PHENOMENAL COMEBACK...I am in FOOTY HEAVEN but my FREO friends are in FOOTY HELL!!!

OH MY FRIGGIN FOOTY BALLS...did you see that coming? gee have to say that was the most heroic and inspirational comeback i have seen  in a long time. tipped port by 23 before the match but by half time i was almost stunned into not being able to collect my thoughts. freo were tough, they were physical, they were everywhere and they were smashing us. they closed us down and went on the rampage only to blow their chances at goal. had they kicked straight and been up by about 40 points perhaps the mental strength to dig deep and believe the job could be done would have been lost. but at half time i thought it is not impossible, we were still in the game and i thought to myself this could go two ways...ugly or the boys will dig deep and rise. and rise they did. rise from the ashes like the majestic power phoenix. it seemed as though it was a game of jekyll and hide, black and white, arctic ice to blistering sun, rough to smooth and the analogies could go on but i have run out of them, hee,hee...besides they were getting lame. 

     well viewers i was watching this game in the comfort of our home coz we were banned from the footy get together place (thanks to son number two). he just gets soooo emotional and he just can't take it but then again he is only 11. but listening to the first half from my place you would have thought i was the child. frustration caused me to call the freo players morons and the umpires rubbish and sandilands a monster and i think i might have even used the f-bomb plus hell. and yes at half time son number two confident in victory ( and why wouldn't he be?) came to console me and smother me in kisses and hugs. he did inform me a few times he didn't like my attitude, (which was a bit rich coming from him considering what i have had to put up with in the past). had i given up? had i you may wonder? well i was beginning to think that perhaps it would be moi taking my freo born boys to the MCG next week to watch their team. i had the offer of freo membership numbers but thought i would just wait and see the game played out...yes wait and see, wait and see and what a good decision that turned out to be.

      so here is a bit of advice for you viewers. it is not over till the siren sings and players collapse in a heap from pure devastation or jump for joy in jubilation...isn't that right? and you know who you are. yes one of my freo friends took the liberty ( she will remain anonymous) to facebook me at half time from the game to express how much she was loving it. can you believe that? sink the boot in...twist the dagger just a teeny tiny bit. i have to admit i looked at that and felt compelled to strike back. but instead i retorted with don't post until the final siren, how very dare you, lol...trying to pretend that i could take it, hee,hee. and lo and behold the switch was  flicked and the power surge began and my belief that they would out run and run freo into the defeat came to fruition. yes burgo is a bloody genius. its all about the peaking viewers, peak at the wrong time and it could spell disaster, blah,blah,blah..yeah i am such an expert.
     two third quarter goals and four in total from graylow saw the ascent and rise take shape. the run was back the swarm gathered strength and port were back to the tough, contested never give up footy they promised. i wish i had been a fly on the wall to hear what ken had to say because whatever it was it certainly ignited the team to get up and fight the port adelaide way. as the team ascended the stairway to footy heaven, son number two and the freo faithful began their descent into footy hell, two points ahead at three quarter time faith had been restored and belief had returned. the turn around was nothing short of phenomenal. i have to say my heart sank when jonas was subbed off at half time but the players rose to meet the challenge head on resulting in a spectacular finish. the lead changing, freo getting within five points and then some inspiring goals...wingard go wingard...shulz hanging on to the mark, white lightning and polec to add the icing to the cake. and then the final siren, fist pumping, yelling, hysterical tears from a devastated freo boy. as sad as it was for him i was ecstatic. should i be ashamed of myself? am i a horrible mamma? no folks just a very passionate footy fan and you gotta just support your team, come children or not, lol. so after consoling a very distressed boy and putting him to bed what is an ecstatic fan suppose to do? go to her sisters and watch the replay on foxtel. and that is exactly what i did. end of story...onward to the G, dare not to dream...dare to believe...we are port adelaide!!!
    

FINALS FEVER...week two...who will survive?

so here we are viewers into the second week of finals. are you happy? i know i am and will be even happier if we come home with a win. i have to say though there is one thing that i am not looking forward to and that is watching the game. what you say? is she serious? you bet. i will be doing my mamma duties and watching it with son number two who has been banned from watching it at the get together for footy place. yes he is passionate. yes he reels out his statistics and knows about all the players. but he is only 11 which means he has not yet developed the resilience to cop it on the chin when his team is losing or they lose fullstop. there are gonna be tears come saturday evening and i sure as hell hope they will not be mine!!! hee,hee.

     well i have done my good deeds. gone back to school as promised even though it is my day off to collect student poster for competition that closes today. and am glad i did because she has done a great job. i  think she is in with a chance for a prize. i have racked up 8km's on barry so have earnt some fitness credits. probably havent done as much housework as i should but who cares? it's the weekend and time for friday night footy. some are not going to be happy. i have a few cats friends but i hate to say it...i've tipped the roos which might be considered a bit of an upset. for me the cats had more luck than stand out footy this year. i think the roos with boomer harvey back in the side will have more hunger and also have the legs to finish them off in the last quarter. oh well... let us wait and see.

     regarding port and freo, i haven't wanted to think too much about it. if their pace is brought to this game then i think freo will need jet packs to keep up. seriously that pace was blistering last week. and as far as i am concerned burgo is a genius. poo poo to those who doubted him....come on folks really? the man is a renowned fitness guru and if anyone will know how to season the team to come good at the right time it will be him. i think we are in with a great chance. freo have a few injury concerns but will still have the home ground advantage plus the height advantage of man mountain sandilands. i hope they have learnt from their mistakes and keep him out of the game and away from the ball. no bombing into players when he is in the pack. time to drop to ground and make him bend down and get uncomfortable.

     i have to confess though folks i do have a soft spot for freo having lived there for ten years. last year i was cheering for them but this year i am not sure they are up to the same standard. whatever, it is going to be a tough contest. physical, brutal and tight but i am confident port can crack open the game and run away enough to seal the deal. there you have my verdict. and if all goes according to plan then i will be heading to melbourne town. if not i may still be heading there with sons in tow to give them an MCG experience. 

     so are you ready for friday night footy folks? i am. have my dressing gown on and will get my ugg boots and take my place on the couch. come on cats and kangaroos make it a good one!!!

