Almanackered

Today's blog is about a blog. If it weren't for the Footy Almanac, today I would quite possibly have completed some or all of the following tasks:

• trimmed the ficus, which has grown so completely out of control that it is about to fall off the wall which tentatively supports it
• cleaned the outdoor furniture, which is starting to sprout fungi in Melbourne's damp winter weather
• cleaned the silver
• cleaned the windows (yeah right)
• cleaned up the paperwork which has been accumulating in the study for years.

If you haven't yet discovered the Footy Almanac, please do so now. In particular discover Harms and Litza. You will laugh, you will cry, you will understand that there is more to life and footy than you ever thought to know. You will never be the same again.

Bergerac and the Blues

After the big graduation night, Friday was spent very quietly until it was time to travel through the mizzle into the city for drinks and dinner before the Blues-Cats game at the stadium-named-after-a-different-sponsor-every-couple-of-years. Metro Trains' new customer service policy was evident at Flinders Street station, where the driver not only announced which platform we were approaching but advised that the train would be forming an Epping service travelling via Southern Cross and the city loop. Brilliant! It's only taken several decades for the transport authorities to work out that such announcements may actually be helpful for people wanting to continue their journey beyond Flinders Street to Southern Cross or loop stations. But I digress.

Next stop was the Exchange Hotel for a schooner, then on to Bergerac for a cheese omelette (sorry, Omelette au fromage). I've been to Bergerac several times and always ask for an omelette as there is basically nothing vegetarian on the menu. It is always absolutely delicious and served with a salad and a smile from the gorgeous waiters.

Off to the stadium to secure a spot in standing room just in time for the bounce. Geelong was looking a bit shaky at quarter time, so we changed sides, stopping by the Locker Room for refreshment on the way to a new spot on the Dockside wing. At half time things were not much improved in terms of the on-field performance from the Cats, so we retraced our steps to the Locker Room and settled into some nice comfy seats for the third quarter.

At three quarter time it was time to sample some real live action again. Due to some understandable confusion about which end of the ground was which, we found some seats in the Carlton cheer squad on level one behind the goals. By this time it was obvious that the mighty Cats were going to hold on for the win, but for some reason our unexpected infiltration into the posh seats, our cheering and Geelong regalia proved objectionable to some of our neighbours.

It was great to see Wojo being chaired off the ground to celebrate his 200th game; to sing the song; and then walk with the crowds through the construction site to Southern Cross for the train journey home. Being a Geelong supporter is finally worth the years of pain and disappointment, and we will continue to celebrate it for as long as we can.

Kardinia Park: the early years

My early experience of Kardinia Park was as a toddler. I faintly remember sitting in my pusher and being totally bored because I couldn't see anything except people's legs. When just a little older, but still not very interested in the games I couldn't see, I used to wander off and climb the pine trees at the river end of the ground, near where the Doug Wade stand is now.

As time moved on and I developed an interest in the game, my sisters and I would get to the ground early so we could sit on the seats around the boundary line. Those were the days of Polly Farmer, Billy Goggin, Paul Vinar (my favourite, for some reason), the wonderful Lord twins, Terry Callan and John Sharrock.

Sadly we moved to Melbourne and the trips to Geelong gradually became less frequent as family commitments took over. We saw Geelong through the dark days of the 70s and 80s mostly at Waverley and the MCG. On one memorable occasion in the 1970s we spent a weekend in Geelong and rejoiced in an unexpected victory over Collingwood at a packed Kardinia Park. We had to hitchhike home because of a train strike, but it hardly seemed to matter.

The later 1980s and early 1990s were the Gary Ablett years. What excitement Gary and Malcolm Blight brought to Geelong! We have rarely missed a game at Kardinia Park ever since.