Ch9 AFL Division 7 - 2015

[jo172]

Should have got on those $9 odds earlier in the week

[fisho mcspaz]

Tell me true, Houghton boys. Have the umpires been decent this half? Or am I biased?

I think it's been an even contest, Houghton a bit in front, but the umps are f***ing ruining this.

You and your bloody umpire bashing again

Well, we did it. Go you Parkies!!!!! Very proud Fisho today; it was Mr McSpaz's last game, first A-grade flag in 17 years of senior footy, and he was given best on ground by the club. Couldn't have asked for a more fairytale ending.

PS. The umpires can still eat a bag of dicks! I'm not that magnanimous! They were shocking.

[wristwatcher]

Tell me true, Houghton boys. Have the umpires been decent this half? Or am I biased?

I think it's been an even contest, Houghton a bit in front, but the umps are f***ing ruining this.

You and your bloody umpire bashing again

Well, we did it. Go you Parkies!!!!! Very proud Fisho today; it was Mr McSpaz's last game, first A-grade flag in 17 years of senior footy, and he was given best on ground by the club. Couldn't have asked for a more fairytale ending.

PS. The umpires can still eat a bag of dicks! I'm not that magnanimous! They were shocking.

Your club has won a premiership and you're still bitching about umpires. You have to be taking the piss, they were neutral league umpires...FFS show some class or better yet get out there and do it yourself. You are embarrassing your club

[The Bedge]

Big day for the Mitchell Park Sporting Club - not only did the Roar get Restored with win today, but the Mitchell Park Tigers also won the SA Rugby League premiership today!

[Q.]

I don't have many words as I'm still pretty gutted but huge congratulations to Mitchell Park. A victory for the ages, you completely outworked us in the second half and were deserving winners.

[wristwatcher]

Big day for the Mitchell Park Sporting Club - not only did the Roar get Restored with win today, but the Mitchell Park Tigers also won the SA Rugby League premiership today!

It is a huge turn around for the footy club as they were close to the brink of disaster last year but the hard work done by the usual suspects has seen them do the highly improbable.

As for the Rugby that belongs in the stiff shit thread

[wristwatcher]

I don't have many words as I'm still pretty gutted but huge congratulations to Mitchell Park. A victory for the ages, you completely outworked us in the second half and were deserving winners.

You're all class Keechy even in defeat. For every amazing story there is always the other side. I have no doubt you will be back at the big dance next year. If what I'm hearing is true I will even get to see your skills first hand next year as I believe we may possibly be going up.

[Dutchy]

[Yank Man]

Big day for the Mitchell Park Sporting Club - not only did the Roar get Restored with win today, but the Mitchell Park Tigers also won the SA Rugby League premiership today!

Also our cricketers won 2 premierships as well in March including the A grade.

[S Demon]

Well done Mitchell Park!! Wouldn't be too often a team wins 8 minor round games and goes on to win the flag! Huge effort. Enjoy.

[fisho mcspaz]

Tell me true, Houghton boys. Have the umpires been decent this half? Or am I biased?

I think it's been an even contest, Houghton a bit in front, but the umps are f***ing ruining this.

You and your bloody umpire bashing again

Well, we did it. Go you Parkies!!!!! Very proud Fisho today; it was Mr McSpaz's last game, first A-grade flag in 17 years of senior footy, and he was given best on ground by the club. Couldn't have asked for a more fairytale ending.

PS. The umpires can still eat a bag of dicks! I'm not that magnanimous! They were shocking.

Your club has won a premiership and you're still bitching about umpires. You have to be taking the piss, they were neutral league umpires...FFS show some class or better yet get out there and do it yourself. You are embarrassing your club

As it happens, I was attempting to take the piss but made a terrible job of it. I can't blame the grog because I wasn't drinking. Just chalk it up to idiocy. I'm more ashamed of the expression I used - it was in exceptionally poor taste and I apologise for that.

[wristwatcher]

If you are taking the piss then fair enough play on. Far worse things have been said after a GF win. I was a bit surprised as your posts are normally a lot more well thought out and articulate than that but hey, Grand Final emotions can do funny things

[Yank Man]

I don't have many words as I'm still pretty gutted but huge congratulations to Mitchell Park. A victory for the ages, you completely outworked us in the second half and were deserving winners.

You're a class act Q and we always knew what this would mean to your club. Whilst we can enjoy the victory we all feel for you and everyone at Raider land. Oddly enough I think the big deck at Thebarton helped us a bit more once we got our running game going.

