How many of you...

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

Played for Penshurst RSL and My school.
Played with and against this guy until my knee got f**ked....and i wasnt that good anyways. haha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daryl_Millard

I played U6's (maybe U7's, it was 2 decades ago) with him at Renown United. Scored all our points.

 

[Chook Norris]

Never played for a club but have played backyard footy and mucking around with mates.. alas being 5'6 and 68kgs id get hammered if i was playing in a serious game

 

[Packy]

Played from under 10 (when mum let me heh) until 18's when I started working and couldn't risk injury. Made regional rep teams but wasn't a super star.

Love watching it more than I would playing it imo.

 

[woodyk2]

Just add a sidenote, how many have given refereeing a proper go, it gives you another whole new view on the game of rugby league.

A good mate of mine is an NRL 1st grade referee and its given me a whole new perspective on how difficult it actually is.

 

[Southernsaint]

Arnclifffe Scots, FTW...

I still love the club even though I live overseas now. Also played tee-ball, baseball and cricket for them. If only they had basketball...

I can't wait to have kids and get them in to the black, red and gold..

 

[Walt Flanigan]

...have never played a league game for a club or school before?

i personally have never actually played a game of league outside of the occasional backyard game with a few mates, but ive never played for a club or even for P.E at school. (my teacher tried to get me to tryout in primary school but my mates all played soccer so i didnt play)

this made it difficult for me to pick up the game and understand it as quickly as id imagine if youd properly played it. (i started properly watching in about 2004 when i was 11 and properly understood it a few years later).

so has anyone else never played an organised game of league before?

I played for 15 years growing up and of course it gives you a fair bit of insight into the game, but I know a fair few people who haven't played but know the game inside and out because they are simply rabid fans of the game.

Like a few people have said, you don't sound too old to pull on a jersey. Give your local club a buzz if you're keen.

 

[Fingerbang]

Had my first few games at 5 years of age (youngest age team then was under 9's). Played every year until under 18's, had a year off after that, then played grade footy for 12 years. Still playing today, but now a masters touch footy comp. Total 48 years, and no plans to stop yet.

Played with and against several guys who went on to become Australian Kangaroos, back in the day.

Highlight for me was trialling for Australian Schoolboys team when they used to do an England tour back in the 70's. Bloody Jack Jeffries took my spot.

 

[thorson1987]

Started playing when i was 5.

Started refereeing (whilst still playing when i was 14)

Had a year off when i was 16 then back to it when i was 17.

Made Norths SG Ball when i was 18 (cut the week before the comp started)

Stopped when i was 19.

Played half a season when i was 20 for Thilmere. (stopped cos of the travel while earning shit money at work.)

Played a season of soccer at 21.

Back to league when i was 22 and am still playing. Although i wasnt going to play this year due to work until the club called me and asked me to play again

 

[Southernsaint]

The thing I would say, though, is never have "a year off". So many people do and never come back to sports...

A shame.

 

[TheDalek079]

played for 5 seasons under6~under10s and a couple of years with my primary school. giving it up is a big regret

 

[Raider_69]

Played from 5 years old, till 15 for club - st Clair comets and a year at the minchinbury jets.
Played school footy in yrs 5, 6, 7, and 10

Had a bad knee one yr and decided to have a year off, biggest regret of my young life as I never went back. Considering trying to play some local grade here in Canberra. Any young kid out there playing, never have a year off if you still love the game

 

[Parraletic]

Never played, but wish I had. Played Soccer for the last few years.

 

[Stagger Lee]

Played half back or stand off in England for a few years after leaving school for an Amatuer RL team. I had deceptive pace ( I was actualy slower than I looked) though I prided myself on my kicking game and was dumb enough to take on the big tackles. One season I tore my hamstring while doing a warm up for first game and missed the rest of it, next season I was even slower and got frustrated at not being able to do what I wanted to do on the field ...so took up drinking instead.

 

[Flapper]

Played for St Dominics for 2 years back in the early 90s. Got a grand final under my belt. Thinking of maybe staging a remarkable comeback at the ripe old age of 29 next year :lol:

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

I played but I was rubbish.

 

[raider_mike]

played all my juniors at norths from under 7's

now playing in the northside 1 comp in the bris 2nd div..

days like today i wish i wasn't tho cause i can barely move haha

 

[snoozer]

was a boarder at a footy private school in sydney.you couldn't not play footy there.everyone had to play no matter what.i can remember playing 3 games a week(thursday sportsday and weekend comps amongst the boarders on sat/sunday.)
peter mulholland(ex west reds coach)was my geography teacher there.(he was coach of the school 1st grade side so we never saw him in class during winter)

 

[IanG]

Only ever played in a couple of school gala days. Just wish I could have played more to be honest.

 

[rabbs]

Started playing at age 5 in 1963 at Kiama,played there until aged 12,moved to Penrith. Played for Cambridge Park until aged 19,done my shoulders playing hooker and retired.Played in 6 grand finals and won 4 over that period.Love the game.

 

[juanfarkall]

Played from age 10 through to 19 then discovered alcohol and females.
Played soccer for a year then returned to League at 25 and stopped playing around 34 I think.
Refereed juniors for a couple of years before health issues intervened.
Have since had issues with knees, shoulders etc as a result of footy.
Only regrets are the years when I could have played but didn't and that I did not take better care of injuries.
Some of the better thinkers and coaches in the game never played or never played well whilst some of the biggest idiots in the game also played at the top level.
Love the game and on the rare occasion that I have free time on a weekend, I head to a ground nearby to watch any match that's on regardless of the level or standard.