We Fly As One

Finally - I am back - after several weeks away from The Flog.
I apologise for my lack of commitment to my blog, however due to heavily emotional and personal issues, I have not been able to write. But this week, I have been able to overcome certain obstacles and can bring myself back to my Floggers.

It is with a heavy heart I bring to you this week’s post.
An event so immense, it has shaken the entire Australian Football League and its followers to the core.

On Friday, July 3^rd I was woken by a text message from an ex-Collingwood player with news nobody wants to hear. Initially, the message had come across to me as if to say the son of the Coach of the Adelaide Crows had died. Naturally, I was perplexed by this news, however given my friend’s track record with writing text messages that actually make sense, I decided to jump online and find out the whole story. Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for what appeared on my screen:
“Adelaide Crows Coach Phil Walsh has been murdered by his son”.

I didn’t believe the headline. Surely this couldn’t be true. Reading further into the story, it had been alleged that in the early hours of the morning, Police had been called to the Walsh family home after a domestic dispute involving Phil, his son Cy and his wife Meredith. Their daughter Quinn was travelling overseas at the time of the incident. I kept the news page open for the majority of the day, with the story being updated as time ticked on. Already with my heart beginning to break, grim details of the horrific and multiple stab wounds inflicted on Walsh came to light, and my tears began flowing heavily. I felt absolutely shattered. All I could think was “his poor family, those poor players… why has this happened?” Although I did not know Phil personally, I had met him several times through my past years working in the AFL industry and knew of him being an ex-Collingwood player and of course, an accomplished Coach in the Footballing world.

Due to play the Geelong Cats on the coming Sunday, my social media channels were abuzz with tributes to Phil and the looming question:
Does the upcoming game go ahead?
It would have been a completely heartless and unjust ruling to make those players step out onto the field without their Coach, and with the knowledge of how his life had been taken from him so brutally. We would have to wait for the AFL’s press conference to find out the fate of the Club’s weekend fixture. Reports came through that after his psychiatric assessment, Cy Walsh, son and accused killer of Phil Walsh, had been charged with his murder at his bedside. More tears on my end at the thought that this family had just been torn apart. No husband, no father, no son. An injured mother and no doubt an extremely frantic young daughter, rushing home from overseas to greet this tragic circumstance. And an absolutely devastated group of young men who have lost their mentor, their Coach, and some even a father figure. At 1:45pm, after watching many news reports, listening to talk back and reading copious articles about this awful occurrence, I switched on the press conference. AFL Chief Gillon McLaughlin fought back the emotion whilst paying his respects to all those affected, and ruled that the game would not go ahead.
A slight silver lining in an otherwise dark situation.

I felt numb. Yes, we had seen tragedy in the AFL before, and most likely would see it again.
But this was an extreme circumstance. It was not as simple as a terrible accident, like someone crashing their car or falling from a building. This was murder. A word I am trying to get my head around when linking it to the beloved game of AFL. It simply does not make sense.
When I focused on the team itself in terms of what happens next, my mind jumped all over the place. A huge piece of my heart said “end their season now” in order to give them time to grieve. But Walshy would not have wanted this. He would have insisted the show go on, the boys march out, and everybody band together to be stronger than before. Another piece of my heart thought that a week off would simply not be enough. Some of these boys will be haunted by this forever, and it could take weeks, months or even years to be able to work through it. But the main thought I had was that in times of darkness, spirit and support through sadness always shines through. Communities, Clubs and people from all over are able to put their differences aside and band together as one. And that’s exactly what the Footballing world has done. The hash tag #weflyasone was created and has since gone viral, demonstrating just how many of us have been touched by this irreconcilable loss, and just how much support everyone involved has. Our hearts are on our sleeves and the writing is on the wall – AFL is not just a game, it is an entire community. It is one big family.
We ARE a family.

And in times of horror, in times of need, times of quiet desperation, times of love, loss, happiness and joy, we turn to our family, whether they be our actual family, our significant other, our friends, our team mates, coaches or mentors. These are the people we want by our side and these are the people that can pull us back to our feet, so we can stand up, spread our wings, and learn to fly once more. Teams that have played over this past weekend, kicked off by Collingwood and Hawthorn, saw a moment of silence from an entire stadium in memoriam of Phil Walsh, followed by a post-match circle of players and coaches from both clubs intertwined in arms, heads bowed, reflecting and respecting the life of the late Adelaide Coach. The atmosphere in the stadium this night was awe-inspiring, and once again reiterated to me that it certainly is more than just a game.

