Universal Love Your football experiences!

[John Who]

I was on the thin side when a teenager, and although was already then a lover of watching footy, I was more into playing non-contact sports such as cricket and tennis.

Then in my early years of Uni I decided to take up gym and asked to train (not play) with a local amateur club. I did all the running and training drills except for the full-on tackling ones because I didn’t want to risk being injured. This thread really brought back some memories of those close footy bonds being part of a footy team. One “highlight” being a time when I went low for a groundball gather and got absolutely bumped senseless by a big-unit teen. I got concussed slightly but was quick to get up and continue on without any further issues. Was the one and only time I knew from firsthand what a concussion was!

Another footy experience was when I had a placement at Victor Harbour and got to see Mods playing over at Encounter Bay, around 2003? My supervisor back then was close mates with Mods and I got to chat with him for some minutes and got his signature on a football. Top bloke!

 

[SugarShane]

Forgot the aftermath of the whack in the eye that dislodged my contact. Ended up with a beaut of a shiner that lasted most of the next week at school. People kept asking what happened so I'd tell them I copped a punch to the eye but still played the game out and kicked two goals. Never mentioned it was a backhander from a 14 year old who was about 4 foot tall.

Another one from my last year of U17's, I'd just started going out with my girlfriend (now wife) and we were well in the mushy puppy love phase. She and her bestie came to watch me play as we were playing in the town her friend lived (10 mins away from our town). I told her the night before that if I kick a goal, it's for her.

So gameday we run out, and I spot her bestie's car parked behind the point post, great stuff. We get off to a good start, our team goals within a few minutes. So next centre bounce, in I sprint from the wing. We win the clearance, so I hoof it forward and the next kick inside 50 gets spoiled right into my hands as I'm streaming towards goal. I steady and shoot, straight through the the hi-diddle-diddle. Could not ask for a better/easier goal as a winger.

As it sails through I give the old Andrew McLeod point to GF's bestie's car and make my way back to middle, chuffed as.

After game's over I go meet up with them.
"Well, how'd you like the goal I kicked for you?"
"You got a goal?"
Ouch baby. Very ouch.

 

[jenny61_99]

Love reading all these. i could only dream of ever playing in my youth. Which is why I just love AFLW today! How lucky these women and girls are today!

 

[crows dude]

I only played up until Under 15's. Then after a few concussions in my last year and being diagnosed a year later with brain condition I quit. Plus I wasnt very good. I did play with Eddie Sansbury but thats it. No other good players I knew have gone onto SANFL or AFL.

 

[1970crow]

I tried to swipe away a blokes hand who kept tugging my jumper when I led and he grabbed me by the shoulder, swung me around and hit me in the side of the head so hard that my nose started bleeding. I grabbed him out of pure protective instincts and we just wrestled on the ground and both got sent off.

A fondled the balls of a half back that was pinching me, he stopped. I kissed a guy that got in my face after a ball up, he was livid. Was right in front if umpire, he did nothing. A guy king hit me first year out of school when playing for old scholars. He was yelling abuse at one of our supporters and I told him the blokes car would be worth more than his house.

I was playing at half back in the game that Adrian McAdam jumped the fence at half forward to fight the crowd at Traeger Park. A while later I played a game of 2s and he was umpiring as part of his penalty and even though I've always assisted umpires with their duties during games, he was an awesome umpire. Opened the batting with him in masters games once and ran him out. Great bloke, his older brothers are total and utter *******s.

in u15 in the GF at Woodville oval we came back from 7 goals down at QT to be even at 3/4 time and win by 6 goals. In u10 we kicked 5 goals to 2 playing the full length of Woodville oval in our GF, which seems like a lot of goals at that age now. Biggest winning score ever was against wingfield royals away in u15, 46.19 to 0.1. The point was gifted because there was a belief that if they didn't score we didn't get our %.