PS did you hear about the lion idea? the real live lion parading around the oval as pre-match entertainment? seriously i almost peed my guchas when i heard it. apparently the AFL want to jazz things up. pure gold i say and it certainly paves the way for more ridiculous absurdity. perhaps we could have the birds of prey pre-game entertainment or some swans swimming around an inflatable pool on wheels. how about some flaming suns that someone can jump through? lol. it certainly fired up my imagination. i think i should submit my resume as the creative director of AFL entertainment. why not? ba ha ha ha ha ha...have a good night on the couch.

love FFFandF XXX

FINALS FEVER...BRING IT ON!!!

the sign says it all...

OMG viewers finals have arrived!!! yes what we have been waiting for all year. time to separate the boys from the men. have you made your tips? suspect any upsets? well moi thinks that perhaps freo might knock sydney off but when i heard about johnson missing the finals series and no mcpharlin well i let that one sink to the bottom of the freo harbour. what am i gonna do when footy finishes? i honestly dont know but somehow i will manage to keep my finger on the pulse.

     friday night entree...hawks vs cats. for me the hawks will win comfortably. personally i think the cats are not as competitive as years gone by and will not be able to match it with the slickness of the hawks or their precision foot skills. freo vs swans? well i think the ground may not suit the swans but buddy and tippet will trouble freos backline. the swans will need to expose that and keep a tight lid on ballantyne and walters. 

     roos vs the bombers? no carlile and depending on which kangaroos side fronts up, north melbourne but personally i would like to see them lose. too unpredictable and a fast finishing side, they have managed to beat all top four sides...did they? i think so but correct me if i am wrong. 

     port vs richmond? port for moi. i will not be seduced by the tigers winning streak. finals are a different ball game. the tigers have to be admired for their run home to the finals but seriously we played them under manned and the same could be said for sydney. psychologically they seem to have the momentum but as i said on channel seven news ( the media magnet that i am) they wont know what hit them.and how prophetic was that viewers? just call me footy, female and psychic!!! hee,hee. so here is a little insight into how it went.

     monday morning... tickets...we waited in line at the entertainment centre, ten tickets later in section 101 right on boundary line...HIP HIP HOORAY!!! plus we got our picture in the advertiser...winning. friday morning...open training...more pics with the boys, lottie getting guernsey signed for her big sister, interview by channel seven...winning again, hee, hee. saturday....finish painting placard. sunday morning....workout on barry, sun is shining. go to papa joe's wish him a happy fathers day and give him his winning lotto tickets ( yes viewers don't want the footy gods getting angry coz i forgot about the old man) i begin to get that familiar feeling. the same one when we flogged carlton. all stations go. we get a car park across the road from AO...OMG we are still winning. lady army, ten in a row. the crowd, the song, cotchin lets us kick with the wind...what was he thinking? yes we are already winning before the ball even bounces. and then that first quarter where i almost pass out because i am so dizzy from having to keep on keeping on standing up....goal, goal, goal, goal, goal, goal, goal!!! dream start, football ecstasy game over in 17 mins and that folks was true. to witness the boys wear the prison bars, they played as if they were possessed from the past. the past that says we are the most successful football club in the history of australia!!! yes am still reliving the awesome brutality and never give up attitude that completely overwhelmed the tigers and stripped them of their stripes. now lets do it again...time to sink the freo ship!!!

over and out, FFFand F.

PS we went upstairs to the magarey room afterwards to soak in the atmosphere and share our jubilation with fellow supporters. and to catch a bit of eye candy too, wink,wink...where did you go my footy husband???

Some of the lady army...kazza had to go!!!

TICKETS TICKETS TICKETS!!!

the only thing more exciting than footy finals folks is the batchelor...tragic i know but one must look at the bigger picture to really see the full value of this humiliating show, hee,hee. 

TICKETS TICKETS TICKETS!!!! yes tickets folks OMG i was planning on doing a krsipy kreme camp out but didnt have any arctic clothing to keep me warm. thought i would get in early and take my tennis racquet (good weapon of choice for a few overhead lobs and backhands for anyone trying to get into the line unnoticed).  my strategy was to front up in person because i knew the computer system would be in overload mode. and besides i wanted to be able to choose our seating. 

     well folks my strategy worked. i fronted up at the entertainment centre with a line and was probably about 20th which seemed reasonable. feralina number two accompanied me and bewteen us we had ten memberships, YES ten memberships to get ten bums on seats. talk about exciting. chatting to two other ladies who were ahead of us, getting even more excited as we neared the ticket window. and super  awesome i even scored my usual ticket lady to boot. how good was that??

 after distracting her with our banter we had to silence ourselves so that she could put in each number exactly and volia ten tickets in bay 101. we were stoked and jumping for joy so much so that we were asked to make ourselves available for a photographic opportunity, which we did. by that time little sister and niece had fronted up...my sister will now have to explain that one to the achool, lol. 

       hoping you got your tickets viewers...see you on sunday for the big game...WOO HOO...GO THE POWER and let your footy do the talking!!!

the battle lines are drawn...

the battle lines were drawn...port vs freo in my household, adult vs child. i had been hearing all week, the statistics, the pattinson stadium record blah,blah,blah but still i felt incredibly calm and optimistic. i knew this team was not the same team that travelled to freo last year and were flogged. we had come too far and had improved. at the very least i was expecting a fiece contest and that it was. unfortunately missed opportunities cost us the game, a few goals that could have been, that pesky ballantyne...triple drats to you , you little flea. but all in all folks it was a respectable effort and a gallant comeback that unfortunately fell short due to that brain fade in the third quarter.

      but what else can i say? quite seriously it was not a very pleasurable vieing experience for me, not because we lost but because i have failed in my duty as a mother to guide my son out of his emotional meltdowns to the gate of resilience. the tribunal says he is banned from watching freo/port games and must now watch these in solitary confinement which seems fair enough but doesn't really teach him how to suck it up. so i am appelaing the tribunals decision and will have him sit and watch with us until he learns to get it together...the end!!!

