the big day arrives and um yes perhaps the post match analysis comes a tad bit late!!!

 

now that is devotion!!!

better late than never i say!!! true one week is a long time in footy and yes viewers shame on me or as us croats would say srum te bilo, majka boga!!! man i was convinced that freo would be hot on the trail for the holy footy grail but alas i was seriously mistaken. from the week before you would have thought that freo would have gone into the final as indisputable favourites. son number two was away vacationing in bali of all places, but rest asssured he was gonna be watching it with his dad. and rest assured there were going to be tears... and there were and a lot of sympathy too apparently viewers, but when you're a kid well even the most die hardened opposition would not be that cruel...there must be some code or violation for taunting a child whose team has lost the flag surely???

     well we certainly got into the spirit of things in little adelaide town. as usual we were at my sisters for the traditional footy grandfinal barbie. and of course putting my culinary skills into overdrive i created some rather impressive looking mini baked cheesecakes with blueberries on top. these were to honour my fellow friends in wa who also happen to be freo supporters and were absolutely stoked with their team being there. i have to say fellow footy fans that watching the first quarter unfold i thought the roles had become completely reversed. hawthorn played freo's game and the pressure was relentless and yes freo did indeed succumb to finals nerves. outclassed, outplayed, inexperienced but 2014 will see if it has made them a better team. yes folks that about sums it up and by all accounts i found it to be a rather lack lustre game.

     so until next season we will just have to wait and see what each draft brings, who goes where, who will coach who. love and laughter FFF XXX.

close but good enough for 2013...freo for the flag

so close yet not quite there...the cats definitely had more than nine lives that night. what can i say? it was a bloody good game and the team really took it up to them. and yes i almost held my breath believing that hey after that westhoff goal perhaps we could do it again ( and what a goal that was) but alas it was not meant to be. and although i was disappointed it didn't last long. when i put the whole season into perspective and under the microscope...my observations lead me to believe without a doubt we are now on the road to somewhere and that is awesome...GO POWER!!! bring on 2014...

PS i watched the hawks /cats game and to be frank hawthrorn did kick themselves out of the game and at times looked lack lustre. franklin and roughhead failed to fire up. the cats should have dug in their claws the opportunity was there but obviously they only scratched the surface. for the hawks to come back and win, credit though to tough it out. but i have to say watching freo systematically demolish the swans in the first half...it is going to be a freo flag!!! GO DOCKERS!!! win and my dual supporter will be over the moon...

elimination final: fear, fantasy and fact

before the game in the back of my mind the fear lurking which i have no doubt was shared by more than just myself is that our young team would become overwhelmed by the awe of finals and succumb to the pressure. that collingwood being a seasoned finals campaigner and holding court with a supporter base that would easily outnumber us at the G would rise to the occassion; considering their form was gaining momentum and that perhaps the sleeping dog was finally awakening. i actually posed this question to the great russell ebert himself (as i had the opportunity to chat with him during a school visit and was curious to see whether we would be on the same page and of course i did want to impress him with my footy know how...lol!!!). and i have to say i completely agreed with him. i considered richmond to be the easier opponent and as russell contemplated in his own words, " port might be able to exploit them more..."

     my fanatsy of course after hearing big mouth complain about the inconvenience of travelling to the west when not one game had even been played. freo would knock off the cats and port would clip the pies wings and send them hurtling beak first into the ground...SPLAT!!! i watched the freo geelong game with son number two who is a dual supporter. he really took freo on board this year as a gesture no doubt fuelled by the fact he misses his dad who is also dockers supporter. i actually tipped them...call that one gut feeling but i was surprsied that even geelong although quite entitled would host their final at home considering the capacity of the stadium. then i dared to dream that eddie of course had cursed himself and his club because it was one down and one left to go...

     the fact is i watched it along with my boys at a friends place screaming as if we were there and it is just as well that nell turned her hearing aid off. OMG what a game, the best game they have played all year because from start to finish despite a comeback the boys kept going hard, tough and strong. they rose to the occassion undaunted by the majority of the crowd against them; unfazed by the premier stage of the G.and they brought it home much to the surprise of many who really did not rate them much of a chance. so unified, such a team effort, superb game from youngster ollie wines, captains goals and the accolades could easily continue. the fact is we took collingwood on and we won, fair and square, convincingly and to watch such an outstanding effort keeps one brimming with optimistic assurance that this viewers is a team and a club that has finally risen from the ashes...

finals fever...

the finals are here viewers and according to bigmouth we don't seem to stand a chance. well it would be poetic justice to prove him wrong. and it would be just for him to have to wear the prison bar guernsey in public too...how about that??? now don't get me wrong fellow supporters...i am ecstatic that the boys have earnt their spot in the finals. to begin with not many would have predicted this at the beginning of the season. call it a fairytale or a cinderella story but that it is not. it is the result of hard work and developing respect and the right culture at the club. i did have the fortune of listening to ken hinkley address the supporters after the melbourne game and i was impressed. and what impressed me most was one thing he mentioned and that was..." i am about relationships..." and when i heard that i knew there and then he was the right man for the job. and this season has proven it was sooner rather than later. 

     and at the beginning of the season it seemed like i hardly knew who some of these boys were ( i had to buy the footy record and do some study) and wondered where they had been hiding. and acccording to a good source...(yes i do have my sources,) someone had to come in clean up and lay down the law...(apparently some were keeping their mobiles in their training socks) and heavens to betsy if that was happening in my classroon, hang on it wouldn't happen, hee,hee. if there is one thing i know from my own experience and that is this... relationships form the core of success among other things. a positive relationship built upon mutual trust and respect is a key. and that key can open the door to self belief. self belief is the foundation. if it is shaky it won't be strong. build it with the right ingredients and an effective plan and self belief can take you places where once upon a time you may have feared to tread. 

     and  even though i will not make it to the hallowed MCG this time my support remains steadfast. i was discouraged (especially after my mum found out my plan to wear my prison bar t-shirt under my clothes which i intended to reveal to an irate collingwood crowd after we had won...hee,hee)
i do believe this is just the beginning and i for one do not intend to miss our next grandfinal appearance...my prediction 2015. so until saturday night, enjoy the first final and i say in support of my buddy (not buddy franklin) but buddy pascoe...GO THE SWANNIES!!! short and sweet.

cheers, FFFXXX

PS footy tipping was a family affair this year...my brother in-law came equal first and lovie the legend came in third in the RI Industries footy tipping comp...well done!!!

    

last game at AAMI...

