I have said this before but I will say it again; a new season is like getting a new girl friend. You get all excited and you have no idea how it will turn out. I have already divorced Brisbane this season and it was with eager boyish enthusiasm that I travelled down Punt Road to Garry Smorgan Oval to watch the Roys take on AJAX in B Grade.
It was great to see all the old crew. You know I get more kisses at the first game than I do at a family reunion. Joan, Wendy, Val and the rest of the pretty crew of ladies that form half of our support all demanded some attention. They were all excited, not by me it must be said, but the hope encapsulated by another season of our footy club.
The Twos had a good win, motoring away from AJAX in the second half. Parko looked the goods and with two games under his belt he will be in the Ones next week. Young Julian Turner turned it on in the last quarter taking several pack marks. The Twos have won twenty odd games in a row.
For those of you reading this who have never made the trip to Smorgan Oval the AJAX ground is just ugly. The Grand Prix takes over one half of the ground so there is no landscaping or trees up one side of the ground. This boundary on this side takes a dogleg of about twenty yards to avoid the areas that are completely bare of grass. The ground has no home feel to it. The wind howls through the Lake side precinct making this ground the only rival to that ground out west where PEGS play. I must admit we have never won a game at AJAX so I may be biased
Brian, the Tram Conductors (TC) resident football guru, said that our single goal must be to stay up in B Grade. The rest of the Tram Conductors arrived before the first bounce and it took about twelve minutes before the Tram Conductors contribution to the Roys started. Matty Kyroussis scored a goal from the pocket when he heeded this Dad’s advice to “put her up in the air, son.”
However by quarter time the romance of the season was over. I wanted to be single again. The scores were AJAX three five to Fitzroy one three. Only one single goal; not disastrous you might think, but we were kicking with a five goal breeze.
I refuse to say anything about the second quarter except to say we only scored a single point. By this stage I wanted a divorce. I definitely wanted to be single and asked Stev Fenton where do I down load the documents for a divorce?
The last half was a bit better, only a bit mind you. We were outscored nine goals to three but we seemed to have adjusted to the tempo. This game was played at a pace we did not see last year. When an AJAX player won possession of the ball he was off like a “nride’s bightie.” They were so quick while we were so slow and hesitant. Our kicking at goal was terrible; four goals nine and many “out on the full” meant we could never develop any confidence.
Now Rory and Josh were injured and Parko will be back next week. The positives were the form of Gary McCarthy, back after a year or two off and Daniel Bisetto will be our tall target up forward this year. So it’s back to the BSO next week to play Trinity who I cannot ever remember playing. When I think about this season, us playing in B Grade, it’s like joining one of those internet dating sites. You can read about the other side but it’s only when you turn up on a date and play them you find out what is going to happen.
Well I know what is going to happen to me next week. I will be down behind the goal at the BSO.
Go the Roys.
You have to love the VAFA…..