Last time I wrote on this website back in August I was four, but did you know that now I am five? You first heard of me when I was only one year old, having been to my very first AFL game when the Blues beat the Crows in Adelaide by four points. And you've been able to look at footy through my eyes at least a few times every year since. Well, now I am a school boy! Can you believe it? (Mummy can't). Not only that, but something even more exciting, is that I'll be allowed to play Auskick footy this winter!
I had been looking forward to going to the footy all week. We had "casual day" at my school on Friday, when we didn't have to wear our school uniform. I wore a Carlton t-shirt that says "Go Blues" and I was even allowed to have a Carlton tattoo on each arm. That got me even MORE excited about what I would be doing on Saturday afternoon and night........
On Saturday at about 2 pm I chose some more Carlton tattoos to wear to the footy (my ones from school had rubbed off). Since it was a hot day I was allowed to have one on each arm as well as one on the back of each hand AND one on each cheek. So that's six tattoos I could choose! Then I got dressed in my new Captain Carlton t-shirt and cap, all ready for supporting the Blues.We left home at 3 pm, when it was 38 degrees - this was the first time we'd ever gone to the footy wearing shorts and sandals! And we didn't even take our footy guernseys! When we got there after our hour's drive, we had plenty of time to find a park, get our tickets, and walk all the way around the outside of the oval to Carlton's merchandise tent. Mum bought (another) Carlton t-shirt there for herself. We noticed lots of Carlton people, almost as many as Port, we reckon! After that we went inside the ground, just under an hour before the game was due to start. Even though it was so so so hot outside, we were able to get ourselves seats about 20 rows back from the boundary in complete shade for the whole afternoon, and with the cool breeze that was around us the whole time, we were really comfortable. I don't think the same could be said for the few silly people who chose to sit on the other side of the ground, or the poor players out on the oval, who copped the hot sun for a couple of hours!
Do you remember one of the times I wrote about football last year I talked about a Carlton supporter called Sue, who had a flashing Captain Carlton badge? I really liked it, especially as I have a toy Captain Carlton. She had told me then that the next time she went to the AFL Shop in Melbourne she would buy me one. Well, on Saturday Sue came and sat right behind us. When we saw her, I asked her about the badge (Mummy hadn't even reminded me at all about it) and you'll never guess what! Last year she had bought one especially for me!! So she'd brought it to the game in the hope that she'd see me there. What a nice person she is. I got my photo taken with her this time, with me holding my new special Captain Carlton badge.
Mum and I then went down to the boundary fence to check out the players warming up and for Mum to take some photos of them. The players were wearing the 'away' guernsey, in reverse colours (mainly white). Now that Kouta has retired, Mum and I both had to find new favourite players. She chose Ryan Houlihan since he's the only one left playing who we all met when I was a baby after my heart surgery, and I chose Marc Murphy (number 3) because I remembered he was our first #1 Draft Pick. BUT I have to say I also like Fev, Stevo, Bryce Gibbs, Eddie Betts, Matthew Kruezer and Chris Judd - it's very hard for a little boy like me to only pick one player!!
It was good for us to be able to see all the players again, as it seems like ages since we saw them last year. They all looked really big with lots of muscles, and much taller than before. A lot of our players are so young, I guess they're still growing like I am! Fev's hair has also got a lot longer, while other players have cut their hair super-duper short, like Cloke, Russell and Houla (Mum's not so keen on that look). When the siren sounded for the players to line up ready to play, Houlihan and Russell were towards us near our forward line, with Brad Fisher and Fev deeper near the goals. Kruezer started on the bench. I was certainly getting excited, so Mum and I both went back up to our seats to get ready for the game to begin.
Waiting, waiting, and then beeeeeep! The siren sounded again, this time to start the match. Houla got in early, getting the ball out to Scotland. Murph got our hopes up almost straight away with a lunge forward to take a mark - but he dropped it. Port then got three goals, really quickly. Before we knew it, the score was 22 points to Port, and NO points to us! Fev was doing a good job, chasing and tackling hard, but their tall ruckman, Dean Brogan, seemed to be everywhere, way too tall for our guys. I told Mum we shouldn't have come to watch as we were going to lose again, but she told me not to worry as it's only early yet. "There's plenty of time for us to play better", she said.
