noosa hawk mad
10 Dec 2007, 09:41
Taylor in ore of trek
10 December 2007 Herald Sun
Daryl Timms
THE days were long and hot, the nights cold, the rain torrential and the rations sparse, but Hawthorn ruckman Simon Taylor says the memories of the club's eight-day trek of the Kokoda Track will last a lifetime.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,5791906,00.jpg Lifelong memory: Simon Taylor last night.
A group of Hawthorn players and officials, including former club champion Peter Knights, returned home yesterday, tired but unscathed after their trip to Papua New Guinea.
Taylor said that while the group could train for the rigours of the gruelling walk, nothing could prepare them for the emotions they experienced as they retraced the steps of Australian soldiers who fought the Japanese along the Kokoda Track in 1942.
While the Hawk party battled, single-file, along the 96km track, Taylor spoke almost in disbelief of how hard it would have been for the soldiers who lugged weapons and backpacks containing food and ammunition while fighting the Japanese in the dense mountains.
Taylor said players teamed up with a new "buddy" each day so they could get to know more about their teammates.
Players recruited to the club in last month's national draft - Stuart Dew, Cyril "Junior Boy" Rioli and Brendan Whitecross - were part of the expedition, which was led by coach Alastair Clarkson.
"You were wet by nine o'clock in the morning with sweat, and you would stay that way for the rest of the day. And then you'd bathe in a creek to try and get the sweat off your clothes, which you put back on the next day," Taylor said.
"There was no change of clothes. They were the same ones for the eight days."
Taylor said that not only did the players get to know more about each other, they also learnt about the sacrifices made by Australian soldiers, many of whom were only 19 years old.
Four granite monuments at Isurava overlook the scene of the biggest battle of the campaign.
It was a humbling sight for Taylor, who said the words on the monuments symbolised what the Australian spirit is all about and what all good citizens, and not just footballers, should model themselves on.
"At the end of the day we carried logs and did all that sort of stuff and did it way easier than those blokes did back then. And we weren't getting shot at, and it wasn't raining every day," he said.
"I mean, you just can't compare it. As tough as it was, there was just no comparison."
While every player had to read about Kokoda's history to prepare for the experience, Taylor said he would like to do something so Australians never forget what happened in Papua New Guinea in 1942.
He said the Hawks wanted to promote the track's history and tradition to young Australians.
Great to hear P Knights went and another artical on Taylor 2 in as many weeks doesn,t get much press.
10 December 2007 Herald Sun
Daryl Timms
THE days were long and hot, the nights cold, the rain torrential and the rations sparse, but Hawthorn ruckman Simon Taylor says the memories of the club's eight-day trek of the Kokoda Track will last a lifetime.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,5791906,00.jpg Lifelong memory: Simon Taylor last night.
A group of Hawthorn players and officials, including former club champion Peter Knights, returned home yesterday, tired but unscathed after their trip to Papua New Guinea.
Taylor said that while the group could train for the rigours of the gruelling walk, nothing could prepare them for the emotions they experienced as they retraced the steps of Australian soldiers who fought the Japanese along the Kokoda Track in 1942.
While the Hawk party battled, single-file, along the 96km track, Taylor spoke almost in disbelief of how hard it would have been for the soldiers who lugged weapons and backpacks containing food and ammunition while fighting the Japanese in the dense mountains.
Taylor said players teamed up with a new "buddy" each day so they could get to know more about their teammates.
Players recruited to the club in last month's national draft - Stuart Dew, Cyril "Junior Boy" Rioli and Brendan Whitecross - were part of the expedition, which was led by coach Alastair Clarkson.
"You were wet by nine o'clock in the morning with sweat, and you would stay that way for the rest of the day. And then you'd bathe in a creek to try and get the sweat off your clothes, which you put back on the next day," Taylor said.
"There was no change of clothes. They were the same ones for the eight days."
Taylor said that not only did the players get to know more about each other, they also learnt about the sacrifices made by Australian soldiers, many of whom were only 19 years old.
Four granite monuments at Isurava overlook the scene of the biggest battle of the campaign.
It was a humbling sight for Taylor, who said the words on the monuments symbolised what the Australian spirit is all about and what all good citizens, and not just footballers, should model themselves on.
"At the end of the day we carried logs and did all that sort of stuff and did it way easier than those blokes did back then. And we weren't getting shot at, and it wasn't raining every day," he said.
"I mean, you just can't compare it. As tough as it was, there was just no comparison."
While every player had to read about Kokoda's history to prepare for the experience, Taylor said he would like to do something so Australians never forget what happened in Papua New Guinea in 1942.
He said the Hawks wanted to promote the track's history and tradition to young Australians.
Great to hear P Knights went and another artical on Taylor 2 in as many weeks doesn,t get much press.