Well the Milwaukee Bombers had their second match of the year and it was played at home against the Nashville Roos from Tenneessee and we pumped them by 61 points. From this game on they count if we win or lose because it will decide which division of the nationals (The finals) we are in. The field was set in a park where there is a picnic area, perfect for the spectators and two baseball fields. We managed to fit the field in between all this, the size we got was about 160m x 110m. It was perfect, add the PVC goal posts, the scoreboard leaning on a picnic table, the mini cones as the boundary line and you have a football field. The field was hired through the local county and we had a time limit on it as well, 10am to 3pm. The main game we started at 1pm, Prior to the main game we had a curtain raiser (reserves basically), only a 10 a side intra-club match. That was for those who missed out on getting picked in the main game. That curtain raiser was 2 25 minute halves and the main game was 2 20 and 2 25 minute quarters. Over here the visiting team has the choice of how many players they want to play with, (because of the travelling distance) the least they can have is 14 players otherwise they forfeit and the hosting team gets the win. Anyway they had apparently told us that they’ll have a full 22, but when they arrived they only had 16, we were upset about this because we had to give up players, not that we wanted to, but we wanted an 18 on 18 game of our own team mates. There are a few new players so full games give us an opportunity to get our team game plan down without interruptions like this one. We decided to give them 3 of the Chicago Sharks that we borrowed. One thing I didn’t mention is that through the season we have to drive 5 hours or more to play or an hour or more flight, what ever suits the players individually. The problem there is that some players go to school and can’t afford it or some have work commitments so they can’t leave the state, this all brings me to tell you that we have teamed up with the Chicago Sharks, who we happen to get along with and we are borrowing 5 to 6 players depending on availability of our players, 3 of them are the aussie’s I spoke of in my last diary entry. This was Anyway the game was on a beautiful 28 degree day with a light breeze sweeping across the field. The ground was almost flat but the lawns hadn’t been mowed, for some of us short players, the grass was up to our knees (exaggerating), it was that long you couldn’t even bounce it. The only good thing was the grass cushioned your fall. The coach gave us our rundown on what he wanted and what he expected from particular players, he eventually said something about everyone, he talked that much that I was forgetting stuff he said at the start. He went a little overboard I think. Most of what he said was direct but started to get into to much detail and it got the point where players were responding “so basically you want me to…” and he was like “yeah that’s it”. The first quarter would of been a blow out if we had of kicked straight. One of the aussie’s from the sharks kicked 2.4, he was blitzing because of our centre clearances, so adding to that we were giving our forwards first use of the ball, playing like champions, totally catching the team off guard. We ended up finishing the quarter with 3.5 to The second quarter was identical to the first with no changes to the side, we ended up kicking straighter and this resulting in 7.6 to us and a measly point from At half time the scores were 7.6 to 1.1. We got a dressing from the coach, by what he was saying he barely had nothing negative to say. The only concern was keeping them goalless for the rest of the game. After all that there were a few changes and last thing said by the coach was he asked an aussie player from the sharks, “what do we call the 3rd quarter back home” and he replied “the premiership quarter”, the coach said we basically bang the nails in the coffin now. Well the third quarter we did as the coach told us, we kicked straight and had all the play, Bringing our score to 10.8 and Nashville 1.1 not even able to add a point for their effort, not much of an effort though. I rested the last 5 minutes of the quarter to give some of the bench a run for those who hadn’t. We came off the ground at 3/4 time acting like the game was over. We honestly deserved to be acting like that but as you would all know stranger things have happened in footy. The coach was pleased with the football we just played and doing everything he asked but, he said don’t take the pressure off yet, we still have a quarter to go and I want you to bury them. The fourth was easily our worst for the day, they kicked the first goal, could of had another if it wasn’t for one of our players chasing a man down from almost 30m away and just got him as he kicked and it hit the post. We kicked out and made a switch across half back which proved costly, turning it over and the Just to give you an insight on the grade of football we played today, I felt like was at home with the Rovers playing I was a little p***ed at the fact they didn’t give us much of a game, I mean they were chasing a lot of tail, crap disposal’s and they had no team orientation. They looked like they picked up some guys on the way up to Compared to our first game the competition was worse but we played like stars. Throughout the game there were bad disposal’s, punching on their own instead of marking, not listening to the talk, lack of talk and not helping team mates. All of these were happening but not at all as much as last game. We got way more positives out of that game than negatives. We have improved massively, not to mention the help from 3 of the shark players. Brad in the FP and Paul in FB or CHB (aussie’s) and Jezza in the BP (yank). Paul and Brad were big contributors for our game solid in defence and great in attack. It was good to have them because they could lead by example for our American players we wish to play there. As for me in the game I had a big impact in the first quarter with centre clearances, I felt like Sam Mitchell, The second I played on the back flank giving plenty of run out of defence, using my voice for the switches. The third I went back on to the ball where they had me tagged by there fit onballer he slowed me down heaps but I could say he had the better of me when it counted. I rested late in the 3rd and came back on in the fourth with about 10min to go straight into the forward pocket, where I linked play from our centre’s to our full forward resulting in the 2 last goals for the game. My fitness is almost back to its best, but I have to condition myself a bit better for the heat over here, you know more fluids and that stuff. I believe I’m having more of an impact with some of these guys, which is proving itself in our footy matches as well as the metro footy. Things such as the kicking, handballing and marking have improved, 1%ers and talking has jumped better than expected. It’s great how there dealing with the pressure of football on the field, there not just giving the ball up. I even have a few guys ringing me asking about certain aspects of footy. At training and metro footy this happens continuously, I love the fact they want to learn. I may not be the ideal footballer to show them about footy but what I can show and teach them gets them a little closer each time to becoming a footballer. This whole program is a touch and go type of thing and so far it’s been a success for me and the two clubs I represent, Bombers and Rovers. Well the 12th of June East.v.West game in Saturday the 12th was game day and the weather was 35 with 90% humidity, we had a fantastic breakfast from the hotel and headed off to the footy fields. When I arrived I looked straight at the ground and couldn’t believe the condition, sorry Rovers it was better than ours. Anyway we met the coach of the East and he had picked the teams. He read them out and I was in the 1st game with 2 of my team mates (Jared Brunmeiers brother got picked in the 2nd game). The West coach came over saying he was short and we need 3 players, (Last night we found out West was having trouble with numbers) not to mention they already had 7 East players in the team, they were still short. So they looked at the list of the first East team to see if there were 3 guys from the same team, well what do ya know there were 3 Milwaukee Bombers. So we were selected to move across and that we did, man I was p***ed off but, I thought well I’ll show you and that I did. The first quarter I played reasonably well, there were 2 problems, 1 I didn’t know most of the guys names and 2 when ever I get the ball they didn’t move, they thought I’d get it run and kick goals, what I was doing was yelling out while I’ve got the ball “lead”, Some just had no idea, so I was just pumping it in long and hoping. During the first break I was hammering down the water and not coping well with the heat but I had to address these guys on what to do, I said “when ever I get the ball run at me screaming for it and I’ll hit ya on the tit”. The second was heaps better in that they did what I said and we got results. I changed on the back flank giving them run out of defence. The day was getting hotter and it was killing some of us. At halftime the coach was very pleased with what he was seeing and let us know. I was just sucking down water and some Gatorade. The third quater was our best but hurt ourselves with poor kicking I kicked the only goal for the quarter. Our FF kicked 4 points, his kicking action was that of a rugby player and he just couldn’t kick straight, great mark though. I cramped with about 7 or 8 minutes to go, I came straight off drank the rest of the Gatorade and drank a bottle of water, stretched and rubbed it down, put on deep heat and rested for 12 minutes. I came back on with about 15 minutes straight to the back flank and was once again clearing the centre half back area. I was working over time stopping them from going forward trying to get a clear passage out of defence, we did it on two occasion’s and got goals and we levelled the score with about 3 minutes to go. I was cramping everywhere at this stage. An East player got a free kick from a controversial call for kicking in danger. I hurled abuse at the player and he just scraped the goal in. I went straight into the centre and told our centremen to go in for ball attack it hard, kick or punch it I don’t care we have to go forward and that we did but it got locked up about 30 out and then the siren went. I didn’t mind to much, it was a great game to play in and be apart of. Us 3 In terms of standard, the first game was borderline of 2nd and 3rd division Southern Footy League, more 2nd though. The second game, which had the best of the yanks and also the other aussie’s, was of a very good standard, I think it would be safe to say almost our standard of football (VAFA C grade). I am off now to impress girls with the accent, just kidding.
Hey Rovers, I will warn you now that this is a long letter so be prepared to sacrifice some time to read it. Thanks.
Well there you have it, my latest update, be expecting one next week sometime as I am playing against the Chicago swans this week who are bunch of head hunters apparently, just ask Jared Brunmeier. I want you to look in the www.usfooty.com and there will be a mention of me in the East.v.West game, just a little note about me and where I’m from, trust me, you will be proud Rovers.
Take care everyone at ROVERLAND and you’ll here from me soon.
Wooly #46
www.hamptonrovers.com.au/international
