Anzac’s footy fever

Anecdotes

HIGH KICK: LS Joshua Hallion kicks the ball during Australian rules football game between the HMAS Anzac ‘Slayers’ (in green & gold jerseys) and the Hamburg Dockers.

Photo: POPH Damian Pawlenko

By LEUT Rachel Irving

The Aussie Rules team from HMAS Anzac made its international debut last week defeating a German team on their home soil.

The Anzac Slayers took on the Hamburg Dockers at Stadtpark, among a crowd of curious onlookers, when the WA-based frigate visited the German city as part of her Northern Trident deployment.

The Slayers took the game by 21 points, 6.15.51 to 4.6.30, though the scoreline did not accurately reflect the domination of the Slayers through the second half.

In the first two 20-minute quarters, both teams struggled to keep possession of the ball in what started as a low scoring game. Goals to LSSN Anthony Brokate and LSMT Joshua Hallion and six behinds, kept the visitors a mere two points ahead at the main break, 2.6.18 to 2.4.16.

The last two quarters saw a more exciting game. Early in the third term, a thumping kick almost from the centre square from ABMT Jayce Crabb, followed by another straight kick from LSET Mick Brennan, saw the Anzac side start to gain some confidence.

The team’s kicking accuracy let them down however, with another four behinds bringing the three quarter time total to ten. A goal to Brokate just before the quarter finished pushed the Slayers further in front, the score going into the last term 5.10.40 to 3.5.23. AB Crabb was the standout player in the last, with straight kicking, good tackling and continued attack.

To their credit, the Dockers fought hard throughout the game and played well from start to finish. A thumping tackle on ABCIS Glenn Willats in the fourth term and a goal to follow showed the home team had good potential.

Their lack of substitutes however meant that they could not keep fresh legs on the ground and it reflected in the last half.

A straight kick through the posts out of a tackle from Brokate followed by a goal to Hallion put Anzac out of reach of the Hamburg side. The Slayers played hard footy throughout the 80 minutes, though the winning margin could have been much greater if their kicking had been more accurate, with a total of 15 behinds.

The Hamburg Dockers are affiliated with the Fremantle Dockers and wear the purple and white colours of the WA team.

The Hamburg Dockers play in a German League of five teams and play just eight games in a season. Currently the Dockers are leading the competition, with 2 wins and 1 loss, their next game against Berlin.

• Anzac goals: Brokate (3), Crabb, Hallion, Brennan.
• Umpire: LSSTD Mark Reed.

Anecdotes

PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC LS Jared Gowen performs a Country Western song in the Anzac Idol Competition, Round 2. The round took place in the Junior Sailors’ Cafe onboard HMAS Anzac and had a country and western theme.

SADDLE UP LS Shane Murphy gets in to the swing of things by donning a convincing cowboy suit during his performance.

Photos: POPH Damian Pawlenko

Scottish City of Glasgow. Leave hasn’t been piped (or should that be bagpiped???) yet but the excitement of what lies ahead for our visit is growing throughout the ship.

Last time I wrote my hair was bright orange - you will be pleased to know it is fading nicely! Germany was every bit the hoot we thought it would be.

During our transit from La Coruna, we had the next round of Anzac Idol with the theme of Country and Western and just three competitors left.

Clubs made a special appearance in some kind of red and green chaps sticky-taped to purple pants, and with water bottles for guns, he looked like some sort of bizarro world Santa singing Raw Hide.

Frightening. The ‘Hornstar’ was in fine form with a comedy routine full of the worst jokes ever thanks to the CPOSN, some of them I still don’t understand, while ABCIS Paul Salmeri and LSCSO Jared Gowen proved that talent will always win on the day.

The Hornstar was voted out and so the last round will be down to Salmeri versus Gowen. Meanwhile Germany turned on the sunshine and by the end of our visit it was a beautiful 30 degrees. The beer was cold, the bratwurst was tasty, the Reepabahn entertaining and the Down Under Bar went crazy.

All in all not too bad! We toured the Blohm and Voss shipyards, Professor Peter Tam’s maritime museum, a submarine building yard and German Naval submarine base, dined on tall ship Rickmer Rickmers, played golf, soccer, Aussie Rules in the park, sailed down the river Alster and day tripped to Berlin.

In between we soaked up the European sun and thought of the rest of the Navy for just a moment!

Right now we are heading into 11 days of the Joint Maritime Course off the coast of Scotland where we will play war games with NATO units and have to do some ‘real’ work.

Yep it’s a small price to pay for what is turning out to be the ultimate Euro trip. Till next time.

– LEUT Rachel Irving

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