With no sport on anywhere I’ve realised just how much a part of my life sport plays. It’s not a life or death matter but it is an ever present in my life.
For as long as I can remember I’ve always been a sports fan. Never much of a player; a very average footballer (Aussie Rules) and a slightly better cricketer. Both my football and cricket careers if you could call them that were ended in my early teens due to an eye injury caused by a flicked towel in the eye by a friend in the change rooms. It caused a series of eye problems that meant contact sport was out. I then took up golf which I also was OK at, but one “B” Pennant Match and “C” Grade Club Championship signifies that I was at best run of the mill. No matter.
I grew up in Tiger heartland. About a mile from the Bay Oval where, Glenelg, The Tigers, played in the SANFL. Back then we only had a vibrant state league that dominated interest. The SANFL was not as strong as the VFL ( which subsequently became the AFL our national competition). When I started going to the football we had a 10 team local league, dominated by Port Adelaide. Attendances were pretty good in those days around 50,000 across the 5 games. Games were played on a Saturday afternoon starting at 2.20pm except when there was a holiday Monday or Anzac Day when there was always a game between the previous years Grand Finalists.
Like so many kids, I looked to my father and supported the team he did – Sturt. He barracked for Sturt, largely because a number of his friends had come from the Riverland to play for Sturt. Dad stayed on the River and played country footy. He said he was at best a Second 18 footballer (whether that’s true or not I have no idea).
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managed to stay in touch and sticking faithfully to their coach’s game plan, trailed by a few points at quarter time and managed to lead by 3 points at halftime. 