Round 11 – St Kilda v North Melbourne: A day in the life!
On goes the Saints polo and cap – into the car. Choices: station or drive into the city and hope to get a park close to the ground.
I decide it won’t be much of a crowd so parking will be easy. How wrong was I!
I arrive over an hour before start time and find car parking is at a premium. Plenty of cars cruising the West Melbourne streets looking for a space. I waste too much time looking close to the stadium. I eventually wake up to the fact there seems to be a good crowd in attendance and despite Steve Price’s assertions in the Saturday Hun Melbourne is alive and well and her streets are full of people going about having fun in the city on a cold but sunny Sunday and many have driven in and are happily parked in the city precincts.
I find a spot further out than I intended but it is indeed a glorious day and a walk is good for me.
After 15 minutes I arrive at Gate 5, it’s where my ticket leads me. This time I have been allocated seat T15 in row 32 which I find right at the back of the lower level. I am surrounded by Saints supporters although a group of North supporters seem to be dwelling in standing room immediately behind me.
I decide to grab something to eat and am happy to pay $13.50 for two very small pieces of chicken and chips.
I don’t even bother going to the Victory room. It is for a start completely over the other side of the ground. I also know it will be full of Saints supporters. I also know any vacant seats will be draped with bags, scarves and anything else to prevent anyone other than expected friends from sitting. As you walk around looking for a friendly face the closer you get to the saved seats the stares become increasingly belligerent. I check to see whether I have opposition colours on but no I am in full Saints regalia. I am wearing a mask though and in the 99% unmasked room I am very unusual.
I am not the opposition and I am sure I wouldn’t want to be in the Victory room. My membership entitles me to be there but not sure it’s for me.
As I wait for the game to start, I find I am more nervous than usual. We should win this but North should turn up to play after the week’s events. I see this as a danger game but as I am in my 72nd year of going to Saints games I have learned to expect the unexpected.
The Saints marching band marches in with the accompanying noise and fanfare and I realise my phone is ringing far too late to answer it.
I find a quiet place, not easily, to check all is well at home. Our Granddaughter has joined Auskick and needs a Saints jumper. It needed to be a long sleeved toddler size 4 or a sleeveless junior size 6.
I find the Saints shop and stare forlornly at the substantial queues. We must be doing well, everyone wants a beanie, hat, polo or jumper. Kids, adults. I wonder who isn’t in the queue. Maybe this is all the people whose seats are being saved in the Victory room.
Faced with this mayhem I take a place in the queue. My turn finally comes as game time inches closer. No toddler size 4, sold out. No sleeveless junior size 6 sold out, but wait you can have an Indigenous round jumper size 6.
I prevaricate momentarily. The server has no time for this old geezer’s prevarication. It seems I have disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
I need to make a phone call to my son to check the indigenous jumper is ok for Auskick. It is a special jumper and it seems its really exciting to have it. Its also a special price $90. My advice is yes buy it Dad!
I get back in the queue. It was even longer and Welcome to Country was about to start. It will have to wait till quarter time. I don’t want to miss this and I wasn’t disappointed. Nicky Winmar, what a champion. All our Indigenous players accompanying Captain for the day Tim Membrey for the toss was something special and then all the North and Saints Indigenous players getting together and embracing was a moving moment of togetherness. I am really impressed with it.
The first quarter is hard and tough for the first 20 minutes. Make no mistake North have come to play. The footy is hard and uncompromising. The Saints break it open by quarter’s end but it has been tough footy. North will win games if they can repeat this type of pressure. They have been very competitive they are making it hard for the Saints.
I go back to the shop at quarter time. There are long queues but no science to them now, just aimless milling hoping for service quickly. The servers have no idea who is next. I have remained invisible since my first visit. Some are served in front of me who push in from the rear. I am the size of Alan Morrow (sorry to revert to yesteryear) so not to be missed but here I am hopelessly looking about hoping to be seen. The 2nd quarter is about to start and I am pretty unhappy.
I ask for the Indigenous jumper in kid’s size 6. They are in a rush, grab one from the cupboard hastily bag it and I am charged the $90. I get back to my seat as the ball is bounced.
The Saints have all the play in the 2nd quarter but cant buy a goal. The pressure from both sides is fierce. The Saints are in control but not converting. North cant get any flow going either. It is a frustrating quarter for both teams. On reflection the pressure and competitiveness is through the roof.
At some time during a lull I look at my purchase. It’s a size 8. No! I have to go back to the shop at half time. It does say extra small maybe I shouldn’t bother but I know I have to.
At half time we are on top but not enough to quell my sense of unease which has been with me all week. Ratts thinks it’s a danger game, so do I. We haven’t done enough and North keep trying, they are on top in many key stats.
I go back to the store stand in the queue awaiting my turn. When I get to the front I notice that the stock has diminished. The merchandise is popular the Saints must be doing well. I ask for a size 6 rather than a size 8. It seems they never had size 6s only size 8s. It will have to do. I decide enough is enough and walk away. It will fit her for just that little longer in her Auskick career.
The third quarter began. As I look around the Saints faithful seem far more relaxed than me. I stay relatively quiet these days. Gone are the days I verbally interact with opposition supporters but the North supporters in standing room behind are that little annoying. A run of goals from the Saints quieten any noise from the rear. I wouldn’t have reacted anyway. Things have turned full circle since mate Simon would have to tell me to Settle! Settle!
The highlight of the term was the Wanganeen Milera pass to King on the lead. A perfect example of Australian footy at its best.
The third quarter put an end to Norths brave fight. It was all over at three quarter time. The last quarter saw North do a bit and the Saints a little more.
Highlights: Wilkie and his intercept marking
Sinclair and Hill in complete control across half back.
Mitch Owen’s hardness at the ball. Ten tackles to three quarter time.
Seb Ross in career-best form
Gresh and his continuing improvement.
Long’s hardness at the ball. His bump on McDonald as fair and as hard as any seen all year.
Best: Sinclair, Gresham, Hill, Ross, King, Wilkie with apologies to so many others.
ST KILDA 5.2 6.5 12.7 16.7 (103)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.2 2.3 4.4 7.8 (50)
GOALS
St Kilda: King 3, Owens 2, Membrey 2, Gresham 2, McKenzie, Ross, Ryder, Sharman, Windhager, Hill, Marshall
North Melbourne: Goldstein 2, Zurhaar, Ziebell, Anderson, Curtis, Simpkin
BEST
St Kilda: Sinclair, Ross, Hill, Gresham, Wilkie
North Melbourne: Anderson, Simpkin, McDonald, Goldstein, Ziebell
INJURIES
St Kilda: None
North Melbourne: None
SUBSTITUTES
St Kilda: Ryan Byrnes (unused)
North Melbourne: Josh Mahony (unused)
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