Taroona FC v. Metro FC, Kelvedon Park, 23/06/12

I promised myself when I came that I'd get to see a game at Kelvedon Park and also get to see some non-Premier League games. It's taken me a while (with only one weekend to go) but I will get there this afternoon for the Division 1 clash between Taroona and Metro, which starts at 2.30.

Some History

TFC

There's a fascinating history here. On the website it seems to say two slightly different things. The Taroona Football Club Summary claims

Founded: 1978

• The first Taroona club was Taroona Ajax (1972) who won Div 1 in 1973, gaining promotion to the Premier League for 1974.

• They were relegated in 1974 and the club disbanded.

• Lindisfarne St Mirren merged with Taroona Junior Club to form the current Taroona Football Club in 1978.

The History column claims

Taroona was founded in 1972 out of the disbanded Taroona Ajax Soccer Club and immediately made an impact on southern soccer circles by winning the Metrolpolitan League Division Two. The club gained promotion, but due to dramatic personnel changes they were relegated the following year and even failed to field a senior side in the 1976 and 1977 seasons, entering only junior sides.

Nonetheless I get a sense of the club's founding as a Dutch Club, a momentary collapse and a brief period when it played under the banner of Taroona St Mirren.

MFC

Metro Claremont was founded in 1941. It isthe second oldest surviving club in Tasmania. Its formation came aboutthrough the hard work of Cyril Parks, Alec Stuart and Hugh Blackburn,dedicated followers of the British Code and keen to organise a side inthe New Town Metropolitan area. The name has no ties with the HobartMetro bus service as some onlookers outside the game may think.Many Metro players in the early days were former students of the HobartTechnical College, New Town (nowadays New Town High School).
Adapted from Chris Hudson's A Century Of Soccer 1898-1998 A Tasmanian History

Metro is a club with a great history that probably considers itself as having come down from greater heights. As a Sunderland and South Melbourne supporter, I have an inkling of just how they feel. (For those who think lower mid-table in the EPL is not really all that low have a look at this, Sunderland's sixth championship in less than 50 years. In 1936!)

Taroona is coming off two losses and Metro hasn't picked up a point since April.

Walter Pless has this preview on his web site:

Fifth-placed Taroona host sixth-ranked metro at Kelvedon Park at 2.30pm tomorrow in what should be a fiercely contested game.

Andrew Tye, the Taroona coach, is a former Metro player. 

“Our side to meet Metro this week has undergone a number of changes for varying reasons including availability and injury,” said Tye. 

“Rob Hortle comes in to the side for his first start of the year as a result of an injury to John Burridge, while Hugo Luttmer, Gary Hamilton and Darragh Carey also return.
“Hugo’s inclusion bumps the average age of our side up to 22, which shows that the team is still relatively inexperienced, but with youth comes energy, enthusiasm and an eternal optimism. 

“Whilst our last couple of weeks have been poor, the team has trained well and are a talented enough group that I feel 90 minutes of consistent football is just around the corner. 

“Metro are a team that will always provide a stern contest, as they showed in our last match, where they came from behind to beat us. 

“They have players that can hurt you and are particularly strong in the air. We will have to be at our very best to beat them.”

I'm looking forward to going to my second favourite ground in Hobart for the game today. Blogging from about 1.45.

______________________


Here at 1.40. Taroona ressies up 1-0.

See what I mean? Excuse thumbs!

Metro coach, George Krambousanos - a work in progress?

Reverves game. 1-0. Full time.

John Meehan. Taroona president.

Just heard a very relaxed rendering of the taroona victory song. Based on horto magiko!! . . .  No. Actually the south Melbourne footy club song. 'Thunder from the sky etc.'

Glenorchy knights still with the best song in Hobart!