OPEN training...29/8/14

WINNERS are grinners...

lady army members get a moment with the captain...

winners are grinners folks. can't you tell by my post match snap with the captain boaky capturing none other than an interstate lady army member all the way from lord howe island? awesome, super awesome and yes a bonus i won the 6 pack in the tipping round too. HIP HIP HOORAY!!!

     well viewers last friday was the day, despite coming down with a terrible sore throat and dripping nose i felt incredibly optimistic. the weather gods were out in full force and as i went about my business i just knew the conditions were perfect for the POWER and i was spot on. i tipped them by 37 expecting a reasonable win (considering carlton had being playing pretty good footy of late) and a return to form but what they did was phenomenal. as i sat there revising my winning margin i bumped it up to 70.  but hold on feralina number two sitting beside me took it one step further and went for the big 100 and she was pretty much bang on. YEAH! WOOP WOOP cheering all around and a glimmer that not all was lost for fourth spot.

    to say the crowd was electric was an understatement. 52,5005 record number, well done to all of you who turned up. the atmosphere was purely awesome and OMG how many times will i use awesome in this post? hee, hee...time to get out the thesaurus. but it was AWESOME and even more awesome to see eveyone with their scarves singing never tear us apart...perfect song choice which puts it in a nutshell folks. i cheered, i screamed, i yelled and still with sore throat and blocked nose was still pretty much at the front gate when it came to loudness. watching the boys destroy carlton was poetry in motion. as a friend of mine noted and he should know having played football under malcolm blight...his words were...wait for the weather to dry up...and he was right. catch them if you can opposition and srum te bilo to the burgo doubters. yes i would imagine burgo will be smiling quietly and thinking wait till the finals for the power surge you big, stinky doubters!!!
     watching the match was watching the beginning of the season form return. carlton were spent and barely made a contest of it. and the whole time all i could think about was one word...PERCENTAGE! yes PERCENTAGE viewers coz i knew with a huge boost we could be back in the drivers seat, well we were if only temporarily. and so now the next round is gonna be huge. the battle lines have been drawn. son number two has completed his defection and is assaulting me with his patterson stadium statistics. i am a little worried because if it does not go according to his plan i am gonna have one very sad boy on my hands. but we will cross that bridge when we get to it. for the time being i have the bachelor to distract me, hee, hee...well not him but the ridiculous behaviour of the women. what on earth has dating and falling in love come to? what happened to the good old  days when you just got blind and threw your inhibitions to the wind (thanks to the powers of alcohol). can't imagine any of these gals tripping over their heels on national tv  (although with the amount of champagne they ply them with, i was kind of expecting at least one of them to fall into a pool or something) i told you this blog was cast among other things! so until saturday, may you find the bachelor as mindless and hysterical as myself, well not moi but the show of course.
lots of laughter to yoooooooooo....love FFFandF XXX.

legendary moment...

hey viewers a bit of a late entry but we managed to do ,"the dom is good," a few classic moments but upon reflection i know i will come back funnier, better and bigger for next year. looking at the top eight my fave is karate kid, thought sirengate was clever and i am already planning my assault on the comp for next year. i get the drift, hee,hee...lets just say there is a story brewing. so here isa snap for a bit of a laugh, well done slave labour!!!

a mothers confession and some footy anlaysis among other things...

i have a confession to make viewers when it comes to the footy i am afraid mothers love doesn't count!!! OMG did i just say that? will i be arrested shortly? hang on let me unplug the doorbell chimer.

seriously folks i have done the best that i can. i thought i had a 50 percent success rate but nope my youngest has definitely crossed to the other side but i knew that was coming. deep in my heart i finally accept my failure but deep in my heart i was so hoping that freo would lose yesterday. yes lose so that perhaps we would regain fourth spot. son number two told me to tip freo, he boasted of his optimism, informed me of the past game match stats at pattinson stadium as i smiled and said good for you . (but secretly i was hoping for a huge defeat so that their percentage would plummet) but then again if that happened i would be consoling an unconsolable child, pretending that everything was going to be ok when in reality i would have been jumping for joy on the inside. they say a mother will do anything for their children. mm, perhaps that is generally true but when it comes to the footy i will admit that my team comes before son number two's allegiance to freo and them winning a flag. am i that heartless? i have to tell the truth and say yes...ok now that i have got that off my chest i feel so much better and  we can now talk footy. oh PS unless of course port aren't in the GF and then of course i would be happy for freo to win the flag, hee,hee.

     so let me refresh myself as yes i have been the one on a bit of a writing slide, apologies for my slackness but the bachelor has started back up on tv and has distracted me. even though i promised myself i would not watch it, sadly i succcumbed and was sucked into the vortex of this mindless and humiliating show. i am just waiting for an ex footy player who has done his dash to be the next batchie.  (power guys show some class and bypass this if you are ever approached by the producers of this show) seriously it is soooo bad that it is soooo good. apart from the footy nothing can drag me away from this mindless entertainment and esacpe from reality into the reality that i am glad my reality is not like their reality. but seriously i am too old for that shit and now let me waste not one more word except to say... this weeks episodes are going to be doozies coz intruder ladies are coming in! can you believe that? what a stroke of genius and talk about setting the cat amongst the pigeons. i cannot wait to see how amber reacts. ( i am expecting blood and guts viewers) OMG bring on wednesday now!!! OK time to calm down now and think football.

     i genuinely thought we were in with a chance to beat sydney. perhaps some thought our powerslide would continue into the deep, dark mire of lost opportunities but hey folks how about we take a reality check. did you seriously think think the power were going to win the flag this year? or should i say did you expect them too? my answer to those two questions are no and no. not improbable because stranger things have happened but personally i feel they are not quite there yet. playing their best footy yes. if trengove and carlise had been injury free perhaps we would have secured a top four spot but let us wait and see. all i will say is that the power had some of that magic mojo back and if they had kicked straight the result could have been different. franklin was held and sydney are not invincible. i do not want sydney to win the flag and am debating whether to put them on the list of teams i despise. with that million dollar plus forward line they should be smashing it but they aint. hombsch was simply outstanding. there were a couple of pathetic frees which did not cost us the game but well what is the point complaining now? i said my piece on triple m, lol.

