Greetings Tipsters
Back around September ’97 Eddie Greenaway had some South Melbourne jumpers made, white wool with the red V and collar, I’ve worn that jumper to every Swans match since, including the ’05 Grand Final.
Eddie was the first bloke to ever publish my ramblings, so when he posts a link on FB about local football at Henson Park, I’m gonna pay attention.
Perky Girl and I got there just as a match had finished, so we went to the pub. The Henson Park Hotel has a glorious history as the home pub for Newtown Bluebags/Jets – oh lordy, this place must have gotten terribly messy thru the 1970s. It’s a little isolated amidst houses, a few years ago it was on the verge of closing.
I interviewed some Celibate Rifles in the backyard when it was pleasantly quiet and near broke. I’m glad it’s survived, but when Perky Girl and I took our schooners out the back on Saturday we were confronted with a crowd of families. “I can do without a cigarette” I said, “lets go back to the bar.”
It was a lovely afternoon, the right kinda light streaming in to a quiet old pub with yellow tiled walls. We strolled back to Henson Park to catch Syd Uni Colts v East Coast Eagles – said the website, but the scoreboard said ‘Thunder’ and they were wearing red with a few slashes of white. $4 for a can of Veeb and you can smoke on the hill
Thunder were pretty sharp and had obviously done a bit more training as a team. They knew where to kick, trusting a team mate to be there, they had a coupla quick fellas in the team who could mark and kick. But they couldn’t kick goals, the score read 9.17 to 9.1 late in the third. Uni had just enough size and grunt to keep in touch until the last, when Thunder’s skills got them ahead.
AFL on telly or Sydney League reserves live? No contest, I’d rather watch the kids, it was great. They weren’t fit enough to do the flood or the press, no, they ran and kicked, it was a wonderful style football, great to watch.
Seniors next, sun was setting, we’d dressed for a warm afternoon, not a chilly eve. Senior players were carrying a fair chunk of muscle and the first quarter was too much like the AFL.
We went home and watched the Swans grind North. How can a team featuring Lance Franklin, Lewis Jetta and all the rest, be so goldurned boring to watch? Next day we watched the Monaros ruin their chances for the game with some terrible set-shots and their chances for the season with a string of injuries to most everyone that counts.
It aint like we’ve blown our chance at a flag, that wasn’t gonna happen this year, there’s oppos for the youngsters, etc. Buckley’s 4&20s are looking like a seriously good team. But given the choice between watching a second string local game at an oval within easy walking distance or staying in to watch an AFL game on the teev, I’ll take the walk.
Cheers Tipsters
P&C, a Stop Privatisation Of Footy Production, a division of Trans-Dementia Inc.
Brought to you with the assistance of Friends Of Distinction 1969 album ‘Grazin’’
About Earl O'Neill
Freelance gardener, I've thousands of books, thousands of records, one fast motorcycle and one gorgeous smart funny sexy woman. Life's pretty darn neat.
Onya Earl. Are you telling me that the East Coast EAGLES have changed their name to “Thunder”? Peel Thunder in Perth are perennial cellar dwellers and the Dockers feeder team in the WAFL.
Its a disgrace. Orta be a Royal Commission.
Sad for the Monaros to lose big Mummy. Made me think about whose loss would cost us a finals spot. No doubt its big Josh Kennedy for us. The whole forward line revolves around him and his pressure is as important as his goal kicking.
Sometimes the best player is not the most important player to a team.