 

farewell EBO...

weather was perfect. the prison bar guernseys looked awesome. the lady army plus two were almost in full force. great to go to the game not feeling like it was a do or die situation where we could have been knocked off the perch, still we would have got the golden ticket but am extremely pleased we did not have to. the team got there on their own merits. i have to say i have enjoyed this season and am glad i made the decision to join the club when they seemed to be down and out coming into 2013. the carlton supporters behind us were good sports but ectstatic that they got over the line. a great night enjoyed by all of us apart from son number two having a meltdown coz the boys lost by a point. but he's ten and so he is allowed to. amazing atmosphere, 45,000 plus crowd...well done POWER!!!

looking forward to the next one...

round 22: the official stats...

well i thought i was going to see some stats that would have pin pointed where it all went down hill...in the scheme of things not really...the stats do not reflect fully what was the key factor...one word PRESSURE, no make that two words, UNRELENTING PRESSURE. and to think years ago i was a witness to FREO being a pretty dismal side, no make that a crap side and recall many a time they were thumped. now the shoe is on the other foot but i will certainly not begrudge them. having been a freophile for a good ten years i can support them but not before my number one team. but i say don't discount the old heave ho and i for one would be happy to see them take the flag this year only because i know we are still very green and would prefer them to gain experience on their way to becoming awesome. so think about that supporters  or specifically those who were quick to jump on the bandwagon and point out how badly we were thumped and how... OMG if we play like that in the finals we will not get too far. well guess what viewers i personally don't give a rats ass and wonder what planet some of you are on...seriously let us put it into perspective. how long do you think it takes to cultivate a premiership winning team? the way that some of you carry on you would think it was overnight. and not using excuses but yes please put this into your memory bank. we are the third youngest side in the comp. the last few years we were dismal and played like losers because we were losers and apparently were allowed to have our mobile phones tucked away into our footy socks when we were meant to be training. ( i got that from a reliable source) and so let us be thankful that ken hinkley has been true to his word and has instilled some discipline and the core value of respect back for the club and for others.

     as for me my personal stats were not very flattering.  (shame on me) watching from the couch i was reported for using the f-bomb and paying out the pav coz he was playing for some lame free kicks. ( son number two who is a dual supporter did not appreciate this) add to that the word BS with emphasis but other than that it was relatively tame. and yes i did watch it entirely and it wasn't pretty. and i almost cracked and went to my room to read the lonely planet guide on hawaii...hee,hee!!! (because i am also planning an end of season trip)  one consolation was finding out that essendon finally beat the blues. i have to admit keeping an eye on the score i was already beginning to imagine the magnitude of round 23. so yes we were thumped but the bombers won which meant that we were not going to be handed the golden ticket, which meant my request was granted, thankyou footy gods!!! nothing like being a legitimate finalist and i say simply fitting considering our season. now we will just have to see who our opponent shall be...tigers or pies? which one? which one would you choose?

      i actually had the opportunity to put that exact question to an all time footy legend today. i had the pleasure of meeting and shaking hands with none other than mr. russell ebert himself...my childhood idol. and this is what i said..."hello mr.ebert. it is a pleasure to meet you and i just wanted to tell you that you were my childood idol and i wore the duffel coat with your number on the back..." which seemed to take him by surprise. ( and i think the reason it took him by surprise is that i look so youthful and so he might have been thinking that i couldn't have possibly been born then...testament to good slav genes!!! hee,hee) we had an indepth chat about the changes in footy and the pressure facing players in this era compared to his playing days. when i asked him which team for the finals he replied thoughtfully...richmond because he commented that port might be able to exploit them where collingwood were a seasoned finals campaigner and are coming into full strength ( and yes i agreed with him). so that was the highlight for me today. i must say he is in excellent nick for his age, very fit and very personable.

     so as i am typing this it seems that the essendon saga has been partially resolved with the announcement that the bombers will not be playing finals which has caused a frenzied discussion about how the final eight will pan out. i am still predicting the roos because this whole scenario has been nothing short of crazy. so a crazy ending seems fitting. but i can tell ya there will be some teams hoping it ain't gonna be them. well i guess we will know come sunday. so until then viewers if your team is a finalist you might want to start considering your wardrobe. i certainly am looking forward to round 23 to witness the last game in the historic prison bar guernsey. my only regret is that i didn't buy one when they were on offer. who knows i might get lucky and be selected for one. yes footy gods if you don't mind that is my request for this week that i win a guernsey and that POWER are winners when the final siren sounds. bring on the finals!!! love FFFXXX.

lets get on with the game and talk about the weather instead...

blah,blah,blah,blah....blah dee blah blah...selfish, ill conceived, how many times do i have to say it? and yes even dr.reid raised his concerns but if anyone hit the nail on the head it was listening to the distraught mother of an essendon player...two words she said... morals and ethics, mm, yes to those who may well think you are too high and mighty put those back into your vocabulary. and one last but crucial point...would they have injected their own children? don't think so and with that i will let you gain all you need to know by reading the paper and listening to the radio because like most people i am pretty much over it now and not happy that is has become a huge distraction to the season. and we are still yet to know the finals outcome...will they or won't they? i don't care. i just want those damn bombers to shove some firecrackers up their ass if they have to and play for some pride and knock off the blues this round as a favour to...mm, let me see... now which team would i be thinking about??? hee,hee.

     holy footballs i don't mean to get ahead of myself but already the word is in the air...it could come down to round 23 but personally i think they should just stop the season immediately and give the top eight an extra two weeks to prepare. friggin footballs i dare not want to think about it but one of my colleagues raised it at school today...raised the topic of finals. i say we are in with a chance against freo and should not be underestimated. however, i would have preferred to have played that game at home. but if essendon should do what most people now are probably doubting at least my mind can forget about the stress of the possibility of having our finals campaign pipped at the post. now that would be hard to take. not that i am expecting a grandfinal appearance this year but footy gods if you are listening the team deserves it and i think a lot would agree. yes we deserve to have a taste of the finals for all the hard work, sweat and reduction in fat intake. for all those boys who said no to their mamma's dessert and second helpings at dinnertime. doesn't that count for something? and what about us the supporters who come to each and every game and follow the step by step guide to brainwashing our offspring into barracking for the team of our choice? huh? what about that? (i take my role very seriously altho i have to confess to a 50% success rate but better than nothing, better one to follow in his mamma's footsteps than none at all.)

     and man what about this weather? for friggin sake how much colder is it going to get? my gas bill has skyrocketed. didn't see that one coming. so much for installing ducted gas heating i thought it was suppose to be economical... too cold for me folks. yep i am definitely not a cold weather gal and am not appreciating the temperature. how is one suppose to train in such conditions? thankfully i managed to find a rain free hour this evening to pound the pavement. i certainly needed that after discovering son number two had completely scoffed the last of my spanish dark chocolate the little bugger. ( which incidentally i was looking for after a hard day at the office...) and yes from the smirk on his face as i entered the lounge holding empty wrapper i can tell he enjoyed every bite of it. he says he is doing me a favour. you know what... he is right!!! LOL.

     well i gotta admit the couch ain't looking too inspiring this friday night so i think i will find something better to do. our game is also on at the same time as essendon which will be interesting. they couldn't have scripted that any better, now could they? the rest of the round looks a bit lack lustre. CROWS against the demons, big deal can't see that one shaping up to be the match of the year, altho CROWS fans should expect a good win at home. the roos vs hawks could be interesting especially if the roos manage a win because maybe for them it ain't over till the fat lady sings. (it helps having a good percentage.) the cats/swans game should be the match of the round and i reckon the doggies might get another win in against the lions.

     of course in my household i have son number two the dual supporter who is a bit torn as to who he should support. he has decided to wear his freo guernsey and hat and then to finish it off with a port scarf. like me he is hoping for a dons win to get PORT over the line. but i am also requesting an interstate win, ( apologies WA buddies) no fear, no guts, no glory. we should be playing until the end and then i guess we shall see what happens and what shall then come before us.

    so to the tipping. we did rather well bar the tigers, the mother/son combo but this week i shall leave it to my sweet boy who has taken quite an interest in football, the stats, the players, all the club songs, furiously googling to find out what he doesnt know. he has asked to be the guest tipster and what is a mamma gonna do but grant his request of course. so this week i will leave it entirely up to him. and this is what he has to say for round 22...
pies, crows, hawks, swans, essendon, dockers, suns, richmond and bulldogs...