2.30. Underway on time. Taroona attacking the city end.

2.32. Taroona corner left. Comes to nothing. Taroona attack right. Out for gk.

2.33. Metro attack left. Keeper out to clear.

2.34. Taroona corner left. Cleared.

2.35. Metro counter. 19 shoots from left across keeper out for goal kick.

2.37 Taroona corner left. Through to right wing. Crossed back. Shot over. Goal kick fired back. Another goal kick.

2.38. Metro counter. Mix of poor and strong defending. Cleared and comes back to keeper.

2.40. Metro kick midfield. Comes to nothing.

2.41. Taroona attack right. Cleared for throw.

2.42. Taroona attack down middle. Through ball. Goal. 1-0.

2.44. Taroona Attack. Ballooned shot from left well over. Cross better option.

Taroona dominant and deserve lead.

2.45. Metro attack down left. Forward beats. Shoots across face of goal. Sustained period of attack for Metro.

2.46. Taroona break. Goal kick. Poor kick. Ball returned. Goal. Taroona 2-0.

Taroona left winger no 8 looking useful and threatening.

2.50 Taroona attack. Accidental handball. Seen them given before. Could've been a pen and game over.

2.51. Metro attack down left. Weak shot and keeper mishandles into goal. OG. 2-1. Game on again.

2.52. Metro attacks again. Defensive mix up. Nearly another.

Good end to end game now. There's a few goals left in this game.

2.56. Taroona free kick on right. Crossed in. Keeper gathers.

2.57. Metro through ball too hard. Keeper gathers.

I know I should be focused on the game but that's an amazing sky!

I was sitting on that. A good shot from Metro player. Just misses and destroys chair.

3.03. Metro midfield starting to get some possession but not giving good final ball.

3.04. Ordinary offside against Metro.

Peanut gallery up on hill. Lots of banter!

3.07. Taroona cross from right. Too long. Behind for goal kick.

3.08. Metro free kick. 25 out. Into wall. Cleared long.

3.10. Good work by Taroona down left. Puts wide when should have scored.

3.11. Metro attack left. Shot identical to goal. Keeper gathers this time.

3.12. Taroona build down left. Sustained attack. Comes to nothing.

3.14. Taroona cross from right. Keeper gathers. Metro long ball out for goal kick.

Good moment when the ref suggests two players should get off the field and take up boxing instead.

3.15. Half time. Gary Hamilton scored both of Taroona's goals. Good energetic football. Some technical deficiencies compared to premier but pretty wholehearted stuff.

3.30. 2nd half. Metro free kick 40 out. Onto Metro head. Caught by keeper.

3.32. Yellow to Taroon.

3.33. Yellow to Metro 4.

Pretty willing so far without either side settling.

3.36. Metro long ball. Striker air swing.

3.37. Taroona counter. Possession in dangerous territory. Free kick relieves pressure.

3.38. Taroona cross from left. Keeper gathers. Didn't repay the own goal favor.

3.39. Getting cold now.

The two benches.

3.41 Good Taroona counter. Pen appeals. Goal kick.

3.42. Metro counter. Close offside call with striker on goal.

3.43. Metro free kick. Nodded on. Keeper saves high.

3.45. Bustling run by Taroona 10. Fouled 25 out. Kick just over.

3.48. Taroona no 10 gets space down right. Has trouble crossing. Seems hampered by injury.

3.50. Period of Taroona pressure. Cleared.

Game is a bit formless at the moment. A lot of undirected overhit balls.

3.55. Taroona corner right. Too long behind for goal kick.

There's a older silver- haired Geordie playing for m. Everything he does drips with residual quality. He'll deliver a killer ball soon.

3.59. Fk to m. 30 out. Great save by keeper out for corner.

4.00. Equally good save other end. Ball coming back and keeper puts around his left post. Corner comes to nothing.

4.02. Disputed m offside. Kick long to keeper.

4.03. Taroona offside. And another.

4.04. Long throw. Keeper punches clear.

4.05. Good attack by Taroona 8. Put out by defence. Corner crossed. Header blocked. Cleared.

Series of free kicks to Metro. Metro looking likely.

