Mick’s Day At The Footy
ick couldn’t wait to go to sleep on Friday, all week he had been counting
the number of sleeps left until he went to his first football game. Now
there was only one sleep to go.
His dad was taking him with his Uncle Stu. Uncle Stu said every six year
old should get to go to the footy.
Mick sleep the slumber of an excited six year old, waking before the sun. Getting out of bed and stretching, Mick quickly got himself dressed. He was careful to select just the right clothes. His big sister, Ashley, said that any “real” supporter going to the footy had to display team colours. He felt a strange excitement as he pulled his team jumper on, he had worn it lots of times before but it had never felt this way. Once grown, he would understand he felt a sense of pride, and kinship.
Mick was still excited as they walked to the train station. He loved counting the number of stations they passed, and trying to remember all the strange names, like Murrumbeena and Carnegie. On the way Uncle Stu explained that they would see two games at two different ovals, and Mick couldn’t wait to get there.
Finally - they were at Richmond. Mick thought his team must be very special to have a whole place named after them. Dad laughed and told Mick that the team was named after the place because of where their headquarters were. Mick didn’t know what headquarters were but he was too busy taking in the sights to ask.
The first ground was only a short walk from the station. Uncle Stu said its real name was the Richmond Cricket Ground, but everyone called it Punt Road Oval on account of where it was.
The grandstand was painted yellow and black, the colours of Mick’s team. Mick watched as some men video taped the game in progress. Uncle Stu explained that those men worked for the club, and other clubs and were watching the young players in the hope of discovering the next star of tomorrow. Dad said some were even parents watching their sons.
A man next to Mick explained that this game was called the Reserves, they were a seconds team, with young players working their way into the seniors team. Uncle Stu told Mick this is the ground where the team trains, and Dad showed Mick his own name on a plaque at the back of the grandstand. Dad said mum had donated money to the club in Mick’s name. Mick was really excited about having his name on the wall, he couldn’t wait to tell his friends at school how important he was.
Mick was a bit restless during the game, he didn’t know any of these players, and he was impatient for half time. Half time finally came and Dad, Mick and Uncle Stu took their footy and had a kick to kick on the ground with lots of other kids. Mick thought it was the best thing, he imagined himself playing on the big ground when he was grown up, as he kicked the ball to Uncle Stu.
Once the reserves game was over the crowd of a few hundred began to disperse, all making their way over to the G. Dad said the G was short for MCG, which was short for the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Punt Road Oval is right next door, so it was only a short walk. Mick’s eyes opened wide as he saw all the people. Uncle Stu and Dad talked about the game during the walk. Dad was mad at the reserves coach because our team didn’t win the game.
Everyone sitting around Mick had his team’s colours on. Mick had never seen such an assortment of jumpers, scarves, hats, beanies, gloves and banners in his club’s colours. Dad said that was because they were in the members section. Uncle Stu showed Mick where the other team’s members were. When Mick looked over he saw a sea of blue and white. Then Uncle Stu showed Mick where the two cheer squads were, a sea of yellow and black behind one goal, and a sea of blue and white behind the other goal.
Dad told Mick they were sitting on the wing, Dad said that was a good place to watch the game. Before the game Mick got to meet Tiggy Tiger, his team’s mascot. Dad took Mick’s photo with Tiggy, and Tiggy shook Mick’s hand. Mick couldn’t wait to take the photo to “show and tell”.
Just before the game started the cheer squads brought the banner on to the ground. Uncle Stu said the proper name for the banner is the run-through, cos all the players run through it before the game. Dad read out the words on the banner, it said “With Hustle and Bustle We’ll Show Real Tiger Muscle” and had a big picture of a tiger in between the words.
As the players came onto the ground the team song started playing, and all the Richmond supporters at the ground stood up to sing. Mick knew all the words and sang really loud, especially the “yellow and black” part, which everyone almost shouted.
Then the other team came onto the ground. Mick thought the Richmond banner was better, it was bigger, and he didn’t like the other teams song. Dad said it sounded like a show tune, and Uncle Stu laughed a lot at that.
Everyone around Mick was real quiet during the first quarter, except when they shouted at the umpire, “white maggot” was the most often heard call. The blue and white made lots of noise whenever their team scored a goal. Mick didn’t know exactly what a maggot was but he knew it wasn’t good. Uncle Stu complained about the players not being direct enough. Mick listened hard trying to learn all about the game.
At quarter time a lady came around selling raffle tickets, you could win the jumper of Tony Free. Mick thought it would be really cool to have a real live player’s football jumper, that they had actually worn, so Dad bought him a ticket. Mick had a number on his jumper, he had number 11, Joel Bowden. Lots of kids had number 12, Matthew Richardson, he was the club’s most popular player. But even at 6 Mick liked to be different. Dad said Richmond supporters let out a sigh of relief when Joel got possession of the ball because you knew he would “use” it not “waste” it. Mick didn’t know quite what that meant yet, but he knew it was good.
The second quarter went really quickly, and Mick got to yell and cheer lots, he cheered really really loudly when Joel scored two goals. Mick recorded the goals and behinds in his “Footy Record”, putting a line next to the name of the player who scored as the game progressed. The whole crowd was much more lively during the second quarter. Dad said the game was more even now, and the Geisch must have roused the boys.
During half time the “little league” and was on. Lots of little kids playing footy on short pieces of turf around the ground’s edge, and some older kids playing in the team colours of the day. Mick day-dreamed as he watched, he knew he would get to play little league next year when he was seven.
Dad bought Mick a pie and coke during the third quarter. Uncle Stu said it was footy fare, except grown ups had beer. The yellow and black held their breath a lot during the third quarter as the other team’s full forward scored some quick goals. Uncle Stu grumbled about the team’s backline.
At the third quarter break the scores were 10.7.67 to 6.15.51. Dad complained a lot about bad kicking costing us the game, as our team had lots more shots at goal but were still behind. Uncle Stu told Mick not to listen, that Dad always had the game lost, even when the team was ahead. Uncle Stu said the boys would fight back and win, and Mick believed him.
There was lots of tension and excitement in the fourth and final quarter. Richo scored some quick goals, and the scores were level. The lead kept changing and even Mick could sense the nervous tension all around him. When Mark Merenda scored a goal from 60 metres out, everyone around Mick cheered loudly. Dad said how glad he was the team hadn’t traded him. Uncle Stu looked at the time clock on the score board, and everyone around Mick was begging for the siren to sound. When it did 2 minutes 15 seconds later, no further scores had been added, and a sea of yellow and black leapt to their feet in unison. As the team moved together to walk off the ground in unison, the team song came over the speaker system again, and Mick was very happy that he got to sing it again.
Uncle Stu piggy backed Mick on the way to the station because he did want Mick to get lost. 86, 534 people had attended the game, many of them catching the train. Dad and Uncle Stu talked about the game on the way, Dad said the other team had panicked, wasting shots at goal and kicking behinds. The final scores were Richmond 13.17.95 defeated North Melbourne 13.16.94. Uncle Stu told Mick there was only one thing better than a hundred point victory, and that was a victory by one point.
Once home Mick had his dinner, and a bath, telling his mum all about his exciting day. Uncle Stu and Dad watched the replay of the game and has some more beer. Mick went to bed very sleepy, dreaming of scoring the winning goal for his team, and remembering there were only seven more sleeps until next week’s game.
