Once more a glorious sun shone down with its celestial love upon the manicured ovals of Heaven's Pasture. The sky as a blue as the Virgin Mary's eyes was just one feature of a majestic Sydney winters day.
It was not soon after reaching the grandstand that I once more came across
@Squidlips who was down to support his beloved Shore. Then off to the canteen for pie number 1 in my never ending search for pastry nirvana. The lovely ladies from year 10 were on duty this week and again the high standards of friendliness and smiles were on point. Before I could tuck into the firm pastry, I was bailed up by @ThePresident and
@wisemaan who went in depth into Shore's chances of the day ahead. We also discussed the importance of the HSC ahead and how hard it can be to ignore this insane asylum and buckle down and study. Always a pleasure to meet these young fellas who are once more a great example of what Shore produces.
During my demolition of pie number 1 I had the opportunity to catch up with some of the Joeys lads. Charlie Ghattas is such a great young man. I have known him since his arrival at the kennel in year 7. The son of a Joeys old boy he speaks in humble tones, never bragging about his success. It was a testament to his character that there were plenty of Shore players greeting him before the match. Charlie and I spoke about the upcoming AAGPS selections. We agreed that if the AAGPS wanted a fast number 7 who could also throw pinpoint lineout deliveries then Charlie should be highly considered. Ghattas puts his head were others wouldn't put their feet. He is a reminder of the days of Chris Roche, who may have been short in stature, but he was definitely a giant-hearted performer. He was a dynamic foraging open side flanker who played well above his weight and regularly put his body on the line for the sake of the team.
Chris Roche
Not long after I had a few words with Justice who expressed his gratitude for the support of everyone there. JT is again the son of an old boy who, in 2004, scored a try in every GPS game, one of only six players to do (Jim Carlton did it twice). Like his father, Justice is a quietly spoken and deeply thoughtful young man. His style of leadership is through leading by example. In the game he made several key runs and tackled strongly.
The games have all be dissected so there is no need to provide another coroners report of yesterdays matches. Best to say that some of the men with the whistle seemed to play too bigger a part in the game. The best referee is the one you rarely notice.
I spent the second half of the match waddling the perimeter of the ground and again came across green and gold members.
@Jockey181 introduced himself and he was as confident and cheeky as his postage. The boys were eager to engage in some spirited rugby dialogue and we worked to find the issue of the 2025 team. We seemed to have a consensus that the injuries and of course the absence of the heart of the forward pack weakened the team considerably. I had a chance to speak to the Shore cheer captain and congratulate him on the cacophony that came from the eastern touchline. While very small in number, the traveling circus troop from Stirling Bridge certainly out did the Joeys boys in noise and colour. These glorious clowns never stopped cheering led by that incessant drum. They even were able to pull and few penalties.
My final spot was such group of glorious lunatics. I had a quick catch up and few laughs with the College Chaplain who did confide he reads G&G and loves the humour. When the game ceased some Shore boys started to leave but I was so impressed with the others calling them to come back and cheer their classmates. Before this happened the Joeys boys stood and sang the LFC theme song, "You never walk alone" (this time without backing track) and is simply stunned me and some of he Shore boys as well. Not long after the Shore team came over and were cheered up by their classmates. I had a chance to speak to a couple of players and I reminded them to keep chins up because Shoremen don't buckle under. Later in the dining room (sneaked in) I spoke some more to both teams.
Before that, a group of Shore boys cleaned up their area. Staff even joined in as well. It was at that this time I spoke to the "damn drummer" who thumped the bass drum throughout the match. I congratulated him on how he contributed to the atmosphere of the day and provided an annoyance for the Joeys lads. A nice touch as well, as the Shore team left the field, the Joeys boys gave them three cheers.
Joeys enjoys many successes at Heavens Pasture but not like yesterday. The rugby, the support and the camaraderie amongst the school cohorts and supporters all combined for a delightful afternoon (pie 2 was much better than pie 1). One the key ingredients was the warm smile, firm handshake and cheeky conversations I enjoyed with other G&G members and the Shoremen. Another highlight of the season.