Once in a Lifetime

Sometimes the simplest of pleasures lie in the uniqueness of opportunity.

That's how I felt about a once in a lifetime event that I was able to participate in over the weekend.

The occasion was playing a game of Aussie Rules for the 'E' grade of my  club, the  Prince Alfred Old Collegians.

I know it's a silly thing to do at the age of 52 when the aches of footy played across four decades are still with you.

Apart from a run on the field a month or so back, it’s been quite a few years since I put on the boots.

The occasion then was to play a game with my eldest son. Mission accomplished.

However the uniqueness of this event was it was designed as a Father/Son round and both of my lads flew in ( from QLD and NSW) to have a game with their old man.

Not many people can lay claim to that.

The day was even more special because I also had my brother and two nephews involved in the day.  Other families were part of it too and that's something we will all bond over for years to come.

Now footy of any sort is a young man’s game and while I consider myself 52 years young, what the mind conceived before the game,  the body wasn’t able to achieve.

But footy is also a game of 1 percenters. And that’s where I excelled.

Between my two lads and myself we got around 100 possessions and I got 1 percent of those.

That’s right – a single possession in the fourth quarter.

I’m insisting it changed the momentum of the game and enabled the old cols to kick on and  win over their higher ranked rivals.

It's fair to say I am the only one to see it that way but age brings some indulgences. By the time I finish embellishing the story over the coming years that one touch would be worth a Brownlow!

In our family (at least), this wonderful experience of a game shared across generations will be talked about for decades to come.

It was that special for my family and made even more so that my wife and parents were there to enjoy the spectacle.

It's a timely reminder that we can get caught up in all manner of contrivances that seem to dominate our lives but, when it comes down to it, family is what life is all about.

It gives the simplest of pleasures real meaning and cherished memories. That's why my weekend was so great.

For the record, I reckon the youngest Bernardi was best on ground, the elder son performed creditably too.

And as for me, there's no dispute from anyone who played or watched that I was cleary ranked 22nd of the 22 blokes who took the field.  

Still, I felt like a champion!

“Whatever you do, run past for the handball. Under no circumstances let let him kick. ”
What every football coach has instructed other players in respect to Cory Bernardi's football skills