The Middle-Aged Spectator

Late in August, the Middle Aged Spectator took the opportunity to see his AFL team play their last home game of the season. It has been a difficult season, with the Gold Coast Suns again cruelled by injury, and clearly some internal discontent, which you can be sure more will be heard about during the off-season. But, as a member, and a lover of the sport of Australian Football, off we went. Before this goes any further, a disclaimer. The MAS is a life-longer follower of Australian Football, and the AFL competition in particular. The MAS has never liked the Essendon Football Club. Its supporters are arrogant loudmouths, and after the disgrace that the club brought to the sport and the competition in general through their “Whatever it takes” failed supplement/drug program, feelings towards the club are not improved. That said, some of the MAS’s favourite players are at Essendon: Joe Daniher, David Zaharakis, Dyson Heppell and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (or ‘Tipper’ as the Essendon

The MAS was intrigued by this news story on the Australian ABC's website a couple of weeks ago., and decided to take a day trip to visit. This day trip was a 700km round trip - but worth it. Thallon is one of those tiny towns that pop up every now and again along the highways or railways of rural Australia. To give some idea of how remote this place is (and how big the State of Queensland is) Thallon is about 530km west of the state capital, Brisbane, and even then it's only about one-third of the way across the state from the ocean. So, a long way from nowhere, and not a lot of people there, the last time I had heard Thallon mentioned was during a flood. The town, on the Moonie River had been been flooded in both 2010 and 2011. Now, we hear that the railway has ceased passenger and freight services - just bulk grain transport is available nowadays. So what does a town do to put itself back on the map? Well, what have they got to show off? Not much, just some bloody b

  No, not ‘High School Musical’, but a musical performed by a group of 12-17 year olds. In this case, the show was ‘Rock of Ages 101 High School Edition’. And, more than being at the show, the MAS was an insider, as a guitarist in the band. Since auditions were conducted in February, the MAS had been involved in rehearsals twice a week (and sometimes more) with the enthusiastic and talented young people in the cast, and with the production crew, other band members and directors. Ultimately, the MAS’s role was simply to learn the music and play it. That was a little bit of a problem. The MAS is not a confident or in any way a professional musician, really only getting the instrument out of its case every second year for one of these productions. But, with plenty of practice, some advice from other (far more talented) band members, and much personal admonishment, the job was completed satisfactorily. ‘Rock of Ages’, which has been a mainstream musical on Broadway, is abou