Knifey Spoony
Psuedo-legendary
- Dec 21, 2015
- 3,784
- 11,360
- AFL Club
- West Coast
- Other Teams
- Everton, Borussia Dortmund
Welcome to the fourth installment of Ljp86 500 week!
So far we have heard from the league and the man himself, however we are yet to hear from those who perhaps know him best...his teammates. The handsome Bonz and I made our way to Ljp86's Lair to discuss the great man with those who share a locker room with him
But first, Let me take you back to Wednesday night. The entirety of Dragon Island sat, waiting with baited breath, for an announcement from the premier. And when it finally came through...
Preparations began for the biggest party the Island had ever seen
The next day I wandered into the Lair, named after our legendary legend. Suddenly, A Swallow burst passed me, yelling something about strippers stuck in quarantine. “Will they be okay by the time of the celebration?” I asked. “What celebration?” Spitta replied over his shoulder as he scuttled away.
Overcoming my confusion, I wondered down to the KFC Room, where Stoods is carboloading on a Zinger box. In between bites, he had this to say:
"LJP, the sort of guy everyone would want in their qooty team, the guy has great banter but at the same time can be very dignified when needed. In my short time at the dragons he has been great with showing good leadership and being very supportive to rookies and inexperienced players. LJP defines the word legend in the SFA and deserves all accolades that come his way, enjoy the milestone week mate you have earned it!"
I couldn't agree more. Moving on, I spot Blaze Storm finishing up a video call. I quickly grab his thoughts:
"LJP is like a grandfather to me, I leave him in the corner and assume he stops talking eventually."
I take my concerns regarding BS's family life and move on. Strigoi is practicing ruck work in the gym, with a mannequin copping multiple elbows the the face. Strigs is straight to the point:
"He has a big bazooka!"
I have no doubt that is true. I move down to the media room. VandoHawk and Ashman OG, two of the local visual media experts, are present. Vando, who has just wrapped up watching Jurassic World, quips:
"He predates the dinosaurs so I have no clue how he continues to be this high quality. Fantastic Qooty player, poster and person."
A OG however relates him to another valuable movie character:
"Ljp is the equivalent of Gandalf to the Dragons and the wider SFA, old, wise and powerful. What would we do without him?"
I do not know Ashman, I just dont know.
Bradesmaen is practicing his trick shots from the pocket. And by that I mean about four rows in the crowd. As another one bounces through the big sticks, he turns to me and says:
"LJP is a legend among men, pokemon and cats. He will go down as one of the greatest to ever play the game and is a father figure to many."
Pokemon and cats, what weird topics to bring up, ay Bonz. Moving on, I enter a room. Sitting by the fireplace is Pie 4 Life , wearing only a red velvet robe and smoking a pipe. As probably the suavest Dragon, he motions towards the seat adjacent to him. P4L's words paint a picture:
"Reflecting on Ljp86's career where do I begin? It's hard to believe it's been 500 games, or more embarrassingly for both of us, almost 16 years of playing a fantasy football game. Many have not stood the test of time, but you have, and for the one team no less. Who would have thought we'd be here after all these years, but we're still kicking.
In terms of putting words together to describe him; champion, legend, GOAT, leader, unrivalled, big game player, all come to mind. Forget awards alone - which let's face it he's just about won everything he could anyway - but in terms of consistency, Ljp has remained a loyal and quality poster over the years. Even now he is still contributing with the weekly ladder and stats, as well as fun facts, and remains an invaluable member of our community.
One only has to look at his Season 28 Grand Final performance to see how great he is in big games, and from his match-winning goal on debut to his match-winning effort in that decider, he has always been relied upon to come up big in crunch moments.
As someone who has proudly coat-tailed off his career by seemingly thrown together through circumstance of being at the same team, I could not be happier to see Ljp reach the 500 milestone first. His dedication to the team - which he captained for many years - is first class and has never wavered. Despite numerous chances to leave over the years, he has stayed true, and to be honest, he is one of the main reasons that I have been able to return and still feel like everything is as it was.
I think a lot of the newer posters do not know the impact Ljp has had on the Dragons and the overall community, but for a time, he was honestly the best player in the competition ahead of daylight. Not just for his ability in the random sim, but his posting ability too. While he is never one to post in large quantities - you know that's something I can get behind and respect - what he does post is usually well-thought out and detailed.
There are plenty of players I respect in this competition, but when it comes to Ljp, he is at the top of the tree, and deserves every accolade that comes his way and even then it could not sum up the impact he has had on the Dragons and the competition as a whole. I'm glad to have been able to have front row tickets to the Ljp show over the past 15+ years, and looking forward to seeing it continue as we strive for more success together.
Congrats on 500 games Ljp, looking forward to many more."
As I said, super classy. I stroll down the hallway to the door with 'Captain' on it. I enter serial_thrilla's office for his thoughts:
Later in an email I get this message:
"When I first joined the Dragons I was told two things: don't usurp AceAndy , and make sure to appreciate all the work Ljp86 has done for the club and the league. I may have failed dismally at the first request, but I have made sure to pay homage to the great bazooka-wielding man wherever possible. The fact that a bloke of his experience who is synonymous with an avatar of a character called "Roy" hasn't gotten roped into playing with the geezers down the road is a testament to the loyalty of Ljp86 .
Having him sitting alongside us at the Dragons helps one realise how long this damn game has been around for. The history and drama adds so much depth to the SFA, and having a living legend like him sharing the locker rooms adds so much more gravity to it all.
Thanks for all you've done, Ljp86 - hopefully we get to see a showcase of your qooty ability on Sunday to cap off a great week. Go Ljp86"
And now, I shall share some of my own thoughts
Dear LJP,
You are synonymous with the Dragons. The club and the league as a whole may not exist without your tireless contributions. Congratulations on a truly magnificent milestone and a chance for the league to celebrate you
My fondest memory has to be the season 28 Grand Final. Your performance that day was probably the best individual effort I have seen and on the biggest stage of all. I will gladly be telling my grandkids of your performance that day
It's an honour to play alongside you. Great innings mate, well done"
And thus concludes my tour of the Lair. I would like to thank all Dragons who contributed and Bonz for his excellent photo-shopping skills. Ljp86, from everyone at the Dragons,