4.09. Taroona break. Good save by Metro keeper. Another soft Metro free kick.

4.10. Great work from Taroona 8. Cross. Botched goal.

4.11. Taroona corner right. Cleared.

4.12. Good ball from Taroona left back 2 to no 8 down left.

4.13. Cross. Another botched goal.

4.14. Good work by Metro 20 on right.

4.14. Goal. Taroona break. Toby Dove rounds keeper and scores. 3-1.

4.16. Full time. 3-1. 

Probably a fair result. Even though Metro started to work better in midfield as the game went on, Taroona had the better chances and put three of them away. Metro keeper had a good game so it could have been worse.

And maybe this explains some of the poor ball control from time to time.

An Englishman's View of Footy, 1952

This piece was published in the Argus on 9 May in 1952. It's a bit silly but a bit interesting. It resonates with me for all sorts of reasons.It's a bit unfair on footy and it's surprising the Argus went with it. I've been trying to find responses but I've found nothing yet.

A young Englishman came into "The Argus" Magazine office the other day and rather diffidently offered us a typewritten manuscript. "It's an article about Australian Rules," he said. "Oh, you mean football," we prompted him. "No," he said quite firmly. "Not football. Australian Rules." Candidly, we weren't enthusiastic, but we read the article, dutifully, after he'd gone. It was an experience we would like you to share. True or false, we thought, these views possibly reflect those of thousands of English people now living among us, And that, you will agree when you've finished the article, is a chastening thought.

"A RACE of humans living in the south-eastern corner of a south-eastern continent: passionately addicted to a ball game that other men tend to find confusing and dull."

That's what an anthropologist might report on the people of Victoria.

As enthusiasts of this game you call Australian Rules Football, you are more rabid than any other State.

It was In Mount Isa, up in North Queenland, that I first made a real acquaintance with Victorians. Two young fellows from Melbourne: sensible, well-balanced fellows, with a sense of humor, too - until one day I asked, rather casually, "What's that funny sort of game you play down in Victoria - Australian Rules, or whatever you call it?"

Eyebrows shot upwards, pupils dilated, then features froze into a mask of supreme indifference. I was made to feel like a man who had strolled into the Kremlin and asked "Who was Karl Marx, anyway?"

I was a man among strangers; the unbeliever within the temple. As one who did not know the first thing about Australian Rules, I was given to understand that my universe was necessarily limited.

A couple of years later, picking grapes in the Murray Valley, the fruitgrower's young sons asked me if I were interested in football. When I asked them what they meant by football, they said, rather puzzledly, "Australian Rules, of course."

By then I had passed through Melbourne, and walking across a park one afternoon I had seen a game of Australian Rules being played by two local teams. Thus I was able to inform my young friends on the fruit block that there was only one true game of football soccer - and that their interest in such an unworthy and perverted offspring as Australian Rules could only be explained by the fact that they had never seen a well-played game of soccer.

When I returned to Melbourne, however, I resolved to see a game played by two big name teams. Perhaps I had missed something in that scratch game on the park. After all, there was the democratic maxim that a million people can't be wrong. A game which could hold such sway over such numbers must have something to recommend it.

The other Saturday I went to see one of these big games.

Having inquired the way to the football ground, I began walking across a pleasant parkland, studded with trees, fringed by old sedate looking houses. Suddenly a mighty roar and screaming rent the quiet weekend air, a thunder of human noise. The game had obviously started.

As I neared the ground I got involved with a stream of other late-comers, who were rushing forward with Intense and urgent air, as though on the brink of a revolutionary uprising.

Inside, the tiered stands were full of men and women shouting, gesticulating, muttering following the fortunes of the game with a rapt and unswerving absorption, as though the muddied and panting young men on the field were Olympian gods tumbled among us mortals for one precious hour.

The pitch seemed all wrong to begin with. It was kind of circular in shape; not the rectangle that one expects all proper football pitches to be.