When I got home from the game, I reflected on my past 28 years of passionate (and sometimes psychotic) following of this game, and on all the wonderful people I have become close to because of this great sport. I have formed bonds and friendships that will last a lifetime, and have often relied on the game itself and the people in it to pull me back to my feet in times of sorrow, sadness and loneliness. This game has given me a sense of belonging and has given me a family outside of my own. And I am more than certain it has done the same for the many thousands of supporters it has across the globe. We are extremely lucky to have this great sport, this great code and this even greater existence of support it provides, and I have no doubt that whether or not Phil was still alive, he would be proud of the support his beloved Crows and of course his family have been receiving.

What I can take away from this unfair and disheartening situation is simply this:
There are always going to be tragedies in the world.
Some are close to home.
Some are close to the heart.
Some you may not have known on a personal scale.
And some can touch you on a level you would never thought possible.
What you choose to take from these things can shape you, teach you and change you.
I have always tried to maintain a level of kindness to those around me, whether or not they are "deserving" of it, and whether or not they give it back. Yes, it has backfired more than enough times. But I have tried my best to never let that dishearten me.
In light of the tragic circumstances surrounding the murder of ex-Collingwood player and current accomplished Coach of the Adelaide Football Club by his own son, it has only cemented my belief that you really do never know the battles people are facing behind closed doors. Domestic violence, sexual abuse, illness and death.. You never know.
I think we can all take something from this grief, and try to be just a little bit kinder to those around us.
Hug your loved ones just that little bit tighter tonight.
We just never know when our clock will stop.
Thank you for your outstanding contribution to the AFL world, for touching the lives of so many around you, and for the legacy you leave behind.
Rest In Peace, Phil Walsh.
#weflyasone
Xx

Rest In Peace, Phil Walsh
1960 - 2015

Ps. On a lighter note, this week’s FLOG OF THE WEEK is awarded (once again) to the Essendon Football Club (or ‘Essendone’ as this phrase has now taken over). Why, you ask? Drugs?
Not this week – despite the fact ASADA has launched their appeal of the not guilty findings – it is purely for the fact that the Club has fast become an embarrassment to the game itself, and copped an 110 point FLOGGING by the St. Kilda Football Club today. Safe to say, it’s time to go Hirdy.
When your own players simply do not want to perform under your coaching anymore, it is only fair to everyone involved that you step aside! You really should have done this 3 years ago! #justsaying

See you next week, Floggers.

- Lady K -

x0x

Lest We Forget

OK, OK, I apologise!
The season is under way and we haven’t had one flog. Terrible. But due to family illness, I was unable to spend my time scouring the field for an appropriate candidate.
However, we are back, the season is in full swing, and my boys in Black & White are quietly sitting pretty in third place on the ladder. That’s right, third.
Hawks are seventh.
Essendon 11^th and Geelong 16^th *stifles laughter*  I know we are only four games in, but I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts!

The past weekend was a memorable and highly important one. Not because Collingwood won and Hawks, Geelong, Essendon and Adelaide lost, but because we commemorated 100 years of the Anzacs. 

For those of you in countries far, Anzac Day is the day we fall silent and honour those who gave their tomorrow for our today.

From a population of fewer than five million, 417,000 men enlisted to serve their patriotic duty. Sadly, by the end of the war, 60,000 of these brave Australians had been killed and 156,000 of them wounded, gassed or taken prisoner. Among these brave men were around 1,300 Indigenous Australians and more than 3,000 nurses volunteered to support the troops, from both near and abroad.

Three years after the storming of Gallipoli, hundreds of thousands of diggers joined the fight against the Germans on the Western Front. This time, it was at Villers-Bretonneux in France – a place I have been lucky enough to experience firsthand at the age of 15. It is a place where the Australian spirit is overwhelming to say the least. It is also a very sad sight - to see the monument walls engraved with thousands of names of the fallen, not to mention the countless nameless graves bearing a single poppy on each. Nonetheless, it is a proud place for Australians alike, as our two Australian brigades (supported by British troops) played a pivotal role in recapturing Villers-Bretonnneux, which on the morning of 24 April 1918, had fallen to the Germans. The brave Anzacs launched their attack shortly after nightfall, and battled long into the night. But it wasn’t until dawn of April 25^th, 1918 that victory prevailed - the town of Villers-Bretonneux was in Australian hands.  Sadly, the victory came at a high price – some 2,400 were killed, wounded or missing.

During my time at Villers-Bretonneux, we visited a primary school which has been built and funded by Victorian school students. It is known as the Villers-Bretonneux Victoria Primary School. Within the school playground hangs an enormous sign that reads ‘Do Not Forget Australia’, and a museum has also been placed within the grounds in memoriam of all the Australian troops who faught during World War 1. Like a fish to water, I bonded with these gorgeous kids immediately. Their excitement to meet Australian people was beyond belief, and their recognition of Australian efforts from such a young age was incredible. We even were treated to renditions of ‘Advance Australia Fair’ and ‘Waltzing Matilda’. It was a truly heart-warming experience that I will hold dear for the rest of my days.

