Round 10 – Richmond v Brisbane: Tuesday Night Football in the heart of the Footy Hub – Beware the Tigers in the wilds of Carrara

 

So, it was another ordinary day except that tonight the Tigers would be on the box playing against the Lions in the wilds of Carrara – too bad it wasn’t at the Gabba – because apparently it was a Richmond home game!!!
Having a day off from teaching at school, I visited my kind dentist who was to do some work for a few hours that couldn’t be done over the past year in the wilds of the Northern Arctic of Canada.

 

My dentist mate commented on my Richmond cap sitting in the corner on the chair as I eased back into yet another session of dental bliss. I responded that tonight the Tigers would continue the tradition of thumping the Brisbane Lions. He replied, “Hey, but it’s Tuesday.”

 

I excitedly went with, “ Welcome to festival of football!!”

Fast forward to the end of the day in question, my body rested and mouth sore as I got ready to watch the game after a late afternoon nap. I flicked on the Tele to see the Lions in front by two goals – “What, they’ve started early… but…. its only ten past seven….”

 

“Oh man,” I sigh to myself. “Gee, the Lions have started well,” looking at the corner scoreboard after ten minutes.

 

Thinking pre-emptively of the ribbing I would receive from all at sundry back at school the next day in the Queensland winter sun, I then settled in, doing some school preparation for the lessons ahead, with the TV for company. I then looked up and, few minutes later and before you could literally blink, Lynch was lining up and the Tiges were in the lead.

 

I then put down the work at hand and just watched as the Richmond machine clicked into gear – the run and carry, the defenders pressing the Lions’ forwards, the relentless forward pressure causing kick errors from even guns like the Zork and Neale. The Tigers young guns such as Aarts and Bolton running amuck with Cotch throwing himself into the packs, Pickett doing lazy 360s and kicking accurately and thumping handballs in close in traffic.

 

Then the ‘rolled gold and black’ class clicked into gear …. consisting of Lynch, Dusty, Grimes bravely leading by example, all of them just exemplifying the Tigers (around this time of year for the last three), regaining their “mojo” even without Prestia, Nank, Astbury, Houli, Edwards, Rioli – et al.

 

For me as the isolated Arctic Tiger returned to the land of the Banana, this was the first time since I’ve been back in the country that I was seeing some of the trademark Tiger’s flair and run coupled with uncomplicated toughness at the ball.

 

Halfway through the third quarter in ‘real time’, I sent a text to a fellow teacher who is  a mad Lions fan. I typed “Go Tiges!”

 

He then replied quickly,  “Hi mate, I’ve been at soccer training,  I’ve just started watching on my Fox replay.”

 

I laughed back as I said via a joyful SMS, “Enjoy the first ten minutes (that I had ironically missed!) and then you may as well go to bed!!.”

 

I slept well and, as I write this report a day later, I thoroughly enjoyed my day back at school today, proudly wearing my mighty Tiges cap.

 

Image by Nick Howson

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