Round 2 - sanfl

8
THE
PHANTOM
the ghost that talks
X-LOTTO V GRAND FINAL
Well, here we are again. The
footy boots are well and truly
dusted, the jumpers put through their
first cycle, and the strapping tape
tainted. We’ve made it to Round 2.
Did anyone read about the $4.2
million X-Lotto ticket from the
Riverland earlier this week I bet you
all quickly checked your wallets,
purses and handbags just in case
you had completely forgotten your
trip to the Riverland where you
purchased a ticket in a Berri
newsagency before driving back to
Adelaide and wiping your memory
clean of the whole ordeal… hey, it
could happen.
But after I had emptied my rubbish
bins, checked the pockets of all my
lycra suits, and realised I wasn’t the
winner of the $4.2 million and could
not yet retire to The Cave, I wondered
if clubs often feel the same at the end
of the season.
The football year is long, hard and
full of its ups and downs, and when
the last siren calls at the end of the
Grand Final, it all seems but a distant
memory – except for the team holding
the cup.
Do the clubs who lose the finals
wake up the next morning wondering
– no, hoping – it was all a horrible
dream And what about the team
who lose the Grand Final They must
check their pockets for days following
the season’s end just to see if they
did in fact win the $4.2 million ticket,
or in this case, the golden cup.
But, at least by now reality would
have well and truly settled in for all
nine clubs, ready for a new season
and a fresh start.
In other news, I read an inspiring
article about a women who has taken
a new approach to sharing her battle
with breast cancer to help others.
Kiki van de Laar has taken a series
of photos of her experience fighting
breast cancer, with a photo of her
bandaged chest after a mastectomy
published in The Advertiser on
Tuesday.
Reading her raw and moving story
made me think about the things that
really matter. Each week we head out
to see our favourite teams play – we
leave on a high from a win or with
our head to the ground after a loss.
Our weeks are filled with
excitement, anxiety, disappointment
and frustrations watching our teams
ride the rollercoaster seasons all in a
bid to take home the glory of the final
cup.
But when we read something as
strong as Kiki’s story, we realise that
while we are passionate about the
game we love, it is at the end of the
day, a game and there are other
important things going on in the
world around us that we should
acknowledge and support.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic to
see our supporters out at the local
ovals, sporting the trendy team
colours and cheering for a club –
football brings an important element
of excitement, passion, tradition and
community. But this weekend, we
should take some time to remember
the other things going on in the world
around us – just like Kiki’s story
reminds us. Get out there, help Kiki’s
mission and raise awareness for
breast cancer and prostate cancer.
EMAILS AND TWEETS
TO THE CAVE
“There weren’t many as ‘Hungry’
as Bartlett!! Full-forwards kicking
100 goals a season back in the
60s, 70s and 80s were common. If
they were within range, they were
meant to have a shot!
Kevin Bartlett was a champion
rover before becoming a goalhungry
specialist forward, just as
Leigh Matthews became late in his
career. But ‘Lethal’ was never as
hungry as ‘Hungry’. The closest I
can think of in terms of a
champion midfielder who
converted into a prolific specialist
forward late in his career was
Neville Roberts, who played for
West Torrens, went to Richmond
in the VFL for a few years, came
back to captain Torrens, then went
to play under his Richmond mate
Neil Balme at Norwood. I’m pretty
sure he kicked 100 goals out of a
forward pocket one year late in his
playing days. I’ve just checked his
stats on the Norwood FC website;
in the early 80s he went 83, 111
and 98 goals for three years in a
row. Was he as hungry as Bartlett
Probably not. Was anybody”
Gazza.
Please email or tweet your
thoughts with your name and
suburb through to The Phantom’s
Cave.
Email: phantom@boylen.com.au.
@SANFLBudget
#sanflphantom