Have I ever looked forward more to a beer? Well yes, equally as much. But I really, really, enjoyed it nonetheless. Remember good people, as a wise man once said (and was Re-Tweeted by Stephen Fry) "The best drink of the day is the one you have immediately before the first one". Think on it everyone!
So we've not quite been in the mood to put the world to rights as such. But we can do so the sporting world. So here goes...
- 5/8/11 "St. Kilda can beat Collingwood mate, they really CAN! People will think I'm mad but it's not as silly as you think..." 12/8/11 "The Saints can't win tonight, Collingwood will have too much depth and talent even though St. Kilda will run them closer than many believe" (Dad has been as St. Kilda supporter ever since he pulled on a Lavington Saints under 12s jumper as a little tacker when he was 8. The conversation invariably comes to them).
Caveat: I am aware the match started more than an hour ago and is being shown delayed on C7. Boo-urns C7, Boo-urns.
- And he has a point my ol' man. The shiteful, boring, "throw ten blokes behind the centre square" tactics that drag the game down give St. Kilda a chance in every game and... must be grudgingly respected. Ross Lyon has done an amazing job given the cattle he has; should this truly have been a three-times Grand-Finalist team that was a kinder bounce of the ball away from a famous premiership? He has always got the absolute best out of St. Kilda each and every season and has to be admired for that. They likely won't win tonight, but they will show why no team wants to get them in the first week of finals.
- This weekend is Fremantle's Grand Final. Yes, we are like you, we are that hackneyed and cliched. But it's true, they must beat Carlton to keep their finals hopes alive, and they are a very big chance of that due to the inclusion of Aaron Sandilands. Even if he's only half fit. Have you ever played in a team where one player made a, erm, mountain of difference? Gave you belief that you could win the game? When I first played football for the Rand Footy Club they were in crisis. Players had left en masse resulting in three consecutive bottom 2 finishes. And then they recruited a single playing coach. One player. A centre half forward. And in the second match of the season, we defeated a league powerhouse that we had never got within 15 goals of before. We believed. We believed because Knackers was there to contest, to stand in our corner, to take the key mark and kick the vital goal to get us over the line. And we lifted accordingly. Suddenly, we played in two consecutive preliminary finals. It was the footy time of my life, memories I'll never forget; a bunch of amateur shit-kickers who stuck it up plenty of the big clubs. And that's where Freo are at. Sandi can be half fit but just his presence, just the idea that he will contest could inspire his teammates to better things. I'd be concerned if I were Carlton. Their top 4 dreams could die this weekend.
- I have to tread on toes this week, I just have to. No, we're off the footy field now, I have to upset and antagonise people I admire and respect. I have to do it because they are about to make a massive mistake in this community. They are about to use a federal government grant to renovate the existing Doctor's surgery into something moderately better as opposed to accepting land donated to them by the Henty Financial Community Services to build a brand new state of the art Medical centre able to cater for several doctors and other health professionals. And believe me, with two doctors in small towns in the shire far and beyond retirement age, state and federal government will not look to replace them in those towns. They will want to centralise the healthcare in the area and if you, as a government, had to choose between a minor upgrade to a dilapidated old building and a brand new state of the art, already paid for medical centre, what do you believe they will choose. If it's the former, they'll choose to build a brand new medical centre and it won't be in Henty and all of a sudden, not only will you not have a doctor in Henty, you won't have a pharmacy. Because unbeknownst to the community, my pharmacy approval unlike many others is moveable. I could shift premises to Melbourne if I so desired, granted I abided by location laws. Or worse, as because I love the community of Henty so much and would never do that to them, I could sell my business to someone who might. Those short-sighted people whose agendas are only for themselves and not the community with the current renovation proposal need to learn this. Should they choose to stay stubborn, I fear for healthcare in this community.
- Dad has finally had his Lavington Public School state knockout softball team eliminated. They played in the Riverina final against a school who had the state representative pitcher and state representative catcher. Ouch. The mood amongst his girls before the game was one of resignation to defeat until he asked them to consider nothing other than that they were going to win the game. The apprehension was palpable however. Being sent in to bat first, it was blatantly obvious they were not going to score a run. Their pitcher would've made Geoff Thomson blush and they had a catcher that made Ian Healy look like his gloves were made of iron. But dad's not one to be defeatist. "So you can't score a run girls, that doesn't mean you can't field well and I'm sure you will!". And, as he so often is, he was right. In a three innings game, the girls kept a potential state champion to innings of 2, 3 and ZERO runs. A 5-0 loss when he feared a 30-0 loss. Dad lives for these days, proud as anything of his girls. But then, I still feel you only play well if you are happy and relaxed with your coach. Melbourne Football Club could do far worse than to give Peter White a call.
So that was our evening, we couldn't fix the rioting in England or the crash of the stock market. But then, us White's are men, and as such we are only capable of doing one thing at a time. We'll tackle these issues next week, after someone else has fixed them, or they've managed to fade into insignificance in the face of the latest scandal. Ain't it the truth.
So I jumped in the car, said my goodbyes and my see ya tomorrows to which dad replied "no worries, I'll be down there to watch you play". I did have to ask him if he really wanted to waste his time watching me run around getting nowhere near the footy to which he replied "of course, I love watching you play".
Dads. I guess I'll get to watch my boy through a father's eyes one day. I only hope I lift his spirits as much as Pete lifts mine.
Have a lovely weekend everyone, may everyone kick a goal,
Whitey.
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