Past #10: Ben Cunnington - will retire from the AFL after * game - 238 games/95+ goals/2x Syd Barker Medalist/Shinboner - thanks for everything Cunners

[buttox]

I was asked on the sc board how many games he would play this year after recovering from cancer.
I went with 27.
Lol

 

[Psicosis]

He looks really good in todays training pics. Really excited to see where he is in a few months time.

 

[Hojuman]

He looks really good in todays training pics. Really excited to see where he is in a few months time.

" BACK ON TOP BABY " !

 

[Carey4life]

$1,000 away from his goal. I'm about to put in $50. I encourage anyone else who can afford it to help as well.

Sponsor

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[ferball]

$1,000 away from his goal. I'm about to put in $50. I encourage anyone else who can afford it to help as well.

Sponsor

The daffodil gives us hope. Research is saving lives. Help fund Australia’s brightest researchers as they work to uncover breakthrough cancer treatments to protect the ones you love. Give more than hope this Daffodil Day Appeal. Donate this August.

www.longestday.org.au

Good one.

 

[SonofSamsquanch]

Ben at home down in Timboon...

 

[RobZombie]

I was asked on the sc board how many games he would play this year after recovering from cancer.
I went with 27.
Lol

What, you think we’re going to lose a final? Or are you counting the pre-season game?

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

I’m somewhat depressed that I cannot see us winning a game without Ben at his best.
If he returns to the elite level it will be a story worth writing.
Can’t wait for the first game.

 

[Horace]

I was asked on the sc board how many games he would play this year after recovering from cancer.
I went with 27.
Lol

Just overstated it a tad there. 23 H&A games followed by three straight wins to another flag. Not a problem really.

 

[Horace]

Ben at home down in Timboon...

I'm not a golfer, but a long long time ago, at the same golf course, myself and two mates, on the School Cross Country, elected to wander slightly off course and look for lost golf balls. We found a few but forgot the time and ended up late back to School, causing all of the School buses, about 20+ from memory, to be delayed on their way taking everyone home.

Oh well, we had a very nice day anyway

 

[buttox]

Just overstated it a tad there. 23 H&A games followed by three straight wins to another flag. Not a problem really.

23 home and away and 4 finals games would be possible if we finish from 5-8th after the home and away.
Finals series is 4 weeks with 2 teams eliminated in the first 3 weeks.

 

[zoomba23]

I’m somewhat depressed that I cannot see us winning a game without Ben at his best.
If he returns to the elite level it will be a story worth writing.
Can’t wait for the first game.

On paper, we'd be expected to beat West Coast with or without him

 

[SonofSamsquanch]

I'm not a golfer, but a long long time ago, at the same golf course, myself and two mates, on the School Cross Country, elected to wander slightly off course and look for lost golf balls. We found a few but forgot the time and ended up late back to School, causing all of the School buses, about 20+ from memory, to be delayed on their way taking everyone home.

Oh well, we had a very nice day anyway

The school cross country... Wow!

I recall one year in the mid 70s, myself and a mate who was even less fit than I was got a shock when we came in at something like 35th and 36th place. We could see the teachers looking extremely confused as those who were expected to come into the early places were all missing. Turns out that my cousin was leading the first group and he knew that the course went down Cowley's Creek Road, but he mistakenly led everybody down New Coorimungle Road - they ran down Port Campbell Road to McVilly's and turned left there.

The school went into a panic as about 200 kids were missing. It was home time and the busses were all ready to leave but probably half the passengers missing. They had to send busses out to pick up the kids, but they didn't know where they were until somebody rang up the school to tell them that a bunch of tired out kids were sitting out the front of their farm house.

My cousin copped a fair amount of stick for his navigational mistake. The PE Teacher and the organisers who were supposed to make the signs also copped it - to be fair, my cousin lived down at the end of New Coorimungle Road at Cowley's Creek but he only ever knew that road as "The Short Cut". The signage was also pretty bad.

The "proper" trail was the one with the sign "School Buzzes Use This Route" which I'm sure you'd remember. Turn off near the sand-pits and then run down the edge of the "800 Acres" before returning through a few paddocks and come out somewhere near the sale yards on the Snake Track.



