Unless you have been hiding under a rock on Mars with your ironically vintage earphones on, wearing your girlfriend’s tight black jeans and a flannelette shirt, reading Jack Kerouac and listening to kraut-rockabilly-gangster-folk at full volume, you would know that this week one of the biggest decisions in Australia for 2010 has taken place. I refer not to the lack of choice between right and a little bit left of right, instead I am obviously referring to the announcement of The Black Bear’s decision on who will make it into The Black Bear Top Five Favourite Players for 2010.

 

There was an array of impressive talent to choose from this year, from the Clubbies right through to the Seniors. Some will say Clubbies newcomer Mick “The People’s Chest” was unlucky to miss out, but you need more than just a happy demeanor and healthy self-belief to be a part of this exclusive club. Many pundits considered Huw Lacey would be a shoe-in on the back of his close association with the afternoon tea but, while the Black Bear can be swayed on many things by his stomach, the integrity of the Black Bear Top Five Favourite Players for 2010 cannot be questioned. Even the old-fashioned, no-nonsense, hard as a boot-heel Hamish Guthrie couldn’t quite sneak in. So here are the players that the Black Bear would pay to watch…

 

5. Flighty. Flight Risk. The Risk. Steven Flight. They don’t build them like this anymore. As hard as a bulbar, Flighty is a sight to behold as he crunches off an opponent, finds some space and swings onto his raking left boot. Reminiscent of a young Charles Beaton with shoulders, he is arguably the best kick in the club, but the real reason he made it into the Top Five is his Roger-Ramjet Jaw. Someone confiscate his passport, because he is “The Flight-Risk.”

 

4. Ablethorpe. Matty A. Matt Ablethorpe. Some might not be aware that Matt was a very handy backline player in 2005, before being dropped on the eve of the grand-final in one of those selection decisions coaches seem to be forced to make every finals series. After a hiatus overseas, Matty came back bigger than ever and decided to reinvent himself as a power-forward. Since returning, Matty has slimmed down to a dangerous playing weight, and is now seen stalking around the forward line, plucking marks where it would seem he had no chance. He is simply too strong for any opponent. I love playing with him. I now dub him - The Thin White Dukes.

 

3. Cozzy. Dingo. Cowboy. Danny boy. Dan Costello. With Dan’s footballing lineage it was always expected that he would be a good player, but for the first few years of Dan’s career it seemed like he was perhaps relying on supreme effort, without the talent to back it up. Recently, however, things have changed. Gone are the days where Dingo made his place in the team as a tagger, good for removing an opposition star from the game, but little else. Dan now inflicts himself on games. Opposition coaches try to tag him, without success. At Melbourne High this year, he popped a finger out, only to run over to his Dad on the boundary to get him to pop it back in, then continue playing. He runs too hard, he gets lower and harder than anyone else, when he tackles, they stay tackled, he kicks with purpose and precision, he even has a presence in the air. He is the future of the Blacks, and I feel sorry for anyone willing to take him on. Dan is a modern-day Persian warrior in football boots and a grin.

 

2. Robbo. Dave. Dad. Dave Robbins. Dave is a rare footballer indeed. In the same way Cyril Rioli changes the terms on which the game is played, Robbo dictates. He can be out-sized, out-muscled, out-paced by his opponent, but it means nothing when the ball is kicked in his direction. Against St Bernards at the Snake Pit, even the opposition kids started barracking for him. He plays the footy we all wish we could get away with. Hangers, freakish goals, brushing off opponents at will, side-stepping with ease. The Uni Main is his backyard, and I’m happy to be watching him like a proud Dad.

 

1. Chuck. Chuckles. Chugga. Charlie Richardson. When first spotted arriving at training back in the pre-season, The Black Bear assumed Chucky had lost his way between Bondi and Bells. Those sun-bleached curls, laid-back attitude and disarming grin belying the reality of a man harder than granite, who – more than anyone else – lives the motto of “the last metre.” Several times this year, The Black Bear witnessed Chuckles move through a contest at such speed, collecting the ball on the way, that no-one could have stopped him. Rather than slowing down to protect himself, he speeds up as he approached the last metre. The sublime skills shown when he does receive the ball on the outside only enhances his standing. Long goals on the run, chase-down takles from behind, marks running with the flight of the ball. I’m sure all would agree, a worthy Black Bear Favourite Player for 2010.