BEHIND the odd-looking goalposts, two portly gentleman with flags waved to each other at intervals in some weird and outlandish semaphore; then two men In spotless whites, presumably referees, would scamper halfway down the pitch with the ball, like two ageing aspirants for the Stawell Gift.

The players were everywhere; far too many of them. Wherever the ball went, a pack, a ruck, a veritable mob would follow, reducing the game to a perpetual melee.

However could this continual jumping and kicking and booting and jostling and pushing, this bewildering flurry of arms and legs, arouse such passion in the breasts of civilised men and women?

Thinking, perhaps, some subtle chess-like precision of the game was escaping me I climbed some steps to watch from a higher level - but the game preserved its overwhelming and uninspiring pointlessness.

It began to rain, a slow, grey drizzle, which made the spectacle even more depressing. People retreated back to the covered stands, but the unfortunate players continued in defiance of the elements, slithering about on the greasy turf.

The one redeeming feature of the game was that It went fairly quickly. There had been a short Interval; they had changed ends.

The final blast went.

As I made my way, not unjoyfully, to the gates, I could not help but notice that most people were not moving. Inquiry elicited that it was only half-time; unlike proper football, they changed round four times in the course of a game. People were looking forward to seeing yet more.

When I left the ground, the screaming, the groanings, the commandings, the exhortations were on again.

I felt like a sober man among a crowd ol happy drunks; like a wise man among idiots who were thankful for their idiocy.

It was when they said. "You'll never be at home In Victoria if you don't like Australian Rules" that I started looking up time-tables back to Queensland.

--Harry Williams.

New Town Eagles FC v South Hobart FC, Clare St, 17/06/12

Yesterday a clash of the cellar dwellers. Last night a middle-storey battle. Today a visit to the Penthouse. South Hobart basically get their chance to establish a 7-point break on all opposition today. A position from which they would almost certainly win the league. The Eagles get a chance to narrow the gap to 1 point.

Hopefully it'll be a cracker. I'm going for Andy Brennan to break his drought in a 2-1 loss for South.

I'll blog it from about 2pm. The game 'starts' at 2.30 -- but if you believe that will happen I have a plot of land on the moon to sell you.

____________________


Here at 1.45. South leading 3-0 in the reserves just after Half time.

South shot just wide.

There's a line there somewhere.

South penalty. 4-0.

Full time. South 4-0.

2.35. Game underway after minute's silence.

Very physical game predicted by someone who should know.

2.38. Corner south tight. Headed over.

2.41. Brennan scores. Ball squirts through keeper's legs from a long shot. South 1-0.

2.43. Eagles fk left edge of area. Wasted over.

2.45. S corner left. Short to hickey. Eagles struggle but clear inthe end.

2.48. Good eagles attack. Corner left. Not cleared. Mckeown slots it from edge of area. 1-1.

2.50. Nice eagles attack.

2.51. South counter. Corner left.

2.52. Eagles goal. Left wing cross header saved. Follow up kicked into crossbar. Headed in to make sure. Eagles 2-1.

2.56. Eagles corner left. Headed behind for goal kick.

2.57. South corner left. Cleared.

Things have quietened down now.

3.03. Eagles fk right 30 out. Crossed and nearly met on left. Behind for goal kick.

3.05. Brennan tries from too far out. Doesn't get the power of the shot when he scored.

3.06. Eagles shot from distance. Keeper Well down.

3.08. Good work south on left. Cross over not met by Morton.

3.10. Another long shot by south. Easily gathered.

3.11. Eagle fk left edge of area. Push not seen by ref.

3.12. Brennan shot into side netting after rounding keeper.

3.14. Eagles attack. Defused.

3.15. Eagles fk. Long to wing. Cut back in. Striker bundled over. No foul.

3.18. South corner left. Cleared. Worked back to right. Brennan put through but can't beat the ball to the goal line.

3.20. Brennan crosses in to ludford. Good save from close.

South starting to dominate. Eagles only getting forward on the break.

3.22. Half time. Eagles 2-1.

Good game so far. South looked the better team but Eagles defending well. But for a Keeper error eagles would be two up.

