Part III of "Pre-season Diaries". This week with Irishman, Gary "Gazza-Sausage" Conlon.
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By Gary Conlon
I first encountered Paul Tinkler when I started my new job back in February. I quickly found out that he was involved with the Toronto Dingos Football Club and he invited me to come down to practice. Considering that the Irish National Sport of Gaelic football and Aussie Rules football are so similar some would believe that I should grasp the latter very easily but the truth is I wholeheartedly dislike Gaelic football and I’ve have been a Soccer player all my life. I was uncertain as to how I would perform on the track.
I was surprised to hear that the common misconception of Aussie Rules Football is that it’s overly aggressive and unruly, I had watched some footie before and always admired the pace, skill and professionalism of the players. It always seemed to me to be a sport centered on athleticism and skill; my first training session would reaffirm this.
My first training session with the Dingos was such a great experience. The first thing I noticed was the team culture. If the Aussies are anything they are a welcoming bunch, I was immediately greeted by Aussies and Canadians alike and you felt they were genuinely pleased to have you training alongside them. The drills are frenetic and a great way to interact with the team; you quickly learn people’s names when your kicking and catching the ball. I enjoy this the most in our practice sessions.
One feature of the Dingos Football Club is their active social calendar. Our first outdoor practice was celebrated with a pub crawl and next week we all head to the Blue Jays season opener. I’ve had a lot of laughs since joining this club, its sense of humor and camaraderie is probably the team’s most outstanding attribute.
I’ve never had so much fun and satisfaction from a sports club in my entire life and that’s including years playing for soccer teams in Ireland. My highlight so far is winning the indoor league with Team Duggan, I learned so much from those sessions and even put some points on the board. The toughest part has definitely been the initial stages of our strength condition classes but it was without a doubt worth it.
I’m most excited about playing a competitive game and succeeding at a position or role on the team. It would mean so much to win a flag with the Dingos and the way preseason has gone I honestly think, as far as a rookie can predict, that the team has a great chance of winning this year.
Last Modified on 30/11/2012 05:01