Ghostwriter

Pfft, we’re only third??? Geez, I can’t wait for the season proper to start. 😉

This is probably partly why he was feeling the pressure, the weight of expectation. Late in the game he was in the goal-square and play was up the other end. We were yelling encouragement to him but a little more than we would had it been anyone else because you could see he was down on himself. He looked around at us and tried to smile. I said “You’re doing so well, Matty!” But he shook his head as in, no I’m not. He needs as much of a confidence boost as possible. Idk if it’s been mentioned on here before but at training the biggest and loudest cheers coming from the boys can be heard when it’s Jeffo who’s just slotted one. They get around him like nothing else, especially Max.

Loudest [censored] ghost in the history of ghostkind.

On Insta?

She doesn’t exist anymore. 🙃

Our club fosters the development of the indigenous boys in a way that ensures they are understood and made to feel like they don’t have to conform to something they’re not. At the heart of this is an amazing and dedicated person who quietly goes above and beyond and that’s Matty Whelan. Wheels is the one who’s a gem and a credit to the Club. He was there yesterday checking in on the Mentha family, making sure they were fine. At one such time I told him he can relax coz I’ve got this 😅Nan had her Dees straw hat so all was good in the world. 😁 Before I knew who they were I thought they lived in Melbourne because Nina (Ricky’s mum) said they left at 9am to come to Arden St. I didn’t know she meant they left their hotel at 9am. So yeah, they flew in on Friday from Alice. PS the fam eventually caved and moved back from the boundary fence to the shade during the match. I playfully teased them about not being able to handle the heat as well as I could despite them coming from Alice. But they got the last laugh because no amount of sunscreen was ever gonna prevent sunburn and incidentally who the hell thinks to put sunscreen on their forehead when they’re wearing a baseball cap?! 🤨

Ricky Mentha, our new #39. Ricky Snr is his dad. Nina is his mum. Gaylon is his gentle giant of an older brother. Lily is his adoring sister and Audrey is his Nan. A genuinely beautiful family. Especially Nan, who stole my heart 💕

Awww thanks Lex. That’s exactly why I needed to share this. These are things you don’t know are happening because who would report on a story like theirs? No scandal, no misbehaviour, nothing sensational therefore who’s gonna read it? As for cute, it took every fibre of my being to resist scooping Nan up and running off with her under my arm when no one was looking. I’d put her in my backpack (wouldn’t even need to fold her in half) and she’d soon settle in with me and my chooks in St Albans. Seriously though, she actually thanked me for making her feel so welcome in my town. 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

I’ve heard the boys call Jack “Hendo” Chin is Chin always. Idk where “Google” comes from. And again SD, it’s not that Harvey doesn’t mind Bison, nor does he like it: he LOVES it, but not in a big-headed way, more so a flattered and honoured way. True story

Long-arze post but I REALLY wanna share this since it was so special… During the break between matches I met a lovely family: a mum and dad, their son and daughter, and a grandmother. We were chatting (they were sooo nice and in particular, gentle and chill) and I noticed the mum (Nina) wasn’t wearing a hat. I happened to be holding a wide-brimmed Dees straw hat that I brought in case anyone in the DA needed it so I asked Nina would she like to wear it. She said “No thank you, I’m fine, but Nan might want to.” Nan definitely took up the offer and she looked so bloody cute in it (very wide hat on a very small person) so I said she could keep it if she liked and she indeed liked. She was so pleased and was super grateful. Anyways I asked if they actually do go for Melbourne (since they weren’t in footy colours) and they said yes they definitely do. I asked if they were there to watch the match in general or if there was a particular player/s they’d come to watch (there were friends and relatives of some of the Casey boys there) and Nina said, “Yes, we’re here for Ricky.” I blurted out, “Oh I love Ricky! He’s an awesome kid!” which amused them greatly. I asked if they know him personally/well and it turns out it was his mum and dad and brother and sister and of course his beautiful Nan wearing my (now hers) enormous straw hat 🥹 They are absolutely delighted with how the club has embraced Ricky and the respect they’re shown. Ricky Snr and I had a simpatico conversation about Culture Shmulture and geez how I wish the media would do a story about this family and how they regard the Club. (Yeah, we all know this would NEVER happen.) R snr spoke highly of everyone but the most beautiful words he had were reserved for his children. He said his two older sons (big age gap between them and Ricky) are Ricky’s biggest fans. They’ve encouraged and supported Ricky and loved him from the day he was born. They both play rugby and basketball and despite Ricky being “probably better at basketball than footy” they haven’t nudged him in that direction rather they’ve got his back no matter what he chooses. Then R Snr asked me what I think of Ricky and I told him the truth, that Ricky is a sweet kid, he’s polite and very respectful and listens and remembers things he’s told and that he’s becoming a little bit cheeky as time goes on but only when training is done and the other young guys love it coz he’s pretty funny. R Snr was genuinely moved by this. He and Nina said it was good to hear the opinion of their boy from a fan. We all hugged it out and I asked if they could adopt me into the family and we all laughed but Nan quietly said “Yes, of course.” Stop it now 🥹