For the past 20 years, it has been tradition for the Collingwood Football Club and the Essendon Football Club to commemorate the Anzac spirit with a game of Footy at the MCG. Many of those troops went on to play for either of these Clubs, and it is a day in which we honour their memory and acknowledge their fighting spirit. It’s safe to say, the Anzac Day clash is my favourite game of the year, followed closely behind by the Grand Final. In the last 10 years alone, Essendon have only beaten my boys three times. Collingwood leads the tally at 12 wins, 8 losses in total and only one match – the very first Anzac clash on April 25^th, 1995 – was a draw.

My favourite part of the day (apart from the obvious win) actually has nothing to do with the game itself. It is the atmosphere, the meaning and the overwhelming pride that comes from the pre-game proceedings. The Last Post is a hauntingly beautiful tribute to the fallen, and the eerie and outstanding silence of a stadium full of more than 90,000 spectators is simply incredible. My heart feels every note of the bugle during this time, and the words of ‘The Ode’ resonate throughout.
“Lest We Forget” holds more meaning than the game itself – and I say the words out loud along with my Magpie Army comrades, looking to the sky and thinking of those above. The final verse of the Australian National Anthem rings out through the stadium, and without fail, the excitement sets in. The one moment I love the most from the entire day is the roar of the crowd at the conclusion of our Nation’s anthem. The collective spirit of the crowd, teamed with the spirit of The Anzacs and the recognition of those still on active service, is electric.
These are the moments I live for.

So you’re probably wondering where this is all going, and how this ties in with a ‘Flog of the Week’.
Well, in a way, it does. This week’s Flog of the Week went to battle in a very, very wrong way.
Given my commentary across Facebook after this Flog’s incident, I noticed this post will more than likely spark some controversy amongst Football fans. Might I remind all of you, that these opinions are purely my own, purely for entertainment factor, and I don’t actually care if you agree or disagree.

Although I have absolutely NO time for drunken idiots in or outside of a Football Field, (although I’m sure I’ve been one on several occasions… haven’t we all?) and I have no time for those trying to get 15 minutes of fame for a cheap and nasty dollar, I also have no time for physical violence. Especially when those dealing out the physical violence are in the public eye, are well aware they are in the public eye, and also serve as a role model and example to young and old.

On Saturday night, the reigning Premiers (Hawthorn) went down to the Port Adelaide Power in what was initially, an extreme overhaul of the Hawks in both skill and scoreboard. 58 points down, the Hawks managed to claw back within 8 points of the Power, however their dignity was shot and at the final siren, the odds were not in their favour. Walking back to his Hotel shortly before midnight, Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson was approached by some heavily intoxicated Power fans, armed with a camera phone and some taunting words of “how was the win, mate, how was the win today brother?”. To this, Clarkson gives a shove in the chest to the excited Power fan. The fan, clearly on a high from beating the reigning Premiers, then shouts “GO THE POWERRRRRRRRRRR!” whilst looking down his own phone screen. All of a sudden, Clarkson lashes out and delivers a rough blow with his fist into the unassuming fan’s face. Take a look at the footage here:
Alastair Clarkson gets mad

I’m sorry for all of you that don’t agree, but that shit is simply unacceptable. For a man in his position, a man who is consistently in the public eye, and a man who must lead by example not only for his team members, but for the fans and even children that idolise him, he should not have laid a single hand on this fan.

Yes, the fan may have been a little too in-his-face about the loss.
Yes, there should have been a higher level of security offered for Clarkson given his status.
But no, I’m (not) sorry Clarko, that you have copped the backlash by some for your actions. You deserve it. We have all been aware that you have a less than desirable temper after your punching a hole through the coaching box wall some time ago, however it doesn’t excuse putting your hands on a fan who, by the looks of it, had had a few drinks and wanted to have a little fun. My assumption is he was probably filming the interaction with Clarkson for his Snapchat buddies – who wouldn’t?
Clarkson’s overreaction is simply stupid. I would have understood if the fan had made a sexist, racist or homophobic comment (although I still would not have accepted physical violence) however the fan was simply basking in his Club’s victory, which I don’t see any problem with. Besides, Hawthorn have had enough time to bask in their own whatever, and quite frankly it’s nice to see them slipping down the ladder and giving someone else a chance for a change!

