The vinegar stroke

The Grand Final was an epic affair, down to the wire with Geelong winning by 12 points. The game wasn’t without controversy, with Tom Hawkins of Geelong hitting the goal post with a kick, which was awarded a goal by the umpire (non AFL fans note, hitting the post counts as a miss) towards the end of the second quarter. This was followed soon after by an angry Darren Milburn, believing (incorrectly, according to replays) that he had touched Koschitzke's kick off the boot, giving away an additional free kick on the goal-line for abusing the goal umpire. This free kick gave the Saints an easy goal with just five seconds remaining in the half.

I tried to find footage of Hawkins’ faux-goal on You Tube, but came back empty handed. So instead, here is a monkey reenacting the well scene from The Ring.



I don't really have much else to report on the Grand Final day, as I had to work that night so kept the alcohol consumption to a minimum, so there are no bawdy tales to amuse you with.

Besides the AFL Grand Final however, there have been other notes of interest in the world of Football.

Jimmy’s three PAOC sides won their Grand Finals.

The Southern Eagles (The merged team of Edithburgh, Western United and Yorketown) won the Yorke Peninsula Grand Final.

Three of my cousins play for the Kingston Saints, who lost to Kyby in the KNTFL Grand Final.

Sam England’s POC team missed out on a Grand Final berth by one goal.

Probably of most interest, however, is the SANFL Grand Final which is happening tomorrow afternoon. Sturt are taking on Central Districts at AAMI Stadium, which will involve me watching the game and sinking beers in my flat with a few felons: Muel, Burge and Campbell. I knew Burge was in town, but Campbell and Muel appeared out of thin air at my door step like a couple of ancient Chinese Demons today, and left me shaking in cold fear.

Foreigners wondering what the SANFL is by the way: it is the South Australian league consisting of nine local teams, and is the second strongest league in Australia. It’s kind of like a younger sister to the top league, a Uran to the AFL’s Astroboy if you will.

Not entirely sure what Astro is doing to his sister in this picture,
but they both look guilty as fuck.

I was a Sturt supporter as a younger man (a legacy passed on by father), an interest that kind of fell by the wayside when the Crows entered the AFL, and I’ve only followed them this year in an extremely casual capacity. So if you’re thinking I’m “jumping on the bandwagon” tomorrow, you would be mostly correct. Just to add insult to injury, I’ve actually placed a bet that Centrals will win by 20-39 points, due to a prophetic dream I had a few nights ago. So I am supporting Sturt, but betting money they will lose.

Make sense? Didn’t think so.

Anyway, after tomorrow afternoon Football Season is over for another six months, which means I won’t bamboozle you kids with sports banter for quite some time. You lucky bastards.