Best. Day at the footy. EVERRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!
Finally got to see my team win the GF at an age when i fully appreciated it and as an added bonus had 2 of my fave humans with me, my twin daughters. Being at ANZ the previous week and watching live as Saints qualified for the GF was a huge buzz, counting down the final 10 seconds with my girls and the thousands of Dragons fans was an awesome feeling watching King Darius throw the ball dead to end it but it was also when my confidence grew
listening to talkback opinion all week and people death riding Saints made me laugh as people would throw up their reasons why Easts would win, i dont really rate anyones opinion on footy unless i respect them and the people who were making the most sense to me in the media were good knowledgeable footy people, Sterlo, Graeme Hughes, Brandy, and anyone who never played on the wing
- the Titans were crap th nite Easts beat them at Robina and a combine of us blokes on this forum would have beat the Titans that nite so to say i wasnt overly buying into Easts chances would be an understatement
I was respecting Easts chances but never really considered them winning it, to me they were too light in the forwards but they had speed, i thought their corridor defenders were a weakness also, especially on the left with Leiulua and Linnett marking up on Gaz and Florence, what also got my confidence up on game day was that Brian Smith - the master of shock tactics...(NOT !!) - threw Lopini Paea in as a shock starter and i laughed my butt off when i heard this - Paea hadnt played in about 5 months - good one Smitty, shake hands with 0-4 genius !!
the day got off to a dusty start after travelling down Satdy arvo after having to work Friday nite/Satdy morn until 5am and after getting to Sydney we went out for dinner with my Mum, while there a random come up to me as i was wearing a Dragons polo asking "if this was the year Saints could do it" i flippantly told him "its a favourites weekend bud, did you see what Collingwood did today, take Saints, NZ and the Doggies tomorra"
id been confident all week after watching Saints beat Wests on the Satdy after listening to "xpert" opinion all week leading up to that game saying that Saints would need to score 24 points coz thats what Balmain would be scoring" - funny how not one of those experts took their words back after the game and most of those jumped on the Bondi Bandwagon
the ordinary start to my GF day 2010 started when because of of rain i couldnt go for my morning walk to get the paper, id picked up the Sundy Tele on Satdy night at a 7/11 so i decided to do my traditional GF morning that ive done the last 5 years since ive had the dvd and put on the 1973 GF between Cronulla and Manly - the first ever GF id ever attended - i then watched the Saints v Easts @ SCG game from a few weeks ago while me and the girls were getting ready as i decided which Saints jersey i was gonna wear. I had my 2010 Reebok with me as well as my '99 STGI and my Penfolds 80's NSWRL badged Red V, but i went with the 2010 Reebok when Mums neighbour came knocking to inform us that my car had a flat tyre !
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOO !!!
Im a shocka for planning things to the minute as id done for this day, i plan everything to a schedule in my head whether it be work, gym, even going to do a shop i try to keep to a schedule but i hadnt allowed for a flat tyre !!
I cant even remember the last time i had a flat tyre but here i was getting ready for GF day and i was changing a flast tyre in the rain !@my girls knew we were leaving at 9am and i was allowing 20 minutes to get to ANZ etc and they had a little laugh when i went out to change the tyre in the rain, boiling underneath i just thought, well maybe i have to cop this to get what i need, yes NEED
tyre changed we were off to ANZ and 18 minutes later we were parked and at the ground waiting to be let in at 11.45am
i couldnt concentrate on the early games and every time id start to get a feel for the game while watching my mind would wander and wish away for 5.15ish, i musta walked 20km around the area we were in as id walk off some xcited energy, i even considered bumming a cigarette off someone as i walked past the smokers area and i despise smoking LOL !!
the game was a ripper, as a player i loved the arm wrestle, dour, tough contests and the first half had enough errors to make it a dour affair that i was loving and although Easts led at the half i was confident Saints were going to win and id let out a chuckle at halftime feeling the game was there for Saints to take and i would finally see it live
watching the procession of points in the second half and the Saints fans singing as Easts fans were leaving was awesome and when fulltime sounded it was a sweet feeling rivalled only by my being at Lang Park this year when the Red dogs wrapped up Origin AND having 2 of the most important people in my life by my side watching it with me is a feeling that will forever be hard to top
as we watched the lap of honour a Saints fans grabbed my hand and started shaking it and sed "mate, i hope one day i can bring my daughters with me to see Saints win a GF" - to which i told him "its the best feeling ive ever had"
we went to Kogarah Oval afterwards and it was just as awesome, stepping onto Kogarah i went down on my knees and kissed the turf which got a cheer from a group standing nearby, watching the boys arrive after 11pm with the trophy and seeing how happy they were sent a similar feeling thru me and my girls and im sure the other 6,000 Dragonfans at the ground
as the team left Wayne Bennett did a walk around the barricaded area and i got to shake the great man's hand and thank him, yes corny i know but i wasnt Robinson Carusoe in doing that, from there it was the 100 metre walk to the club where we joined in the street cheering and singing until we left at about 1am
we left Mums about 9am on Mundy for the trip back to Dubbo but went via Peter Wynn's sport store to grab a 2010 Premiers shirt each and they were still warm from the presses and then it was off home where i watched the game again having pre recorded the Nine coverage on Mundy nite then again on tuesday morning before work and im still humming as i type this now and looking forward to watching it again at 10pm on Fox with the Smith/Loz/Brandy commentary
Best. Day at the footy. EVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!!
havent been on these forums since we won the comp and became PREMIERS 2010
geez i love saying that ! - i send texts to folks i know just writing that
Premiers 2010 !! - Luv it !