If I got pissed off and started punching out every single person that gave me grief for being a Collingwood supporter (which I assure you occurs on a DAILY basis), I would never be able to leave my house! It all comes down to taking things with a grain of salt. I used to let everything people said about Collingwood bother me. Now it is simply water off a duck’s back. Even on Facebook, some of the commentary I make to my nearest and dearest is purely for the entertainment factor. I don’t think some of them realise I don’t actually care what they say about my boys. At the end of the day, I will always love my team, no matter what. I wouldn’t have their name tattooed on my own skin if I was a mediocre fan. My passion is MY passion. Not anyone else’s. Nobody can take that from me, just like I couldn’t take it from an Essendon supporter when everyone realised what a shocking disgrace they became in the eyes of the Australian Football League. Alastair Clarkson should have known better. He should accept defeat, accept the consequences of his actions and accept the fact that this is Australia – we love giving people shit! It’s our way of life, our expression of affection, and it is our jovial nature. Why would you get your panties in such a bunch over a few seconds of torment? It’s not like you lost the Grand Final, Clarko. It’s Round 4 for God’s sake. Suck it up, I say.

And so, this is how we have selected Alastair Clarkson as ‘Flog Of The Week’ and tied it in with the fighting spirit of the Anzacs.
Leave the fighting to those still on active service and simply just don’t be a flog, Clarko.

Alastair Clarkson getting vocal with his boys

As we honour the memory of the fallen, our thoughts and prayers go out to those still on active service.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them.

LEST WE FORGET.

The Anzac Day 2015 banner at the MCG

Until next week, floggers!

-Lady K- 

    x0x

*I would also like to send thoughts and prayers to all those affected by the devastating Nepal Earthquake, which has claimed more than 3,000 lives.

... 'T I S T H E S E A S O N ...

You know how some people become insanely enthusiastic when they hear you just landed a huge promotion at work, or that their best friend is getting married, or when someone is expecting a baby? They jump around like idiots and yell and cheer and some, like myself, even cry.

Well, that happened to me yesterday morning. Not because I got promoted. Not because someone I know is getting married. And not because I'm pregnant (I'm not, mum, relax).

I'll give you one good guess why....

If you said "because you're an idiot", you're kind of right, but not today. Sorry. Move along.

If you said "because the Footy season starts tonight", I applaud you.

That's right people... FOOTY'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!! F*ck Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *fist pumps*

And although we have started the season off in true controversial style, I am still foaming at the mouth at the thought of five glorious months of AFL football ahead.

Sadly, however, the controversy I am referring to not only includes the Essendon Football Club (yes, that's right, they're STILL making headlines), but it also includes two of my beloved boys in Black & White.

On March 31st, the Essendon Football Club were found NOT GUILTY of using a banned substance, making an absolute circus out of the fact we have had to listen to this shit for the last three years. Not to mention the fact I simply cannot wrap my brain around the fact that their players SELF-REPORTED, even their Captain fronted the media in tears admitting he had been injected with something, and the jury agreed the 34 past and present players involved had been injected with a banned substance, but were unanimous in their findings that the players didn't know what it was at the time.

I CALL BULLSHIT.

I'm not just saying this because I don't follow the Club. I am truly of the belief an insane injustice has occurred in this instance and that the AFL has plowed further into a deep crevice of disrepute. I hate the fact that the "worst case in AFL history" came to such a pathetic end. Why would Kyle Reimers have said ANYTHING in the first place if these players hadn't been injecting banned substances? For fun? Because he hated his own Club? I don't think so. 

I, and I'm sure many others, are just hanging onto the hope that ASADA will indeed launch their appeal against the Essendon Football Club and the correct punishment for the Club will be dealt. It BAFFLES me how someone as talented as Ben Cousins could have copped a one year ban from playing AFL for having an ice addiction, and Ahmed Saad from St. Kilda received an 18 month ban for having been nabbed with a banned substance from an energy drink in his body, and now Collingwood's Lachie Keeffe and Josh Thomas are possibly facing a 4 year suspension and sacking from the Pies for testing positive to Clenbuterol while on training camp in February this year, yet 34 self-reporting players from one Club are found not guilty and are free to play on. Even Ryan Crowley has not been allowed to play since September 2014 due to his positive results on a banned substance which he had obtained without the Fremantle Football Club's knowledge.

I do not condone the use of drugs in sport, and I am just as shocked at the findings at the Collingwood Football Club, however I do support fair and just consequences for all.

If 34 players can get away with a banned substance and are free to play on, surely two young, talented kids who have obviously either made a terrible mistake or have been struck down by pure bad luck, should be able to play on too.

It's going to be another exciting and controversial season, floggers.

I feel a great year coming on!

Watch this space.....

Flogs, Ahoy! 

-Lady K- 

    x0x