Jamie Devenish looks at a typical Thursday with the Eastern Lions in his installment A Players Perspective
By Jamie Devenish (@jamie_devo)
OUR short and sharp training session draws to a close.
On this particular Thursday night I’m showered quickly and one of the first players into the social rooms. As always, long-term club identities Flipper and Scotty are already sharing a beer.
Flipper (now famous on Thursdays for reminding us what colour shorts to wear) stands underneath one of his many awards with a yearning look on his face almost hoping someone will ask him about it.
I oblige, begrudgingly at first, but I soon remember this guy has been volunteering at this place season after season, both football and cricket for over 40 years.
He deserves his beer and if his glass wasn’t already full I’d buy him one. My teammates would argue that I wouldn’t.
As other players shuffle in, Phil Strati is already helping with dinner and serving from behind the bar. Later he’ll be the first in to help with the dishes.
The coaches disappear to finalise selection and Joker Poker is called.
This game is a raging success at ‘the Den’. The Joker hasn’t been revealed from behind the glass until very late in the season in recent years which maximises interest and potential reward.
The winning ticket is always drawn to the same long drawn-out suspense. Green ticket (pause) Letter D (pause) twenty (pause) three…
Huge cheers by all those still alive with each ‘pause’, groans from those along the way who realise their investment has just become a combination of someone else’s winnings and a club donation.
The unsuccessful ‘6 of diamonds’ is turned and our modest clubroom suddenly sounds like the MCG on ANZAC Day. “Double” scream the crowd in unison.
Following one last deliberate pause, the host obliges by madly waving his arm and its complete pandemonium. A second ticket will be drawn. Men hug each other, some bang on tables and others are scouring the floor for their discarded tickets.
Dinner is served. Too healthy and unsubstantial for some, the best feed of the week for others.
The weekly fines are issued. The best thing about this punishing process is that Gareth (Banger) Bailey who reads them out finds himself far funnier than anyone else does.
There has been outcry this season given the maximum penalty has jumped to $10. I’d hate to have been issued a $10 punishment in my student days, but complaining only leads to further punishment.
On this occasion I’m hit with an $8 penalty because I won the raffle the week prior. I’m internally raging given I paid $5 for that raffle ticket and didn’t accept the prize.
The crowd sense my frustration and feed off it. It’s a lost cause. I grit my teeth and pay up.
The coach is fined $10 because on Tuesday he left his keys at work and needed his mum to drop him off so he could run training. I’m in a good mood again.
As the teams are read out there are wild cheers for Kyle, the Under 19 selected to make his senior debut. His nervous face lights up at the show of support and suddenly he’s grinning like an idiot. It’s quickly followed by sideways glances by those trying to work out who’s missing from the week prior.
“Blue shorts” Flipper cries, “blllllllluuuuuuue”.