Yes sports fans, that's right. Your Uncle Cliff is back from his six week enforced stay at a sex addiction clinic with another season of good old fashioned league reports. Before I start I would like to thank two very special people who helped me through this tough period - my gorgeous and very understanding wife Myrtle (I know this must be hard after 51 years of marriage but you did insist on moving into a retirement village), and a nice chap I met in there and who supported me and answered only to the name of Tiger - thank you both.
Well, back to the footy and last Saturday our local Maggies hosted the Grafton Rhinos who provided stiff opposition in two senior trials with both clubs splitting the day with one win apiece.
In the Reggies new coach Jean Claude Van Babbini pulled together a rag tag bunch of young men with only a few of them showing any evidence of an off season training program and yet they managed to play quite well going down 24 to 14. The lads defended real well however it was their lack of ball control and direction that let them down. Knowing the coach as well as I think I do, I am sure he is addressing this as I write and will pull out all stops to rectify this wanton attitude towards possession. For mine Big Kerry was outstanding in every aspect of the game and never stopped trying due to superior fitness and Marcus "Hangs" Lowe showed his class with the ball.
In the 1st Grade the boys ran out winners 24 to 12 with a late glut of possession. Defensively the boys were very good for so early in the season and coach White was very happy to amplify this after the game seeking out this reporter to quote him:
"If we could produce this effort every week we would get the same result every week with the same effort produced each week and the result this week, and hopefully next week that effort and result will match last week and also all future weeks". Thanks coach White, succinct and to the point.
Josh "Still looks" Young was outstanding until he received a head knock as he was standing upright on an opposition players shin whilst Matt Bush City Limits produced more big hits than ABBA after being forced into the centres due to an injury to Cameron "Tony" Blair where his tooth was embedded into a players forearm. New recruits Ryan "Playboy" O'Conner at prop and Daniel "4WD" Forrester at half showed they are going to be more than handy acquisitions this year whilst Dan "Jack" Russell knocked his brother Johnny off his perch as the unprettiest Russell after breaking his snoz and receiving three stitches.
Just a tip from an old timer Rusty - in my day if you didn't come back to the pub from the hospital with more than 10 stitches you had to let your mates make up the difference on the pool table with the hook and fishing line Rags Nolan used to land the 1959 Aussie Golden Perch record of 29lb that was stored above the bar for just such an occasion. However I digress, for mine, Scotchy Millan was the best player on the park with the statistician running out of ink for his hit up and tackle count although I am led to believe they were both in the hundreds - thanks Joby. A big well done also to Aiden Banks who took the opportunity with no 18s match to get some game fitness coming off the bench in both Reggies and 1sts.
Next Saturday sees the boys travel to Coffs Harbour to take on the Koalas with the Under 18s kicking off at 12pm - only 3 hours after most of them are getting home so it should be interesting.
Congratulations also to Vaughan "Winter" Babbini for his selection in the Group 2 Under 18s side to contest the country titles in Tamworth later this year.
See you all next Saturday when we give it to the Koalas.
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