      predcitions of torrential rain for round 21 sent supporters into a tail spin and only added to the media myth that port would not handle the wet conditions. well i decided to ignore that and pretty much ignored the first quarter. i decided to turn to barry to blast off a few fat cells and get my city to bay back on track. i cleaned, washed dishes while listening to the radio and running into the lounge. i nicked down to coles to buy a few things. i just found it almost unberable not because i didn't have faith but it was such a hard slog with low scores. we did control the game and smashed the inside 50's but we were not getting paid much dividends for the effort. however, i put that down to conditions. when the final siren went it was a relief to have the four points and a possible step back into the four but thanks to freo playing exceptionally well it was not meant to be.

     so here we are folks coming up to the last home game for the season. where did that time go? i have absolutely loved it. as far as i am concerned it has been a very interesting season with a nice dose of unpredictability thrown in. and as i type the final eight has yet to be set. will the crows hang on? will brisbane perform a miracle and beat freo? will we finish at the portress on a high? those questions and who wins the bachelors heart remain to be answered. stay tuned folks and until then bring your best frizzura to the footy! just make sure it doesn't get in the way of someone elses view. to round 22!!! 

love FFFand F XXX

the break... time to refresh

a week gone and my how things change. the ladder has been reconfigured and for the first time...can i say it? that other team is in there and of course it has caused quite a hoo ha, the paper, talkback radio and mmm, i think i shall hold my tongue. with the season coming towards the end i am prepared to wait and see how the final rungs of the ladder pan out...
     for the first time in a long time folks i returned to the hallowed ground, yes alberton oval where once upon a time i stood and cheered in my black duffel coat with russell ebert's number on the back. it was quite the fashion then. my sister, cynthia and i went to the game together and met up with a few lady army members to get back to what it was like in the old days. one thing is for sure if it hadn't been the crows i suspect the crowd would have been halved if not more at least. great to watch it close up and doubly great to admire the prison bar guernsey. 
     in the end  it was a convincing victory and in the end i wondered why butcher held the football so low when kicking for goal. andrew moore had a great game and i suspect he will most likely get a call up next week. grass roots footy folks without all the glitz, hype and drama. i enjoyed watching it and seeing some of the young guys who still have a few preseasons to master before they make it to the AFL team.

three games where the results will count...

big games this weekend, hawks vs swans, collingwood vs adelaide and if the suns want a taste of finals action , well they are going to have to beat brisbane at home...that's it folks! nice to have a week off. the lady army will be getting ready to bring their game plan to melbourne next round...now that is gonna be big viewers, hee,hee.

lucky jocks, lucky rock...what a round!!!

farewell Dom...

the dice had been thrown. lucky double for port. roos defeated, freo smashed. who on earth would have seen the freo flogging coming? not me viewers. and how stressful was it for son number two might i add. OMG had to take him home at half time because he was having a complete meltdown. not enjoyable freo, not enjoyable one bit. but hey have to give credit to the saints. that performance was awesome and what a fine effort to honour lenny hayes. i tell ya this was panning out to be the cursed round and a tipsters nightmare. the fact the roos lost well what can one expect from them? most frustrating and disappointing side in the comp. how they win at times defies belief because on paper they are not drowning in a sea of talent.

      i must say the pressure was certainly on. would the curse continue? i bet some were feeling nervous. all i can say it was a golden opportunity for port to grab the footy beast by the horns and kick it out of the oval. midway through the second quarter that is exactly what it looked like. 30 point lead it seemed we were on a run and on our way to a percentage boosting win which would see port reclaim a spot in the four. but alas two quick goals before half time which was just the beginning of a demonic inspired comeback that almost spoilt it. 

      not a pretty game to watch folks. so many mistakes, rubbish umpiring that left one confused with what is holding the ball FFS? little sista freaking out. all i can say is that it is lucky for us the kids weren't sitting next to us. i reckon she is due at least a hundred hail mary's...no make that 1000 for the expletives firing from her mouth. shame on you. i think i am going to have to revise the lady army membership rules. in the end one way or another we scrapped and fought our way back to a desperate win in the last two minutes of the game. i said...schulzy has to save us and he did, allelujah footy gods and one has to be grateful for a win even if it was ugly. and thank goodness the boys got over the line for Dom. he certainly deserved to go out on a win, perhaps not a blaze of glory but a win nonetheless. it was a big day, Dom's farewell game, my nieces 12th birthday, having to get home and get ready for a feast to celebrate with friends...blah,blah,blah.

      and still the doubt remains. a media cloud hanging over port's head. personally i will maintain my own opinion and  will make an effort to get on talk back radio this week, hee,hee. 

PS i did make the effort to wear my lucky jocks to the game, teal bonds hipsters. as i put them on getting ready i thought to myself these will be my lucky jocks, hee,hee. we were also given the lucky rock by a lady army member who was unable to join us. so lucky jocks/lucky rock...four points thankyou very much we wil take them.

have a groovy week viewers,

love FFFandF XXX

post mortem...are we still alive? the armchair critic from round 17

we miss you Trengove...

OMG, my frigging donuts. thank the lord krispy kreme wasn't open as i drove home in a state of disbelief. how many would i have bought? a bootload full? (well not really coz i am in training for the city to bay and an advocate for a chemical free as much as possible healthy lifestyle to maintain my youthful exterior, hee,hee). 

honestly? we were outplayed and flat, no discredit to the tigers. oh how i wish they had been turned into kittens instead. an opportunity gone missing. was the pressure too much? did some of the players have a fight with their mum the night before? did some actually forget to wear their lucky jocks? i don't know. i don't have the answers apart from the fact that the season is long, we are missing two key defenders and perhaps it is only natural that a team should slide downhill and wade in a pool called the slump. the worst part being folks is that of course there is going to be a tidal wave no make that an avalanche of criticism heading ports way. and is it justified? well no. for frigging sakes what do people actually expect? dare i say it and risk being identified and having my home paint bombed or my tyres slashed?? dare i? dare i? ok i will. 

     of course i would love the fairytale ending. grandfinal win 2014, fitting for the tenth anniversary of our first premiership. but will i get upset if it doesn't happen? will i burn my membership? will i  hide out in my car with a paintball gun so i can vent my frustration on the players, coaches and anyone else who happens to be coming out of ports home turf? mm...the second one sounds tempting but alas no viewers just in case the crowtiser, (oops i mean the advertiser) happens to be around to turn that story into an unwarranted massacre. and also just in case my paintball frenzy does injure some players and i get banned for life. i will do none of that because i just can't risk any carnage... but really because i am in it for the long haul. i don't think we are quite ready for the flag. did i actually say that? did i? did i? yep you heard me viewers and before some of you become too hysterical and burn effigies of me on the streets of port adelaide, hear me out. i will give you my reasons why, just so you heard it from the armchair critic with her dot points in tow, lol.

