Ghostwriter

Fully agree WJ, except that last year’s Season Launch was actually in the evening of the same day as Gussy’s forced retirement announcement, merely hours between the two. This meant folks were in shock having only just heard the devastating news. You could almost feel everyone’s attempts at processing it. It was so difficult to take in the proceedings while trying to get your head around it.

Spill !!!!!

Point form: Jai’s nickname is Culls. Knuckles McVee is actually KNUCKLE not Knuckles (plural) Disco doesn’t know why he doesn’t have his #10 training jumper except that they told him they’ve ordered it but it hasn’t yet arrived. He does have his game-day #10 jumper though. Sesto is an awesome person. Always so friendly and was happy to hear there’s been some really positive things being said about him. Salo’s brother Ralph is the only person I’ve had a pic with. It’s a thing at these events. It amuses Salo that he’s chopped liver when Ralph’s around 😂 Jed Adams considered coming outside with me for a cigarette. Jokes. But Leb and Howesy told me to ask him. Sch!ttt stirrers Dessert’s here!!! 👋

Hall of Fame inductee: JAMES McDONALD

Will Verrall does have a nickname. It’s “Fish” and it comes from when he was rehabbing not long after he joined the club and the first thing he did every session was to jump in the pool. And stay there. 😁

Hall of Fame Legend Status Elevation: JACK MUELLER Presented by Mike Sheehan Accepted by Jack Mueller’s nephew

I’m having a ball with my new fam, just call me Ghosty Mentha. They are the most awesome people ever. Nina, Ricky’s mum, is moving to Melb next month. She’s gonna share a house with Ricky. Hashtag too cute. Ricky Snr lives in Gippsland already as does his daughter (Ricky’s sister) Lily. Then there’s Nan. She’s not here tonight but Ricky Snr told me she’s gonna be “transient between Alice and Melbourne.”

Hall of Fame Legend Status Elevation: JIMMY STYNES Presented by Garry Lyon Accepted by Matisse Stynes and Jim’s nephew Sam Stynes.

Fred Fanning was just inducted into our Hall of Fame ❤️💙

Jai has been told he’s #46 and he’s bloody happy with that. He’s bloody happy to be with us, in general. Haven’t asked about his nickname yet. The night is young 😅

Alas one sneaky drink for me is the equivalent of 10 sneaky drinks for anyone else. Me and alcohol aren’t besties. But the food is where I get my money’s worth. Last year I ate my own courses as well as Salo’s and his brother’s desserts 😃 Waste not want not. 👍🏽

I’m thinking Cull or Culls as well. Or JC. I’ll make a point of finding out tonight at the Season Launch. I’m also currently spreading the Bison word for Harvey, so there’s no sitting around getting drunk for this little ghost, I’ll leave that to the rest of the Demon Army 🥴🤪😵‍💫

A Feb 29th baby! It’s not all bad. You only get to celebrate properly once every four years, but that’s justification for a HUGE celebration when it does come around. 🥳

Awwww happy belated birthday P 💕 I hope it was a good one! It certainly was for Jai 🥳 I share a birthday with Jeffo. I told him this and added that of course there’s a few years between us. A fellow-sausage sizzler (and resident smart-arze) said “yeah, about seven decades.” 😅 You, me, Jai and Jeffo repping Pisces like the legends we are 😎

You and Tim Lamb both, DZ. He said before the draft Harvey was a must-have and they were delighted to have the opportunity to pick him.

They didn’t train today. They’ll be at Gosch’s tomorrow for a recovery run at 1:30pm but that’s NOT confirmed so if anyone’s thinking of attending, best they ring the club beforehand I can understand how they’d need a couple of days to get over Saturday’s heat. I’m only a spectator and I’m just starting to feel normal now, I don’t know how they coped running around in direct (and biting) sunshine. 🥵

Your neck is safe Dof, for our recruiters have most definitely done a superb job 🙂 Apart from his obvious talents on the field he’s yet another hard-working, mature and dedicated player, and a lovely person, to boot. On a personal note, thank goodness we got him because a couple of weeks ago I got him to sign my jumper 😅 At the time he asked if I was sure I wanted him to do it and I said, “Do you think I’m making a mistake or something?” He smiled and said “Well, I suppose I can just add my number when I get one.” In stark contrast, after Jai had walked away, Chocco, being the smartarze that he is, said “Is that in permanent marker?” I said yes. He said, “Then you’re screwed.” 😅 Goody said “Don’t listen to him, you’re not screwed.” Turns out Goody was right! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAI ❤️💙

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. 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