By Anthea Abell
It’s happened again. Every year I swear I won’t get involved because it always happens. All it takes is one week of forgetting and it’s all over.
Two weeks ago I forgot to put my tips in. It was a crazy day at the office and I ignored the email reminder sent amid a barrage of work-related cyber post. I had a cider open on my desk at a minute past six and I didn’t leave for home for quite some time after that. When I finally flopped on the couch and flicked on the TV I saw my beloved Pies being trounced, and that’s when the realisation that I’d missed the tipping cut-off hit me. In true Collingwood-supporter-defeatist-style, I decided that some English crime drama with no commercials was the way to go and gave up on my team and my tipping.
Monday morning arrived and I had not paid attention to the scores all weekend; the results email greeted me when I got work. But there was a miracle contained within its hyperlink. I had managed to pick five winners without picking at all! A weekend of upsets meant that by forgetting I had fared better than the well-considered picks of most of my colleagues.
I had dodged the tipping bullet and saw that my name was still within the top 10. This year was the year I was going to make it through the whole season. I swore a silent oath to Peter Daicos and was even cocky enough to declare that in Round 10 I would pick all eight winners. After all, the gods of AFL were obviously smiling on me.
But just like my beloved Pies, I bottled it when it mattered again and Round 10 commenced without my tips. Even worse was that I planned to tip to Richmond. Even worse was that I had to watch the Maggies lose. Even worse was that my score of one sent me plummeting to the bottom of the tipping table.
Staring down the barrel of Round 11 I half-heartedly put my tips in on Thursday. Part of me wanted to give up for the rest of the season like I normally do. I can’t even be bothered working out that if I manage to tip eight for every round until the finals can I still possibly win the entire competition? At this stage I would settle for picking eight just once. That $20 prize would restore my faith and make me think that the $30 I paid to enter was worth it.
Like my beloved Pies I know I shouldn’t give up, that anything can happen; it is footy after all. And so far, so good, this weekend I’m one for one.
Anthea
The way I’m tipping this season, I should have adopted your strategy from round 1.
Away games would have been better. :(
Finally tipped 8! I can forgot for the rest of the season now…