To everyone at Mitchell Park who just worked so hard in the last 12 months to get our club back to this from where we were this time last year I thank you from the bottom of my heart. A lot of that goes to Shane Lynch and his amazing assistants Tom Roberts and Brad Steele, but Shane had his knockers when we appointed him but he picked us up off the canvas and developed us to this and was rewarded with his 1st A grade premiership, now maybe those people need to look in their own backyards. Great result my friend.

[Robb_Stark]

well done to north pines yesterday beat the strongest side we had all year and did it easy in the end

we can also say a div 7 reserve side can not beat a div 7 side myth busted

[hulkamania]

Congrats to Mitchell Park. Hung in there when the going was tough and then took your chances, unlike us.

You guys have come along way over the last few years and throughly deserve the success. Well played Mitchell Park.

I felt the game winning move was moving Hyde to full forward, the two clutch goals he kicked were first class.

Walczak was BOG imo, played very well and was impressed with his game.


As for us, it hurts. Already played the game out 3 times in my head this morning but I couldn't be more proud of the boys, and of the club as a whole.

[fisho mcspaz]

If you are taking the piss then fair enough play on. Far worse things have been said after a GF win. I was a bit surprised as your posts are normally a lot more well thought out and articulate than that but hey, Grand Final emotions can do funny things

No, it was a s*** thing to write and you were right to call it out. I guess emotions were part of it. Was very fired up at the time.

Now that things have calmed down, what a game. We certainly did it the hard way. Really proud of the lads, they never gave in. They were never rattled, even when things looked bleak at half time. Shoutout to Houghton - you guys have been the best team all year by a country mile, and I don't know if one or two teams get relegated to div 6 but you certainly deserve to be there as much as we do.

This finals campaign has been something special. I cannot explain how we came from fourth place to premiers, beating three quality sides on the way, two who had delivered us severe floggings in the home-and-away round. I feel like Emilio Estevez should have appeared from behind a goalpost after the final siren or something. All I can say is that we did win, and given the calibre of our opponents, we should be, and are, very proud of what we've achieved. It was a rollercoaster experience but what a ride.

For the record, being a spectator is a flaming health hazard. After the prelim final, I sprained my back from yelling and could not walk properly for five days, while being done up on Valium. Yesterday, I discovered I'd either clapped too hard or grabbed the fence at some point to give my hand some serious internal bruising. My palm is swelled up like an egg. Meanwhile the other half, who actually, you know, played football, is injury-free apart from the usual scrapes and bruises.

Ah well. Time to rest, and bring on the Sunday sesh.

[morell]

Some highlights from my perspective, you will have to forgive me as I am going to wax lyrical a bit!

Nick Leck, 16 years of age, son of a gun, wearing the number his dad made his own. Would be 50kgs and runs around in the shower to get wet, comes on the ground and smashed a bloke on the wing. Gave a free down the ground, our supporters were a bit miffed with him and Q. gave him a gobful but I loved it. Absolutely loved it. In reality he shouldn't even be playing with his physique and age but in the end was one of the players that won it for us. Loved the Jesus celebrations as well.

Walking into the ground and seeing a familiar figure out the corner of my eye. Thought it couldn't be. The one and only Luke McDonnell caught the red eye from Darwin especially to come and see his twin and football club play in another grand final. Wanted to keep it a surprise for Nat and sure enough he physically lifted after seeing his brother. Was great to see the big galoot and give him a hug.

Simon Stead of Tarth. Amazing game on a very good player. Outsized, out muscled, out-aged. Yet won his position. Houghton put it to a contest time after time and he repelled or halved them all. Was my BOG.

Seeing Scooter (2014 coach) come to the game. Made me smile. Talking tactics in the grandstand like old times. Love the grumpy bugger.

A player who will remain nameless but is very special to me - I had given him a rough time before the finals for a couple of poor performances. To say I dumped the acid on him was an understatement. He is so important for the footy club for so many reasons but his Grand Final and finals series in general were outstanding. After the game seeing him so happy was the thing that made me cry - the prick. Then to hear how he and his Dad hugged for the first time he can remember after the game again made me wonder how football clubs can be such amazing places.