 

[Blurter]

Had an inglorious career that finally petered out at 18 after playing my third A Grade game against Yeelanna at their home ground. I stood this wiry red-headed rooster who had to be in his 40's. He had already umpired the junior Colts, ran the boundary in the both the senior Colts and B Grade and even then I couldn't get near him in the main game. I am pretty sure the combination of his ability and my lack thereof ensured he was BOG on the day. I knew after that it was time to make better use of my Saturday afternoons.

 

[displacedaussie]

South Adelaide were still training down at St Mary's Park when I got into their U13 development squad. Soon after this they built the ground down at Noarlunga, and I was fortunate enough to play in the very first "game" at the ground - an U15 trial match.

Not long into the first quarter I got the footy in miles of space out on the wing. I set off for a run, but thanks to the grass being a bit long, I tripped over my own feet and lost the ball.

After the game the coach handed out some awards. First kick on the new ground. First goal. I got one for the first person to fall over 20m in the clear.

 

[DJ75]

I did a preseason and a few games with WWT back in the day (1993). We did a drill that involved basically circle work, where the goal was to have the most connected possessions without a skill error. (my group won, which was a miracle as I wasn't known for my skills...)

Anyway, I watched one group going around. It had all the 'stars' in it. One player consistently stuffed it up with poor kicks though.

I went home and told my folks that there was a player they all seemed to think was good, but that I was adamant was crap and poorly skilled. I told them all he won't make it.

That player was Scott Camporeale.

Despite his 250 AFL games and reputation as a skilful player, I'm going to use his Crows coaching career against him and claim I was right all along.

 

[radiojake]

I did a preseason and a few games with WWT back in the day (1993). We did a drill that involved basically circle work, where the goal was to have the most connected possessions without a skill error. (my group won, which was a miracle as I wasn't known for my skills...)

Anyway, I watched one group going around. It had all the 'stars' in it. One player consistently stuffed it up with poor kicks though.

I went home and told my folks that there was a player they all seemed to think was good, but that I was adamant was crap and poorly skilled. I told them all he won't make it.

That player was Scott Camporeale.

Despite his 250 AFL games and reputation as a skilful player, I'm going to use his Crows coaching career against him and claim I was right all along.

Premiership season - Did you play senior games that year?

 

[DJ75]

Premiership season - Did you play senior games that year?

Nah I wasn't there much longer. Hurt my knee during the preseason and pretty much never returned.

 

[Slippery Pete]

My funniest one I can think of was tackling a bloke and realizing he was wearing a g string.

You can’t just end that story there!

 

[Slippery Pete]

kept tugging

I grabbed him

we just wrestled on the ground

fondled the balls of a half back

I kissed a guy that got in my face

These sound like Katy Perry song titles

 

[DJ75]

I also had a coach once in U12's who had a bit of the old small man syndrome. That combined with white line fever, made him firey to say the least.

We were playing a hapless team one Saturday and were up by about 25 goals at half time. When the siren went to end the second quarter he went ballistic, screaming at us to run in. He tore shreds off us for being lazy and not working hard enough. He then sent us straight back on to the ground to run sprints. For the entire half time break.
We then went from the sprints straight in to the 3rd quarter. No breaks, no sitting down, no drinks.

The other team were so utterly baffled and terrified, they completely gave up and we won by a huge margin, even though everyone was pretty much too exhausted to run by halfway through the 3rd quarter.

It wasn't the only time he pulled out the half-time work out routine.

Thing is, he was a ripping bloke, so we pretty much all laugh about it now.
Can you imagine if a junior coach pulled that today???

 

[Slippery Pete]

Anyone else still get all the memories flooding back from the smell of liniment?

 

[DJ75]

Anyone else still get all the memories flooding back from the smell of liniment?

Most definitely

 

[Valentino Dmitri]

I was so s**t at football that in the Under 8's my coach invented a one-off trophy for me - The Hardest Tryer Award. It was really big and had a holographic strip down one side which only made it more patronising

 

[Anzacpaul]

I was a very solid CHB/FB, played u15/u17 carnivals for the double blues. First game of 17's, broke my arm after landing awkwardly up in Murray Bridge. Spent the summer recovering.

