So another week and there is more beer to be drunk and more football to be watched. Those who regularly read my stuff will know that when I say football I mean Australian Rules Football and in the national competition my team is the North Melbourne Kangaroos. Now due to COVID we are not allowed any crowds in Melbourne where we normally play so they are playing in Hobart (in Tasmania, that little island of the southern edge of the Australian mainland) and I'm watching it on the television.
But I'm not alone my Dad and my Brother have come over to watch it with us, which is always nice. Nicer still my brother has bought us beers to drink during the game.
Now if you are following along my team is not good this year - in fact we are last (18th) on the ladder, with one win and one draw (last week) and we are playing the 4th best team - Brisbane, so it doesn't bode well.
A game of football is nicely divided into 4 quarter each about 30 minutes long, so if you are sharing beers as we are if you have a beer a quarter you are drinking at a responsible pace.
Quarter 1,
North are there or thereabouts in the first quarter - we have set up well we are keeping the pressure on and it's going okay. Score a 1/4 time: North 1 goal, 2 behinds = 8 points, Brisbane 2 goals, 4 behinds = 16 points.
For the beer we are going with Fixations 30666 with is an Imperial red, it’s good, but maybe not as good as I would like it needs a little more body and smoothness which is a little weird given it's close enough to 10% ABV - but does have a great hop character
Quarter 2
Somehow North are very much in this - we are stringing plays together, moving the ball with ease and at half time we go in ahead helped by Brisbane being a little inaccurate - North 4 goals 3 behinds = 27 vs Bris 3 goal 7 behinds = 25
I get my wish on the beer front as well it's Duncan’s oat cream IPA from New Zealand and it's this lovely, Very smooth beer, it has the body that the 30666 was missing, gentle smooth, fruity and lovely.
Half Time is a break which goes for 20 minutes or so it's a good time to chat and catch up, and of course have a beer - appropriately we go with a nice refreshing Saison from Hop Barn brewing it's a light and easy drinking beer.
Quarter 3
The big question is can we stay in it - and the answer is, well not quite. They start to get away from us but we peg them back, it's an amazing effort, they are a very good team and we very young, rebuilding as they say and are sticking with them, almost. At 3/4 time it's North 36 Brisbane 45
And the beer, well we have gone all sophisticated with IDA Pruhl brewery's Wild Bronze Ale. It's a A very good brew, a touch of fruitiness easy drinking. Sour tartness bretty without being too yeasty
Quarter 4 which brings us to the last quarter and the beer is the most local brewery to North Melbourne it's Bonehead and their beer Salted chocolate outmeal stout - This beer promises a lot, probably doesn’t deliver, a hint of salt it sort of there but not really.
And that somes up North's day, it promised a lot, and we can find promising signs in it, but ultimately delivers very little, well another loss - final score North 45 Brisbane 68.
Oh well there is always next week, another game and some more beers.
And there is always #Beersaturday posts - Check them all out on the main post here
and here is local hero Tarryn Thomas in action from yesterdays match