3.38. 2nd half underway.

3.39. Good attack by eagles down right. Cut back. Shot from left just over.

Good opening spell to Eagles. Looking tidy and organized.

3.44. Shot from right by eagles. Just wide.

3.46. South counter. Brennan on right crosses back. Poor shot wide

3.48 South corner tight. Shot just wide.

3.49. Another eagles attack. Last ditch tackle robs striker and keeper gathers.

3.52. Eagles cross from right. Just behind.

3.54. Good lead up work by eagles. Cross from right and forward just fails to get enough on it. Goes behind.

3.56. Scott hurt in bad tackle. Yellow to south player. Could have been red. Scott returns to field.

3.59. South cross from left. Too hard and goes behind.

4.01. Good work from eagles. Long shot. Not enough on it.

4.03. Brennan looks to have hurt his groin.

Game now a bit of a to and fro struggle. Engrossing.

4.10. South corner left. Put behind for another.

4.11. Hickey slices a 9 iron from 40 out.

4.12. Weak eagles shot from left saved by keeper.

4.13. Eagles corner left.

4.15. Brave keeping. Eagles player lucky to avoid second yellow.

Eagles inexplicably rattled ATM.

4.16. South fk. Ends in overorganised farce. Cleared.

4.17. Scott in one on one. Shoots to early and too low.

4.19. Deflected shot saved by eagles keeper.

4.20. Eagles break down right. Last ditch tacle out for corner.

4.22. Attacking throw to south. Cleared.

4.23. South handles clearance. Fk from circle. Ball in Eagles attacking left.

4.24. Full time. Eagles. 2-1. 

Good enjoyable game. Eagles deserved it from their 2nd half performance more than the 1st. The result also breathes some life into the Southern Premier League. South have buckled three times recently when facing good teams who seem to want the game more than them.

University of Tasmania SC v Glenorchy Knights FC, Olinda Grove, 16/06/12

Classic mid-season relegation scrap today. This game could be a turning point in the season, with a resurgent Knights fresh from winning the Lakoseljac Cup having the opportunity effectively to end the relegation battle today. The home team will have other ideas of course and a Victory to them will only muddy the waters of relegation and put the Knights stone cold last.

Neither time has much to crow about in league form so it should be a good and willing encounter. But 4-1 to Knights is my prediction. The game starts at 2.30 and I'll get there about 2. I'm looking forward to the views.

History

The University club traces its history back to 1950. Its web site history page starts off well before thinning out just as it gets interesting.

The Tasmania University Soccer Club had its first game on Saturday the 15th April 1950 losing to South Hobart 15-1. Our goal was scored by Bill Gatehouse from the penalty spot.

We first ran out in white t-shirts but the first real strip were ex University footy guernseys and the next year a set of all yellow shirts of Proudly Empire cotton (Hong Kong). Rod Miller has a surviving First Uni shirt and one of the old “Blood and Gore” strip (Yellow & Red striped strip).

The Clubs first win was Saturday 17 June 1950, our sixth game, when University defeated Mount Nelson 2-1. Our Goalscorer was Malcolm Searle who scored two and best players were Jimmy Kwong, Fred Joughin and Malcolm Searle.

University players were first referred to as “the students” in The Mercury newspaper in an article on Monday the 18th July 1955.

Our first State team player was Franz Hadorn who, in July 1961, played for Tasmania against a Victorian side.

There's a slightly more substantial history on the club's old site. It includes this little snippet of scandal and strength in adversity:

At the end of the 1958 season, a group of players split from the Club to form the Arcadians Soccer Club. This devastated the "Students" and in one early roster game in 1959 only seven players took to the field. Such was the spirit of this early Uni side that one of these players was badly injured but lined-up so that the Club wouldn't forfeit the game.

Where are the Arcadians now? That's what I'd like to know. I'm surprised that neither site makes much of the fact that a team representing the University first played on 29 July 1899.

__________________________

Got here at the top of the world at 2 pm.

