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

before i forget...

Ok time for tipping this round viewers and it seems like there is a general consensus. lovie and i have tipped the same. i think if any roughies could surface it may be the GWS/BOMBERS game or the doggies vs the lions. so apart from that coz i have been in cake making mode all day (getting organzied so i can go to the footy tomorrow) my tips are...CATS by 42...they have to come back strong after that humiliating demolition last week,  HAWKS, PORT, BOMBERS, DOGGIES, SYDNEY, FREO, ROOS and PIES. the crows have their work cut out for them this week with a test against freo. freo need to pull out a strong performance and get back to full mojo if they are to crack the top four again this year. adelaide need to win to surge towards a possible final eight berth. i predict the roos will go back to back this week against the dismal tigers. and i also predict i will be taking my sisters dog for a much needed beach walk. CIAO for now, stay groovy and may the PORTRESS stay intact from yet another assault!!!

FFFandF XXX.

the freak out o meter...

well what about thursday night viewers? did any of you see that coming? complete demolition by the swans, although pussy cats barely had a meow the swans were phenomenal. mm, looks like it is the new mountain for port to climb. but hey better to be challenged than not at all and who knows what could happen come finals time.

     well a few spoke of the dees being a danger game. kenny said the boys were flat. we had come off some pretty tough games and now it is almost half way through the season. what did you think folks? well honestly i don't know whether i can say a lot. i was driving back from strathalbyn listening to triple m. yes 27 to zip and i began to think this is looking like a blow out. so casually i decide to switch the station to triple j instead and listen to some music and wait until i get home so i can lie on the comfort of my couch. but lo and behold that was not to be. introducing the freak out o meter!!!

     the freak out o meter is ten years of age. he watches his two teams wearing their guernseys with my iphone in hand so he can check the stats. well he was freaking out especially during the second and third quarter. and i couldn't handle it viewers, it just got too much. i left the watching to him and went about my jobs knowing how much the game was in the balance by his freak out commentary, screams of indignation and slight elation when port kicked a goal. at half time i said to him...plenty of time left, Port by 20, (true). he wasn't convinced and of course when the demons hit the front you would have thought someone was being murdered!! and come the fourth quarter when port edged ahead by one point and then seven when wolfman kicked a goal i had enough and fled. yes i fled the house with shopping bag and phone in hand. during the course of the game i was getting text updates from a fellow lady army member. 8 minutes, 35 seconds to be precise and by the time i had exited welland and checked my phone i could finally breathe a sigh of relief. that was a close shave. but hey you cannot deny that roos certainly did his homework but also there will be no excuses. four points are four points and by all accounts look at hawthorn, they almost lost too.

     well done to brisbane and of course the roos have followed my formula to the tee so perhaps next week they will lose again. (will have to check the draw) adelaide had a decent win against the suns. consistent four quarters and big bag of five goals from the texan keeps them in touch with the eight. ( i do have some friends who are passionate crows fans and so i am doing my best to be complimentary...lol) now lets see if they can pull off two in a row but of course i will also need to check the draw for that too.

     and with all the stress i endured from the game what is one to do? but go to the club and participate in a yoga session. yes ladies don't get too excited although we could have today. the room we were in had a window that looked out onto the lap pool and guess who happened to be in there? lol, none other than boaky himself, obviously recovering from his ankle injury but the blinds were almost closed and with good reason...can't have ladies falling out of their poses can we? hee,hee. but i have to say i certainly felt more relaxed during the course of my day and in all honesty have been meaning to do yoga for ages...true, yes really!!!

love FFFand F XXX

PS not forgetting it was indigenous round. incredible talent there is no doubt, loved the guernseys and adam goodes is an exemplary role model.