Imagine you’re standing on a step. Below you there’s a drop, but you don’t know this. You were blindfolded and led there via a convoluted route. All the way, someone’s been whispering in your ear about canyons and chasms and parachute jumps. So, now you’re nervous. Taking a leap of faith seems terrifying. This month all you have to do is open your eyes… and believe!

This was Brett’s star forecast for the weekend. It was right on the mark. Because Sunday’s game against Carlton had the potential to be Brett’s last in the AFL. His mind was somewhere else.

I knew where it probably had wandered and it saddened me a little because I felt helpless to bring him back to the moment… To the right now.

And what kept Brett’s mind from getting lost in a labyrinth of twisted thoughts? His children. The girls danced and sang and Indhi told his infamous, non-sensical knock-knock jokes about camels with no humps, tweeting owls and boo-hooing Carlton players after what he believed to be their impending loss at the hands of the Swans.

Our children made Brett laugh. They kept his mood light and perspective present. They managed to do what I didn’t quite know how to.

That’s the great thing about young children. They don’t get caught up. And while I have consistently spread the word of how fortunate Brett is to be a professional AFL footballer I think his biggest fortune is being a father!

Although my own heart was heavy with anxiety, deep down I knew Brett would find his way back and come 2.40pm Sunday afternoon he would be present. Exactly where his mind needed to be, focused on his role for the red and the white team that he adores.

Because of this blog being a ‘G’ to ‘PG’ rating I will keep my exclamations to the likes of Alf Stewart from Home and Away fame, STREWTH…WHAT A FLAMING, BEAUTY RIPPA OF A GAME!

See I told you … September + Finals Footy = AWESOMENESS!!!

Bring on the Bulldogs!
Cheer, Cheer

Hayley Kirk

Also-known-as-the-other-half