PS BTW, the POWER boys came back to school this week plus another. our canteen manageress bless her, wore her hand knitted POWER cardigan and scarf. we had a snap taken and i have to say the young lads make me look like rather short not that i am actually lacking any height.

round 21 and other stuff...

josh pyke at the gov...

good evening viewers i have to confess i am currently taking fat enhancing supplements...true. as far as i know they have most likely been banned by weight watchers. yep just finished scoffing a few... commonly known as double dark choc brownies with some macadamia nust thrown in. as far as i know, technicially they are not illegal but something tells me that they well and truly could interfere with my highly successful "fat guts be gone" training program if i continue to eat them, hee,hee, god i am hilarious, not really it is late, can't you tell?

     well, well, well i have to also tell you something rather strange came through my e-mail and it has got me wondering if i am under some kind of surveillance. i received an invitation from the essendon football club to be at the game to show my support and in fact they used my proper name. mm, got me wondering if they have caught on to this hugely successful and entertaining blog of mine that obviously is going to shoot me into the stratosphere of sports journalism. to be pefectly honest if the invitation had come with an all expenses paid trip with some shopping vouchers and a table booked at cumulus i would have considered it purely for the blog of course. but i can't be dropping everything and running of at the drop off a hat. i have responsibilities, like making sure my kids brush their teeth and put on clean guchas  (undies). i have washing to do and my own training to think about because  well because i just have because a mothers job is never done. and if you are a single mamma like myself ( don't bring out the violins just yet) i have a lot on my plate to consider before i can even contemplate getting out the door by myself...fullstop.

      so to the couch. i have a confession to make. i was actually looking forward to the friday night game considering last week was quite pedestrian ( i got that word from danni minogue tonight on x-factor) but got a last minute invitation to watch josh pyke for free at the govenor hindmarsh. fortunately for me my companion is also quite footy minded so didn't mind hearing the score updates amid the crowd noise compliments of my handy iphone app. the first act although obviously talented and an accomplished guitarist was not my cup of tea. her music was well how would i describe it? music you would hear while you were drowning. the next support act patrick james was far more upbeat, kinda josh pyke like, easy to listen to and enjoyable. i have a new found like for the banjo, very cool. josh pyke, well he was entertaining and i personally don't mind him at all although i wouldn't rate him as  an all time favourite. he is easy on the ear with some songs i prefer more than others. all in all i had a pleasant evening and quite like the atmosphere of the govenor hindmarsh, great venue for a more intimate musical experience.

     this time i explained to lovie that i would be home around the midnight mark so she was well prepared. last time when i went to see birds of tokyo i failed to mention that the main act wouldn't come on until about ten. by the time i got home after midnight she was in a super huff and stormed off. god knows what she thought i was doing because it wasn't raging i can tell ya. in anycase all was well and lovie being a footy enthusiast herself gave me a run down of the game. her verdict, hawks were in a league of their own and taught the pies a lesson and should have probably won by 60 in reality. i can tell you having to take son number two to an eight thirty game in the morning was no easy feat. i had to flood my veins with copious amounts of caffeine and with the weather looking completely dismal i was preparing myself for torrential rain for later in the day. fortunately the footy gods had seen to giving us some cold and windy conditions but decided to not dampen our enthusiasm with buckets of rain.

     the lady army had some last minute changes to its list. little sista piked out and son number two had decided to forgo the cold and stay home with big brother for a cozy, lazy day indoors with gas heating. so in the end there were four and i came prepared with blankets, homemade soup and a spare ticket to save someone a few bucks...the turnout was not huge, about 18,000 which probably had something to do with the weather. i am proud to say i have been to every home game plus one in melbourne so it looks as though my season record will remain intact. an impressive start with a good first quarter lead but i for one know that it takes four quarters to win a game. it wasn't pretty but when it is good it looks effortless and sometimes we just make careless and costly errors. happy to take the win and a step closer to finals. the only real bleak moment was checking up on the tigers and blues to realise that richmond had indeed lost a game they were expected to win. with essendon getting flogged again we are not out of the woods yet viewers. it could still come down to the last game of the season and right now i will be ensuring that i say my footy prayers every night to will those damn bombers across the line next week. an essendon victory ensures our spot but i cannot say that it is a given coz at the moment it looks as though they are going to continue to crash and burn. and i think it is fair to say that most people are just so over this whole saga and have had enough of not knowing whether the dons will lose their points. will they or won't they, that is the big question? i am not so convinced now and if so i think it will be at the very last minute to avoid some kind of legal injunction perhaps. will the finals get hijacked by a goliath legal war? who knows and yes i will sneak it in again...the makings of a new aussie feature film. i did think about casting demis roussos as andrew demetriou but i don't like my chances of getting him to shave off his facial hair!!!

     well the mother and son tipping duo nearly made a clean sweep bar richmond. and the only other games i watched were the cats and the eagles. sorry girlfriend number two but your team did have to do the right thing and lose. i just hope you did not have to kill your husband in the process and that he sought sanctuary in a safe house. i also watched the last quarter between the doggies and the crows and perhaps now one might say ces't la vie. yes secretly i am delighted but will not make a big song and dance about it in case footy karma sees fit to punish me for being terrible....sorry crows buddies, no, not really,XXX.

     and before i go there is one thing that has definitely begun to annoy me. i call it trial by media. chances are hartlett will probably get suspended for a tough but fair bump. first question they asked hinkley and it makes me wonder if you would consider that a bit of pre-empting the match review panel. and as far as they go who friggin well knows? sometimes they focus on the injury which in some cases may not be pleasant... ok that is my mini rant. and so until the next round folks you gotta admit it is getting interesting and the next round for sure will set the tone for some of the final games. so here is my little prayer...dear footy gods please ensure those slack and down and out bombers players get off their friiggin goozicas and give their supporters and the POWER ones something to cheer about. AMEN, lakanorch  (goodnight) to you viewers. love FFFXXX.

getting closer and other stuff...

gettting closer viewers indeed we are. getting closer to finding out how the whole esesendon supplement scandal will come to a head. technically it seems they have not broken any rules. leigh matthews seems to think they will become the scapegoats of the AFL and have not brought the game into disrepute. mick malthouse has had his two cents worth encouraging a strong message to be sent in light of the drug scandals in the states. mm, wonder who that might benefit? but regardless he is pretty much spot on. as far as matthews is concerned each one of us is entitled to our own opinion and me if i have said it once i will say it again. to advocate such a regimen not only sends a negative and poor message to the commmunity it instills an element of doubt and fear that these atheletes are not good enough. it creates suspicion that standout performances are possibly not built upon an honest foundation of hard work, guts and determination. where has the integrity gone? but then some might ask what would i know? i know some things but don't claim to be an expert...me i'm just an enthusiast and passionate follower who if she could would be still out there kicking the footy around and playing masters netball.