• to begin with a side takes time to develop. it takes time to gel and if the culture is a positive and selfless one then that is the first step in building a strong foundation.( tick for port)
• players take time to develop. their bodies take time to mature and get strong physically. ( third youngest list)
• players take time to toughen up mentally with the relentless presure and expectations of the game ( we are now the hunted)
• considering all the players who have played any games this season the statistics are the following: we have 11 on our list who have played 100+ games, of that 11, 5 have 150+ up their sleeve and two have surpassed the 200+ milestone 
• 7 players on the list have managed 50+ games
•  9 have between 20-49 games and 4 have played less than 20
•  carlisle and trengove have more games between them than four of our defenders combined...so yes a big OUCH for injuries

      so taking the above in consideration i do believe we are on track for premiership glory and a lot of it if we continue to develop and improve. i won't cry if it doesn't happen this year... did i just say that? yes i did. realistically we are still an inexperienced side that is yet to join the ranks of a hawthorn, sydney or geelong. but i believe we will get there. port is a work in progress. my expectation as a supporter is that they improve from last year and play finals again, end of story. and as far as the advertiser is concerned i am not going to buy into some of the negativity. put it into perspective journalists and see it for what it is...still a rather remarkable turnaround and achievement in less than two seasons. the dynasty is unfolding...i say it is just a matter of time. and yes we are very much still alive folks because the port heartbeat is strong.

over and out from the armchair analyst, lol.

love FFFandF XXX 

round 17...time for tipping

big game tonight for both teams, crows win they will enter the eight for the first time this season and there will be a bonus should port win as well. lose and it is going to become that little bit harder. my heart says hawks but my mind says crows by 21...i will wait and see what happens. going out on a bit of a limb this round as far as my tips go viewers. no son number two to back me up this week. he is busy enjoying his campervan adventure with his dad and brother, no doubt freezing their bums off.

     so for round 17... i tip the CROWS by 21, CATS, BULLDOGS for a bit of an upset, ROOS, SYDNEY, WEST COAST (although i did think about the lions at home), PORT, ESSENDON, yes folks the bombers for an upset and FREO who should smash GWS and get a huge percentage boost. i say they will most likely finish top two with their run home. not much longer and before we know it we will be hitting the finals series...AWESOME! and even more awesome to see my beloved PORT in there battling it out. predictions from here? mm, let me think about that. so until the close of this round viewers, keep warm, keep cozy and keep LOUD ( well perhaps my neighbour might disagree, hee,hee)

love FFFandF XXX
PS and maybe keep your uggboots on!!!

from the couch....

gone missing...

Rickster from LA...

seems like a few of us have gone missing, me included. i must be experiencing a slight writing slump but hey viewers don't despair i shall dig deep to find some inspiration to return to my former witty, writing style. well for one i can tell you exactly what has gone missing...GOALS. yes GOALS...where are those damn goals? 7.18...SUPER OUCH GUYS!!! did you hear me? bloody super ouch, no make that a stab in the guts keeled over in pain realising that the siren is about to blow and we have just run out of time to snatch victory. i do believe some serious goal kicking practice is due with a bit of old fashioned torture thrown in. how about for every goal you miss you have to do one hundred push ups? or a 1000? mm, sounds too easy. how about for every goal you miss you have to eat dinner cooked by my former mother in law? hee, hee. that sounds more like it and boy that accuracy would improve dramatically guys i am telling ya. (sorry joy division you never really cut it in the cooking stakes) and where we come from very few will ever be able to match it with lovie's culinary nous. perhaps i should be dangling a dinner prepared by the infamous lovie herself. i'm telling ya, you will be wanting to move in next but she won't be cooking unless you are winning!!!
     seven from nine this round, did not get port nor roos although i should have listened to my footy instincts and gone with the roos. i did actually say to lovie, what's the bet that the roos beat hawthorn? true viewers and if you want confirmation well then you can ask her yourself. fancy that ?the roos have beaten the top four sides. so you can imagine i for one wouldn't be crying if that did not make the eight. nor would i be if the crows miss out too because those two teams are too unpredictable and the ones likely to inflict some damage come finals time...
     well i was at the game with lady army in tow. it also happened to be son number two's bday but unfortuntaely i have lost him to the dockers. that has been brewing for quite some time folks and i will leave it as it is coz he still supports port in sa. as i mentioned before it is a dad thing. luckily for him he was at the game with his dad and brother so it somehow softened the blow and just confirmed to my teenager that he doesn't want to particularly come to the football with me. moi? well i was the ambassador of international relations, bringing along an AFL virgin from venice beach, california. and to make sure i got in first i have given him my port power cap to take back and spread the message. he loved it and i have requested a photo of him wearing his new cap in front of an iconic landmark or better still with a world famous celebrity. i think he is up to the mission, go the rickster!!! 
     in a nutshell? wet conditions maybe but essendon were tougher at the tackling and put us under enormous pressure. trengove and carlise missing? yes of course it hurts but good teams find a way to plug the holes and get on with the game. thought the defence held up pretty well but our goal kicking let us down and it has for the past couple of weeks. even in the games we have won we have kicked far too many behinds that if a few had been converted would have made the difference between four points and zero. in anycase i wasn't going to sulk or blame the umpires. in actual fact we ended up having a pretty good night. upstairs in the magarey room to show our guests the after game gathering. we even got to meet some of the players and got the rickster in a photo with boaky for a memento of his AFL experience. i did notice that the room wasn't as full as usual but i can't say whether that was due to a loss or the weather. i can say yes it was disappointing. top spot was up for grabs and we didn't seize the opportunity.in anycase it certainly makes for an interesting finish. it is gonna be tight viewers. big blow to suns who may lose ablett which will certainly impact on their ability to keep a foothold on eighth position. collingwood need to find some form and hawthorn could be the team to struggle to stay in the top four.they are going to find adelaide hard to beat particularly if the adelaide we have seen in the past two weeks ( even though i hate admitting it) is the the team that shows up on friday night. one part of me wants hawks to win ( i think it is the emotional me) but the logical me says for goodness sakes let the crows have another win to crow about because it goes to the port cause. oooh what is one to do?
      well what is one to do? CHILLAX folks. yep. what will be will be. i subscribe to what i have said on many an occassion, come september and then the real games of footy begin. as we have already seen injuries, a bit of luck and everything can change in a blink of an eye. personally i am not going to rise to any hysteria regarding port and the bait that if one is to take just distills confidence and increases fear. and it may surprise some of you but i predicted ports premiership would come in 2015 because i am a realist folks. time and experience will only strengthen this dynamic, talented side. and as much as i would be ecstatic if the flag came our way this year i won't be crying if it doesn't.  i am patient and am optimistic to believe it will come and there will be more to follow. that is what is exciting. don't lose sight of the long term vision my friends, until the next round if you are an adelaidean, rug up coz it's bloody freezing outside.
love FFFandF XXX

