Wesley Hull - Pyramid Power Junior AFL Club

I am a passionate supporter of Australian Rules football. I began playing as a junior for the Clayton Football Club in suburban Melbourne in 1972. After that I played for the Sorrento and Rye clubs on ...

10:25PM, Wed 1 February 2012

Alternate Realities

Wesley Hull - Pyramid Power Junior AFL Club

Oh, God! What a terrible dream.

We have only just enjoyed our first club premiership in 2010, and 2011 beckons. Things get a bit itchy when Tyson and Peter T only come back for a game each. Hazman doesn't come back at all. Neither does Jerry F.

Zed, Derek, Ralph, Jawa and Henry barely reach double figures for games played. Obviously, the younger players stayed on as Under 14's. Connor never came back, and Khail returned to Day Care.

I woke up briefly and shook my head. We had lost so much, yet we managed to make the preliminary final in 2011. Things weren't so bad, so off to sleep I fall.

Still restless though. My dream comes back. Eric, Stephen, David and others run off to Hawks..or Tigers. Djarragun won't release any boarders. They've all been naughty. There goes Nicholas, Jawa, Henry, Leron, Garrett, Zed, Harry and others. Sean doesn't want to come back. Others get jobs. They're 15 or 16 now. A couple more discover girls. Oh, Dear! Solomon, James and Ralph get offers to play for local Rugby League clubs.

I'm having cold sweats.

Come match day, Round One. Nine kids and a cat take the field. Not such a bad thing for a Nines tournament, but the opposition has arrived with 18 hungry, dedicated kids...they mean business. Do We?

Before I can see the carnage about to befall us, I wake up. God, that was scary! Lucky it isn't real. Just a bad dream.

Or is it?

Change is inevitable. Playing lists fluctuate. But this year is SCARY. To me anyway.

I have already stated ringing, emailing, visiting and planning to make sure my dream is just that.

Any other help would be appeciated. And more coffee!

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Bretto

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11:11PM, Tue 14 February 2012

Depends - How good is the Cat?
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Bretto

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11:36PM, Tue 14 February 2012

Nah, true, I hear what your saying. The other side to this is that at this time of the year last year, we were certain that we had around 8 kids actually signed, with paper work completed. By today we had 43 completed, that is in stark contrast, to all previous years. Whilst we can't sit back idly now, and just expect it all to happen around us, I'm certain that the pendulum has begun to swing favourably in our direction. It shows that our advertising has worked to a degree, whether it was through the flyers, or the Facebook, or whether it has just simply been that a degree of belief is starting to infiltrate the minds of some of the locals, a belief that this sport called AFL is here to stay, and with it, this weird bunch of people who call themselves " The Power". Panic Stations, has usually been the call at this time of the year for us, but it isn't as bad this year, sure we need more names on paper, a further sense of surety, but if past years are anything to go by, we are really looking pretty good. The 14's on paper look absolutely scary, I think there are 5 actually signed, which is a worry, but I have confidence, the 16 Girls are a certainty, so long as they have a league to play, the 12's also are rather low in numbers, but a couple of 10's can play up, and I'm sure we will get more, just look at last year. The 18's only have 2 on paper, but I'm certain of at least 14, and we haven't started on the phones yet. But the 16's are really looking strong for numbers, certainly they have the most signed of any of the teams, and a lot of real possibilities to sign, and a fair few that we are certain of. So don't fret too much. It will absolutely work out. Where we thought we may be lower in club numbers due to a range of decisions made, maybe the adverse is happening. Numbers really do seem like they may be quite a bit better than last year, but we unfortunately have the usual glut of willing volunteers, which will make it harder to control. However, we do have better systems in place, and a few more things on the horizon, like possibly a Strength & Conditioning Coach to help out, a great funding option for fees, and a few others. The best part of all, this year the ever reliable volunteers seem to have a greater sense of purpose, and a more positive vibe, and with this comes hope.
But about that Cat...............
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Wesley Hull - Pyramid Power Junior AFL Club

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11:40PM, Tue 14 February 2012

A lot has changed since this was posted. We now have a list of 34 kids for U16's and have secured talent like Henry, Leo, Hazman, Charlie, James and others.

As for the cat: Have you read "So Long and Thanks for All The Fish by Douglas Adams (part of the Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy series. In response to a comment that a room was big enough to swing a cat, he went on to say "provided he was a reasonably patient cat who didn't mind a few nasty cracks about the head"

Now, that' our cat.
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Bretto

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01:06AM, Wed 15 February 2012

He He He I like it.
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Wesley Hull - Pyramid Power Junior AFL Club

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08:49PM, Wed 15 February 2012

We were answering each other last night without seeing what we wrote. I haven't commented on your big post yet.

Much of what I say is "the world according to Wesley" so you don't have to agree. I felt that the end of last year was a crossroads. The "battle of da bruthas" under the grandstand, Solly's accident, the Djarragun closure, the U18's "experiment" and culminating in the spectacular failure of Rocktober left a very negative taste in people's mouths.

Individually, I think everyone had to ask themselves whether they had the strength to get past 2011 and look to the new year. On all fronts that seems to be an overwhelming YES. And that's where the positive vibe comes from. I know in my case I WANTED to attack Djarragun, Yarrabah, the hostels, schools. So much so that I actually developed my own plan (the one I posted here a while back). This has kept me focused, positive and active. No time to worry about the past if I'm busy trying to build a future. When many people have the same shared approach, positiveness grows and look at our numbers, as you say.

Realistically, I believe two things. The U16's are capable of another premiership and the U16's are capable of a wooden spoon. How much effort I and others put into this team will determine which of the two we get. For my part, I haven't come to The Power for a haircut. I've come to breed success in whatever way I can. The staggering thing is that there are so many astute football minds at this club..on and off the field...and our club values ALL of them. Unlike, say, Souths, whose sole voice of all things valid seems to be their Prez and his cronies.

I have faith, too. I have many verbal confirmations for both 16s and 18s. So do you and Jim. They will come together. 2012 will be better than 2011. I really think 2011 suffered from a premiership hangover. maybe we just expected it would all go to plan again. But it didn't, and we have learned that now. We are working harder, better and smarter to get back to the standards of 2010.

Anyway, time will tell.

I just feel a lot better than I did a month or so ago.

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