Category Archives: Football

In case you haven’t heard, one of the most horrific injuries I have ever witnessed just occurred Saturday night during the clash between Western Bulldogs and St. Kilda Saints. Western Bulldog midfielder received a handball from fellow teammate Clay Smith, who himself has battled serious injuries but more on that situation later, as he received the ball he was prompted to kick however opposition player Shane Savage attempts to tackle him and pushes him. During this push Wallis’ kicking foot was swayed in a way that would make him kick his own planting foot, the sheer force he put in his kick instead of connecting with the ball connected to his lower leg… snapping both his tibia and fibula in his left foot.

Now to the horrendous feeling I had when it occurred. As it was happening live as I watched on TV I was thinking surely he had not just broken his leg, I doubt many people would’ve seen what I saw. Most people would’ve seen the incident as an innocuous collision and Wallis was just sore, however with my attention to detail, prior knowledge to injuries (fellow teammate Jake Stringer suffered this injury in near similar fashion as a junior years ago) I knew something was wrong. As I saw on TV the player number 3 was lying on the ground and looked to be in pure agony, I knew what he had done and as I cupped my hands around my mouth the only words I whispered were ‘No’. I knew what had happened before the commentators even mentioned it or the cameras were all over the incident in the middle of the ground, I saw his foot dislodge unnaturally in my moment of pure attention to detail. I felt sick in the stomach, in the throat, in every fibre in my body. In that moment, I didn’t care if my team, the Western Bulldogs, would win. I was hopeful, but in the end I didn’t really care. I was truly worried for Mitch Wallis, and was hoping for the game to be stopped and paused then and there. Not to mention another Bulldog Jack Redpath had suffered a season ending ACL injury earlier in the game, it just added insult to injury as we finished the game with 19 fit players instead of 22 (Dale Morris had a minor complaint on his hamstring). When the replay showed on the TV, I didn’t look away, I needed confirmation that this wasn’t what I thought it was. However, it wasn’t to be as my worst fears were realised (Oh the joy of instant replay). This would be the 3rd time I had witnessed an injury like this in real time. The first being, funnily enough, Dale Morris breaking his leg many years ago and the other was when I was playing football myself. And the person who broke his leg wasn’t even meant to be playing that day, he was just filling in because my team was low on numbers. A series of unfortunate events. I still remember seeing the bone stick out of his leg. Luckily enough Mitch Wallis’ injury wasn’t that bad that his bone was sticking out of his leg and all the best to his recovery.

Hearing extra information on the incident on the radio, credit to ABC radio, they described how Mitch Wallis was escorted into the ambulance or wasn’t escorted in the ambulance in time. They wanted him to be moved into the ambulance so his teammates wouldn’t see him in this state and another is to beat the traffic. When the players entered the rooms after the game they all walked past him and ushered into another room so they wouldn’t have to witness these scenes. However Wallis was in so much pain he was ‘screaming uncontrollably’ or ‘howling in pain’ and all the players heard it. They described it as ‘heartbreaking’ and ‘haunting’. All the players left the room to provide some comfort for Wallis and inevitably left everyone in tears. Bob Murphy, injured captain of the club and the stature of a great man was with Wallis at this time and ‘was weeping uncontrollably’. Of course I couldn’t feel the same emotion in the room because for one I wasn’t there and another I’m not his teammate, but being a die hard supporter of the Bulldogs. Watching these men make their way from juniors, even rubbing shoulders with some of them at times, seeing someone who I had been watching play and improve his game be setback to ground zero like this is unfair. The feeling in the room resonates with the emotions I was feeling when the incident happened. Hearing the word of the town, Mitch Wallis is an upstanding bloke who does not talk ill of anyone, always lends a helping hand to anyone in need, always has something positive to say and is a natural leader around the club often putting in extra hours to better not only himself but those around him. Now he needs our help. So Mitch, I wish you the best mate. There’s plenty of people out there wishing they could help you in any way as you’ve helped the community around you.