Just as she said that, Ryan Jackson kicked towards our goals, Fisher couldn't mark as the ball went over his and his player's head, but guess what? The ball hit the ground, and bounced through for a goal! Nine points to us (because it was from outside 50 metres, Daddy told me - a NAB Cup rule). So maybe we weren't going to be so bad after all. My man Murphy was easy to spot in his orange boots, but that meant it was also easy to see the mistakes he made (drats) - he kicked straight to a Power player. Carrots (that's our best & fairest player from last year, Carrazzo) got the ball though, out to Scotland, who booted it big to Fev - two players against Fev, could he mark it? Yes! Easily. Boy, he has very strong hands. We cheered and waved our flags for that one. He was outside 50 m so hopefully we'll get another nine-pointer.......no. He kicked a point. Then Darren Pfeiffer (who used to play for the Crows) was playing really well, but he kicked it to Brogan (again). Soon after, Cloke took a great mark, kicked it back our way towards Fisher, but Brogan marked it AGAIN! Then a Power player was caught holding the ball by our really tall Jake Edwards in his very first AFL game, so Jake got to have a shot at goal. "Get it! Get it!" I yelled, over and over (get a goal, I meant). He didn't get it. I picked up a pointer from Mum of what I could call out - "pressure them, Blues!" when the ball was in our forward line and Power defenders were trying to take it out.
Jamison was great - he marked deep in their forward 50, kicking it to Edwards who took another specky mark - back to Murphy - but Port players got it back to their end again. Houlihan caused a great turnover then, spoiling a certain Power mark, then 'mopping up' (that's what the commentators say on TV sometimes but I couldn't see him holding any mop?) and handballing it out of there. Yeehah Houla! Darren Pfeiffer took a good grab, getting a shot for goal, but kicked into the man on the mark's fingers. It still went towards goal, where Fev picked up the loose ball, kicked for goal himself really speedily, another miss. Carlton then got a free, Jordan Russell - goal! Not long after, Eddie Betts kicked the ball out from the centre to Fev on his own, who was way in near the goal line, played on, dropping the ball on his foot for a teensy kick - goal! We were now in front for the first time!! 26 to 23. Mum was right!
Then, who should be up in our forward line, but our main defender in the past five years, Bret Thornton! He even had a shot for goal! But he missed. Do you know before this game he's only ever kicked one goal in footy before, in 109 matches? The Blues put great pressure on Power players on the wing - Bryce Gibbs, Eddie Betts, Sean Grigg, and a fantastic tackle by Jordan Russell. Eddie Betts did a kick towards Fev, who controlled the ball but couldn't mark it, then was outmanned by his player. But Fev stayed with his player, chasing him, and forcing a free kick for holding the ball. Matthew Kruezer came on and did a good lunging tackle for a big guy, Jordan Russell also did some good tackling, everything was fast and furious in our forward area and then Bryce Gibbs turned himself almost inside out, bending the ball around his body for a high and beautiful goal! You Beauty!! Almost straight after that it was quarter time, Power still on 23 and Carlton on 34. The Blues players all stood in the shade for their break, while the Power players stayed out in the hot hot sun. Crazy! Even at this stage, around 6.15 pm, the temperature was still 33 degrees. Not too hot for Dad to buy me some hot chips, though - yum!!
When the players came back out I could see that Fev had taken off his orange boots - he must have thought they didn't help his kicking at all. Murphy was still wearing his, though. Port kicked the first two goals really quickly again this quarter. But then Matthew Kruezer got his first kick in AFL football, and with it he did what I would just LOVE to do one day, he kicked a goal!! Our really tall ruckman Sean Hampson, who has played 2 AFL games vs Dean Brogan's 101, took a good mark and the ball went off a bit sideways from his boot but it JUST snuck in for a goal. Carrots was determined like a little terrier as he was in the whole match, working hard, and from the centre Houla did a beautifully timed delivery to Fev, who did a great big kick for goal BUT it hit the post - straight back into play (another NAB Cup rule that Dad told me about, normally Port would have got the ball to kick in). Jarrad Waite was excellent (Mum's word) all day, this time in the centre as Port was streaming down to their open goal, Waitey turned the ball over back towards the Blues. But drats, Port got a goal anyway. Then it was back down Port's end again, with a big kick coming into Tredrea. Thornton looked like he might be able to beat him, but at the last minute he tripped over Tredrea's foot - Tredrea got the mark and lined up for goal. Point. Phew. Gibbs was doing really well (looking big), and Dennis Armfield did some great tackling. Big Hampson then kicked to Big Kruezer (now THEY are tall!!) - Eddie Betts great mark - to Stevens who booted the ball to the goal square where Fev was - Fev lifted his boot up high to kick the ball through for a goal - but it was punched by the Power player through for a point. Back in Power's goal line, Jamison did a fantastic spoil, then tackle, then follow through - down to our end again - Murphy took a mark and played on when he should have stopped for a set shot. He missed (my man was not having a good day! - those orange boots, perhaps?). Port got a goal after that, to be one point ahead. Soon after, back down our end, Gibbs (great again) kicked to Murphy who was not far out in front of goal - "have a shot!" we yelled - instead he kicked out very wide to Fev. Wasted opportunity. Cameron Cloke was good, rucking but also tackling well in the centre. Then it was down Port's end AGAIN (see-sawing match this quarter!), Jamison and Saddo were a good team at spoiling and applying pressure, but a throw-in resulted in a Port goal. Back in the centre, Cloke great, so too Houla.
