My Story Makes National Headlines in Australia!
After the thrill of rediscovering Aussie Rules in the late 1990s, I wanted to convey the passion and love I had for the game since I had originally learned about it back in 1983. To that end, I decided to build a webpage (i.e. the original version of this website) that reflected on that span of some 15 years in hopes of sharing my story with others who had similar experiences. Little did I know that the response would be overwhelming and much of it originated from Australia! While I was thrilled that my story reached the far corners of the globe, I would never have expected that my story was the stuff of headline news.
Late in 1998, I was contacted by reporter Chris McAsey of Channel Seven News in Melbourne. After sending his kind regards, he asked if he could develop an article about my footy story that would receive top billing on the official AFL website. I was clearly shocked but agreed to do so. Chris then e-mailed me a loosely worded questionnaire that allowed me to tell my story in a manner that would allow him to cultivate an effective article. If I remember correctly, we had a couple of exchanges before he felt comfortable with what he had in terms of source material. Finally, on the 29th of January 1999, the headlines on the AFL website read "An American Footy Journey" along with my photo. I was numb all over as I read it and simply could not believe my little story would garner this much attention. I thanked Chris for taking the time to write such a wonderful article and I vaguely remember him telling me to get out there onto the southern California pitches and fulfill the dream by playing for the Orange County Bombers which I eventually did.
The end result was that my website was steamrolled with traffic predominantly from Australia. I tried my best to write each individual back to thank them for chiming in; however, I cannot recall if I did as I must have received hundreds of e-mails and entries in my guestbook. One month later, I began what was a two-year career with the Bombers in the California Australian Football League. My team members appreciated my joining them as it brought free advertisement for the club and my well respected adversaries I faced each week often made mention of me and the article ... mostly when I had a set shot for goal!
The original article, as it was published back in the day, can be viewed by selecting Original AFL Story in the Links section to the left. It will open a new window so simply close it to return here.
Finally, I wish to thank Chris McAsey for the thrill of a lifetime by sharing my story with footy fans down under.
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