Thanks for reading guys, until next time.

Unrelated Announcements: Real Talk topics usually are posted on a week-week basis. Otherwise my posts will be about other stuff I find interesting during the week or reflection on class during the week. So tune in Thursday or Friday for the next Real Talk topic.

Before the Bulldogs vs Carlton match there was a feature on channel 7 based on mostly Bob Murphy’s knee injury last week, how it has affected the club of the Western Bulldogs over the last week. Also how this club went from a football club ‘without any inspiration’ 18 months ago suddenly has found themselves full of it in such a short space of time.

The feature talked about how 18 months ago it looked like the Western Bulldogs were looking to take a step back on and off the field. With their on-field captain walking out on a club seeking for a trade and their coach walking out on them in the days following that report. It looked a dim future for the young dogs as the football world pondered how they would cope with such a loss in the next season. However, the dogs with their cult hero in Bob Murphy stood up to the captains spot. Not only is he a cult hero at the club but in football generally, often referred as the most loved man in football and a genuine bloke he stood up against adversity and the dogs took the competition by storm last season. Not only credit to Murphy but to new coach Luke Beveridge has reinvigorated this playing side and given them an attractive brand of footy that attracts every footy fan. The feature was extremely well shot and edited. Highlighting the darkest points in the footy clubs recent history and how they overcame adversity to be in such a bright spot… until last week.

It was something along the lines of ‘and then that happened’. ‘That’ as in their cult hero’s season ending injury so early into the season. The heart and soul of the club and perhaps the footy world had gone down and won’t be playing until next season. To put salt on the wounds the dogs also lost last week to premiership favourites Hawthorn (only marginally though). The moment in the feature that it happened, the way it was edited highlighted the heart-wrenching moment as Murphy went down clutching his knee. The shots of the crowd also fading to black and white really showed the emotion involved in this incident. We saw fans of the Dogs in the crowd looking distraught and some of them crying, the feature really did do a great job in highlighting the heart-break in this moment. With the fall of their cult hero it seemed like another visit from bad luck for the dogs. However the feature ended on a bittersweet end, although they had lost their hero, it may strengthen the already strong bond that these dogs have built over the last 18 months.

Overall the feature was an emotional one as it showed the rise of the dogs over the last 18 months and while things were looking to be going up for the dogs this season, it seemed derailed by the injury of Bob Murphy but foreshadowed by the new coach Beveridge that this may bring the group closer together.

Believe it or not I am a huge football (AFL) fanatic. Most people get the reaction of ‘Really?’ or ‘I never would’ve guessed’ when I tell them that I love footy, well I can’t blame them some skinny, short-ish, Asian guy telling people he loves the game of footy. Well once upon a time I didn’t even know what football was, I was more interested in playing the latest video game. However after being introduced to the sport by my uncle who took me to my first AFL game it was a Bulldogs vs St. Kilda game (being a Dog supporter) I started to view the sport a lot more. I didn’t really fall in love with the sport until a fateful preliminary final night in 2008 against the Western Bulldogs against Geelong. That night I will remember forever, the emotions of being one win, one week away from ‘the big dance’ and the Dogs missed easy opportunities at goal and Geelong capitalised these opportunities and seized the momentum the Dogs failed to obtain. In the end Geelong won the game by 20 or so points. The distress, pain and what ifs were written all over the faithful Dogs players but the players especially, knowing full well they had opportunities to win the game but failed to convert. The emotion that I felt on the ground, the pain of loss from the Dogs, the rejoice and ecstasy of knowing you are playing in the Grand Final the following week from Geelong and its supporters is what made me fall in love with the game. This feeling ultimately made me start playing football myself the following year.