The top of the World. The winner of the most spectacular soccer ground in Hobart prize, Olinda Grove.

Warm up/underage thrid ground

It's all over in the ressies/

Last minute goal wins it for knights reserves 2-1.

The white elephant cricket pitch and university clubhouse in the background.

Apparently cricket clubs won't hire the wicket because they are charged for the use of two fields. The bizarre outcome is that this costs $66 per hour while the top grade turf wicket down at the university only costs $33 per hour. Bureaucrats for you.

The keeper's view on olinda grove #2.

Both teams warming up. A pitch each to themselves.

2.43. Underway. University running away from the clubhouse.

I'm looking forward to seeing uni keeper Hamish Peacock's throws. He's a javelin champion who nearly qualified for the Olympics.

Both sides tentative. Not a lot or energy yet.

2.47.  Knights shot wide left.

2.48. Good hard throw by Peacock releases player on left. Cross to right played back to middle and shot missing left. Knights will have to watch that.

2.51. Knights corner right. Short. Cross missed at back post.

2.52. Peacock again starts good attack that results in poor shot.

A lot of chopping going on. Ref needs to get on to it.

2.59. Knights corner left. Along the ground. Cleared.

3.00. Scramble in uni area.  Knights starting to look on top.

3.02.  Knights fk 30 out. Bounced of an attacker's backside. Weak shot gathered.

3.03. Weak shot uni.

3.04. Dangerous moment.  Knights keeper out bravely.

3.05. Knights Andrew Robb is getting hacked constantly. Nice shot by him from right. Just over.

3.06. Uni go to other end and go close.

3.09. Dumb own goal. Knights up 1-0. Maybe it was the only way they were going to break the deadlock.

3.12. Uni yellow. Knights fk 25 out on left. Shot wide right.

Uni too physical in trying to impose themselves. Giving away s lot of fouls.

3.15. Lobbed shot by  Knights. Caught carefully by Peacock.

3.17. Strang in one on one. Poor first touch. Keeper out well and cleared.

Messy game. Neither side looking likely to score.

3.29. Uni yellow. Fk left 30 out. Strang receives ball and shoots at keeper. Saves.

3.30. Half time. 1-0 to knights.

Missed start of second half. Talking to a couple of recently retired players, Graham Smith and Tommy Ballantyne, Hobart's biggest Motherwell fan I'm told.

Uni have come out looking to get back in the game. They are working hard and dominating possession so far.

Poor choices being made. Kiwi losing possession twice in quick succession.

3.57. Uni long ball easily defused.

3.58. K corner to back post. Headed over for goal kick.

4.02. K corner left. Penalty. Goal. 2-0.

4.08. Uni players getting enough threatening possession but the cut back from the right is always at the wrong angle. Often brought back too far to no one.

4.10. Uni attack again. Half decent through ball over weighted in the end.

4.11. Nasty tackle. Yellow to uni.  Knights fk 25 out. Comes to nothing.

4:13. Uni attack once more. Defused.

4.14. Long ball uni.

4.14. Letiko misses sitter. Side foots wide when it was easier to put in net.

4.16. Kiwi is getting s lot of ball but his distribution is letting down his tenacity.

4.17. Uni corner right. Uni head clash. Ball headed over for goal kick.

4.19. Knights fk 30 out in front. Floated in for peacock to catch.

4.20 Uni go to other end. Cross from right headed wide.

4.21. End to end. Knights keeper gathers a dangerous through ball on the bounce.

4.22. Cross from right. Letiko missed header.

4.24. Knights corner left.

4.25. Uni counter. Poor cross from right.

4.26. Card to Robb. Uni fk 40 out. Kick cleared and pumped back in. Penaly appeals. Cleared and counter.

4.28. Knights corner. Lovely shot from Robb. Keeper got touch.

4.29. Corner cleared. Uni counter. Booted clear.

4.30. Uni working hard. Shot cleared off line by desperate defence.

4.33. More good work by uni. Poor cross from left.

4.34. Uni fk. 40 out. Defused and cleared.

4.36. Full time. Knights 2-0.

Enjoyed the second half more because uni seemed more in it. Knights deserve win. But they won't take much away from it.