Siren sounded then for half time. Port 55 and Carlton 48. Carrots had 15 possessions, with Houla and Pfeiffer on 11 each. Those three were all playing well, but so were most of our guys. I liked half time because Dad bought me a chocolate paddle pop! The weather had only dropped to 32 degrees by now, so still warm enough for us to be wearing our summer clothes, and PLENTY warm enough for me to eat an ice cream! I went down to the boundary fence to watch the little kids play their Auskick games (wonder if I'll ever get to do that?). Mum asked me if I reckoned we could win this match now, and I said "you betcha we can, Mum!"
I was quite excited at the time our players ran back out onto the oval to start the second half (no orange boots at all now) because it was almost my normal bed-time of 7 pm! Tonight I would get to stay up to watch the whole game, which was cool fun. Go Blues!!
I stood by the boundary fence again to cheer them, and when they lined up in their positions, Fev wasn't too far away from me. Mum said I should call out "Come On, Fevola!" but I was too shy.
Fev lined up on Troy Chaplin (who broke his finger late in the third quarter - ouch!). See how Fev's hair is getting longer? Thornton also started in the forward line for this quarter, not far from Fev.
Mum liked seeing Thornton there as she reckons his defending nature really helped the Blues keep the ball inside their forward line in this third quarter. He started this almost immediately - the ball was down our end, but a Power player had it, so Thornton did a great tackle which gave him a free, lining up at 50 m for goal. Could he kick his second ever career goal?? YES! He got it! All of us Carlton supporters in the crowd were pretty happy for him. T-Bird (that's Thornton's nickname) again applied great pressure, together with Russell - Fev did a great hip and shoulder - resulting in a Darren Pfeiffer goal. We're back in front! Then it was down to the Power's end, but a great chase by Jordan Russell on Motlop to upset his kick for goal meant they only got a point. The ball came down our end again! T-Bird and Fev were going for a pack mark, two on two, T-Bird behind - held up the ball with one hand - marked it! - ran on - kicked another goal from the top of the goal square! More flags to wave!! Soon after, an excellent turnover by Houla, who got another quick hanball out - eventually ball kicked back to Fev - not to be outdone by Thornton, Fev took the mark with one hand held high! He then unselfishly gave the ball off by handball over his head to Cloke who'd come thundering in towards goal - like T-Bird before him, Cloke also kicked a goal from the top of the goal square! That's four goals in a row to Port's NOTHING! Hampson took a great mark near the centre, Cameron Cloke kicked a humungous mongrel torp (that's what Dad called it) to Fev, but he couldn't mark it. Fev chased and tackled, though, trying hard. Down Port's end. But Jarred Waite did well again, this time getting it out to Murphy who was running into goal, not far out at all, shocking kick - somehow Fev got a free, though, so got to have a kick for goal at the top of the goal square (that place seemed to have a big red x on it telling Carlton players to 'kick the ball from here'!), and he sent the ball flying way up high into the second stand, making me laugh and clap so much. Back in the centre, Eddie Betts more good pressure - to Carrots - brilliant spearing pass to Fev......no goal. Fev went off the ground for the first time at the 18 minute mark (up until then he was the only player from either side not to have been rested on the bench), but we still had fantastic pressure in our forward line by all our players - Eddie Betts, Ellard, T-Bird (especially). Kruezer had a chance to get a goal when Eddie handballed to him about a metre out from the goal line, but he was just too big to be able to spin around and kick it. David Ellard got a free, tried to kick a goal but missed, Port crowd went wild with cheering. Soon after Port got a point also, but we were much nicer and didn't cheer that (that makes us better sports). Up and back between Port and us, with lots of chances for goal, but no more scored. So three quarter time had Port on 59 (they'd only kicked four points) and Carlton on 80 (we'd kicked 32 points). By now the leading possessions were Carrots on 18, and Houla and Pfeiffer still level, this time on 15. The weather was still 27 degrees! A perfect night.
