Saturday

It has never struck me before, the strangeness of the word Saturday. Apparently its origin is from Roman times, something to do with the planet Saturn. Wickepedia tells me it follows Friday and precedes Sunday, the Vikings practice was to bathe on Saturday, and it is the day of rest for Jews and Seventh Day Adventists.

For me, the strongest connotation for Saturday is football. In my childhood all football was played on Saturday. I loved football and spent all winter kicking a ball on the local oval or in the back yard. Saturday meant going with the old man on his delivery run then to the footy at the MCG (he never went to other venues, the Demons played there every second week, and no other club did), or watching the amateurs who used to be live on the ABC television with the VFL scores periodically put up on the screen in big bold numbers, or later on catching the train from Mt Waverley to the G, usually by myself.

Saturday was footy day. There were six games, all played simultaneously. Radio coverage did five or all six, 3UZ, DB, KZ, AW, XY, LO, and most had around the grounds reports with well known ex footballers providing update scores and comments. To me as a kid, it was exciting and absorbing. The Sporting Globe hit the streets about 7.00pm, and if the Demons won, I'd be up the street to buy it to read about the exploits of Ron and Hassa and Tunna in glorious victory. There was Pelaco Inquest on TV wrapping up the day's results and an hour's replay of the two last quarters of the biggest games. These are my strongest memories of childhood.

In my football playing days it was always Saturday, including junior football at school in the mornings, then Saturday arvos later with Ormond Church of Christ 71-73 then Greta 78-81. Wonderful memories and mateship. In between, in 74 in Qld I'd hunch down over the radio to listen to radio Australia to the match of the day which I'd follow by a bottle of Bundaberg or Beenleigh rum. Mostly from 75-77 I was working with the beekeeping equipment or driving all over, but always with the radio on listening to the footy. Always on a Saturday.

Today, well yesterday now as I woke in the chair cradling Pip a short time ago, was as pitiful a Saturday as I could imagine. My Demons were flogged by by Nth Melbournrne, I did not have a return at the races, not even a place, and Carlton beat Richmond by four points to give Rickyralph a one point gain in our tipping competion. I remain one ahead but was looking for a three game buffer so it is close to the wire from here.

It was cold and wet and miserable and I half watched the footy and half listened to the races as I hunted about from computer to briefcase doing bookwork and tax crap. About 4 oclock I took a stubbie and drove up to the footy oval and watched the last quarter as Gembrook defeated Wandin by 8 goals in the wet.

Just like the old days.