MCG from the air, 1956

A great photo of the MCG from the air in 1956 as Melbourne was preparing for the Olympics. In the background, Olympic Park and to its left the site of the Bubbledome. The Old Scotch College Oval is in the middle ground to the right.

WCQ (we wuz robbed but so wuz they) and Disc Golf. A good night in North Hobart.

 

Every now and then you meet someone or learn something that really does add to the way you see the world.

Tonight I went to the Waggon and Horses in North Hobart to watch the Australia v Japan game. Quality by the way. We have a real rivalry that will sustain the game for years to come. We should have won 3-1 again but were lucky not to lose. Dumb send off, dumb penalty, dumb send off etc. Felt tense, felt miserable, felt slight elation. All we needed was for TIMMAY to pop up and score and I would have been back in the back bar of the North Fitzroy Arms in 2006 feeling the feeling that rarely comes but when it does is rare joy.

Of course we had to have Mr Rofl wandering round the bar bagging sokkah, "0-0, 0-0, 0-0." He said nothing after Japan scored. He'd kind of set a stall from which he had no room to move. And no bites. Well done North Hobart sokkah people. Well done me!

Great night, Five pints of Fat Yak! So that might explain things from here on. But then again maybe it really is a good Neos Osmos type story.

Sat with Richard Sampson, coach of Sandy Bay under 7s and severely cheerful bloke. Played soccer in England and three years in Hobart before injury/old age cut in.

No. Not Adam Gilchrist. Richard Sampson.

But that didn't stop him. His thing now is frisbee disc. And his special thing is disc golf. Frisbee played like golf with par threes, fours and fives, holes in one and drivers and all the other discs you might expect over eighteen holes. Each hole looks like a regular golf hole - though the fairways don't need to be so fair - with a bizarre spaceship contraption (see above) as a the 'hole'. A par 3 is about 120 metres, a par 5 around 200. 

The golfers have sets of discs that give them options for different situations. Richard plays with a set of around 20. Some go left, some go right and some hold their line. 

And yes. Richard has had the odd hole in one.

Richard is in the top ten in Australia and has a world ranking of 978. Before you scoff, if you were the world's 978th best soccer player you'd have all your 'mates' lining up to borrow money from you if they could get past the security guards.

Unfortunately the money's not so good in disc golf. Even the gun professionals get by on the odd tournament win. $10K is top-end prize winnings. It keeps them going to the next tournament.

Richard loves the game and the community he has met through it. He speaks about it with passion and knowledge and while he doesn't make any grand claims about his sport you can tell he'd be pleased if it managed to find a better footing in Hobart and elsewhere. The council has been supportive and he and a few mates have been able to rejuvenate the Poimena disc golf course at Austin's Ferry.

Saw a great game. Had five pints. Learnt something new. Had a good night.

Lakoseljac Cup, New Town Eagles v. Glenorchy Knights, KGV, 11/06/12

Off soon to KGV. I'll be there from about 9.45. I won't blog the game the way I have been because that will be too hard to maintain all day. So I'll be even more impressionistic than usual!

Looking foward to seeing the younger players and the women play today to get a sense of the relative strength of the Tasmanian game in these areas.Click below to go to the finals linked:

10 am - Under 19s Cup, Kingborough Lions v. Clarence United

12.30 pm - Vase Final, Olympia Warriors v. Devenport

3.00 pm - Women's Final, Olympia Warriors v. Clarence United

5.30pm - Lakoseljac Cup, New Town Eagles v. Glenorchy Knights

The three curtain raisers are linked above. I enjoyed the two I watched (U19 boys and the Women) and was left with a great sense of expectation for the final of the Lakoseljac Cup.

 

Lakoseljac Cup, New Town Eagles v. Glenorchy Knights

Eagles warm up.