I was there for the whole match but I could only watch about half of the action. It was so hot in the sun that I had to periodically go back away from the boundary to seek shade under the trees which meant not being able to see anything. Most of the crowd left at the end of the first match and there was another sizeable egress at “halftime” (the end of the second of three quarters… thirds?). At the end of the match there was bugger all spectators. I was with a very keen 12yo who didn’t wanna leave. Even Goody and Troy (Chaplin) and Bass (Nathan Bassett) left before I did 😅

Leb’s Big Toe Update… He can now bend it!!! 🥳

That’s what I thought it might be. It’s definitely different to every other assignment of numbers.

Oh make no mistake… Harvey LOVES the nickname Bison. I couldn’t remember who had suggested it (now I realise it was you) but at training yesterday I told him someone on Demonland suggested “Bull” or “Bison.” He scratched the bum-fluff on his chin, deep in thought then said, “Bison, huh? Yeah it’d be very cool to be called Bison.” Then this morning I saw him and said, “Good luck today, Harves!” He turned back and said, “Harves?” I said, “Soz. Good luck today, Bison!” The smile said it all. edit: I’ve already told a few of the boys and so far they all agree that it’s a great nickname for him.

But isn’t that YOU?

Sesto stood out a mile in terms of skill and athleticism. He was clearly a level above most everyone else.

Disco was wearing #31 today (Will V was wearing it for the first quarter like we weren’t confused enough already) and it reminded me that I’ve yet to see Disco in the #10 guernsey. At training he always wears a numberless guernsey and even Harves (Bison) and X have their numbers. Wondering if there’s a reason for it.

He signed his first (fan’s) jumper today which belongs to a little buddy of mine. He put 43 next to his signature so I asked if it’s official. He said, “Yeah it is, it’s great coz I’m right next to Johnno.” And just like the eejit I am, I asked “Who’s Johnno?” 🤦‍♀️

Yeah coz there’s a multitude of them on here 🙄

WELCOME BACK GAMEDAY THREAD! I’ve missed you 🥹 ‘Til the first bounce that is, then you’re dead to me. 😅 ❤️💙

There’s nothing quite like a Deeves stream of consciousness 🙃

A confused Bison can’t be a good thing. But thanks for the suggestions, especially the megaphone. However, we had to apply to the AFL for permission to use a drum, I just can’t see them signing off on a megaphone.

The DA props-maker (and one of our triumvirate of leaders) has already got a great idea for a handheld banner. She’s running with it already. Now to convince the entire playing group 🤔

It’d better be! I’ve told him I’d make it happen. But then I told him I’d find him a girlfriend (it’s a long story) and that hasn’t happened so he must know I’m full of empty promises 😅 edit: I’ve just messaged this nickname info to the DA powers that be, including asking how we can make this happen. Now I await their reply which will likely be along the lines of GW- stop making promises for us to follow through on. 🙃

Had the pleasure of meeting our newest player, Jack Henderson. He seemed a little overwhelmed, (by being thrown straight into the fray, not by meeting me, at least I hope that wasn’t the reason 😅). He’s small in stature but has a presence about him. The boys were great in making him feel welcome and he’s ”stoked” to have been picked up by us. Hashtag Culture Shmulture