I’M not sure if you could tell on the weekend as my mouthguard may have been disfiguring my smile, but I was just so excited to be back out there on the weekend, and enjoyed every minute of it.
Having spent the last two months in the reserves, I was becoming way too familiar with the roads of Canberra. There were occasions over the last eight weeks when I wondered if indeed I would be able to get back into the team this year at all.
At the start of this year, as I do every year, I set the goals that I want to achieve for the upcoming season. I won’t go into specifics of what they are but a thorough knowledge of the bus route from Sydney to Canberra is not one of them.
Three weeks ago, in the mid-season break, I re-assessed my goals and simplified them. No longer would I attempt to be the first full-back ever to win the Coleman medal!
No longer was it a goal to win the Brownlow by a record margin! It was to simply get back into the senior team. Luckily enough I got the opportunity on the weekend.
I was excited simply to be out there and playing, but on top of that to be playing in the forward line was a very exciting prospect.
The last few years I’ve been playing mostly in defensive positions trying to stop my opponent from kicking goals, whereas on the weekend it was a good change to be on the other side of the equation running around trying to kick one.
Unfortunately, much to my chagrin, my muscles were not on the same level as my enthusiasm levels. Ultimately, I think a bit of pre-game nervous energy was detrimental, and cramping muscles would have a major say as to where I would finish the game off (on the pine sculling Powerade trying to get electrolytes into my body ASAP)
Cramp is a pest that rarely goes away once it pops its head up. My muscles were tightening up at the start of the last quarter and cramp was looming in on me like Shane Mumford approaching a bbq. It was just a matter of time.
It’s one thing to miss playing football at the highest level, but it’s another thing to miss that feeling of thrill and elation after a win. On top of this, work-horse Ryan O’Keefe got the celebration he deserved for notching up his 200th game.
Josh Kennedy wrote a great blog for this website a few months ago, on that period of 15 minutes after a game that is the best feeling in football. I totally concur with him… but am a little disappointed that his blogs have severely dropped off since then!
Now the goal is to do my best to play my role every week, and in doing so hold my spot in the team. It was a great feeling to be a part of the win on the weekend, and we’ll be looking for another win this weekend.
Ted Richards
