What’s In a Name? What’s In A Mascot?

When I first met Brett at university (and was introduced to Australian rules football), he was playing in the Ovens and Murray League in Albury. He played for the Hoppers. The North Albury Hoppers. As in grasshoppers… Anyone raising an eyebrow yet?

I doubled over with laughter when I heard and it was a favourite means of harassment from that point on. I mean, who names a team after an insect that starves in a fable as the result of too much play and no work?

Today - all work, little play - Brett is getting physically prepared for his twelfth season with the Swans. Why the Swans? Surely there are plenty of other fierce birds in the world of ornithology to choose from. However following a chug-a-lug-a through some search engines, I find the ‘Swans’ label fits just fine. Swans are the largest of the waterfowl. They keep together in flight by the whistle of their wings and they’re elegant and powerful. They are territorial and fiercely protective of their family. Their bonds last for many years.  Sound familiar… thought so. A mighty brood of cobs are gathering for 2010 with a few more to add to the flock once the hectic drafting periods have concluded.

Watch this space… next time I could be discussing the gravitational pull on the far side of the SCG... Or not…

Hayley Kirk  
Also-known-as-the-other-half

p.s. Grasshoppers have strong leg muscles, can jump 20 times their body length and have five eyes so they can see to the front, the side and the back at the same time. Not bad traits to have on a footy field and for the record I have apologised to Brett!

Missed Hayley's first blog? Click here...