     well this week we had two POWER players come to our school. ( and thank goodness i had my hair coloured to add an air of youthfulness to my look, lol!!!) i was certainly feeling enthusiastic about that...wondering if i might glean some inside information, get some jewels for the blog. but hey whoever put their community based education program together obviously knows diddly squat about teaching, kids or education. i think the old folks home would have fallen asleep too. sorry guys but simply boring. where was the pizazz? where was your enthusiasm? where was the creativty and hands on active participation? why do it if it seems a chore? thank goodness you were POWER players so i will see it in my heart to forgive you (just) but for goodness sakes get with the friggin program and damn well fake it if you have to!!! and here i was thinking it was going to be such a bonus getting out of teaching my class. lets hope next week is a big improvement. i can say they were tall and the healthy message is a good one but it can be done better.and yes lunch box boy was trying his best to emit death rays, ha,ha, he really is a one eyed CROWS supporter!!!

     so three games left and this weekend is a big one for the POWER supporters. a win would surely secure our place in the eight and then i will be able to start organising my trip to melbourne,( footy, shopping and food) hee,hee. yes the lady army although not in full force will be heard. little sista is back, i have the voice of a hundred, perhaps make that a thousand. we also have an interstate guest joining us...excellent. the pressure is on to extinguish the flame of the suns and to send them home in darkness. so to the footy gods i implore you to bestow upon us your blessings and reward our teams endeavour, that is my request. please add to that...richmond to flog carlton, cats to beat eagles...oh oh...i just remembered that girlfriend number two is an eagles supporter and her hubby is a pussycats one. i suspect he will be encouraged to vacate their house, no, make that ordered to leave and take refuge elsewhere at some secret location but i could have an inkling... hee,hee. and lastly doggies to sink their teeth into the crows...no apologies to my CROWS buddies....one must think with their head not their heart. 

     and to the guest tipster this week well consider it yours truly with help from my assistant coach son number two, a collaborative effort this round. he says hawthorn, i say richmond, he says PORT, i say roos, he says geelong, i say lions, he says FREO and i say swans and for the last game we say bulldogs!!!  over and out...FFF.

     

    

the weekend wrap...round 20

i look forward to fridays. fridays mark the end of a busy work week for me not that i am suggesting that anyone else doesn't have a busy week but my job is full on and me i don't get a say in the team i coach. 

      well, i have to agree with jars on the first game of the round...boring and to be honest i barely took notice of it which is a shame coz i usually quite like the friday night couch. sat morning saw me organise son number two for basketball. i palmed him off to my sister while i took son number one to his game. ( yes kids sport equals no parent life... now i know how my mum felt having ferried us to all our sporting endeavours) man i had to laugh, the grandpa umpiring thought he was refereeing the NBL...seriously loved those hand and arm actions....i thought his arm was going to get snapped off! even son number one commented at the end of the game. 

     after that it was a training walk because before i know it i will be pounding the pavement and racking up 12km's in the pursuit of a personal best,blah,blah, blah...

after exposing the general public to the state of the jungle growing on my legs ( it is just as well i have dark skin) i thought i better do the right thing and get them waxed into respectable shape. the weather at times is becoming almost glorious and soon it will be time for shorts and some serious power walking....so yes i did not watch the POWER  and CATS clash in its entirety...am i serious? yep during the first quarter i was lying on the beauticians table unable to reach my iphone to check the score. ( just as well i couldn't because the screams i would have emitted upon seeing the score would send my beauty therapist into a tizz over the temperature of her wax!!!)  and yes it was not looking good in that last quarter until we seemed to shift into another gear and kick our way back to a respectable loss. a respectable loss because i am under no illusions...last year that would have blown out into a 100 point plus loss...one game at a time folks.

       as i predicted feeling somewhat nostradamus like in my footy predicting, the doggies did us a huge favour. ( and i am now glad i did not admit to what i was actually thinking when it came to the CROWS and the ROOS.) for heavens sake i just don't understand that team. they seem to be like a jekyll and hyde. seriously i thought they would flog the CROWS after their effort against the cats. and of course now we will never hear the end of the finals chances... but until those premiership points are stripped from essendon there is no golden ticket. and it has just become a huge distraction, certainly a season that will not be forgotten and yes can i sneak it in again? the makings of a new aussie feature film!!!

      collingwood well what can i say? the first quarter looked like it was gonna be the swans with not an ounce of trouble. and of course i spoke too soon and am surprsied i did not incur the wrath of FB pies supporters because i know there is at least one. too good, far too good and hey until the finals series arrives it is up for grabs... but pencil in FREO for me as a contender and one team i would be happy to see take the flag.

     well my guest tipster scored a reasonable six from nine and will be back to join the lady army plus one for the upcoming and yes important clash with the suns. and i don't want to get ahead of myself on that one but i do feel the pressure and want so much for the team to get a taste of what the finals are all about. that would be a much deserved outcome but i will try and remain ken hinkley about it. so until the next round...love FFFXXX.

will it be a film???

well viewers if it is to be believed james hird is going to be charged with something...found out secondhand so don't take it for gospel... apparently that was heard on the radio and hee,hee someone who knows me heard my scenario on triple m. so before someone else steals my idea...i have found the perfect aussie actor to play james hird...david wenham...just remember you heard it from me first...LOL!!! enjoy your footy this weekend viewers.

round 20: back in the team...

nothing like having someone back in the team to add some depth and dimension to the side...yes viewers am talking about my little sista who has finally returned after two months cavorting through ireland, england and let me just add the south of france. some team mates just make a difference with their presence and you just don't realise how important they are until they are gone.but gee it is great to have them back and that is exactly how i feel about my little sista coz she is part of my team the team called family....oh sweet aint it?

     round 20 here we come with a few games that will make the difference for a few. some still holding onto the thin thread of hope. if the CROWS lose well then it is cest la vie but personally i think the roos are a far more dangerous proposition. in fact i made it onto to triple m today to present my scenario, third time on the air, maybe i will make it into the footy world yet. and the scenario went roos to be ninth...get the golden ticket...bound their way to the grandfinal and play geelong...brother coaching against brother...you wouldn't believe it would you? i say it is an australian feature film in the making...indeed it is.

      so seeing that i am feeling a bit like the nostradamus of the footy world let me also add the bulldogs to beat carlton. so for my guest tipster this week i present my little sista who is part of the infamous lady army. a passionate port supporter whose favourite past time includes outing trolls on the port adelaide facebook page this little lady is fiesty, passionate, emotional and loud. her tips or this round go to hawks, richmond, cats, bulldogs, swans, suns, essendon, roos and freo. so that's it short and sweet...cest la vie!!! 

love FFF XXX.

