Round 2 – West Coast v St Kilda: Roads and Trips

Saturday, 1 April 2017
4:40 pm (9:40 am York, UK and 5:40 pm Kyoto)
Subiaco Oval, Perth

 

 

Roads and Trips is named as the big blockbuster played between Eagles and Saints for awareness of importance in road trips for footy clubs, tolerating life on the road and travels in general.

 

Road trips are often tough for footy clubs, especially non-Victorian clubs who are required to do more travelling. St Kilda have been struggling with winning at Subiaco. After the unexpected loss to Melbourne last week and terrible, lying journalism regarding with our great defender Sean Dempster, we have to overcome this big road trip.

 

I have been going through tough roads these days. The decision made by the British Immigration having allowed me to stay in the country for only four nights was really unexpected and upsetting. Saying goodbye for a while to my darling Katie was so painful for both of us. Many tough circumstances have been happening here in Japan after having had to leave UK, but I have to overcome and do hope to go back to York in August to be together with Katie.

 

Also the mighty Saints have been through tough times and are improving. Sadly, our great defender Sean Dempster has been dealing with health issues and reported negatively by some media. How a footy news breaker on CH 9 and a former Demon working on SEN and CH 9 presented audience really angered me and fellow Sainters. The match is to encourage all of us to stay positive and to strive to achieve goals, as well as to win the games for our boys.

 

What are trips meaning for my own setting blockbuster? Road trips are requirements on all AFL clubs and tough. But overcoming playing interstate games is essential. The Western Bulldogs have done in Perth, so why not us? Going on travels and seeing different worlds are good medicines for people in general and bring us great opportunities to learn and improve. I am happy having been to York because I have seen the historical English town and indeed met Katie in person. Katie started a new job at a railway holiday company at the beginning of the week. We both enjoyed the train trip from Manchester Airport to York. And I showed my passions of the railway to Katie at the National Railway Museum. Encouraging to travel, to see different world , to do good works and to be passionate are added to the blockbuster.

 

My passions of the railway had not been aware within myself and were seen obviously by Katie. She suggests me to try a railway signalling technician job for York and I agree. It would be a good opportunity to live and work in the UK. I hope my boys have the same passions at the game.

 

The mighty Saints fight well against West Coast and show hungers with attacking footy. Our best in making ball trips in the midfield by kicking and handballing is done on the footy field. Young small forward Gresham who is good at making swiftly ball trips scores the first goal in the game. Saints overcome the disadvantages of the Western Australia’s huge atmosphere.

 

And then our boys make remarks related to roads and trips including the road trips.

 

Soon after Gresham’s goal, the ball travels well towards St Kilda’s goal square. Paddy McCartin ends the journey by scoring a goal.

 

Our third goal is scored by Blake Acres who takes the road trip to his home state showing proud of Western Australian.

 

Luke Dunstan makes the fourth story. Thrown in ball from the boundary line is hit out by Tom Hickey. The young midfielder picks the ball and makes small road to swift and then scores a goal. “Dunstan recovers from the tough injury hit at the late last season and kicks a goal”, I make a note while following the game on ABC Grandstand.

 

Not only goals but also defense line write my story. Jake Carlisle overcomes tough roads of punishment (due to Essendon’s drug saga) and help us defending. He blocks Eagles’ strong forwards. No Josh Kennedy show until the last quarter.

 

Then Maverick Weller follows. Weller seems to get afresh on the road trip. He pays back his debt made last week whilst playing against Dees.
At the second quarter, we allow Eagles to kick the first goal in the quarter. But our road stories are back. Billings turning over at the centre wing and kicking towards the forward line, Weller catches and handballs. Membrey picks the ball and kicks towards our goal square. After the attempt to take a mark, McCartin drops the ball but picks on his own and ends the great ball trip by scoring a goal. My thoughts on the young tall forwards are described as “The young Paddy’s roads are not easy as he has got concussions, but he is talented and has big roads towards his bright future.”

 

The footy roads cannot be built without veterans. Leigh “Joey” Montagna becomes the second hero in the second quarter. Wellingham’s handball towards his fellow defender is cut by Montagna and kicks with his foot in the English football style. Indeed the ball travels straight towards the goal post. At the beginning of the season, Joey also has gone trough tough roads missing all preseason matches and Round One. He rebuilds his loyal roads with us.

 

At the last two quarters, young guns score goals and I remember they have arrived at the club from the Harbour City (Sydney). Josh Bruce and Tim Membrey make the road trips from Sydney to join us. Their main responsibility is ending the ball trips towards our goal posts.

 

And another young small forward Jack Lonie also kicks a goal showing us he is one of stars building our bright roads towards our second flag.
During the match, I am hearing radio commentators saying ‘St Kilda’s way’ repeatedly. We are playing well.

 

But our roads to win are not easy at the last quarter. The defense line cannot keep energy. Kennedy finally fires up making the score level.

 

Ball trip shows once come back, but McCartin only has a minor score.
One of road trip makers from Sydney, Bruce is helping the ruck. But the ball travels to the wrong way. Josh Hill takes a mark and scores a goal. Sadly, West Coast are in front.

 

St Kilda cannot take back advantages to build the roads on the footy field towards getting four premiership points. At the last several minutes, the live stream is on the supporters’ Facebook page. I only see inaccurate kicks. We just need to follow the straight road.

 

But the final siren sounds and we lose by 19 points that we credit at the first break.

 

Loss is a loss. But we play well. Sadly we have an Owen, but are improving and building the better roads.

 

One more positive news is Dylan Roberton plays well in the defense line minimising the opponent’s scores. Traded from Fremantle, Roberton goes on the road trip to show his teammates how to play in his former home ground. He is the Sainter of the day at Round 2.

 

Sadly in the post match, I hear that the three times Trevor Backer’s Award (club’s best and fairest) winner, Jack Steven has got punctured lung and been hospitalised in Perth. Also Steven has been ruled out in the Round 3 against Brisbane. His shining career road is not straight and he needs a break, but he will resume on going through the positive roads again soon.

 

Next week, St Kilda are playing Brisbane at Docklands. I really hope our roads will be towards to the summit (winning the second flag in a few years). And meanwhile I hope I will be back on the track working hard and saving money to get a one-way on my own road trip ticket to York. I need to remind myself I feel sentiments being here in Kyoto on my own and missing Katie that brings my wet eyes.

 

Stand up and get started to the positive future. Roads are bright and positive for all of us.

 

WEST COAST 4.0 8.3 13.5 18.8 (116)
ST KILDA 6.7 8.12 12.17 13.19 (97)

 

GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy 4, Hill 3, Shuey 2, Darling 2, Masten 2, Cripps, LeCras, Giles, Priddis, Vardy.
St Kilda: McCartin 2, Lonie 2, Bruce 2, Weller 2, Membrey, Gresham, Montagna, Acres, Dunstan.

BEST
West Coast: Shuey, Gaff, Yeo, Masten, Priddis, Kennedy.
St Kilda: Hickey, Dunstan, Ross, Brown, Gilbert, Montagna.

 

OUR VOTES
Yeo (WCE 3), Dunstan (STK 2), Hickey (STK 1)

Umpires: Donlon, O’Gorman, Harris

Crowd: 37,749