Tuesday: Fred gets the Daicos cut, Jen says Frampton will replace McStay as I am hit with 371 Magpies-related messages
I’m still trying to work out the Brownlow. Lachie Neale won, but my records had our Nick Daicos at around 60 votes. Go figure.
It was an exciting night, with a new Brownlow record in our household – it took a whopping 83 minutes for my so-not-into-footy wife to walk in and ask: ″Remind me. Why do they televise this garbage?”
Usually, this quip lands within the first half hour.
Daicos, hands down best hair winner at the Brownlow on Monday.Credit: Getty
The Brownlow gave me a chance to marvel at Nick Daicos’ wonderful hair. Exquisitely shaved to zero, high bowl above the ears and a V-Fade at the back – like all players do right now. I know that it’s called a V-Fade because the barber corrected my little guy, Fred, when he asked for a “Nick Daicos cut” last week.
I took the kids to open training this morning to take in the sunny nervousness of 5000 of my black-and-white breed. I judge it all on vibe and love. The more the players look like they love each other, the better the chance of a grand final win.
But the real master of picking player form, and unsung hero of Collingwood content is Twitter and Instagram supporter, @Jen2310.
We don’t know much about her. She’s no like and subscribe attention seeker. She just tweets at every training and notices what other people don’t see. Whatever she tweets, you’re deadset sure that’s what’s going to happen.
And as I type this diary, she’s made the big call on who will be replacing Daniel McStay (not Andrews).
Billy Frampton at training.Credit: Getty Images
Pies nuffies like me and my bozo mates, we thank you, Jen, for your wonderful service.
How many Pies-related messages did I get yesterday? 371, and yes, I’m still, only just, a high-functioning adult.
Monday: A one-eyed Pies supporter and ‘high-functioning’ adult
Grand Final week. Oh, my heart. In my adult life, I’ve been to well over 600 Collingwood games. There’s been winning and losing Grand Finals. I’ve hugged many strangers over the years when the siren’s sounded, and I’ve broken down in tears (thank you to the 10-year-old who picked me up off the floor when Jamie Elliot kicked that goal last year).
Forget Rome, I can think about Collingwood every 10 or so minutes, and sometimes much, more than that.
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I’m one of those Collingwood supporters, and surprisingly despite all this, I’m also a high-functioning adult.
Friday night’s prelim final – wow. I did not enjoy it. The last six minutes was torture. When the siren went, me and my friends who’ve been with me at the footy over 30 years cried out a heap of ‘WE DID IT’ followed by jugs full of ‘WE’RE IN THE GRAND FINAL’. It was wild. We love each other and we love the Pies.
The same group reconvened via zoom Sunday morning to buy Grand Final tickets. Gazillions of laptops out, refreshing that damn Ticketek page. But WE DID IT. We got tickets. Commiserations to those who couldn’t.
Monday has seen a lot of SMS group discussion (138 notifications today!), about what the hell we’re going to do with Daniel McStay out. We haven’t cracked it yet.
Forget Rome, I can think about Collingwood every 10 or so minutes.
This afternoon I took my kids, Martha, 9, and Fred, 5 to the craft shop to buy cardboard to make signs, and black & white bunting and streamers to do up the front of the house. TIP: Crafternoons help the nerves.
And it’s Nick Daicos’s Brownlow tonight. Then early to bed, if the count ever ends, so we can go to open training first thing tomorrow morning. I can’t wait.