EDIT: For relevance, Ben 10 would have run this course or something like it.

 

[shintemaster]

I’m somewhat depressed that I cannot see us winning a game without Ben at his best.
If he returns to the elite level it will be a story worth writing.
Can’t wait for the first game.

At the risk of this biting a huge chunk out of my arse - I'm of the view that we will have beaten our last 2 years tallies combined by the half way point of the season.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

At the risk of this biting a huge chunk out of my arse - I'm of the view that we will have beaten our last 2 years tallies combined by the half way point of the season.

If we don’t win 6-8 games, it’s a complete failure.

 

[marklovesbeer]

On paper, we'd be expected to beat West Coast with or without him

I think we beat West Coast twice, Hawthorn twice, Essendon once, St Kilda once, GWS, Port in Tassie & GC in the last game for 9 wins, with potentially an upset somewhere else to make it 10 for the season.

With or without Cunners.

 

[Horace]

The school cross country... Wow!

I recall one year in the mid 70s, myself and a mate who was even less fit than I was got a shock when we came in at something like 35th and 36th place. We could see the teachers looking extremely confused as those who were expected to come into the early places were all missing. Turns out that my cousin was leading the first group and he knew that the course went down Cowley's Creek Road, but he mistakenly led everybody down New Coorimungle Road - they ran down Port Campbell Road to McVilly's and turned left there.

The school went into a panic as about 200 kids were missing. It was home time and the busses were all ready to leave but probably half the passengers missing. They had to send busses out to pick up the kids, but they didn't know where they were until somebody rang up the school to tell them that a bunch of tired out kids were sitting out the front of their farm house.

My cousin copped a fair amount of stick for his navigational mistake. The PE Teacher and the organisers who were supposed to make the signs also copped it - to be fair, my cousin lived down at the end of New Coorimungle Road at Cowley's Creek but he only ever knew that road as "The Short Cut". The signage was also pretty bad.

The old one was the one with the sign "School Buzzes Use This Route" which I'm sure you'd remember.

View attachment 1572611

Sounds like your cross country misadventure was a bit more spectacular than mine, SoS. Losing 200 kids is a fair feat.

It also looks like we went on a different route to yours. Mind you I was there a few years ahead of you. From a somewhat faded and quite possibly inaccurate memory, we used to head off straight over the road from the school, down to the old railway line, past where Harry Catterson's sawmill used to be and along a creek towards the Curdies limeworks and then back up past the golf course. Plenty of potential to get distracted and as we, like you it seems, were never likely to be in the place getters, we made the most of the journey.

From memory it used to take place in August, so there was always plenty of water in the creek and mud to splash through. Happy days.

 

[zoomba23]

I think we beat West Coast twice, Hawthorn twice, Essendon once, St Kilda once, GWS, Port in Tassie & GC in the last game for 9 wins, with potentially an upset somewhere else to make it 10 for the season.

With or without Cunners.

An apt username indeed. Tell me the truth: have you been drinking?

 

[Sillygit]

An apt username indeed. Tell me the truth: have you been drinking?

Have you not?

 

[zoomba23]

Have you not?

No. Though now that you mention it, the Winchester would've made the last three seasons considerably more bearable

 

[Sillygit]

No. Though now that you mention it, the Winchester would've made the last three seasons considerably more bearable

Im taking a "Winchester" first policy until we hit 3 wins.

 

[shintemaster]

No. Though now that you mention it, the Winchester would've made the last three seasons considerably more bearable

Mate, outside the Winchester would have been better.

 

[shintemaster]

If we don’t win 6-8 games, it’s a complete failure.

Same. Trying to be conservative but realistically I think we should be aiming for and achieving that as a minimum.

 

[SonofSamsquanch]

It also looks like we went on a different route to yours

Apparently they changed the course due to "trouble makers" upsetting the golfers by swiping all of the balls from bunkers and out of bounds areas in the years before.

We all know that the locals strategically hide a few balls on the fringe OOB just before pennant matches so that they can be discreetly kicked back to the fairway then "found" and penalties can be avoided, handicaps protected and pennants defended.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Hawthorn had a truck load of injuries last year and I think they will improve quiTe a bit
We only beat the Eagles seconds home
I’m pessimistic