PTV: FIVEaa's call - The final two minutes v Crows

post game wrap:F***ING UNBELIEVABLE...

well viewers this past round just goes to show that anything is possible, a round of upsets and heartbreak for some but not for us!!! thankyou footy gods times a million. just goes to show sometimes it comes down to the bounce of a ball and what a bounce that was!!!

    friday night brought a cracker of a game for the roos, man they can be dangerous and with the crazy doping scandal seeming to get bigger and bigger who knows, the roos just might be the ones to get the golden ticket. they have a tough run home but if they play to that friday night standard they are capable of beating anyone. and i bet there would be a few teams sweating on the outcome. just imagine if they did make the eight and bound all the way to the grandfinal. and just imagine if they were to play geelong. brother coaching against brother... sounds pretty far fetched? well nothing would surprise me and with a healthy percentage the roos are probably the team who can and will be the most motivated. man if that does happen you can say you heard it first from me, hee,hee!!!

     the hawks went down to a ferocious team of tigers that kicked their ass convincingly. i am still out in regards to them. they would have to replay that form in the finals and then i might put my hand up. the bombers absolutely fizzled while the pies soared above them. perhaps it is now beginning to take its toll. what a complete mess and what a disgrace. i will say it again, advocating an injecting program in the relentless pursuit of winning without any thought given to the long term consequences is sheer madness and a bad example, sending a very negative message in my books. and this will be a season that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons except for us POWER supporters hey? yes at least for us we can hold our heads high and have much to look forward to. and how nice it was to sit and watch footy classified and listen to the panel sing PORTS praises and they are not the only ones. and before i forget a big thanks to the DOCKERS for pushing the blues a little further behind us.

     well now to the big game the infamous SHOWDOWN. originally i requested a huge winnig margin. in fact i was secretly hoping for a thrashing somewhere in the vicinity of 120 points!!! hee,hee, i guess every now and then one relives their past traumas but hey i think i have that under control now, LOL. i didn't go to the game and i haven't even see it in its entirety. i was offered two tickets from friends who happen to be CROWS members ( yes i do have friends who support them) but unfortunately could not go due to a family function, namely a baby shower. and you can well imagine it would not be good form to miss that. i do have to confess i did tell a little fib on my FB page... i was sneaking peeks at the score during pass the parcel and guess the flavour of the baby food competition. on the way home lovie and i made a pact not to listen to the radio. when we got back to my place she almost sprinted to turn the TV on only to say she couldn't watch it. so instead we sat at my kitchen table while  i made coffee and looked at my iphone...goal to CROWS, 20 points up...lovie says... we are gone. i say...OMG can you just imagine if they win you will never hear the end of it and how their finals hopes will be alive...goal to PORT...i say come on lovie we are only 14 points down and we still have time. we agree to watch the TV...goal to PORT, OMG lovie begins to start freaking out. she puts her hands on her chest and says i can't watch this...HUGE GOAL TO MONFRIES...i am screaming F****ING UNBELIEVABLE...lovie is trembling and crying ( yes she is a passionate supporter) she says it is a miracle and i say...OMG LOVIE WE ARE GOING TO WIN!!! WINGARD MARKS the ball and we are completely freaking out and now lovie has granted me my swearing concession card and the F"S are coming out thick and fast. GOAL...we jump and scream and will the clock to run down. seriously viewers i thought i was going to have to perform heart massage (just as well i have a current first aid certificate). SIREN...and you know the rest. what a remarkable finish. phone rings and feralina calls me and we are screaming like out of control banshees. man what a game that i will eventually watch and hey to my CROWS mates you are good sports. and with that i bow to the footy gods that may have given us their blessing for season 2013. a finals berth would be the icing on the cake for the clubs remarkable turn around and for that in itself we can be proud to shout the name of PORT ADELAIDE to the heavens above...well OK that it a bit dramatic but hey sometimes one just gets caught up in the emotion of things. and sometimes there is absolutely nothing wrong with that...love FFFXXX.

It's SHOWDOWN time!!!

good evening viewers this probably should be a highly informative and detailed blog post but it won't. nah not gonna start pre-empting the SHOWDOWN already have some friends throwing the first punch. me, i think i am suffering from fatigue. i have been training consistently and have been participating in the fat guts be gone program, it's tough!!! i have barely had time to practise the POWER song on my deluxe karaoke machine, hee,hee... so i am giving myself a rest day. but before i go my requests this round to the footy gods include cats beat roos only coz it goes in our favour. freo to thump blues and a history making match winning margin for the final SHOWDOWN...no apologies for that one.

     my guest tipster for this week will be kept in the family. my youngest brother. eight years my junior he followed all us bar dad on the PORT highway. he enjoys his footy and played a bit. a natural left footer blessed with speed and generally an all round sportsmen. his tips for round 19 are...cats, demons, hawks, west coast, freo, lions, swans, port and essendon.

     so nighty night viewers...one thing for certain it is surely getting interesting in the footy world, drama, politics and my big question... will the bombers self implode or will this whole drama just fizzle out without much of a bang? i tend to believe it has gone too far for that and now it must come to a head and burst. i for one want to know...

round 18:post game wrap: gutsy,gritty but grateful for a win!!!

looks like the heat is on for the bombers viewers...surely this cannot go on much longer. taught a lesson by the hawks after a competitive first quarter which created the illusion that this would be a cracking game well maybe for the hawks but not for essendon. and yes the buddy returned to fine form booting eight goals and reminding us what a superstar he can be. i do like the friday night footy. after a busy week at work dealing with students which for most of the time are receptive and pleasant the couch is my time out place where i can relax in my tracky daks and pull on my pink uggies. a place where i can shout at the TV and pace up and down willing the time clock to go down when it is a thriller...hee,hee!!!

     some of my requests were honoured. the crows were beaten which kept one young boy happy although i have to admit watching footy with a ten year old is not always a fun filled experience. the crows kicked themselves out of the game and were hampered once again by injury with jenkins going down. it was not surprising to later find out he had broken his ankle. you could see it on his face, that was a face in extreme pain. frankly the dockers got away with a win but will have to pull their socks up if they expect to be competitive come finals time because that effort certainly won't cut it...

    those pesky blues keep hanging in there and the fact that they won only served to increase the pressure upon PORT. i went to that game as i usually do with lovie and son number two in tow. son number one is not a footy fan but i won't hold that against him. in fact it has gone in my favour. for the privilege of using the computer while we cheer at the footy i get all the vacuuming done, the dishes washed and the clothes hung out...GOAL scored...LOL!!!

     but seriously viewers as much as i love my lovie and adore son number two they can stress me out when we are at the game. one thing is certain. i am definitely one of the loudest supporters, yep that voice of mine could almost break glass and i use it to positive effect. my final take on the match is simply this. we deserved that win, jonathon brown was gifted that goal and the last quarter had all of us shouting in indignation at some of the rubbish umpiring decisions. it was a gutsy, gritty win that last year we would have thrown in the towel and lost but i am grateful. and yes i wont be using the F word just yet, still too many games left that could add some unexpected twists. but watch out coz the SHOWDOWN is always a big game and my request is for a repeat win!!!

     my lovely guest tipster managed six fom nine which is fair and i give thanks to all my guest tipsters who have contributed to my blog so far. i will be scouting for a new one for round 19 so if you're keen put up your hand. and i will be staying up for footy classified tonight curious to find out all the gossip and controversy. and hey who knows maybe one team will get the golden ticket compliments of the bombers who were truly detonated on friday night. over and out. lakanorch FFFXXX.

