World Footy News

Ever wondered how hard it could be to get a representative team to the National Champs?

Here is a brief rundown of the Wellington Tigers journey to the AFL New Zealand National Champs held in Auckland on the 24/25 October, as provided to WFN by Wellington Assistant Coach Mark Langdon.

WAFL season 2009 was scheduled to commence on Sunday 6th September, with the traditional Lightning Premiership, a six-match round-robin comp involving 10-minute-half short games. In keeping with tradition, the games were called off when the ground was deemed unfit for play and duly closed by the council.

Prior to season opening, most clubs had begun their pre-season training in early to mid-August. At the same time, John “Jacko” Jackson and Gordon “Gordie” McKenzie had begun to gather players interested in playing NPC, for training runs at 10.00am Sunday mornings. A combination of poor weather, short club player lists and the near-crack-of-dawn starts meant that the early sessions were lightly attended.

Continuing with the good fortune of the season, the WAFL was unable to play its traditional North (Eagles and Demons) v South (Saints and Bulldogs) game on AFL Grand Final day, again due to poor ground condition and weather in the lead-up. The North v South game acts as the primary NPC squad selection game, so the WAFL deferred the 4th October match to allow this important game to go ahead (South won comfortably).

Following the match, a preliminary NPC squad was selected. It was on this day too that Gordie had to withdraw as Assistant Coach and Mark “Langers” Langdon stepped in.

NPC training was scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday nights, as well as Saturday mornings, allowing the boys to also play the Sunday matches for their club sides.

Unfortunately, the weather intervened again and no further games were played in Wellington prior to NPC. By the time the Wellington Tigers reached Auckland it had been three weeks since some boys had played a game, and five for some who missed North v South game. Putting that in perspective, the WAFL season consisted of only 2 completed rounds and the North/South game up until the National Provincial Championships (NPC). Many players careers consisted of exactly that many games too, or less, as Wellington took away a very new and exciting blend of players with the old stalwarts absent in the main.

Worse was to come. Not only were the NPC squad unable to play valuable matches to maintain game fitness, after the North v South game the NPC squad was unable to train at the Elsdon Park, the only ground in the city with goal posts. The team had to make do with a mixture of rehabilitating rugby fields, inside a high school gym for one session, a public park in front of Te Papa museum and even a middle school playground. Anywhere the boys could get in a handball drill, or some 20m lane passing, they used it (when it wasn’t raining).

In the background, Wayne “Yoda” Harvey was working furiously to book hotels, flights, arrange game-day transit options and post-game pool sessions, devising plans for game-day food and drink purchases and gather all the gear required to turn out a professional looking Wellington team for the NPC. With a roster of 26 players and a three-man management team, the logistics were complicated.

Nevertheless, everyone who needed a bed, had a bed (even if this did involve sleeping in the campervans parked outside a nightclub – footy trip rules prevent further disclosure). The players would have been totally unaware of the difficulties faced, which was testament to the success of the management effort.

Things became more complicated when the global financial crisis lead to a near total lack of sponsorship or grant funds for the team. In particular transport options had to be radically revised, which wasn’t easy. Finally, 24 hours before the team departed Wellington, a solution was cobbled together – Jacko and Langers would drive up two campervans and as many players as could be squeezed in. The vans made an impression on the rest of the Leagues when they parked after arriving at Parrs Park in Oratia, but that is a story for another day.

At least the Tigers made it to the ground in time for the campaign opener against the beautifully kitted out Canterbury team (except for the Tiger’s ruckman, who missed a flight and stayed in Wellington until after Game 1 – he would have to wait until the Auckland game on Sunday to make his Aussie Rules debut – yes, the no. 1 ruckman for the Tigers had only played two quarters prior to the tournament).

In a separate but related series of events, just weeks before the tournament it was discovered there were not enough Tigers uniforms for a full 24-man team. What was eventually scraped together were 18 or 19 proper Tigers jerseys and five or six old-school woollen jerseys of the now defunct legendary team, the Wellington Central Tigers. These extra jumpers included a long sleeve jumper, which surprisingly made it through the tournament unused!. At the same time, there were insufficient pairs of plain black shorts and socks to go around, so the Tigers made do with a combination of players bringing their own or playing in a borrowed club side kit. Without funds there was nothing to be done and the Tigers would have to play in this hodge-podge of a kit.

At 12.30 on Saturday 24th October, 2009, the Wellington Tigers played their first game of the 2009 AFL New Zealand National Provincial Championships. All thoughts of the journey to the game were put behind them and it was game on!

With more to come.....