As a casual worker at K-Mart I’mm only given one shift aweek. One shift. I’m available any time outside school hours except for one time. When Richmond plays. When I took up my port time job I was sure these two commitments would never clash. I was wrong.
3:00-6:30, I won’t even get to see the first quarter. This is worse than when I missed out on the Geelong game, Richmond are a slight chance today. Hopefully I’ll be able to go a whole day without any score updates and watch the game as if it were live.
To no surprise I manage to last the shift without any news. I hardly expected Port Adelaide and Richmond to be the discussion of my customers.
I’ve learnt from my Geelong blunder, as soon as I get in the car I turn the radio off, a media blackout is the only way this can work. Dad and I sit in silence for most of the trip as I stop him from saying one thing about the game.
My first panic attack comes when I go to the T.V. Mum is inconsiderately watching Before the Game, I rush to the remote and change channel. I don’t even bother gettng changed out of work clothes, I fast forward the pre game and get stuck into the match.
The conditions are attrocious which suits Richmond greatly. Our skill defficency wont be a factor, the game will come down to who wants it more.
One minute in and there’s a flat ball on the field. Nahas is given a gift when handed a fresh new ball but shanks the kick anyway. We’re going to have to take those oppurtunities if we’re to win.
Richmond look very good in the first quarter. They want it more than Power and their getting the reward for effort. Riewoldt kicks the Tiger’s first while Nahas soccers the second. Two goals in more like five in these terrible terrible conditions.
Luke Mcguane shows how much Richmond want a win by jumping into a contest leaving Moore grounded and Ebert on a stretcher only moments after having his leg (and maybe something much more precious) compramised by the goal post.
In the second term I’m delighted to see Ben Griffiths take a great specky, quite remarkable in these conditions, sadly later in the quarter he goes down injured to a corky and takes no further part in the match. But Griffiths injury is nothing compared to Power’s injury concerns, as Ebert still struggles to recover both Salopek and Hitchcock fall victim to shoulder problems.
Riewoldt continues his career best form with a FIFA World Cup inspired goal followed by a more conventional set shot. As Nason runs into an open goal at the end of the second term I fast forward the half time commercials thinking Richmond may actually win this match. A 29 point lead in this weather will be hard give up. But I’m sure Richmond will find a way.
The third quarter is disgraceful. The teams are just as bad as the weather, nobody wants to win. Richmond give Port every chance to get back into the game but the Power miss every time. Power only manage one goal six for the term, not enough to set themselves up for a comeback in the last term. Nason kicks a goal to end the quarter, cancelling out Powers dominance and Richmond look set for the win.
Going into the last all that is needed is one goal. One goal and the Tigers are home. The goal I’m looking for doesn’t come but Port aren’t scoring either. Finally, Martin has a set shot from forty meters out. As has been the case all day he fails to make the distance but Nahas has managed to take a mark in the goal square. He wheels around, kicks, and goals. That’s it. Richmond have secured their first win of the season. I’m out of my seat and celebrating, it may not be live but it feels like it to me.
As the siren sounds I acknoweldge that Dad wants to watch the Collingwood Brisbane match so I fast forward to the Richmond team song. As expected, the best song in the AFL is sung as it should be.
The circle of first time winners at the club is just as big as senior player circle. Martin, Nason, Farmer, Griffiths, Webberly, Asbury and Hardwick. That’s the future right there.