Round 18: getting closer, the heat is on!!!

the heat is on, the heat is on, the heat is oooooonnn....dooo dodadada....oh well something like that.... hee, hee. you are singing it now aren't you? come on admit it? lol!!! well the heat was certainly on for me folks. first week back at work, another half a day until the end of the year and my long weekends are officially over!!! boo hoo...oh well have to just focus on the end of season trip, the reward for all the hard work i have put in. and to add to that i am currently recovering from tambourine injuries inflicted upon me by a six year old, that much is true. thought i might have to miss this round and put myself on the injury list... but i have made a speedy recovery. lol.

     man it is getting interesting isn't it? because in the next few weeks it may come to us...that is who will make the final eight. and with the way things are shaping up it could be two spots up for grabs and who knows if essendon lose all their premiership points the door could be open for another team. imagine that? getting a finals berth and then playing your way to the grandfinal. and imagine if that happened courtesy of essendon. it would be a big story.

     well the POWER are up against the lions this weekend. i will be there as usual cheering them on to a win. my requests this week are no third quarter fade out, hawks to beat bombers, freo to beat the CROWS which will be tough considering they are missing a few but we shall see how good a coach ross lyon is this round. carlton to lose of course, add west coast to that and that just about does it, hee,hee. i am not asking for much am i? i hope the boys will, be as full as energy as i am at the moment and go out to silence the lions roar. me i am feeling like a black belt, HIYA!!! take that...yes indeed my form is improving each week. i have finally found the right balance bewteen exercise and nutrition. throw in a well renowned trainer who has given me a plan to suit my lifestyle and time constraints and yes just like the POWER i am beginning to surprise a few. indeed  i feel like i am back to playing my natural game fuelled with a self belief that has been reawakened, re-inspired, re-ignited. i better watch out i don't self combust and cause a fire!!!!

     and so to the round 18 guest tipster. it is none other than the delighful virginia crocker who is a self confessed passionate CROWS supporter. she also happens to suffer from umpires rage but we won't hold that against her. i met virginia through my sister and also work. when i first returned to adelaide viewers i worked in say cheese at central market. yes indeed i was a cheese wrapper and cheese seller. and although i liked cheese i soon developed a bigger taste for it as well as a bigger waistline. add alcohol to that equation and you have the perfect fat concoction!!! so over to the lovely gini as she is known for her recommendations and tid bits...

Hi there Miss Margie. I am an extreme passionate Crows supporter who is an inaugural member. I am extremely loyal & extremely loud both at the footy ( wind , rain or shine ) & in the armchair at home. I have an immense love for my team, a respect for most other teams we play (& yes the Power this year is one of them)and an immense hate for the OPSM incompetents who have a happy knack of spoiling the game!!!!! Umpire rage? - yes I think so!! My tips this week are Freo ( sob - no Danger & in Sandilands ) Essendon Carlton ( my second love) Collingwood Geelong Power West Coast Richmond Kangaroos I must say that it is not always my head that selects but rather the heart buts in. Hope this is what you need! xx

round 17: post game wrap...where we are now

where we are now? in the eight viewers yes that is right after an impressive first half then a slump into a third quarter black hole we managed to outlast the saint comeback to hold on to a five point win. and i have to tell you i wasn't able to stay on the couch and dealing with a child who spat the dummy at three quarter time didn't help matters either. thanks to wolfman (my nicknmae for the hoff) we managed to keep one game clear. and thanks to gold coast collingwood looked like  the collywobbles. no disrespect to the suns because they deserved it. and the roos well what can i say? i watched that game and thought they were decidely gone before they mounted their own comeback only to fail at the siren by one point. drats, make that double drats!!! i was so hoping for a blues loss to bolster our position on the ladder; every game counts now, yes every game. and every game will leave us on edge willing our team on to win and charge towards a finals appearance.
     and where are we really now? a lot further ahead than what could have been anticipated. we are just learning from experience and working hard towards the ultimate goal which for every team is the coveted premiership cup. a complete clean out, a well respected and successful fitness coach to rebuild a strong foundation to withstand the stress of a long season. no doubt he has been one of the keys that has  unlocked the door to opportunity, optimism and possibility. you need the right people to surround and support you but it is self belief that comes from within that will ultimately guide you. OMG you would think i was some kind of guru or life coach, hee,hee. but seriously viewers i cannot help at times but parallel the journey to my own. it is all about the timing that is one thing that has become apparent. couple that with hard work, honesty, integrity and good things are bound to happen if you choose to believe it. and i for one choose to believe it because i have done the hard work. 
     well my guest tipster childhood footy buddy david hann managed five from nine which might be around the right mark for a lot of people this week after a few upsets. it just goes to show that you cannot be certain and that the inform teams can still fall from grace. who would have thought the CROWS would have beaten GEELONG today? i bet not many especially after losing dangerfield. and i have to say without a doubt it was the match of the round. played in cold, slippery wet conditions. a twenty four point lead seemed as though it was gonna blow out into a comfortable victory for the pussycats but it was not to be. an awesome last quarter which had the crows gaining momentum and come storming home to a thrilling finish. bartel and taylor failing to convert opportunities to sink the boot in. today would have to be the CROWS best win for the season along with their comeback win againt the roos. and today i have some happy friends who happen to be CROWS supporters ( lucky i can forgive them, hee,hee) and one not so happy cats fan whom i haven't heard from and suspect he is somewhere drowning his sorrows. (which is probably just as well coz at least his wife will get some deserved peace!!! LOL...)
     and so where are we now in respect to this 2013 season? in an interesting place viewers. personally i prefer things to be interesting. interesting fires the imagination and keeps the embers of hope alight. it is certainly that because it will now come down to at least the next four weeks before we can be almost assured of who is going to make the final series. and perhaps the most interesting twist of all will be what the AFL comes to decide in respect to ESSENDON. a complete fall from grace could completely change everything but that viewers remains to be seen. and with that it is goodnight from FFFXXX. 

round 17...watching, watching,watching

i am watching this round. watching , because there are two games which will affect us more than the others. can the roos come back after their disastrous last week and knock off the blues? i bloody well hope so because if they don't the pressure is on for PORT to win at all costs. also i have put in a request for sydney to beat west coast because they are the other team left that might have a  crack at sneaking into the eight. we shall see and it is about time we broke the etihad hoodoo. come on young guns seize the moment and make your charge towards a finals berth so that you get a taste to spur you on for the future!!! and i get to go at least to one finals game in melbourne of course to hang out with my buddy and sample the delights of melbournian cuisine. plus not forgetting some reatil therapy. footy, food and shopping...a winning combination.

     so now i will introduce you to my guest tipster for this week. a childhood friend that lived in the neighbourhood. david and i went to primary school together. and david and i use to play footy together too. what can i say? i grew up with an older brother and me i wouldn't be seen dead in a dress, that much is true. just ask lovie herself who although thrilled to have the girl that she wanted didn't bargain for a denim wearing, footy playing, hang out with the boys girl who loved sport. but enough of my tom boy ways and back to david hann whom has accepted my invitation to tip for you this week viewers. so for round 17 here is what david recommends... and to you viewers keep warm coz man it has been blowin' a gale, keeping the tempertaure down. my wish is for a win and some little rays of sunshine.  but if not i shall continue to enjoy the ducted gas heating so i can watch the footy in comfort from where else? but the couch of course!!! Love FFFXXX.
PS just one more comment before i go. just wondering why they dropped thomas. personally i think he has been playing some tenacious football.