Junior days U14s

Now I wanna talk about what it was like as a player. Beginning in 2009 I was more developed and one of the more bigger kids around, basically I was as tall as I am now, I believe I have not grown since then (maybe a couple centimetres?). I wasn’t really aware of what I was capable of that year and just started training a few weeks before the season started. My first few games were like the experimental stage, the ‘what can I do in this sport?’ kind of deal. I wasn’t really full on ‘trying’ I was kinda like ‘I wonder if I could run this guy down’. It wasn’t until I think by my 6th match we were matched against the top side of the competition who smashed every team by more than 100 points so far. It was a close game, 2 of the leagues heavyweights going at each other. I didn’t realise it at the time but I hadn’t found my inner drive for competing in this sport yet. It wasn’t until the final 10 minutes of the game or so with the game still in the balance where I was about the same distance as 3 other blokes to a free ball, I thought I would just be able to stride to get the ball. However it was right there and then, the ‘Ace’ of my team ran past me, Joey was his name, it was only for a moment in reality but for me looking back it felt much longer. The expression on his face of pure determination and drive to gather the ball that I saw will forever be the defining moment that I understood the real drive of a competitor of this sport. Looking back now, it was in this moment I feel my future of this sport would be defined… tragically. As I saw his determination to chase for the ball, I too chased with as much drive and effort I have saved in the game till this moment. I ran with all my heart had to offer because of my ‘Ace’ he didn’t want to lose and I didn’t either. And in these few moments, the tragic almost poetic theme started. The ball was knocked the other way from where I was chasing it from, I turned as fast as I could, I wasn’t thinking about my turn like I was before, I just used my instinct and determination. In that moment, I heard a snap in my right ankle. I had torn 2 ligaments in my right ankle.

I thought I’d be right, I was told by my doctor to rest for the next 8 weeks or so it took to heal. Having my drive to compete finally enlightened I was eager to get back on track and it was the longest 8 weeks I’ve ever had to wait. Over time my ankle felt better, I started walking again, started running again. I didn’t notice at the time but it wasn’t the same. My running, my kicks weren’t penetrating as hard, my jumps were lower than usual, but nothing a little training can’t fix and a couple years later I did feel quite good with my ankle. Anyway, I finished that season off not the way I wish I would’ve. We lost our first final, with me playing only half the game with the final 10 minutes on the bench, to the team I would eventually join: ‘Old Westbourne’ who I would find my own little success if you can call it that.

Better times: U16s

So the first year I was pretty adamant in pre-season training, I had found my competitive drive, but all the boys were bigger than me. Most of my school mates wanted me to play here as I did go to Westbourne Grammar, so I went to play with the football affiliate club Old Westbourne. I wasn’t naturally gifted, or maybe it was a result of me injuring my ankle, but I did find a competitive drive and the coach loved that. This was the only season that I was injury free. I was super enthusiastic in pre-season training there were talks of me getting captain, so being the cocky teenager I was I played up these talks. I look back and I laugh at how stupid I was, maybe I was aware I wasn’t going to be captain but who cares anyway. Anyway I play all the games this season with max game time of 3 quarters. I enjoyed the year overall as I made a few more friends even though we only won about 3 games.

The next year is where I finally found my footing. Having a terrific pre-season I was nominated by my peers to be one of four co-captains. Being fully confident in my body, being confident I can outrun anyone out there on the track despite the fact if they had 10 times better kick than I did. I was a key cog in the middle part of the year. I had played my best footy this year. I built this playstyle of working harder than anyone next to you based on my drive for the game, to win. We were one of the contenders for the flag that year. Though almost poetically, as I felt I was ready to take my game to the next level, during the mid season break I injure the same ankle I had broken years ago. I was setback again. This injury not as severe as the first time, but an injury nonetheless. I was able to recover in time for the last 3 games of the season before finals started. Again, almost as if nature was against me, I tried my best to be at the level I was at before but couldn’t. The recurring pains in my ankle made it impossible to compete at that level. My role degraded in the team, not in leadership, but on the ground. I didn’t feel a key as a cog as I thought I was. And so it ended with a grand final loss that year, having sitting the last 10 minutes of the final quarter on the bench. Again. All was not loss that year, I still won best Clubman award, which is awarded to the player who shows the best community traits. Still my favourite and best year of footy to date which I enjoyed thoroughly, just a little goes through my mind of what could’ve been if I stayed fit.

