John Pollock and his wife, Pat
MONDAY, APRIL 21
Former Brisbane Brothers, St George (Sydney) and Cronulla star, Graham Quinn reminds me that he roomed with Parramatta legend, Mick Cronin on Australia’s tour of New Zealand in 1980. ‘Quinny’ made his first grade debut for Brothers against Easts Tigers when he was 18. “I remember a couple of Easts’ blokes said some shocking things about my mum,” he says.
School teacher, John Evans wins the men’s Stawell Gift, while Bree Rizzo wins the women’s event. An Irishman lets go with a shocking stiff arm tackle in Geelong v Hawthorn AFL game. Later a bloke missed all four posts from a short distance. Really. Kicking is the main part Aussie rules ‘footy’ and he missed all four posts.
Our local member, Peter Dutton, the Federal Opposition Leader, has promised $547,000 worth of improvements to Samford Rangers Soccer Club. Dutton has previously committed money to the local rugby league side, the Stags. It’s a bit like Glasgow here with the league club wearing Green (Celtic) and the soccer club , Blue (Rangers).
Learn of the passing of Allan ‘paw paw’ Douglas, a Blackall boy who had strong ideas about rugby league and wasn’t backward in coming forward to tell me when I was chief rugby league writer for The Courier-Mail. Former Wallabies coach (now Japan coach) Eddie Jones is in the Parramatta coaches box alongside Eels’ boss, Jason Ryles, who worked with Jones when Eddie coached England. Confusing eh. Parra halfback, Mitchell Moses has an angry look when FoxSports Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield asks about the prospect of Lachie Galvin coming to the Eels next year from Wests Tigers. When ‘Buzz’ continues to pursue that line of questioning, Moses really gets the shits. News breaks that the Pope has died, just as FoxSports call Moses the Messiah. Confusing Eh.
TUESDAY, APRIL 22
Glen ‘The Brick’ Lazarus is interviewed by Jake Duke on FoxSports in the excellent Face to Face program. I was Lazo’s ghost writer at Brisbane’s Sunday Mail for five years and he was always forthright with his views. The last time I saw him was a Beer and Beef Club lunch at Brisbane’s Regatta Hotel, when I interviewed him. I forgot he played Aussie rules as a youngster.
Fellow Samford Grove resident, John Pollock was one of those responsible for the building of the second oval at East Ayr primary school where our son, Damien is deputy principal. John, who worked in the sugar industry at the time, says he and other members of the P & C, got to work with bulldozers, and their sweat and toil and did the work, not necessarily with the approval of the local council mind you. There was plenty of available expertise from the local farming community.
Samford Grove Cafe worker, Jan, grew up on a dairy farm near Aberdeen in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. She is more of a rugby league nut than me. No, seriously. She is always wanting to pick my brain about current happenings in league, even though I have told her a number of times that I an old ‘ex-rugby league writer’. She knows all about the home towns of NRL players/coaches e.g. Todd Payten and Zac Lomax come from Temora while Lliam Martin is from Barmedman.
Record crowds attend Super League in the UK over Easter.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23
Englishman, John Tapp has posted a chapter on his excellent blog about the visit he and his wife, Glenda made to Samford. It’s obvious he’s still getting over my showing of the Aussie movies Sirens and The Adventures of Barry McKenzie.
There is a Protest Engineering van parked at The Gap as Marie and I drive to the city for a couple of appointments. Interesting name
Former Australian cricket opening batsman, Keith Stackpole had died aged 84. When I think of ‘Stacky’ I think of a bloke who either made a hundred or nothing, and rarely anything in between. That probably doesn’t stack up if you analyse his record, but that is the first thing that comes to mind when I hear his name.
THURSDAY, APRIL 24
Marie and I cast our Federal election votes early because we are going overseas on May 1. There seems to be friendly inter-action between supporters of the various political parties outside polling station here at Samford. A News Corp exit poll reveals Labor is set to be returned. Two desperate Liberal volunteers wave Peter Dutton placards in Corbett Park.
Marie and I dine with our youngest son, Lliam and his sons, Ethan and Connor at Rosalie, before attending the Broncos v Bulldogs game at Suncorp Stadium. The Broncos end the Dogs unbeaten run, going to halftime leading 34-0. The game was as good as over, although the Bulldogs scored three unanswered tries after the resumption. Three Dogs’ supporters of Lebanese extraction (one who was chipped by security for vaping) did not return for the second half. Another Dogs’ supporter (of Anglo Celtic extraction) did not endear himself to fans by standing in the aisle drinking alcohol and ignoring pleas to sit down. The crowd of over 40,000 was excellent considering the filthy weather. The Bulldogs’ Peroxid blonde lock, Jaeman Salmon certainly covers some territory and is obviously super fit. To me he looks busy, without achieving a great deal. Broncos’ centre, Kotoni Staggs pulls off one a text book low driving tackle, and is penalised for a spear tackle. Honestly – today’s refs have no feel for the game.
FRIDAY, APRIL 25
Police officers from Roma Street headquarters – which are next to the hotel where we are staying – grab a coffee alongside me, before they head to Queen Street for the Anzac Day Parade. I chat to one – a fellow with an English accent – who says he hopes it will be a straightforward day. No doubt he means – please – no dickheads protesting against the solemn event. At the dawn service in Melbourne there were a few boos when a indigenous chap delivered the welcome to country. The ABC news reader comments that it was ‘fairly disgraceful’ behaviour. For a start, it’s either disgraceful or its not, and it certainly is disgraceful, even if some of the comments from the Indigenous chap may have been designed to stir the pot, so to speak. And, I hope ABC news readers – who it could be argued should just read the news without giving their views – were equally appalled when pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanted horrible things outside the Sydney Opera House.
My wife makes Anzac biscuits when we return to our Samford residence, where we watch the ABC’s excellent coverage of the Brisbane march and services from Gallipoli and Villers Bretonneux. Staying in the city meant we missed the service here at Samford Grove, which was run by veteran, Laurie Hayes, a resident. Another veteran who lives at Samford Grove – Keith Hall – said he was not impressed with Melbourne’s ANZAC Day parade. “It was a dog’s breakfast,” he says.
Our daughter, Melanie Mariotto attends dawn service in Abhu Dhabi where she is working. She went with a Kiwi girl from work. “A really great service,” Mel says.
SATURDAY, APRIL 26
I felt a little ‘off’ yesterday, but today I am in agony from the worst headaches I have ever experienced. I just can’t get out of bed. It’s all I can do to watch the footy. Great to see Vietnam veteran and club trainer, Darryl Madge accompany the Titans to Townsville, with the side attending the city’s Dawn Service.
SUNDAY, APRIL 27
Still crook as a dog. Marie sleeps in our second bedroom, not wanting to get whatever it is that I have. There is little doubt I got it at the Broncos v Bulldogs game. My Maitland mate, Greg Grainger blames it on the visiting fans from Lakemba. Our eldest lad, Damien is part of the winning side in the Cane Field Ashes at Home Hill, an annual cricket carnival.
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G’day Steve, during half time I went channel searching and came across a doco on the London bombings from 20 years ago, I recall you did a Article about this and I responded as MY SON WAS IN THE Uk at the time, very informative and the second instalment is next week