In the last quarter, Houlihan started the game in our backline - he seemed to be all over the place. Jarrad Waite (number 30) was still our CHB and continued to be superb. Nick Stevens was also in the backline now (Nick was our captain for this game - we hope he'll be captain for the whole year).
Port started this last quarter with a quick goal. Houlihan did well again, and Stevo spoilt a ball in their goal square, but soon after they got another goal. Thornton then kicked to Darren Pfeiffer who had a shot at goal, but the ball fell just short. Jackson took a great mark, but then eventually Port got a free, kicking towards Jarrad Waite's player. But Waitey slipped in front of his player to take a good overhead mark, got it back to our forward line, T-Bird tried a soccer-style kick off the ground for a goal, but it went through for a point. Pfeiffer then marked from their kick-in - to Stevo (he was back on the ball again) - Hampson big mark - goal! A while later, a Port player was pelting forward with loads of space - "uh oh" Mummy said, but Waite did another spectacular jump - smothering the ball - recovering quickly to pelt away himself in the other direction! Pfeiffer had the ball - drats, he missed. Another point. Back towards Port again. Cloke stook his ground for a good mark, but then his floating kick went to a Port player for another goal to them. We're only 11 points ahead. Fev came back on the ground after almost a quarter off. Port had a nine-pointer shot - hit the post - Grigg cleaered it straight back into play. Stevo did an excellent kick out wide from the centre to Eddie all on his own - Eddie marked the ball with one hand - kicked it to Murph, who lined up for goal. Can Murphy get rid of the hoodoo over him today and get a goal at last? A fair way out (just inside 50 m), so we were a bit worried, but yes! Another goal and chance for me to clap and cheer. Scotland later kicked out wide to Jarrad who kicked to Saddington - his game was not so good. Bower played well this game, laid a good tackle. Scotland did a really bad high up kick but he recovered the ball straight away and kicked really well to Waite again, this time to the other side. Turnover, though, Port's goal. Grigg and Bower were both really good in defence, but it was getting scary for us with the ball so deep in Port's forward line for so long - we're only up by ten points! It was really hectic in there. Stevo did another really good spoil on the last line, and then T-Bird came back to calm things down. It worked. The ball went to our end - Hampson had the ball and got a free for too high (how did someone get their hand up that high to be around Hampson's neck?) - Hampson goalled. Back to their end - Jamison, Stevo, Thornton, Waite all tough and remaining strong under immense pressure. T-Bird big kick to Simpson who held his ground for a brave mark. But one more it was back to Port's end. Great tackle by Bower who got the ball out once more towards our end and - SIREN! Eddie holds the ball up high in relief. Port didn't field their strongest side, but then neither did we - Setanta, Judd, Hadley, Bentick and more all missing. Besides, ten of our players had played less than ten games of AFL (five of them had played NO games)!
The final score was 100 to us and 85 to them. Carrots still had the most possessions on 24, with Houla and Pfeiffer still next, level on 19. I was standing near the fence when the siren went, and was very exicted to see so many Carlton flags in the crowd. Lots of cheering happened too. The Carlton song started blaring out over the loud speakers. I raced back up the steps to Mum and Dad - Mum was standing on her chair waving her flag and singing the song at the top of her voice, so I did the same! Then I got up on Daddy's shoulders and we ALL sang. "We are the Navy Blues..."
Three times, we listened to the song, clapping our players as they left the ground, before we packed up our bag and walked back to the car. We held our flags high and proud. Mum even had hers hanging out the car window as we drove away, as did many, many other Carlton cars. About half-way home I fell sound asleep, after my huge day. And what a great day it had been, yet again. I always love going to see the Blues play, but it's even MORE fun and exciting when they win! Now I am counting down the days until I see them again at Easter time, with my cousins Nick and Josh, Round 1 against the Tigers at the MCG! I'll even get to see Chris Judd play for us then! Yippee!! So until then, keep on cheering, and to all you Carlton supporters out there, don't forget to sign up to be a Carlton member, like I have!
From Jesse.