Regression: U18s and beyond

Now is where my regression starts, the year after. After having a not as productive pre-season as the last one but still a productive one I started to lose heart at the sport. My passion and love for the sport is the same, but my playing passion started to fade. I don’t know if it was that I was getting a bit older or it was because I was stuck at a ‘bottom age’ conundrum again. Anyway being in the U19s, there was some unspoken ritual of drinking after a game, which I wasn’t into and my team mates were good friends but I wouldn’t agree with these rituals they put up and this ‘party style’ that was around the team. I fell out of love for the team and re-injuring the previous year still had some lingering effects on me. I still couldn’t soar to the heights I was able to the previous year. About 3 or 4 games in I gave up the Old Westbourne U19 team and went back to where I started, Sunshine FC. They however did not have an U18 or U19 squad. And those kids that were a part of that were training with the seniors and only our ‘Ace’ from back then was getting game time in the reserves. So I decided to be a mentor to the U16 team, training with them and providing them tips being an older fellow and all. I reunited with old team-mates and made some new friends along the way. Anyway I relished this new leadership role, guiding this younger team who were struggling at the time. So where was I playing all this time, well funny story, I was still playing for Westbourne, but my school team Westbourne Grammar. So I was focusing on school footy seniors, which was a big deal. However I was only good enough to be in the B squad, however I was a leader in this team and I played in another losing grand final that year, however the team we lost to were definitely the better team. This year was nothing different to years previous. I didn’t have a major injury like previous years but more like I was getting little injuries here and there. I would roll my injured ankle that’ll aggravate it multiple times this year.

The next year I started as I started the last year, I had a fruitful pre-season but not as good as I know it could’ve been. I know I used to be a lot fitter and a lot more energetic but I cannot do that any more. Had I fallen out of love for playing because of my injury? or was it because I had other things on my mind? I’ll never know what the real reason was, probably a combination of both. Having scrapped enough numbers for a team at Sunshine U18s it was final year of junior footy before I would join the big boys so I said to myself I’ll give it my best shot. My hopes for a great year were shot down at round 2 where I jumped for a mark and as I landed I felt a sharp pain on my achilles. I had torn it, only slightly, but torn it still. I wasn’t able to walk for a few days after that incident but luckily enough it was holidays and by the time  I came back to school I was able to walk again. Running was a different issue however. I had disappeared from my club at Sunshine and started focusing on my school footy, being in my last year of High School I wanted to do well at least this year in this team. I wasn’t able to run to the levels of even after I did my ankle a second time, my power had regressed even further and I was struggling to finish games. The coach knew this, a shoutout to my man Des Callan, and I knew this even though we never spoke about this. After being such a key cog in this team for 2 years I had regressed to not even able to finish games. He let me have my time in the sun though, although we didn’t make the grand final I was able to play to the final whistle in my last game at the end of the season. And since then, I haven’t put on the boots.

From the Sidelines: Football today

Now I still love footy, maybe not as much as I did a few years ago, but I still love it. I appreciate it even more now because I understand how hard you have to work to be at the top level. I will always envy the guys my age playing AFL but I will respect them and cherish them as I understand the hard work and dedication they had to give for the game. Now that I am no longer playing I can analyse the game much more easier because of my understanding of the game, my love for the game was never lost just my drive for competing was lost. And on the eve of the first siren of 2016, I am always excited to see what this season has in store for the fans. I hope the dogs will win the flag one day, but who knows the Pups look fruitful.

Finally I will say this, I will always keep an eye on this amazing sport, no matter my interests this will always be the first hobby I was fully invested in and I will always acknowledge that. Even though things didn’t fall my way it did for all those who are able to compete at any level. I hope you keep your drive to compete in this great sport and remember there are guys like me: the guys who weren’t good enough or the guys who were unfortunate to lose their competitive drive for the game.

Thanks for reading if you stuck with me this long.