One week into our three week teaching stint at Kintore (530 kms north west of Alice Springs) and I have never kicked the football so much in my life!!!!
Every recess and lunch break the request comes out to play football. So off I go onto the red, dusty, rocky football ground to be surrounded by about a dozen bare footed children donned mostly in a Hawks jumper and given the instruction that “You be goal umpire Robert!”
My sole jobs are to signal goals and points and to kick the ball back into play…hence the number of kicks I have because every kids focus is to kick goals.
If I dare go beyond the goal line to either mark the ball or pick it up..I’m met with a chorus of “Leave it…you be goal umpire.”
I’m amazed and in awe of their outstanding football skills…kicking left and right foot…baulking and ball handling. Their favorite shot is from the boundary line on an impossible angle and invariably threading it through. Another favorite is when a kids marks the ball makes a siren noise then pretends that his shot after the siren will win the game (that’s another one of my jobs…to stand on the mark when this occurs!)
I now understand and appreciate the flair that the indigenous players in the A.F.L. exhibit and where the grounding may have come from.
And the reason I’m Robert (pronounced like a frog noise)…perhaps it’s got something to do with the many syllable names that these kids have…such as Jezeriah, Winston, Francina, Alolyscious, Vivica that makes Rob sound so plain.
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| Ernest Giles....definitely future AFL player |
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| Red dust and bare feet |
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| Huge cheers as the goal is signalled |
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| Siren's gone! Need the goal to win |
Now this is what you are good at Robert - finally found your true role in the education dept.!xxx looks great, enjoy xx
ReplyDeleteErnest Giles is gorgeous! And I love love love that red dirt. :-)
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