Knights' coach Cris Hey nervously waiting for the big game to start.

Eagles coach, Steve Pitchford.

Neither coach willing to make a prediction, both suggesting that there will be one goal in it.

How's this for a mad stab? Knights 3-1. The Clarence women will have shown the Knights just how irrelevant league form is.

5.30. Underway on time.

5.31. Early corner to Knights . Out for goal kick.

5.33. Good goal to Knights . Well- worked move slotted past keeper. 1-0

5.35. Corner eagles. Cleared ball skied over bar by winger.

5.37. Free kick Eagles left. Kicked into box and headed behind for corner. Corner cleared and returned. Cleared again.

5.39. Good Knights attack. Foiled and cleared.

5.41. Good run by strang down right. Poor cross. Long throw creates a little trouble before being put behind.

5.43. Eagles attack down right. Out for goal kick.

5.46. Goal. Carbon copy of first Knights goal. 2-0.

Knights on top in an intense game.

5.48. Eagles corner. Cleared.

5.52. Eagles attack. Shot from right. Keeper well down.

5.53. Knights corner left. Out for goal kick.

5.54. Great move from eagles down right meets great defending.

5.56. Well struck shot saved by Knights keeper. Strang at other end beats defence but can't get a firm enough shot away.

Game needs a breather. 100 miles an hour ATM.

6.00. Penalty to Eagles. No complaints from knights. Scored. 2-1.

Intensity has dropped down to 110%.

6.05. Knights under pressure. Good save from keeper.

6.06. Knights free kick. 25 out on left. Deflected out for right corner. Cleared.

The crowd is really up for this.

6.11. Knights corner left. Keeper gathers easily. Eagles go to other end. Keeper forced to boot it out for throw.

6.13. Strang hot and cold down right.

6.14. Good ball to Justin down left. Bests keeper cuts back. Out for corner. Corner evades everyone. Out for goal kick.

Frenetic action. End to end before half time.

Half time. Knights lead 2-1.

What a game! This has no apparent correlation to the game these two teams played eight days ago. The intensity and passion have been ramped up. The knights really want this. The Eagles don't want them to have it. The second half promises to be a thriller.

6.32. 2nd half underway.

6.35. Possibly the wildest kick yet. Knights way over from 25.

6.36. Free kick Eagles. 30 out in front.

6.39. Goal. Strang breaks. Cracks one across the keeper from edge of area. Fabulous goal and nothing the keeper could do about it.

6.44. Mckewan yellow.

6.45. Good cross well met by strang. Dawes heads over.

6.46. Knights free kick 30 out. Corner. Headed down and cleared off line.

6.49. Eagles free kick 30 out. Nudged behind for goal kick.

6.51. Eagles corner right. Headed clear. Pumped back in. Headed clear again and away.

6.52. Eagles free kick 30 out. Saved and fumbled and regathered by keeper.

6.53. Eagles keeper saves well after break.

A happy Olympia supporter in the crowd of 750.

6.56.  Super goal by Eagles. Headed clearance calmly put in top corner by Scott. Keeper stuck to the spot. 3-2.

7.04. Good build up by Eagles. Claims of obstruction as keeper gathers. Following attack Knights keeper saves bravely.

7.09. Yellow to Huigsloot.

7.10. Corner Knights on right. Scooped over by forward.

7.11. Eagles press. Nearly. Called offside.

7.14. Cracking Eagles shot into side netting. Eagles supporters erupt in front of us believing it has gone in.

7.17. 6 minutes added time.

7.18. Whitehall yellow.

Game is tense. Players tired. Guts-effort all round.

This game has everything. Ref does a hammy with 2 to go!!

Well into Fergie time now.

It's all over. Knights win 3-2. 

I can't believe how good that game was! Especially after seeing them play each other 2 weeks ago when the Eagles were OK and the Knights weren't very good at all.

Knights captain speaks to the crowd with a backdrop of flare smoke !