Saturday night flashback. After Grand Final debacle – back at Stalk & Kim’s jamming late into the night. First outside session for many months. Weather getting warmer.

Buddy TC staring down camera, Sat 27th Sep 2014. Pic thanks Stalk.

Fires out.

Massive weekend. Started Friday night at Yarra Hotel. A fantastic show, a who’s who of legendary Melbourne musicians paying tribute to their respective football teams. Ash Naylor lifted the roof off with the Collingwood theme song (as you might expect round here). Then the Big One on Saturday. Got down to the Barkers Arms in anticipation for one of the great AFL Grand Finals of the modern era. No one expected what happened next. Hawthorn destroyed Sydney from the opening bounce.

Tim Rogers, Davey Lane & band – North Melbourne theme song, Yarra Hotel – Grand Final Eve, 26th Sep 2014.

The game we all thought would be a titanic struggle to the last minute, was all over before the end of the 2nd quarter, the Hawks 7 goals up & Sydney looking just awful. And it only got worse from there. I think everybody felt a bit shell-shocked. Not necessarily because firm-favourites Sydney lost – but how they lost. Obliterated. One of the most uninteresting Grand Finals for years. Then it was over to Stalk & Kim’s for drinks, debriefing and jamming. Got up Sunday morning & needed to catch up with the guys again. Back to the scene of the crime, the Bakers. Several conversations about what the bloody hell happened to Sydney. Out to lunch, back to S & K’s, played a few tunes. Another late one & slow start this morning. Goodbye AFL football for another year. Congrats to the Hawks.

Fires out.

Yeah, Melbourne’s not football crazy. Here’s a shot taken earlier today, courtesy ABC News website: Grand Final parade through the city.

Captains Luke Hodge & Kieren Jack holding that elusive AFL Premiership Cup.

Excitement building. Swans versus Hawks in one of the most eagerly awaited Grand Finals in years. We’ll know the result by this time tomorrow, unless of course it’s a draw – which is probably unlikely… Off to the Yarra Hotel’s Grand Final Eve party tonight. Baker’s Arms Hotel for the game, 2pm tomorrow. Then to Stalk & Kim’s for post GF jamming. Ahhhh, what a weekend.

Fires out.

Embarrassing moment last weekend. Mojo found an open gate & burst onto the Collingwood Football Ground during pre-game warmup. Max raced onto the ground after him, rescued the football & dragged disappointed pooch off the field about 30 seconds before the opening bounce.

Pics – thanks to Jan!

Fires out.

The vault: Tour of Poland and Slovakia, Jan & Feb 2010 (middle of their coldest winter in 30 years), featuring show highlights from Myslowice (Poland).

Finished this tour & went straight to New York for the first US tour. Finished there & went back to Poland in June for the massive Seven Festival near Gdansk in the beautiful northern lakes district. We appeared on Warsaw’s TV breakfast show to an audience of 4 million, followed by an hour special on their version of Triple J to a further audience of 7 million. For about 2 weeks we were almost famous in Poland. People staring, stopping to take pics & the occasional autograph.

Fires out.

Big weekend gone & didn’t get around to posting on the biggest AFL finals series thriller so far. The Hawks JUST getting over the line against a rampaging Port Adelaide. What a cliff hanger this game was, and if Port had kicked straighter – just once – they’d have got it. In true cut-throat finals fashion, this game was brutal from the first minute. Underdogs Port had come to play, throwing everything at it, bodies on the line – one player, head over the ball & knocked out mid air, legs limp on the way down like a rag doll. Players on both sides, and particularly Port, slammed into packs kamikaze-style relentlessly throughout the game. In the final moments Hawthorn, battered & bruised, had run out of legs, clinging to life by a thread (thanks to Port’s inaccurate kicking). Here are the final 2 minutes of play –

This Saturday, Sydney play Hawthorn for the 2014 AFL Premiership Cup. Can’t wait.

Fires out.

Had most of the past week off working on the new venue. Paperwork & other stuff (football, birthdays…). We did get over to the ASRC (Asylum Seeker Resource Centre) in Footscray on Friday, courtesy of an invitation from brother Gav, who works there.

Pic taken from ASRC Facebook.

Posted on FB this morning – “One of the great things for mine was lining up with & sitting to eat beside refugees & asylum seekers. Felt very welcome & humbled. I’d recommend everybody drop in & see the place whenever you can. Puts a human face to our general detachment. Great opportunity to ask questions & hear the facts about who these people are, what they’ve been through, how they got here & what they’re still going through. You’ll leave inspired.”

Fires out.

Last Friday night at Stalk & Kim’s. The guys have been away for a month, traveling France. We’ve been missing weekly ‘rehearsals’ at their kitchen table, which were reinstated on the weekend. It’s a hazy pic – exactly how I remember the night.

Last night we went over to Steve & Ren’s (The Vagrants). Tequila shots & margaritas in the mix. Great night & very slow start this morning.

Fires out.

Here’s Mick again yesterday, tiling the kitchen bench. He finished up around 4, gave me a quick lesson in grouting & watched me start before he left. First time I’d done it. Took me about 4 hours. Looking pretty good this morning. Still a few small areas to go on the wall tiles. Had to get the bench bit done before people started using it today.

Mick tiling kitchen bench yesterday.

Fires out.

Mick cutting tiles for the kitchen bench-tops earlier this arvo. He’s about half way. Might be finished by the end of the day. When he’s done, I’ve gotta hit the grouting so the kitchen’s back up & running by tomorrow morning.

Mick cutting tiles at the new venue, 14 Sep 2014.

Last night it happened again. Another thrilling AFL Semi Final between Port Adelaide & Fremantle. Port found something in the dying moments to pinch the game from the favourites. Just a great game to watch in a weekend of upsets. Looking forward to next weekend. Port take on the mighty Hawks and North Melbourne play Sydney (in Sydney) – all 4 sides gunning for a grand final spot the following weekend.

Fires out.