ROUND 10 – A1 GRADE MATCH PREVIEWS AFTER PARTY PRESENTATION PRESSURE GROWS The final round of a sometimes controversial, but always entertaining autumn pennant season draws to an end this Thursday night. Frankston and Carrum Downs have already secured a gold medal playoff game in two weeks time. However three sides including my beloved Somerville and our opponents this week Mt Martha, are all sitting on four wins and will battle it out for third and fourth spots and the opportunity to slug it out for team bronze. If success is indeed a drug, my partner “Ripper” Collins is lucky he hasn’t been busted in a season of highs that has seen him claim the club singles championship, the open singles crown at the recently held country week tournament and comprehensive wins against Mornington’s finest in club competition. However there is one experience that will put the icing on the cake for “Ripper” and that of course is the gastronomical triumph traditionally served up in the players lounge at the trophy presentation “after party”. “Ripper” has spent the past 8 years in New Zealand, presumably eating sheep and I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he eyes the aussie meat pies, pasties and other savoury delights on offer on presentation night. However, once again, this all translates to additional and unwelcome pressure on your Face Book editor, as I try to book a seat for “Ripper” at the post season festivities. “Ripper” will of course wallop Chris “Thrasher” Robinson and “Fever” O’Meara, so yet again we need a win in the doubles to get us over the line, although I may have a chance against “Thrasher” if I play him early whilst he is still wearing multi layers of clothing and his movement is restricted. Court 3 will host the singles blockbuster of the night when, “The Frankston Express” Sam Palmer goes head to head with his old adversary, Jarryd Cathcart “The J C Train”. Frankston’s Palmer takes a 17-1 record into this match but has come off the boil in recent weeks as evidenced by his 3-0 loss to “Iron Jay” Mark Flavel in the semi finals of the club championships. I have a funny feeling that Cathcart may take advantage of Palmer’s minor form slump and win this one in seven, handing the Leading Player trophy to “Ripper”. Given that “Ripper” has taken away everything but the club’s kitchen sink and state of the art pie warmer in his first season at the club, I figure we may as well let him take the Leading Player award as well. If “The JC Train” does get the points against Palmer, it will of course have no influence on the match result as “The Frankston Express” will crush the mentally fragile, “Pretty Boy” Du Plooy before Palmer’s partner Gary “Rowdy” Anderson gets in the queue to do the same, whilst Frankston will have little trouble winning the doubles. The Carrum Downs/Langwarrin clash is a table tennis promoter’s worst nightmare. When the main interest is centred on the colour of “Iron Jay” Mark Flavel’s shoes on the night and whether he will remember to wear his underwear, you know you’re in for a shocker. “Boom Boom” Bronsema was a no show last week whilst his partner “Chainsaw” O’Connor soaked up the rays on a tropical island somewhere in the Pacific, which says something about the negative mindset of the Langwarrin pair as they come to the end of their season of woe. “Sam the Fan” won’t give this one a second look – in fact I’d be surprised if he gives it a first look. This is not to take anything away from the Carrum Downs pair of Flavel and his partner “The Carrum Downs Colossus” Phil Bolitho who are playing some great table tennis and have given themselves a chance of back-to-back premierships, when they face off against Frankston for team gold in a fortnight’s time. Hit hard and prosper Greig Whitelaw
Posted on: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 07:22:16 +0000
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