Follow Swallow: Day one
Follow Swallow: Day two
Follow Swallow: Day three
Follow Swallow: Day four
Late last night I was having a chat to my roomies Warren Benjamin, Hamish McIntosh and Majak Daw before we went to sleep. We were talking to Maj (Majak) about how he went swimming in the ocean with sharks and we were giving him some advice on how to stop sharks from killing him if the situation ever arose. As you will remember from yesterday’s blog, he is absolutely petrified of sharks. Majak reckons that if you flip a shark upside down it’ll then get stuck on its back. Then, while the shark is on its back, you would have the chance to swim away. I thought that was ridiculous and reckon you’re probably not going to get too much practice trying to flip a shark and it would be best to go for its eyes. The other guys agreed.
This all came about after I brought up the whole discussion I had with Brent Harvey about whether the growth of a fish depends on the size of the tank it’s kept in. I had a couple of tweets suggesting that I should ring Sea World to find out. My own research uncovered a confusing amount of contradiction. Some websites said that it’s more about the water quality, others said fish won’t stop growing but they will be deformed if the tank is too small. I saw a picture of a catfish that had a big bend in the middle of its body because it moulded itself into the corner of the tank. Then there’s the oxygen levels and amount of food to take into account. One person wrote they’d seen a foot long goldfish…I nearly fell off my chair. I am yet to be enlightened and remain confused.
Moving on; I was pretty sore from yesterday’s training but had to do an exercise bike session and swim before breakfast. It was good to see Brad (Scott) join us for the ride. Every one was sweating profusely except Lachie Hansen. He says he’s somehow developed a buffer from sweating and that he’s working just as hard as everybody else. I don’t think he’s developed a buffer at all. Brad on the other hand had the most amount of sweat out of any of us; he still knows how to work hard.
The most amazing thing happened this morning at breakfast…I actually tried Weetbix, yoghurt and milk and liked it. Hamish thought I needed a bit more milk but I thought the mixture was pretty good. If you want to try it for yourself, I suggest two Weetbix, a little bit of milk and then two good sized scoops of yoghurt on top. I actually think it might become a new addition to my breakfast menu and I have Warren Benjamin to thank for it.
The New Zealand Silver Ferns Netball Team was in the gym while we were eating. That resulted in a few of the boys finishing breakfast prematurely and heading over to the balcony to watch. The goal-shooter Irene Van Dyk was in there, and she looked taller than Hamish.
We had some more skills today. The majority of the players trained outside on the rugby field, but I was in a breakaway group which concentrated on boxing and stationary handball drills. Majak lost a bit of skin from his knee because of the synthetic surface and he was far from happy about it.
After skills and a good workout in the gym we had some player meetings and went through game plans and reviews.
I had the afternoon off and did some washing. I was forced to fill up a big tub and soak my clothes because I didn’t have any coins for the washing machine. I also borrowed some washing liquid from some strangers that were staying a couple of doors down - I hope they didn’t mind.
We had a free night tonight and about nine of us headed off to a local pub for dinner. The Vic’s were playing Twenty20, there was tennis on and also the A-league. The owners of the pub were nice enough to give us a few soft drinks. It was good to see the Perth Glory come back from 0-2 to win against Adelaide.
After dinner Aaron Edwards ordered a Chai latte. I enjoy the drink, but I would never get one when the other players are around to see. I could have stayed at the hotel all night but team rules mean we had to be back by 10pm. That didn’t mean the fun stopped though as we got into the Man Power Ashes Indoor Cricket Series. I call it that because it’s really hot in the room and all the boys get their kit off. Scott McMahon was actually playing in his underpants! My bowling spell started pretty well, but as I tired I started dishing up half-trackers and was pulled out of the attack by Nathan Grima. I couldn’t really argue with the move and felt it was deserved…I wasn’t up to my usual standard. Narni’s (Nathan’s) an okay bowler but nothing special. I batted once and Azza caught me out one hand, one bounce in the deep. It’s a stupid rule. Liam Anthony occupied the crease for a long time - no-one could get him out.
Stumps were called and here I find myself writing my last ‘Follow Swallow’ instalment for the Gold Coast trip. I hope you’ve enjoyed finding out the goings on behind the scenes at North Melbourne and I look forward to seeing you at our games throughout the year. I’m hoping to continue writing these blogs during our away trips in 2010 but for now it’s off to bed. No doubt Majak will already be asleep and Wazza will already be snoring. As for the Big Smack (Hamish), well he could be doing anything.
Go Roos!
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