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Part 5 - American Footy?

 

Circa 1985 - Junior portrait in high school.  Bad 'stache, but check out my attire!

Midway through my high school years at Ilion Central High, I was able to establish myself, athletically, on the soccer fields all over Ilion and surrounding areas.  Before and after soccer practice, I would often talk footy with my mates.  After practice on one particular day, a small tradition was born.  Allow me set the stage for you ...

The scene was the softball diamond behind Barringer Road Elementary School up on the hill off Barringer Road in the village of Ilion.  Our soccer team had just concluded a Saturday morning practice when I decided to pull out my old American football I had kicked out of shape so badly that it nearly resembled a footy.  I challenged my teammate Matt Clark to run back out onto the pitch where I'd boot him a drop-punt and he could take the mark.  True to form, I launched a 40-metre kick that he grabbed over his head.  He returned an equally long kick that I had to make a running grab at.  We then started doing some handball and shots for goal using the soccer goals as our goal.  Before long, Matt's brother Aaron got into it and so did a few others.  Next thing you know, we have nearly 10 guys out there attempting to play footy!  It really started a trend with us that lasted throughout the remainder of our high school years.

 

Circa 1986 - that's me booting a drop-punt on the run at Ilion's "Victoria Park"

At this point in time, I'd like to talk about the many fields in the Village of Ilion, New York that hosted our antics as each one has sentimental value.  The ground which technically is the birthplace for footy in Ilion is the softball diamond behind Barringer Elementary School on Barringer Road.  This ground, which we nicknamed "Windy Hill" because there always seemed to be a breeze there, was the site I described above.  During that soccer season in 1984, we played our home games on Ilion Central High School's prestigious football field.  Since that field ranked at the top of Ilion's ball fields, we decided to nickname it "VFL Park" in honor of the headquarters of VFL football.  Later in the year, we moved to a ground that was dedicated exclusively to soccer in Ilion - the soccer fields of Russell Park.  Our AYSO league, Mid-State New York Summer Soccer League, and our inaugural High School soccer season (1985) were all hosted at the Russell Park soccer fields.  This became our soccer mecca and we all agreed the ground should be given the nickname "The MCG!"  Given the constant usage of the ground, as well as the tough wet weather conditions in the Fall, the ground took a pounding and it became a quagmire with the many "glue pots" that were akin to those that always existed at St. Kilda's old Moorabin Oval!  Eventually, "The MCG" took on a whole new meaning - "Mud Covered Grounds!"  In fact, the condition of the grounds were so bad that the fields were set off-limits to us until such a time that they could be seeded and given a fair chance to grow the grass that had long since been destroyed.  Our games were moved to the latest soccer field annexation in Ilion - Remington Elementary School on the other side of town.  This ground became our new high school soccer ground.  Because of its distant proximity to our high school and where we all lived, we gave this field the nickname "The SCG" or the Sydney Cricket Ground as we all felt the distance we traveled to get there was akin to traveling from Melbourne to Sydney!  This field held up much better and became the main soccer ground in Ilion until I left the village for good in the early 1990s.  The final ground I'll comment on is the one I hold closest to my heart for many reasons - the South Fifth Avenue Field up on the hill in Ilion.  This field was closest in proximity to my house and I spent many hours training there and fantasizing about being a Collingwood Magpie full-forward. From time to time, we would have soccer practice there or an AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) match, but mostly it was a quiet, neighborhood ground that was level, very grassy and had uprights at either end of the field.  In other words, it was a perfect ground for training.  I frequented the ground so often that the folks living in the houses around the field knew I was there when they heard me kicking my footballs!  It was home to me as Victoria Park is home to the Collingwood Magpies.  Hence, "Victoria Park" became the official nickname of the Fifth Avenue Field!  To this day, I have fond memories of the footy scratch matches my soccer teammates and I had there as well as my developing my kicking technique.  In fact, before I was married, I met one of my girlfriends while kicking at "Victoria Park!"  It's a place that was special to me when I was a young teenager growing up.  Finally, in all the years since I left Ilion for good, I don't think I've kicked on as nice a field as good old "Victoria Park" in Ilion - I continue to miss it to this day!  (UPDATE: Summer 2007) - While vacationing in central New York, I decided to have a personal reunion with close friend Rob Raymond, my commentary partner in our "Australian Rules Football Comment" recordings, and his wife.  We spent part of the day with Rob's two young boys at Ilion's "Victoria Park" which brought back the memories.  More information on this reunion can be found in the Final Thoughts section of My Footy Story.

Though I tried to introduce footy to my fellow mates in the Army, I wasn't as successful as I was in Ilion.  I want to wrap up this section by acknowledging those guys who tried playing footy with me back in Ilion and let them know how much I appreciated their interest and enthusiasm throughout it all.  At this point, I'd like to thank Matt and Aaron Clark, Tim Corriero, Brian and Scott LaRaia, Mark Markley, Reid Jackson, Dave Ball, John Tanner, Steve Yager and Mike Jensen.  Though most of the time we were just clowning around out there, it gave us time to bond closer as a soccer team and helped solidify my status as the most enthused Australian Rules Football supporter in Central New York!  I wonder what we would have done if organized footy was available to us back then?  Nonetheless, it was a thrill that remains as a truly fond memory of that era of my life.  One final thought - I occasionally look back in our Ilion Central High School Senior Year Class of 1987 yearbook and am amazed that more than half the people who wrote in it made some reference to me and Aussie Rules!  I guess we all have to be remembered for something!  Speaking of remembering people, I wonder how many of those guys remember "Jacko" and his wild antics.

Part 6: The "Jacko" Show