 

 

2s

Right. So we played a few games on Saturday, too.

 

The two’s were reminded by Pete before the game that all we needed to do was spin our form around to get the sweet taste of victory once more, and that we did. Another dead-rubber could have been cause for a lack of motivation, but Bazzle managed to fire the boys up sufficiently to have a red-hot crack against a definite finals contender. With only 17 available for Oakley, they fought admirably, but the Blacks had the run in the legs, and limited them to only one point in the second half.

 

Nick “Meningococcal” Batten was the quarterback all day, proving to be an impenetrable wall, while Big Simon Yule rucked all day without a word of complaint. Isaac “Mr Anderson” Anderson put on an absolute clinic across half-forward and on the ball, collecting possessions at ease, while Evan “My nickname is NOT Evo” Scantleton was a treat to watch, somehow kicking accurately out of the ankle-deep mud for 3 great goals.

 

A week off, then it’s finals time.

 

 

 

Goal Kickers: E. Scantleton 3, A. Drysdale 2, A. Jesse 2, J. Heeley , T. Huggins , C. Lawford , M. Thompson
Best Players: N. Batten, S. Yule, I. Anderson, E. Scantleton, J. Heeley, T. Burchell

 

 

1s

The Black Bear realised on Saturday that twitter is good for more than just being defiled by Ashton Kutcher’s dubious philosophical epiphanies about how sweet it is to be the father of Bruce Willis’ kids. You can also use twitter to get live score updates from across the VAFA on a Saturday afternoon. This service might usually seem unnecessary, but when your spot in the finals rests on the results of three other games, it can become topical. Sitting in 5^th spot on the ladder, the Blacks needed to win by at least 65 points more than St Kevins, Ivanhoe or Old Haileybury won their games by, to be given a chance of making the Top-4. With those teams playing the lower B-Grade teams, our main hope lay in winning by enough.

 

Before the two’s had showered, the ones were 4 goals up without an answer from Oakleigh, as news came through that St Kevins also had a handy lead, while Old Haileybury were a long way in front and Ivanhoe were being narrowly beaten.

 

At the half-time break, with the Blacks six goals up, the Blacks supporters were looking at their phones like a group of schoolgirls who just got texted by the boy who shaves already, when news came through that Old Haileybury were home already, the St Kevins game had tightened and Ivanhoe were 2 points down.

 

Bolts and The Foss put on a veritable clinic in the third quarter, with the Blacks stretching out to a 10-goal lead by the last break. If St Kevins or Ivanhoe only won by a point it would still not be enough to get us into the finals. As the Blacks kicked further away in the last quarter, the phones were out again, J Gray looking like a problem gambler waiting to see if he would be able to pay the rent this month, when news came through that both Ivanhoe St Kevins were just up in their games. The faint glimmer of hope was beginning to build into a fire fit for a phoenix to rise out of. As the final siren sounded, with the Blacks 84 points in front, we needed either Ivanhoe or St Kevins to win by less than 20 points.

 

While we waited for final confirmation of the scores, Bolts pulled his troops together in the middle of the ground to declare his pride in their effort, regardless of the outcome in any other game. Inside the rooms, once the boys had given the Victory Chuckle and the Victory Yee-Hah, the announcement was made, Ivanhoe had only just won their game, but more importantly, St Kevins had lost! Not only had we made the finals, but we had finished in 3^rd spot! The laughter throughout the Pavvy could be heard all the way to the Clyde.

 

1^st Semi Final this Saturday afternoon at Elsternwick Park. Be there. Be Black.

 

 

 

Goal Kickers: M. Bolton 7, J. Foster 6, D. Robbins 3, C. Richardson , H. Lacey , J. Gaylor , D. Costello
Best Players: M. Bolton, M. O'Hara, J. Foster, S. Hissey, H. Symon, L. Kalms

Goal Kickers: T. Bromley 2, A. Kitts 2, B. Hogan , J. Rutter , S. Briggs , L. Barrand
Best Players: K. Hogan, B. Hogan, C. Hogan, S. Briggs, J. Pickett, M. Harold