Seeing Ben Weekley kick the sealer. Won Best and Fairest after Best and Fairest. Left the club in 2012 to play Division 1 footy for a year and lo and behold we went and won a flag the same year. I vividly remember being next to Ben after the 2012 GF and seeing the mixed feelings he had. I told him that I promise we will win one for him when he comes back. He came back in 2013 - disaster. 2014 - disaster. He would had to have been thinking it would never happen, even this year. His family ARE Mitchell Park. He is an amazing person and I couldn't be happier for him Meeks, Sahra, Clayton and TBC.

Siren goes, running down the stairs, leaping the fence, and running straight up to Yank Man and giving him the mightiest of hugs. Don't know how but he lifted me up the old fella, must been working out! You've done a power of work this year mate, you shit me and I shit you, but we both know that we're after the same goal. Thank you for everything.

Giving Footy Chick a big hug and introducing her to a couple of fans. Loved it.

Seeing Ringo711 though a crowd of people and locking eyes with him and just having to give him some love. Sounds a bit homoerotic but I couldn't care less. Been a great mentor for me, both personally and football wise this year. A huge get for the football club and when talk around the traps was starting that he might actually play for us, the whole group lifted such was his influence. Is my best and fairest for 2015.



Out of all of that, the indelible image that keeps popping up is one of the Houghton players in the middle of our celebratory huddle. He caught my eye and our players reaction to him was strange and then he turned towards me to shake another players hand and I saw his face...

He was an emotional wreck and was unashamedly crying his eyes out. Seeing him like that snapped me out of the hysteria and whilst a dose of empathy swept over me the overriding emotion I had was one of admiration and respect. Here is a bloke who wanted something so much that when it didn't happen he was overcome - yet he had the strength of character to face it, make his way over and shake the hand of the very people that denied him. People talk about putting your head over the ball and going back with the flight but what that Raider did was raw courage in my opinion. Much respect to you, whoever you were.

Nothing anyone can say on here or anywhere will make it any easier Houghton people. The only thing that will is getting back together. Being there for each other and winning one next year.

Been a swell year people! Loved the D7 banter, we've dominated the forums and been the thread of year.

[fisho mcspaz]

Well said Morgs. Tearing up just reading this. You're a true wordsmith.

[Harry49]

Thanks for the kind words Morell. Congratulations to MP. Had a very clear game plan and executed it perfectly. Im gutted to say the least but this was my 1st year of footy ever and to play in an A grade GF i exceeded all the expectations i had personally. Feel gutted for some of the lads who have been striving for this flag for years and came so close. Hopefully we can go one better next year.

I was a bit disappointed after the game some fans were kicking us while we were down and abusing us. But when i walked into the massive huddle and starting shaking some of the lads hands they quickly turned sympathetic and congratulated us on our year. The atmosphere from both crowds was great.
i have a lot of respect for the lions, play hard and fair football and have a lot of similarities to the Raiders. Hopefully we will meet again in Div 6.

[Yank Man]

Thanks for the kind words Morell. Congratulations to MP. Had a very clear game plan and executed it perfectly. Im gutted to say the least but this was my 1st year of footy ever and to play in an A grade GF i exceeded all the expectations i had personally. Feel gutted for some of the lads who have been striving for this flag for years and came so close. Hopefully we can go one better next year.

I was a bit disappointed after the game some fans were kicking us while we were down and abusing us. But when i walked into the massive huddle and starting shaking some of the lads hands they quickly turned sympathetic and congratulated us on our year. The atmosphere from both crowds was great.
i have a lot of respect for the lions, play hard and fair football and have a lot of similarities to the Raiders. Hopefully we will meet again in Div 6.

Very unlike our supporters Harry49, we are normally very obliging to opposition supporters and players.

I must say this though and please everyone take it as an observation and certainly not a go at Houghton whom I have the utmost respect for, but the group of lads who sat just behind the fence and in between the two dugouts did your club absolutely no favours whatsoever. I know they were told to quieten down on more than one occasion but their continual abuse to our bench and players coming on and off was more than a bit over the top.
I worked constantly with the players and bench to make sure they don't get in to verbal with them which was hard to do but credit to us for doing so. My only words were that the only way to shut them up was to win the game. That No 3 'who runs like a girl' kicked 2 goals to get us back in the game in the 3rd quarter, that No 8 'who wouldn't know how to get a kick' went on to Kuhar in the 2nd half and shut him down after he had kicked 3 and that No 12 who 'can't find the footy if it fell in his lap' has a best on ground medal around his neck. In the end when the final siren went their silence was golden. Premiership celebrations start at 5 pm lads, not 2 pm.
Apologies if this offends anyone.