PS we happened to meet peter caven ( former crows premiership player) on our way to the train station with his mate who was an essendon supporter but gracious in victory. lindi and i had a great, in depth footy conversation with him, ( he is impressed with port's turnaround) nice bloke. also met sam gray's dad ( now i know where he gets his height from, hee, hee) but a fun and amiable man willing to stop and have a chat coz he heard me mention sammy gray. yes a loss viewers but still an entertaining night for the rest of us who happened to miss the train...i wonder why? can't ever say i have been short of a word. LOL. time to bounce back and turn those tigers into pussycats!!!  

bugger, bugger, bugger....WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

before i begin my spiel two awesome shout outs. one  to brisbane for beating the roos ( altho i was secretly hoping they would win...one has to think of the ladder) for jonathon brown...fitting fareweill for a champion. and two to richmond for bringing the young boy battling cancer to melbourne for the tigers win. bonus points to both clubs.

     cats were lucky to grind out a win. not convincing folks but come september we may see them transform into ferocious finals contenders. i know it probably doesnt look like that at the moment but seriously finals are a different ball game. experience can count for a lot and a renewed enthusiasm for a team keen to get back into the finals action. melbourne let me down just, by 6 points, gallant comeback but not enough in the end. and well the hawks are flying under the radar and must be enjoying not having the pressure upon them. but hey they are back in first spot courtesy of the crows, who have yet to crack the eight, hee,hee...couldn't help myself.

     well we were there, three of us representing the lady army. number four couldn't make it so stayed at home in front of the telly. have to say her hubby ( even though he is a crows man) is a great footy supporter. he gave her ticket to a power supporter looking through the fence and listening through his ear phones. footy gods must have taken note but the audacity of his cheekiness after the win did not go unnoticed. be careful viewers and i mean all of you. those who are gloating for whatever reason if i am not mistaken the calendar still says june. a lot of matches to go but it certainly makes for an interesting finish to the season. i think i have to stop reading all the forums and maintain my composure, lot of hate for the power but i shall rise  above it all. and that is exactly what we did at the game last night viewers. i call it resilience building although secretly it was killing moi!!!

     well we certainly got a different vantage point. eastern stand level 5, bay 530, a birdseye view. personally i still prefer to be at ground level on the picket fence. i just feel as though i am closer to the action and do believe with this sonic boom voice of mine that the players can hear me, lol. we pretty much stayed in our seats after we had a bit of a wander down to the hill area. all i can say is simply we were out played. we certainly had our opportunities in the second quarter but wasteful kicking in front of goals and bounces that did not go our way did not help. unfortunately for us trengove was subbed out and we were left without an extra tall in defence. personally i think the dom would have made a huge difference and would have liked to have seen logan in there. somehow i don't think they got the selections quite right. however, let us not take away from the crows. they  smashed us in the centre and the ruck and well eddie betts, he is just a little flea, hee,hee...damn you!!! i thought if we were able to maintain our lead then a last quarter blast would have taken care of it. but it was not to be. and seriously crows fans you should feel embarrassed about your PA system antics. personally i thought it was a myth and a joke but no viewers. show some guts and passion and cheer regardless ( some of you are exempt of course and you know who you are)....a swipe? nuh, just real life observation. and thanks to the charm of one of your supporters repeatedly calling out F**K the POWER. we stayed, we clapped, we watched the presentation and didn't stoop to respond to your insults which was very fortunate considering there were two fiery croat gospodjas amongst us, take that you friggin KURATZ!!! lol.

     well on to round 16 a saturday night game which just so happens to fall on son number twos birthday. we will celebrate at the game with cake. if you are around come and join us and lets make sure that next week we are also tasting victory once again. 

down but not out,

muchos gracias, FFFand F XXX

PS lovie and i had a post match chat. she said she couldn't watch the last quarter and turned it off, thinking that perhaps we will put on the afterburners...sadly she was mistaken but looks at it as something to learn. good on ya lovie.

PPS sorry we didn't bring your scarf to rehab, the footy gods must have noticed this slack oversight!!
PPPS i promised myself i would go to the wittners boot sale if we won, i fibbed...i am gonna go anyway

all for one and one for all...the three lady armykateers!!!

It's SHOWDOWN time...well another fours hours and four minutes

before i forget... my tips for this week which can be verified through RI industries are CATS by 11, HAWKS, RICHMOND, FREO, ROOS, SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, PORT and PIES.

 i will share my showdown piece later but we are going...YES, three of the lady army members ( make that four, coz one is going with her husband) will be in attendance. i managed to get tickets through the PORT ADELAIDE POWER cheer squad so there will be safety in numbers... LOL, GO THE POWER!!!

puppies in need of more training and the ladder changes yet again...

good morning viewers from a bleak and freezing, rain soaked adelaide day. glad to see we escaped injury free team wise but not supporter wise boo hoo...guess who has the dreaded flu? but hey nothing that a bit of warm water and lemon won't cure (and of course a shot of brandy) which was recommended to me by a nursing friend. and seriously i consider myself fortunate and blessed with general good health after watching sunday night. did you see shining for sharn? if you didn't please google it, watch it and if you can, donate. talk about waterworks, made me cry but also really touched my emotions, such wonderful friendship, enduring love and inspiration. i also managed to watch some 60 mins too which also had a moving story of the families whose children are affected by a rare metabolic disorder...sanfilippo syndrome. they have taken action and have raised money for the first trials to hopefully road test a cure ( that is the result of research in adelaide) or at the very least halt it in its tracks. another opportunity to donate and help if you can.

