that was funny
they got there. we did it. in front a record crowd of about 40 supporters, the Apaches, steeled it out, with grim delight, to win the premiership.
i am far too wasted to go into specifics, but it was the closest game i have seen for a long time.
but it was steel, and discipline, and cold hard nerve, that got them thru it. they stared down the opposition who bickered, blamed, and screamed and stamped their feet. I've never seen anything quite so ridiculous from a grown man.
They tried everything they could to unsettle the boys, bullying the umpires into a drinks break to disturb their focus, ungentlemanly remarks, and some truly dodgy calls.
But they wore it, and they gave it back, and the crowd was there with them, riding every swing of the bat, flincing at the rattle of the stumps, imploring the ball to the boundary, and catching your breath while they dropped the ball.
They had us. They had us a couple of times. But they had us cold once.
GG has tumbled during a run, because iMac has ordered him back, and he gets to his feet desperate seconds wasted, the ball is in the air, it's not a great throw. A great throw would have nailed him but he's got a shadow of a chance, maybe. The throw is poor and the keeper, a grizzled veteran i have a long history of getting-at, panics. He cracks and shatters and they can sense it. He doesn't glove the ball, fumbles, tries to recover and loses it, and GG scampers in.
Everything they'd given to us in the field, we gave back. In spades. We don't often start it but by God we'll finish it. THat's the one thing that i might have subconsciously been looking for in players. There's a bit of mongrel in all of them, and as they say, "it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."
Seriously, we wanted it, we demanded it. This season has been great for so many reasons and this has been an awesome way to finish.
And there was a charge like Gallipoli, (which is of immense cultural significance to Australians) or the Light Brigade or something. A nothing edge running away for one, and GG unmoved, and the six-foot-plus iMac hurtling down the pitch at him screaming "Run, you ***t!", and it was there that the rush began. There was that before-the-bullet-hits silence, and then a roar and rushing. Legs pumping, teeth exposed, a gutteral sound emanating. The looks of sheer damn hard earned delight, on GG's face flashed to horror when he looked up and saw team mates, friends, and strangers bearing down on him en masse. G's a little guy so he was pretty soon buried under bodies, and iMac was just turning around to see what was going on when the second wave started to descend on him. Awesome delight. Hard fought. Toughed out. Unshakable. Took every setback in their stride, and just were hard enough to do it. Never been through anything like that.
And the party has been a blinder. $500 from us and the pub gone on drinks, amd people reaching into their pockets for more. Girls and boys stuff. It had everything. The bodies started piling up once back at Harbourne as one after another capitulated to the night.
"I spent the night flirting my arse off, and they've both passed out..." - that's champagne comedy!
A night of high spirits, raised voices, passion and joy. Crazy shit, isn't it just park cricket? :)
Ladies and Gentlemen - The Kingford Apaches 4th grade side, champions for 2003/2004 season.
they were there during the speeches when i had them in my hand, we could have razed the pub to the ground or built a new one, they believed, they believed me, i wanted to roar Henry V's call to arms from the play. We were together, and that kind of power in my hands is slightly unnerving, disturbingly appealing.
I'm going to flake out now. But i fine night, and the first of many.
Thank you 2004, i will enjoy this while i can, i know you have plans for me.
i am far too wasted to go into specifics, but it was the closest game i have seen for a long time.
but it was steel, and discipline, and cold hard nerve, that got them thru it. they stared down the opposition who bickered, blamed, and screamed and stamped their feet. I've never seen anything quite so ridiculous from a grown man.
They tried everything they could to unsettle the boys, bullying the umpires into a drinks break to disturb their focus, ungentlemanly remarks, and some truly dodgy calls.
But they wore it, and they gave it back, and the crowd was there with them, riding every swing of the bat, flincing at the rattle of the stumps, imploring the ball to the boundary, and catching your breath while they dropped the ball.
They had us. They had us a couple of times. But they had us cold once.
GG has tumbled during a run, because iMac has ordered him back, and he gets to his feet desperate seconds wasted, the ball is in the air, it's not a great throw. A great throw would have nailed him but he's got a shadow of a chance, maybe. The throw is poor and the keeper, a grizzled veteran i have a long history of getting-at, panics. He cracks and shatters and they can sense it. He doesn't glove the ball, fumbles, tries to recover and loses it, and GG scampers in.
Everything they'd given to us in the field, we gave back. In spades. We don't often start it but by God we'll finish it. THat's the one thing that i might have subconsciously been looking for in players. There's a bit of mongrel in all of them, and as they say, "it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."
Seriously, we wanted it, we demanded it. This season has been great for so many reasons and this has been an awesome way to finish.
And there was a charge like Gallipoli, (which is of immense cultural significance to Australians) or the Light Brigade or something. A nothing edge running away for one, and GG unmoved, and the six-foot-plus iMac hurtling down the pitch at him screaming "Run, you ***t!", and it was there that the rush began. There was that before-the-bullet-hits silence, and then a roar and rushing. Legs pumping, teeth exposed, a gutteral sound emanating. The looks of sheer damn hard earned delight, on GG's face flashed to horror when he looked up and saw team mates, friends, and strangers bearing down on him en masse. G's a little guy so he was pretty soon buried under bodies, and iMac was just turning around to see what was going on when the second wave started to descend on him. Awesome delight. Hard fought. Toughed out. Unshakable. Took every setback in their stride, and just were hard enough to do it. Never been through anything like that.
And the party has been a blinder. $500 from us and the pub gone on drinks, amd people reaching into their pockets for more. Girls and boys stuff. It had everything. The bodies started piling up once back at Harbourne as one after another capitulated to the night.
"I spent the night flirting my arse off, and they've both passed out..." - that's champagne comedy!
A night of high spirits, raised voices, passion and joy. Crazy shit, isn't it just park cricket? :)
Ladies and Gentlemen - The Kingford Apaches 4th grade side, champions for 2003/2004 season.
they were there during the speeches when i had them in my hand, we could have razed the pub to the ground or built a new one, they believed, they believed me, i wanted to roar Henry V's call to arms from the play. We were together, and that kind of power in my hands is slightly unnerving, disturbingly appealing.
I'm going to flake out now. But i fine night, and the first of many.
Thank you 2004, i will enjoy this while i can, i know you have plans for me.