by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rocket
It was great to have our boys play in the Grand Final. It was exciting to be involved. Everyone in the club was determined to enjoy it – and enjoy it we did. The elephant in the (locker) room was the absence through injuries and unavailability of some of our very best players – but Coach Free was having no excuses – and the players ran out fiercely determined to acquit themselves well. And they did.
Alas they ran into a sand storm in the first quarter and the Heat were on fire – kicking with the aid of a strong wind – they kicked 6 goals 4 to our 1.1 to set up a commanding lead. Even with the breeze in the second term we couldn’t make any head-way and were down by 9 goals at half-time.
A good old-fashioned half-time address from Coach Free that focused on playing for your mates and pride in the guernsey produced a second-half comeback of sorts that saw the Falcons take the game right up to the Heat in the third quarter to almost outscore them against the breeze and then to “win” the last quarter.
All players in the squad had a run and it was great to see Bogan charging through packs like a bolt of supercharged lightning and Drac attacking the ball like an Apache with a boil on his bum while Troy Patterson was slippery than an eel in the shower in the forward pocket.
Players to stand out stood out like daffodils in a manure pit on the day were:
Nathan Pirouet – who won more kicks than a tap dancing centipede and took more marks than a school desk in Harlem – a most deserved winner of the Etihad Airlines award for the Falcons’ man-of-the match
Dan Brooke – whose agility and elusiveness makes Lionel Messi look like knocked-kneed statue stood out like a beacon in attack
Mick Molnar – is that tough he won’t allow a dog a drink from a mirage turned in a performance that would induce the opposition coach to name his first ulcer after him
Brett Bowman – was almost as impenetrable as a 12th century chastity belt in defence.
Well done to coach Peter Free, his assistant Steve Watson and all the players on making the grand final and for a fine season. Many thanks to club president Jay Mears and the lovely Clare for all their great work behind the scenes that makes the club work with the unerring precision of a Rolls Royce. Also many thanks to our sponsors – Etihad Airways, Emirates Aluminum, DLA Piper, Go-Gulf, Champion Technologies, Insight Engineering, and SNC Lavalin / Worley Parsons Inc. Your support is much appreciated.
It’s been a wonderful season for the Falcons. But as General Custer said at the battle of Little Big Horn, “I think we’ll see a completely different team out there next season”.
Final scores:
Dubai Heat 6.4.40 11.5.71 15.8.98 16.11.107
Abu Dhabi 1.1.7 2.5.17 6.7.43 7.11.53
Goal kickers:
Abu Dhabi: D. Brooke 3, T. Mitchell, J. Lennon, M. Deverall
Abu Dhabi: N.Pirouet, D. Brooke, M. Molnar
Played at The Sevens, Dubai on Friday 19 March 2010
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