My sister Libby runs a family footy tip comp, with 30 people in it. We pay $25.00 each and we tip the year in advance, which is very efficient. Libby emails us two updates per season only, showing all participants’ results to date, and the last update is about R.16. She is incommunicado after that. So we have no idea of the results at season’s end.
The winner is announced at a boozy, noisy family Footy Tip function on Grand Final Eve.
This is the highlight of our footy season, and we are all jumping by Grand Final Eve.
The place-getters each have a poem read out about them, (last place then 3rd, 2nd, 1st) and their names are not revealed until the end of the poem. There are cash prizes too.
The comp has been running for about 15 years, there is even a Perpetual trophy. My name is on it, so is my son James’s name. Rivalry is pretty intense. Your result is a direct indication of your football acumen.
In years gone by I have blown it, always picking Carlton against rivals (mainly Essendon), and trying to pick upsets. More recently I am more methodical, head over heart. I want to win it again.
This year I scored 141 correct tips.
After R.21 I was leading by 1 point.
R.22 I scored 8 correct tips, but my closest rival scored 9!
I had tipped Carlton to beat Port (how wrong, we lost by 109 and I was even there to see it.
That was heart over head, first mistake.
Scores are level.
R23 my closest rival and I are neck and neck until the last game: Bulldogs v GWS.
I tipped Bulldogs, he tipped GWS.
Devon Smith of GWS kicks the winning goal with almost the last kick of the day.
I cannot believe it. How close was it?
James beat me by one lousy point on the last kick of the last game of the season!!
Two Smiths (me and James) separated by one kick by another Smith.
I’ve told James I’ll get him next year.
He tells me he will only be stronger then. Show-off.
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