Started playing the following year for a local club after moving, and broke my arm in the same place after pushing a guy who was picking on a smaller player in my team. It was the first game my uncle had seen me play in years and he ended up driving me to the hospital.

That was the end of my promising footy career, which I still regret to this day.

 

[1970crow]

I was so sh*t at football that in the Under 8's my coach invented a one-off trophy for me - The Hardest Tryer Award. It was really big and had a holographic strip down one side which only made it more patronising

Dmac wins numerous similar awards every year to this day. We call it 'named in the starting 18' though.

 

[1970crow]

I was a very solid CHB/FB, played u15/u17 carnivals for the double blues. First game of 17's, broke my arm after landing awkwardly up in Murray Bridge. Spent the summer recovering.

Started playing the following year for a local club after moving, and broke my arm in the same place after pushing a guy who was picking on a smaller player in my team. It was the first game my uncle had seen me play in years and he ended up driving me to the hospital.

That was the end of my promising footy career, which I still regret to this day.

I got asked to do the invite only preseason at north Adelaide in Harts first year as coach. Got to the Xmas break which was past the last cut in awesome shape, going really well. I was parking cars at Caz, so it worked perfectly. My sister's fiancée had a milk run and his driver had a crash and he asked me to cover for a while. So I added 6 hours 6 nights a week to my existing work. I was about 3 weeks back from the break, nearly asleep while training and Hart came up and said, 'you've got a second job haven't you'. I told him I was helping out family and we agreed I'd return when it ceased. Which it did about 6 weeks later when the bloke's brother needed work and I was shelved immediately. I called him saying I didn't think I'd be fit enough having not run for 6 months and wanted to secure my invite for next year. He said don't worry about it, I'll be fine. But I was so off the pace when I returned about 2 weeks later I was cut. Regret the extra job and returning to this day, I never really put in properly ever again.

Funny tidbit, at the end of the final 2 weeks we were doing a competitive 4 corner handball drill. Simple s**t, one player receives the other tries to tackle. Not sure name of my opponent, but by gum did he get a bake from the great man, '******* hell johnny, you've picked the worst player here and you still can't get close to him". Take that Johnny, you hack.

 

[SugarShane]

I tried to swipe away a blokes hand who kept tugging my jumper when I led and he grabbed me by the shoulder, swung me around and hit me in the side of the head so hard that my nose started bleeding. I grabbed him out of pure protective instincts and we just wrestled on the ground and both got sent off.

A fondled the balls of a half back that was pinching me, he stopped. I kissed a guy that got in my face after a ball up, he was livid. Was right in front if umpire, he did nothing. A guy king hit me first year out of school when playing for old scholars. He was yelling abuse at one of our supporters and I told him the blokes car would be worth more than his house.

I ended up standing a sort of fat but mostly just real solid country boy for a few minutes just out of coincidence because both our men were elsewhere. He had perfect front position for a mark and I couldn't budge him so knowing the ump was blindsided and gave him a sharp shot under the ribs. He spilled the mark then turned and came straight at me. I turned and bolted like Cale Morton against Brendon Lade a few years ago. I knew I had him covered for speed and endurance but bugger me if he didn't literally chase me for about a minute in all directions. I even ran the opposite way to the ball early on just to confirm he was chasing me which he was. Took a couple laps around the centre square to finally lose him. Luckily didn't receive my square up that day though he probably won the war because I was waiting for it every time I went near the ball.

Remember another game that my girlfriend came to watch, about 20m away from where they were sitting on the fence I got tackled across the boundary line and slung to the ground face down, tackler on my back with the ball in front of my stomach and got winded worse than I'd ever been before. Everyone got up, I could not move. Umps throw the ball in and keep playing. What seemed like an eternity later but was probably about 30 seconds of not being able to breathe, our trainer finally makes it out to me. He goes "Are you ok?"

