The Footy Almanac book launch-Melbourne
November 22, 2009
By
Steve Healy
A fine footy function... and a reminder that in a world of mass communication face-to-face is different...
WHAT a great night this was.
As I stepped into the Clyde Hotel on Thursday, I was excited about meeting a group of people I knew so well but I had never met before, a group of people with one common link: footy. I walk inside, a pool table or two, a cigarette machine and many people surround me. I am greeted by Pamela Sherpa, a nice lady who barracks for Essendon as well as JTH himself, who catches me and says: “You must be Steve”.
I look around and see Josh Barnstable from Waaia, my Roos-supporting friend I had talked to many times before online, but never actually met in real life. He dons the ‘Argentina’ North Melbourne jumper and doesn’t cop any criticism (not that I saw, anyway). We shake hands and nervously talk to each other. I was texting Josh frantically on my way to the launch; he was sending me ones back like this:
Alright. Hurry up and break the ice lol i wanna talk to her but cant... come see me when u get here.
He was referring to Almanacker Danielle Eid, a 17-year-old Collingwood supporter with the right amount of teeth. She sits at the other side of the room, and I give her a stare.
I talk to my dad, before I hear a voice from behind me: “Guess who I am?” says the voice. I turn around. Short, balding, familiar looking and 40-something. “Gigs”, I reply. He tells me an anagram of ‘Stealing Picasso’ and when I ask why he isn’t wearing his Bulldogs jumper he says he’s wearing it at heart. I had taken an interest in Gigs’ statistical knowledge throughout the season, he had done the same with me.
The conversation starts to flow a bit more when a Carlton supporter comes up to me and Josh. I know who it is, despite never before seeing him in my life. “Hi Damo”, I say. Damian Watson, 15-year-old Carlton supporter, good friend and Almanacker. Four of the Fab 5 had arrived. Michael Allan was still to come. Without having much to do or talk about, we decide it is time to have a kick with Josh’s footy in the alleyway next to the pub outside. I go up to Danni to ask her if she wants to have a kick but she says that she is not wearing the appropriate footwear. Very funny, I think.
On our way outside we notice that Michael has just entered the building, wearing Andrew Collins’ number-42 guernsey proudly. He joins us as we partake in a kick-to-kick, which eventually turns into a handball-to-handball which seems to be more suitable for the dimensions of space. There’s not much talk, but we seem to be having fun. Josh and Damo handball and kick fluently, Michael looks a bit rustier but he’s still hitting the target. The activity slows to a halt when a car comes zooming into the alley, ruining our game as the woman screams at us from the driver’s seat. We sense that it’s time to go back, but I couldn’t help imagining how strange we would have looked from on-lookers. Four 15-16 year old boys in different team colours, handballing a signed ball in an alleyway next to a pub.
When we go back in, we have a five-way conversation with Danni included, a difficult one at that since none of us can hear each other properly. Anson Cameron (the launcher), John Harms and Paul Daffey deliver the goods, Anson’s use of swear words really got the audience hooked.
The Fab 5 passed around each other’s books and signed them, writing funny messages and writing a different thing on every book. Danni leaves early to “study”. I talk to Mark Freeman, the only other guy at the launch who was wearing a Demons jumper; number 36 was on the back. I realise he’s the same guy who writes reports on every racing event in Victoria.
Disaster strikes when I’m eating dinner with my Dad, Michael has lost the footy while kicking with Josh and Damo. Damo goes home, while Michael, Josh and I look for the footy. It’s hard to get, it’s on a balcony that is lined with prickly bushes. I squeeze through a fence in order to get it, as does Michael but I think it would’ve been a bit more of a challenge for Josh. It’s getting dark so it’s a hard task to find it. I give up and realise that I’m at the foot of apartment windows.
We return and I look in one of my Almanacs and realise that Gigs had called David Zaharakis “Mark” Zaharakis in his season review, so me, Josh and Michael go up to him and tell him off. I talk to Michael and his Mum, and shortly after I’m the only remaining member of the Fab 5.
As I head home, I receive a text from Josh saying that we should all meet up at a match next year. I try to answer back but I’m out of credit.
What a great idea.
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