     well the doggies haven't learnt any new tricks and so it is back to training school for them. a quick start saw this young side get off to a 16 point lead. dare i say it but pittard's clanger resulted in a goal but hey he had a good solid game. perhaps we should start paying attention to what ken sees which is pace, left footed and some great accuracy. thankful it didn't rain, the lady army regrouped with the addition of lindi lou lou but we missed a few others due to illness.( get better feralina and son) personally i was suffering the onset of the flu and had wished i had gone to the chemist for some throat lozenges to ease my sore throat. and so my yelling capacity was severely reduced but not my dance moves viewers. yes call me the dance cam queen. i managed with a bit of ass slapping and some fun moves to score a one hundred dollar voucher from spartan electrical. yes new radio for the kitchen!!! woo hoo!!! hvala spartan.

     glad to see wolfman kick a nice bag of goals and to be playing with confidence. thought ollie wines was outstanding and of course sarge, what a legend. overall a very solid win and another victory to keep the portress record intact. went to the post match wrap up. we saw the players make their way through the crowd. congratulated aaron young, tall and a cutie. listened to kochie, ken and the highlight SCHULZY. just awesome to be surrounded by people who have one thing in common...passion for the POWER. 

     well the ladder has changed folks. knew suns would challenge the pussycats but wasn't expecting such a convincing victory. freo took the roar out of the lions and have regained a top four spot. the roos and crows continue to follow the formula of win one week lose the next. honestly WTF adelaide? with such an important game on the line and the perfect opportunity to string back to back wins and get closer to a spot in the eight, you simply blew it by trying to play catch up footy. and i won't go on too much about the showdown folks but from my observations of the last quarter adelaide does not look fit enough. and if that is the case i predict after a tight first half port may just run over the top of them. i don't normally go to the opposition showdown. i did try to get tickets but of course too late, sold out. so if anyone has any they would like to pass my way, please do so, the lady army will certainly appreciate it!

     and for those of us who cannot attend the game. the club announced it will be hosting the showdown at memorial drive with big screens. first in, best dressed with a capacity of about 2000. thinking ahead as usual the club would like to fill memorial drive so that we can all make a noise from outside the stadium. they are certainly getting it right this year.

so back to bed for me, keep well viewers. we are in for a big week of hype, coz it's SHOWDOWN time!!!

love FFFand F XXX

PS sorry about the brownies lady army...next time i will remember to bring them...they were YUM, hee,hee.

inury update...

happy healing lovie and welcome back little sista

thank goodness for the marvels of modern technology viewers. as i type one of our very own lady army is lying in a hospital bed recovering from hip replacement surgery. yes indeed and it makes me wonder how many elite footballers will face the same prospect once their playing days are over. 

lovie our eldest and esteened member (who just so happens to be my mum) will be out of footy action for a few weeks. but don't worry folks she will be watching saturdays game from the comfort of her private room. her surgeon admitted to me that he was a collingwood supporter. (drats!) as much as i was tempted to rattle off a few choice words i thought it far more sensible to remain quiet. for goodness sakes don't want to get on the wrong side of the doc when your mothers health is in his hands!!! beside his saving grace was that he admired the POWER so a big tick for that.

     so on to round 14 where we face the bulldogs and according to official statistics we have not beaten them since 2006 and have lost the past seven matches. have to confess i was surprised by that. if any team was to be our bogey side then the kangaroos were the ones i would have named for sure. so let us just consider it a new challenge and another box to tick. we will have a few out due to injury...cassissi, hartlett and impey. impey was a surprise but he is a young and lithe lad who could probably do with a rest. dom well he is an excpetional leader and a hard tackler, his experience is invaluable. hartlett well ankle curse let us hope that no more succumb to that injury. am very happy to seel tommy logan back in the side, admire his tenacity and work rate. it is a rather good time to give a few more a bit of a run as you never know what the final outfit will look like come finals time. if you are struck with injuries or a bit of bad luck one needs to be confident that the next tier will slot in nicely.

      another bonus is that another member of the lady army  (who just happens to be my sister) has returned from gallivanting around ireland and paris. we have missed her presence at the footy and i can tell you she is certainly looking forward to resuming her official place in our presitigious lady army plus others, hee,hee. we just love it folks. lady army rock on!!! and talking about rocking on here is to this weeks tips and the prospect of winning a six pack. i have allowed son number two to become my offcial tipster. his knowlwedge of the game is becoming rather impressive. he is a veritable encyclopedia of statistics. can't say that about son number one who couldn't really give a toss about the footy...WAH!!! 

     so according to his tips for this round he has selected SYDNEY by 53, PORT, FREO, ADELAIDE, CARLTON, ROOS, CATS, WEST COAST and HAWKS. our convalescing LOVIE has tipped the same but a smaller margin. can she make it back to back six packs? and can we win yet another at the PORTRESS??? i am feeling confident and am sure the footy gods will give me a bonus point for returning my animal welfare league raffle book. yes i know i didn't sell any but at least i have returned it which clears my conscience somewhat.so to any of you out there who are injured the lady army wishes you a speedy recovery. before we know it september will be here. and right now folks there are a couple of teams whose season will be determined by the next few weeks. ( i say by round 20, the ladder should be set) lose a few and lose sight of the eight, win some and the last rung of the ladder is within reach. makes for an interesting finish, don't you think?

here's to health, happiness and healing

love FFFandF XXX

should have followed the formula...

