violin skills!!
ive always wanted to learn violin, never got around to it! lol
is shane harvey pretty?
omgggg im so excited!!
jst got a letter in the mail telling me that i got all my subject that i picked for next year!!!
media
history
english
bussiness management
religion2
lit
:)
YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got my classes for next year a couple of weeks ago. They give it to us at school.
S. Harvey is a ranga
LOL as in RANGGAAAAA!!!!!! or Ranga?
ill bet hes not as pretty as Michael! :P
yeah i think wed and thurs are transition for me which means i begin year 12 as of WED!!!
im scared!! :(
Lol i have 10 days left of school, plus a day where we either go to Shepp to the movies or to Melbourne to science works.
Talk later, im going for a run
OK Fab 5, here’s your next mission.
Brissie had Voss, Black, Power, Aker and Lappin.
Which of you fits those roles?
hhmmm thats a tough one-
id say
Luke power- steve cos steve will grow to look sorta like him..i think!
Simon black- me cos I have BLACK hair
Michael Voss- Mikey cos voss is sorta rangga
Aker- Joshy, I have no idea why
Lappin- Damo cos of the whole Italian thing, wait is Lappin Italian??
Power- Me because we both have curly hair and i sort of try and play like Power when playing footy.
Black- Damo because he seemed like a good player and knows everything about everything lol
Voss- Michael because he is the leader of the Fab 5 lol
Aker- Steve because he is a bit of a smartarse and they are both blonde lol and he can be cocky :P
Lappin- Danni, quite but deadly haha
Power- Michael, they look sort of similiar.
Black- Danni, black hair
Voss- Damo because he has the knowledge and leadership qualities
Aker- Josh, can be a bit of a smartarse as well and he’s in to dying his hair.
Lappin- Guess that leaves Lappin for me, dunno how I’m like Lappin though.
By the way, I hope Luke Ball agrees to go to the Dees. He is acting like an immature baby.
Lol everyone has diff ideas to which member is most like the bris player!
Nahhh Vossy had to be Mikey!! Cos Voss can be rangga!!
And also, I’ll be hovering on and off the Almanac website, I’ve gotta study for my exams tomorrow.
English and Geography exams tomorrow- oh well at least I’ll get to go home at 1:10
Lappin- Danni, quite but deadly??
lmaoo so that means im also PRESTI!!
Lol yeah, Lappin was one of my favourite players before he broke his leg and ended his career.
Early finishes?? Wish i had exams!
Yep, I finish tomorrow at 1:10, wednesday at 1:10, Thursday at 12:40 and Friday at 10:40.
On wednesday I should be finishing at 10:40 though it’s unfair I have to spend an hour and a half doing nothing just cos I do art instead of media or Drama
omg!!!!!!!!! :(
A PRISON guard has been suspended and may face criminal charges for allegedly shooting dead a wallaby during firearms training.
Oh no, that might’ve been my wallaby!
steve, im gonna cryy!!
a cute little innocent wallabyyy!!!!
:(
:(
R.I.P Steves wallaby
stevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeee!!!
*sob sob**
:(
:(
:(
It was a good wallaby, it lived a proud life on the hills of Camp Howqua.
……..
:(
*cries*
:(
“steveeeee!!” :(
I have a beep test tomorrow, cant wait
ohh god!!
i hate beep-tests!
i cant get past level 6!!
Hey Guys,
I probably won’t be on again until Friday.
Josh, before he went to the Demons didn’t Aaron Davey play for North’s VFL side at the time Port Melbourne?
Where was this shooting Danni?
I like em, as weird as it sounds i like running myself to exhaustion.
I wouldnt know Damo, i didnt really know much about footy back then.
Status – writing a new piece for the Almanac
By the way I usually reach around the Level 10-11 mark in beep tests. You guys could probably beat that.
i dunno damo..i dont wanna read anymore :(
omgg schoolies has started BIMBO ALERT
God help the police in QLD!!!
If i ever do schoolies, im gonna do it in Waaia
lmaoo ive alreadly planned not to go with my friends. think about it this way, everyone else will be in QLD levaing the whole city of Melbourne free for us, during which we will stay at hotels, go shopping, themeparks ect.
Manu is hot… That is all.
yeah, Aaron Davey did play for Port Melbourne.
I don’t think i’ll do schoolies.
Do you still use that old excersise bike you have stashed in the spare room Hayley??
conversation has stopped.
What’s this piece that you’re doing Josh?
My most memorable moment in footy. Gigs said he would put up my Launch report tonight, he also commented on the photo on facebook that you tagged him in lol
lol ok
Im off now, goodnight
oh ok goodnight Josh.
lol me and Hayley have good taste in dudes!! :)
have fun studying steve!!
night all :)