David Hann
AFL Round 17 Tips


FRI 7:20pm North Melbourne WIN vs. Carlton Etihad Stadium Brad Scott Should have his YOUNG Roos primed to shake off the “CHOKERS” tag at Etihad Friday night. CARLTON running out of Cattle, Ageing, Tired & Sore.
SAT
1:15pm Hawthorn WIN vs Western Bulldogs Aurora Stadium HAWKS will be TOO STRONG in TASSIE for the Developing Dogs.
SAT
1:40pm GWS Giants vs. Essendon WIN Skoda stadium No Job(e)…No worries for Essendon with plenty of depth and options. Bellchambers & Carlisle are GUNS. PERCENTAGE BOSTER for Essendon. GWS will have to muster all their courage to hold back the TIDE.
SAT
4:10pm Gold Coast . vs Collingwood WIN Metricon Stadium I love the GOLD COAST Team and GAZZA should still be “THE SHOW” at the GC”s AWESOME Boutique Stadium – Metricon. I’ll be there in September 2013. This young team packed with Future Stars is starting to hit its stride, but Consistency with young players is still elusive. Collingwood with a Top 4 finish still possible will NOT let this game slip.
7:10pm Melbourne vs. Brisbane Lions WIN TIO Stadium Melbourne have coughed and spluttered under Neil Craig. Good at times and back to their deplorable worst at others. Darwin conditions 32 degrees and a 60% chance of rain should suit Brisbane.
7:10pm St Kilda vs. Port Adelaide WIN Etihad Stadium Let’s hope the POWER can keep St Kilda’s MISERABLE season going. The “Hoff” will be back but Kane will be missing. St Kilda has DOUBTS in Defence with no stand out tall defender and is waiting for its young players to stand up. Let’s hope WE can EXPLOIT these deficiencies. The KARMA Bus is still tracking St Kilda.
SUN
12:40pm Richmond vs. Fremantle WIN MCG Freo & Richmond are EVEN Money in this one. With Top 4 & Home Finals beckoning Freo will STRANGLE the Tigers with the “Ross Lyon” defensive style. It won’t be pretty but it will be effective.
2:45pm Adelaide vs. Geelong WIN AAMI Stadium What more can you say “GEELONG still BETTER than Adelaide”. No Stevie J shouldn’t stop the CATS.
4:10pm West Coast Eagles vs. Sydney Swans WIN Paterson Stadium Sydney don’t look as “commanding” without Goode’s but are still a side full of HARD at the ball GUNS. West Coasts Powerful ruck duo “Cox and Natinui” will have their work cut out against Sydney HUGE men – Mumford, Tippett, Pike & White all around 200cm & 100kg will take a power of stopping. Tippett is looming as Sydney’s X-Factor as they look to set up their finals campaign.

round 16: post game wrap

have to admit it was a good game to watch...CROWS vs PIES but that's the way i like it. prefer to watch a great game than see a thrashing like SWANS over GWS. what a huge percentage boost to sydney and what a huge demoralising loss to GWS who seemed to have gone backwards. the question remains...will they actually win a game this season? from this viewpoint it looks highly unlikely and i wonder how many teams have just done that, played an entire season without winning a game?

     well some teams would be wishing the season was over right now. it has pretty much panned out how i expected with the first six spots cemented, well it looks like seven actually with one left up for grabs which will at least make it interesting and motivating for those few left who have yet to claim it. some teams have been a surprise like the POWER and some have been disappointing after being expected to repeat last seasons efforts, any guesses? and that is not undermining the CROWS it is just a fact. it was an unfortunate blow for them to lose dangerfield to an injury which affected his capacity to play out the game fully. but hey they took it to them but i suspect fitness also has a lot to do with it which is a view shared by others too.

      well,well well what can i say but nine from nine this week and that was with the toss of a coin. ha funny isn't it? i wouldn't be the first one to fluke their footy tips and yes there are those winners who know absolutely nothing about football at all and still manage to win their workplace competition. must annoy those die hards? hee, hee but i guess sometimes there is no place for over analysis and you just have to go with your gut feeling or with some other strategy. 

      i went to the game. my gut feeling was unclear. i thought we would be in with a chance if we played as is but in the end we were taught a lesson. got off to a slow start but came back with a strong second. roughead hurt us and westhoff's absence was clearly felt. his versatility, run and height would have helped no doubt. the hawks are a good team with or without buddy franklin. they were strong, physical and basically played the game how we have been playing it. we just went missing for periods and certainly we had our opportunities but being put under tough pressure showed us reverting to over using the ball and making errors. the frustrating thing was watching us gain ground and kick a goal only to lose that advantage almost immediately as hawthrorn just continued to answer us. oh well no point lamenting, the signs are there for sure and i am still comitted to feeling and being optimistic. patience is the key which will unlock the POWER into a side to be reckoned with. we are rebuilding there is no doubt about that. starting again with the goal of transforming into a better, stronger and far more competitive side with a clearer vision for the future. 
     and viewers i get that because i have been doing that myself, i have been in that rebuilding phase...rebuilding a life for myself and my children during the past three years. after having been part of a losing team for far too long i finally called it quits. in hindsight it felt like i was the first draft pick that went to the wrong team that just wasn't the right fit. and yes i went along to try it out and had moments of my best but really i never reached that cliche known as ones full potential. so now it is time to move into the next phase. and maybe this time i will be part of a team that is the right one for me. i love to play and that is the key...playing because you love to not because you are making up the numbers. 
goodnight, FFFXXX.

round 16...heads or tails???

good evening viewers i have decided to take a different approach to this weeks tipping. an idea occurred to me which i may come to regret although looking at what the coin toss has predicted i pretty much would have tipped the same myself. of course i am optimistic that the POWER will do well and yes another test. let's see if the home crowd can assist them over the line. i will be attending the game with son number two and niece number one in tow this week . it appears that most of the lady army plus others are busy with other committments or have flown the coop to warmer climes, half their luck.

      my tipping strategy for this week simply involves the toss of a coin. heads for home teams and tails for away teams. so with this in mind and my coin tosses completed the leave it to the coin toss predictor came out as follows...pies, hawks, cats, tigers, carlton, lions, swans, bombers and freo. i say yes, not sure, yes, should, mm could be another loss for the blues, no to the lions, yes,yes and yes. i guess we will have to wait and see. unfortunately we are losing westhoff for this week, the tribunal finding him guilty and banning him for one match. i won't comment on that because to be honest i haven't paid enough attention to it to consider it unfair.         however, i personally have faced the tribunal myself, (an imaginary one at that) and have found myself nominated for the meanest mother of the year award. yes i have been in this position before. in most cases these reports are purely baseless and are quashed without any questions asked. at last weeks tribunal i was facing the charge of sending son number one to school the day after he returned from camp. what an outrage! and what a fuss! this week i stand accused of being the meanest mamma in the world for not allowing said son three friends to come for a sleepover! ha! i am confident this charge will also be dismissed on the flimsy evidence submitted. (by the way i did fail to mention that i am the tribunal??? hee,hee,hee...)

