Footy season is here - rugby league season I mean, but when I was growing up there was only one code in our household.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
We were Wingham Tigers supporters. And North Sydney Bears supporters (some of us has leanings to the Rabbitohs and Balmain Tigers).
We spent many days in the stands in footy grounds around Sydney while my younger brother took photos. He had made mates with a Rugby League Week photographer, John Elliott, who would get him onto the sidelines. It was the days of Ray Price, Arthur Beetson, Teddy Goodwin, Tommy Raudonikis. Ian Schubert was making a name for himself - he hailed from Comboyne and played for Wauchope so he was almost local.
We were there for the early days of State of Origin, because of course my family couldn't get enough rugby league.
My dad was a rugby league tragic in that he couldn't sit still and watch the game. He paced. And I'll admit a bit of that is in my DNA. And my partner, a St George supporter, often can't watch a game live on TV, especially if the Saints are losing (no comment).
My family knew how to make a day of it. There'd be a thermos with milky sweet coffee (in the days when condensed milk was good for you), cordial and chips, and plenty of spare change for the doubles and numerous trips to the canteen for lollies (which were also good for you then).
We had fold-up chairs and picnic blankets. We'd suffer sunburn at the start of the season, windburn in the middle and back to sunburn by the time finals came around. Half time on game days was our time - kids would hit the pitch, madly running around kicking balls and chasing each other down.
Rugby league, and sport in general, is the background noise in our household. Game days and nights, analysis, commentary, TV, radio ('Morning Glory' - really Matty Johns?), it's hard to avoid.
My personal favourite though is pro surfing, most recently at Pipeline, Bells and Margaret River, featuring the 'voice of surfing' Joe Turpel. It's great viewing, even if I don't understand the pointscore system.
So, whatever your passion, enjoy and have a great weekend.
Toni Bell
ACM editor, Manning River Times
Toni Bell
Manning Great Lakes editor covering mastheads Manning River Times, Great Lakes Advocate, Gloucester Advocate, Wingham Chronicle and the Manning Great Lakes Extra. A journalist for 40 plus years.
Manning Great Lakes editor covering mastheads Manning River Times, Great Lakes Advocate, Gloucester Advocate, Wingham Chronicle and the Manning Great Lakes Extra. A journalist for 40 plus years.
