VAFA Premier B – Old Carey v Fitzroy: iPhil reporting from Lugano Switzerland

My grandfather got married in Sydney Road Brunswick and whenever he passed the church he would tip his hat and say, “Best day’s work I ever did”. Now all, who have met Claire, know the best day I ever had was on the 26^th of March 1988 but on Saturday, in Lugano, I had a day that was a close second to the day I married Claire.

 

We were staying in Lugano and I was up early and down to breakfast, a meal I rarely partake of, but it is included in the price and Claire wanted to sleep in. I checked the Fitzroy score on the VAFA web site just before I vacated the room, and it was all square on the VAFA web site just before quarter time.

 

Hating cereal, fruit and muesli (except for the fact that muesli breaks teeth by the thousands), for breakfast, I generally have a cup of tea, do the Sudoku in the Australian and have another cup of tea. All these expensive hotels have a buffet breakfast and because of the German influence, the breads rolls are marvellous here in Lugano. The Germans know how to make bread. So I selected a very tasty, hard roll, covered it half an inch of butter and sat down to enjoy myself, wondering what is the footy score?

 

Then I saw it: an iced donut and it was the best iced donut I have ever had (and I have had a few). The pastry was divine, icing simply perfect and it had a modest filling of cream. Not too much cream that it went everywhere and dominated the donut, but just the right amount to add to the experience.

 

I then had a vanilla slice which was the second best vanilla slice I have ever had. Then Claire turned up for her breakfast, a much more serious affair, and being a polite husband I had another iced donut, just to keep her company.

 

Back up to the room and it was three quarter time, with the Roys just up. Pete, one of my sons and a Fitzroy member gave me a ring from Australia (he lives in Canberra), and to my delight periodic scores from the match arrived via from one of the Tramconductors via something called Messenger. They appeared, as by magic, on the front screen of my brand new iphone. And I thought phones were useless.

 

I, in Switzerland, was able to tell Pete, in Canberra, the current score. “Nino kicks a goal from the boundary line to put us three goals up” came the update.  A minute later “Nino kicks a point” and now Old Carey cannot win came the post from Melbourne. A few minutes later final scores appeared on the phone and Pete and I broke out into “We are the boys from old Fitzroy.”

 

What a start to a day in Switzerland.

 

The day continued to be a cracker. I even met The Lord which Won’t He’s Dad will be pleased to hear. His name is Missano but that story I will post on facebook later.