     so enjoy round sixteen viewers. i can't believe there are only seven more rounds before the finals series. do i start booking a flight to melbourne now? will we make the finals? heads for yes, tails for no...damn better make it the best outta three...YES!!! hee,hee.

post game wrap round 15

i think i will be getting served a noise violation by the council...yes after the screaming, jumping up and down at the TV, not just by me but son number two who had one eye on the game and the other on my iphone app ( dockers were playing the saints) plus you can add lovie to the mix who strangely becomes more vocal behind four walls than out in the field. but we didn't care and man it looked like we just exploded in the last quarter only to become undone by our goal shooting inaccuracy. and yes there are some who are complaining that hey it wasn't good enough but srum te billo to them. in fact make that a double srum te billo ( which translated means shame on you) for crying out aloud, look how far these young guns have come? and yes dennis cometti (whom i very much respect and prefer to listen to when it comes to the footy commentary) was singing their praises yet again on triple m. and take note, yes viewers pay attention...he used the word REBUILDING, got it? because obviously some of the supporters still haven't. don't get me wrong the bombers outplayed us in the second with their stun bomb that seemed to nullify us into zilch. but this team of ours is beginning to demonstrate that they have it in them to soldier on and really not taking it entirely away from essendon, we lost that game... nine behinds a lesson that must be paid attention to. and no point in worrying about what should have, could have, would have...it just wasn't. and seriously i sometimes should take my own advice!!! however, i am still curious to know what the eventual findings and penalties will be should the bombers be found guilty. regardless, they have brought the game down and will be tainted by a cloud of doubt. and perhaps only because they happen to be the ones who have been caught. who knows what really goes on in the football world behind closed doors? one things for sure we certainly weren't on any performance enhancing drugs, hee,hee!!! but let me not go there again. i will wait for the final outcome.

     my tipping was fair, six from nine, considering some of them were winners. yes i tipped the roos but what was i thinking when it came to carlton? basically they are pretty much finished. and those damn CROWS let me down by totally losing it in the last 5 mins. i watched that game and watched sanderson standing on the sidelines wondering what on earth he was doing because in the end i bet he wished he stayed in the coaches box. just goes to show it aint over till the fat lady sings. i suspect some will get a blasting for looking like they were on a lazy sunday afternoon stroll when they should have been chasing hard at the ball until the dying seconds. to be fair there were some terrible umpiring decisons, one high tackle that was missed that surely would have granted the CROWS a buffer goal but it wasn't to be.

     another game which i happened to watch was the GWS and bulldogs and boy would those doggies be breathing a sigh of relief to just get over the line. a convincing win it was not. another loss to GWS which would be more heartbreaking than demoralising i suspect. and yes the pussycats clawed their way to a ten point victory over the hawks whom i fancied as one of the flag favourites but now am not so sure. in fact i am not really entirely sure about the finals  now. the tigers were declawed and freo were another team to win but not in a convincing fashion that you would be backing them for a grandfinal berth at this stage. 

     all i know for sure right now is that my active loungeroom supporting is a great way to burn off a few extra calories. especially after friday nights birthday feast and lovies palachinka which were to die for. and any of you non-ethnic people who do not know what palachinka are, well they are basically baked panckes in cream ( add lemon and cream cheese to that)...so from my calculations i should still be running around the footy field for another three hours, six minutes and twenty seven seconds!!! and rumour has it that lovie is bringing some over for the kids tonight so it is time for me to make an exit viewers before i put my training regime into jeopardy. it seems to me that i always seem to pick the most inopportune times to begin a health kick. but if you didn't know folks it is dry july so i have an excuse up my sleeve and i do take my training seriously even though some of my methods may appear suspect, hee hee. because just like the clubs who aspire to win the coveted premiership cup, i have a few aspirations of my own. so best to stop being distracted and get on with it. and until the next round may you embrace the health benefits of active supporting. remember all that fist punching, getting out of your seat, running to the TV, it all counts!!!

Much love and laughter, FFFXXX

happy, happpy birthday to my gorgeous boy!!!!

round 15...will the bombers finally bomb out???

well how many times have you turned on the radio and listened to the essendon drug scandal? how many have been watching the footy and listening to the commentators give their 20 cents worth to the point of taking away from the game? yes luke darcy i am pointing the finger at you. however, i do agree jobe watson shouldn't have been booed...poor form but hey i am beginning to tire of this whole bloody rigmarole. i say AFL get off your god damn ass and put this to bed!!!! personally i know this is probably gonna call for my scalp but if they are found of wrong doing i say wipe their premiership points, yep every single one of them. i for one cannot help but wonder, really wonder about it all and any success that the bombers come by in some eyes is forever tainted...okay that is all i am gonna say about that!!!

      well what can i say about my beloved team? loving it and loving the way that ken hinkley goes about his business. a successful club is built upon respect and hard work and those two things he has certainly instilled and to me he is a revelation. i say we are in with a big chance to detonate those bombers come sunday and for son number two's sake i am putting in a request that they do. (coz it is his birthday tomorrow) and me i have just finished a marathon baking session. i have made him a power inspired birthday cake and have one finishing touch to make but i will need to get up early and head to coles in the morning. i will put a snap up later. right now i am typing past midnight, officially july fifth the day son number two ventured into the world a week early. forty hours of drug free labour and a whopping baby stuck i was in the operating theatre listening to freo play brisbane. ( not that i had any choice) and yes freo finished winners much to the delight of my obstetrician and his surgical staff and of course son number two's dad who follows the dockers. and to cheers of delight and laughter they took bets on his weight coz he was a big boy almost ten pounds, thank goodness i didn't have to push him out!!!

     and so my great little kid is officially a dual supporter. his father sent him a freo guernsey, scarf, hat, card and all his supporter badges which is fine by me. he was allowed to open it early and was ecstatic. he did confess to me today he pretends to follow FREO at school more because some of his friends don't like the power. and do you know what i said to that? i told him to be his own person and not to worry what his friends think and if he wanted i would march down to the school in my guernsey ( yes i have one) and sing the POWER song. for some reason he turned down my offer...hee,hee!!! 

     well i haven't organised a guest tipster for this round so i will do it myself and to be honest i am too tired to make this a lengthy, witty and entertaining blog post. i am just about spent with one more day to go before i can throw up my hands in joy and do a little polka. but then i have family and friends coming over for birthday celebrations and in between i have been cooking, cake making, organising cupcake decorating for tomorrows art class and just writing this makes me want to collapse. and i have yet to do any cleaning!!!

      so my tips for round 15 are...oh blues or pies? i want the blues to win but am not overly fond of them either... so here it goes...blues, bulldogs, roos, brisbane, cats, crows, swans, freo and port. done and goodnight viewers, time to sleep and get recharged for a full on day. love FFFXXX