It was grand Final day at the Wimborne sports ground my stomach was churning inside of me. I Stumbled to my hands and began to throw up in one of the shrubs in the car park. I was interrupted by dads laughing “You sissy stop begin a girl and get with your team we’ve got a grand final to win! ” I replied back “Well actually dad if you remember, the only reason our team made it to the grand final was because of me” my dad just laughed and said “Sure, sure whatever you believe Aden”.
The only reason dad named me Aden was because my dad believed that one day I would hopefully grow up as some tough rugby league super star like Greg Inglis or Sam Thaiday. But no I am nothing more than a sticker figure, with shorter hair and gleaming blue eyes. Every time a girl tries to join the mixed division in league the boys always say “women can’t play league” everyone in the league team seems to laugh when someone says that no matter how old the pun is.
I never laugh at it though, because I know girls can be just as good as boys at sport. Like my P. E teacher once said to the footy boys. It’s blatantly obvious that you’re just trying to label girls with a modern day stereotype, which has been slowly adopted and accepted into contemporary society”. The only reason why we won last week was because I put my tiny body in front of the biggest player on the opposition’s team. Although I did get concussed, I saved my team from an obvious point scoring opportunity. My body managed to dislodge the ball from the forwards hand. Which helped set up the assist for my fullback to run the whole length of the field.
Scoring the game winning try for our team which placed us where we are now. We were laying in the Northern state grand final it was Ash burn high against our school St. Peters. In a dead lock score of 16 all respectively, there could ultimately be only one winner which was going to be decided within, just under 30 seconds on the clock. Our team was fatigued puffing and panting with each breath. We were struggling to get out our own half, in fact we were struggling to get passed our own 10 meter line. Christy the only other girl on the field tried desperately to gain meters for our team after collecting a pass from lake our hooker. Christy decided to take the hand brake off.
Without even realising it Christy was heading straight at the two biggest forwards on the other team it was a disaster. Even a mathematician wasn’t need to figure out that Christy was running straight at her demise. Everyone on the oval could feel the ground shake as Christy edged closer and closer time slowed down the two forwards however, left a slight gap in there wall like defence. But Christy was no winger her body was too big to squeeze through the gap. Christy collided with the left and right shoulder of the two defenders the sound was indescribable it was like Loki and Thor going at each other in a marvels movie.
The ball slipped out of Chrissy’s grasp, and came rolling to a stop on a fresh patch of grass. After possession was handed over to the opposition in the scrum. Ash burn high began one of their notorious counter attacks which was to draw defenders into the middle of the field whilst their wingers became unmarked leaving a gaping hole in any defending team. The only floor in this straight is that they have been doing the same move all season and somehow it still managed to get us almost every time, but this time I was ready.
Instead falling for their trap, I waited for the cut out pass to come spiralling towards there right side winger. As the siren rang out across the oval, I sprinted towards the football, as | came closer towards the football I leapt up in mid-air. Gently catching the football with my left hand, intercepting the spiralling cut out pass. The foot chase was on the crowd was going berserk with excitement, the winger that was meant to receive the ball was puffing and heaving as he darted after me down field. The crowd returned to a dead silence when they realise the winger on the opposition’s team was catching up to me.
However he miss calculated his timing and went to ankle tap me, I braced myself but he missed and I continued to run forward cutting up the ovals lush grass with each step. The only thing stopping me winning the grand final and gaining the respect of my dad was the full back stand at 6 foot tall his look of determination almost stopped me in my tracks, I felt my heart sink. I wasn’t going to bring shame to my farther. I felt a shiver down my spine as I crossed the half way line, I could see my dad in the corner of my eye he was biting his finger nails and shaking violently.
I swallowed, putting my dad to the back of my mind. The fullback’s eyes pierced straight through me as I tried to confuse him by stepping left to right, but it did nothing this time he was sprinting straight at me. I remembered what my dad had told me before the game he warned me in a stern voice “Wait until a player is arms distance apart a before you palm them” as the full back leant down to make the tackle. I put my arm straight out in front of me using my palm as a shield. 5 meters before the oppositions try line my arm connected with his forehead echoing like thunder around the oval.
He stumbled backwards and landed straight on his tail bone, I dived over the top of his mangled body and slid across the lush grass. The roar from the home crowd was just phenomenal, but that was the least of my concerns. I jogged over to the fullback his hands were on his face whilst he rolled around, I glanced as his face could see he was in so much pain and agony. “Do you need a hand cry baby” | boomed out grabbing his hand and yanked him up. His head leant against my ear and he whispered just loud enough in my ear so I could distinguish his voice from the crowds’ ruckus “I can’t believe I got palmed by a girl”.