I couldn't even breathe let alone speak so I used whatever breath I had to reply with a raspy inhaling "EEEHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" while pointing to my throat. Once he got me to my feet I could finally suck a few bits of air in before sitting out the quarter on the bench. Very impressive for the girlfriend.

 

[SugarShane]

The best thing about junior footy was the rare types that got games because the coach had to play them out of fairness. We had one kid who was terrible. Even plonking him in a pocket to hide him seemed too risky. Either way, he was a rare cat but he really gave it his all on the training track despite a lack of talent or skill. One particular drill, our coach decided to join in. Just your standard end to end kicking stuff. The whole idea of this drill was the get your calls nice, quick, clear and loud.

So we line up and as we're running through this kid is in front of me, and the coach is up the other end. Using a fake name but for example coach was Tony Richardson, nice long syllable last name. Coach was a great dude, everyone on a first name basis with him, very friendly with us all. So coach Tony grabs the ball and off goes our mate yelling at the top of his lungs in a weirdly deep voice for his 5 foot frame "MR RICHARDSON! MR RICHARDSON! MR RICHARDSOOOONN!!!"

Everyone in our line cracks up laughing. Coach runs through to us and goes "What are you lot laughing at? It's good that at least one of you respects me!" all while only just holding back his laughter.

 

[croweater 41]

Kicked 13 goals in a ressies match once. I was on top of the world thought my s**t didn’t stink. Team was looking for me and trying to get me as many goals as possible. Was great.

I got talking to my opponent and he said he was legally blind was guessing most of the day what was happening.

I don’t often speak about my 13 goal game now, not sure if I should have kicked more or I should have been a little less smug about it.

 

[FR0GGY]

You can’t just end that story there!

I really can’t remember much more than being shocked at that.
Was my first A grade game, thought what have I got myself into.
Same game I collected the ball just behind centre, streaming through the middle had a bounce sold candy to someone had another bounce and steadied and slotted it, as I was kicking, I heard a whistle.
Old mate razor ray lite, hadn’t apparently seen my second bounce.
Couldn’t believe it.

 

[TRP1996]

The other memory of my football career was a Year 9 team that a) Got in trouble for getting into too many fights on the field, had a whole lunchtime meeting about it with the Sports Coordinator, and b) Was awarded the ''team spirit'' award or somesuch later that year. This strikes me as a bit of a mixed message.

 

[1970crow]

I ended up standing a sort of fat but mostly just real solid country boy for a few minutes just out of coincidence because both our men were elsewhere. He had perfect front position for a mark and I couldn't budge him so knowing the ump was blindsided and gave him a sharp shot under the ribs. He spilled the mark then turned and came straight at me. I turned and bolted like Cale Morton against Brendon Lade a few years ago. I knew I had him covered for speed and endurance but bugger me if he didn't literally chase me for about a minute in all directions. I even ran the opposite way to the ball early on just to confirm he was chasing me which he was. Took a couple laps around the centre square to finally lose him. Luckily didn't receive my square up that day though he probably won the war because I was waiting for it every time I went near the ball.

Remember another game that my girlfriend came to watch, about 20m away from where they were sitting on the fence I got tackled across the boundary line and slung to the ground face down, tackler on my back with the ball in front of my stomach and got winded worse than I'd ever been before. Everyone got up, I could not move. Umps throw the ball in and keep playing. What seemed like an eternity later but was probably about 30 seconds of not being able to breathe, our trainer finally makes it out to me. He goes "Are you ok?"

I couldn't even breathe let alone speak so I used whatever breath I had to reply with a raspy inhaling "EEEHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" while pointing to my throat. Once he got me to my feet I could finally suck a few bits of air in before sitting out the quarter on the bench. Very impressive for the girlfriend.

I did something a little similar. Year 11 and tackled this guy near the boundry line in front of the grandstand at Saints. Went after the spillage on the ground and this kid comes in knees first, I attempted to retaliate by punching him but dislocated my shoulder as I rotated around and froze, so copped one on top of the knees and the shoulder. The grandstand got the added benefit of watching a surgeon relocate my shoulder right in front of them.