drats my tipping has taken a dive this week but who is to blame? me of course!!! i should have listened to my own advice, yes i said the crows were due for a win but of course i didn't tip them, lost that one, bad luck to me. melbourne saved me by one point by beating the bombers in what have must have been a thrilling finish. the last time i checked the score the bombers looked like they were going to explode into action...nah, nope and goodbye essendon i think your season has just self imploded. next week the crows and i expect back to back wins, if not adelaide then you are not going to make the eight. according to my formula they should lose but this time i think i can make an exception. but congrats to lovie for being tipper of the round and winning the 6 pack. (and yes i have claimed one myself to date compliments of big ivan's workplace!)
     huge win for the cats and a percentage boost. lions i think you will be unlikely to get anymore tips from me. bulldogs well they scored the upset of the round. i watched the last quarter and a half and have to give credit to the bullies for hanging in there. from what i saw the pies pressure was just not good enough. and of course we have them next week so warning guys... don't walk onto the adelaide oval and take these puppies lightly. and so now on to the much anticipated and talked up game of the round. determined port vs the highly expensive forward line of the swans outfit. yes they were missing tippett but polec was also exempt from our artillery. i was keeping in contact with the lady army representatives by text and phone during the course of the match. (which unfortunately did not quite fall our way) so what can i say viewers?
     the first quarter saw the swans get off to a blistering start although somewhat wasteful. ten shots at goal for two goals eight and one would have thought (if they were foolsih enough) that perhaps we had a repeat of the geelong match. but lo and behold that was not to be the case because the team kicked in and stemmed the onslaught into  a  12 point deficit. my communication at that point to our lady army representatives was that anything under 20 points and we would be in touch with the game. by half time it was down to seven...game on. at the end of the third quarter 15. from the tv most of the players stayed down where the action was. a lot of rugby type scrums which personally i do not like but that is the way the game seems to have gone. sydney had one goal in my mind and that was obviously to shut port down. the pressure from the beginning was intense and for those of us that were complaining about some of the mistakes and turn overs, close, contested, tight footy does that. defensive pressure is where it is at now folks whether you like it or not. but when port can gets it run and carry going and lock into their free flowing game with a like minded team well that is the footy that is exciting to watch and the footy i love and am passionate about...gee where is my footy journalists job??? hee, hee.
    the last quarter we just kept coming, some costly mistakes, missed set shots at goal and the stats should have given us the win but the scoreboard said no. clearances, inside 50's, stoppages and the list goes on but still the scoreboard said no. and for all of sydneys misses we actually ended the game with one more scoring shot. i did predict the game would come down to pressure and accuracy in front of goal. and although the after analysis provided a barrage of finger pointing ( we did lose hartlett which didn't help) it cannot come down to one player regardless of what some passionate fans must think. although if i was to consider anyone, perhaps pittard could do with a run in the sanfl. i have to confess to you pittard lovers i call him the clanger. however, to be fair, he is young, he is fast, he is a left footer which is handy to have but he doesn't always select the best option...just saying.
     so did i cry? did i jump up and down and throw the remote at the tv? did i use a few choice swear words? no, no and yes. some soft decisions regarding a few frees but hey let us put it all into perspective. seriously some expected us to get walloped. i didn't. i tipped them by 3. there was absolutely no disgrace in that defeat viewers. one learns more from failure than success and i personally believe this loss will be a pivotal lesson for our dynamic, talented side. port have nothing to prove. we are simply a genuine team that has put in the hard yards, the committment, developed the belief and harnessed the unity of young men who are bonded in holy footballness...lol ( i thought that was quite good). one game at a time folks. wait until finals before you jump on the premiership bandwagon but if you have already, kudos for your optimism! so on to round 14  which i am absolutely looking forward to because my little sista shall return and resume her rightful place in the lady army.
love FFFandF XXX
PS dear buddy it was just completely uneccessary for you to kick those lucky ass goals!!! 
PPS well done PASCOE your team won and i accept the loss graciously...lucky you are not a crows supporter!!! hee,hee,hee.

     

the PORTRESS remains protected...now to round 13 and the big mountain!!!

well viewers the PORTRESS remains impenetrable after round 12. i was there with the lady army in tow to witness a very convincing defeat in the end. first quarter seemed like we were off to a blistering start and then a lull in the second where the saints came back within a kick. a power surge to take a 19 point lead at half time and i could tell the surge would continue and indeed it did. and of course that wingard mark was nothing short of awesome and robbie gray's season continues to be outstanding. GO THE POWER!!! 

    an interesting round, cats obviously used one of their nine lives to sneak a five point win. although the umpiring was obviously questionable, too late though and i imagine mick malthouse would not have been too happy about that. i should have listened to my gut instinct and gone the lions because i would have had a perfect tipping round but never mind.(not sure if i am able to pinch the prize but anyhting could happen)

     i watched the freo /crows game and man son number two gets his jocks in a knot. i had to maintain composure and remind him it was only the first quarter.i should video him and call it memorable footy meltdowns. i thought johnson being subbed out would have given the crows more of a scoring chance but no in the end they fell by the wayside and made it just that much harder to gain any foothold in the eight. this week they play the roos who came back against richmond to come off with a handy 28 point victory. they will find the roos a tough assignment but if all goes according to my formula then they should be up for a win. richmond? what do you say? they seem to be on the road to nowhere...blah, blah, blah.

     well round 13 is now upon us. the big mountain looms ahead and this is PORT'S opportunity to climb to the top and add another accolade to its already impressive season. yes we are playing sydney. yes we are playing them at the SCG. yes tippett is out but we also have a few missing of our own. and yes i believe we are in with a chance. it will all come down to pressure and goal kicking accuracy. the fact that a win would still keep us two games in the clear would be awesome. we are the underdogs and some have already pencilled in the swans for the flag after their demolition of geelong. but i will stick to my guns. we are now over the halfway mark and plenty of games left to change the tide of the ladder. and come finals time the tide will change yet again. don't discount the cats they are still good enough to claw their way back if they are sitting in or close to the four. i am still waiting to see what happens when hawthorn regains their full strength. and PORT? well who knows if things roll their way and they secure two home finals well then they are in with a big chance to pinch a flag early. and before i give you my tips a BIG SHOUT OUT to the ever wonderful HELENI who has gone to sydney to represent the lady army. would love to have gone myself but am saving it all for the collingwood game in august.

     so to tips...HAWKS by 48, PORT ( yes i know but hey why not?) FREO, WEST COAST, LIONS, ROOS, CATS, PIES and my roughie...DEMONS. son number two has tipped sydney and so has lovie but i am going to remain positive...wish i could say that about the weather, BRRR, too cold for me folks! so keep warm this weekend and may the footy gods shine down on PORT and light their way up to the top of the mountain!!! ALLELUJAH.

over and out, FFFand F XXX