BUSSELTON CARNIVAL JUNE 2010
Thinks kicked off early this year for the annual mid year country carnival to be held at Busselton. With the first game at 10.00am The Sharks gathered at Hands Oval at 8.00am to catch the bus to Busselton. Our favorite bus driver rolled up on time & was duly presented with a Sharks cap promised after the game held at Subiaco oval. A commitment was also made to provide a signed shirt for him as well provided we can find one big enough. Along the way stops were made at Gelorup & Stratham to pick up other members of the team.
Upon arrival we were greeted with cool overcast conditions. Our first game commenced on Oval no2 at 10.00am against the Vic Park Pigs & ring ins. Before even the first bounce the first stuff up occurred when Macca & Fergy lined up at CHF & CHB instead of the other way round. They were quickly seen running to the other ends with Macca blaming Fergy for this wrong position fiasco. The first half was a bit of a slug fest as both sides battled the greasy conditions. The Sharks were well on top but were not converting on the scoreboard. An early goal to Jules had the Sharks in front but the Pigs replied not long after. Lofty was doing well in the ruck feeding the on ball brigade of Reggie, Marshy & Belly. Terry the Taker & Crack were doing a great job on the last line of defence & repelled many dangerous forward thrusts by the Pigs.The Pig was looking resplendent in the black Princess singlet over his jumper (courtesy of his performance in the previous game at Busselton) & was doing well against his namesake “The Pigs”. The Sharks went into half time withslender lead.The second half got underway with the Sharks dominating proceedings. This half the Sharks got reward for their efforts as the goals flowed. The Sharks were on top all over the ground with all contributing & in the end ran out easy winners 6.6 to 2.2. Coach Whitey was happy with this performance with good team football being displayed in the greasy trying conditions

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Next assignment was Fremantle who looked impressive despite going down to Albany.

The Next game against Fremantle commenced at 12.00 in bright sunshine & the temperature rising. Fremantle hit the ground running early on & gained the ascendency with early goals. They had the Sharks on the back foot as the Sharks of old returned. Funny how this always happens when the Sharks are behind. The team rules of first option, keeping possession, running to space & sharing the ball around disappear. Instead it is replaced with individual efforts, trying to break tackles, not using first option but worst of all criticizing fellow teammates & abusing the umpires. This type of behavior is not on & reflects poorly on the whole club. Whitey relayed this message to the Sharks at half time in no uncertain terms.
The second half was a much better effort. The Sharks attacked constantly but were not fully rewarded for their efforts on the scoreboard. Vossy kicked a nice snap goal which was his first for the Sharks. His high fiving up the ground was a sight to see along with the smile on his face. This is what Master rules is all about & keeps bringing you back to see someone like Vossy rewarded for his efforts this year. The Sharks overall held their own this half but the damage had been done in the first half with that deficit unable to be bridged. The Phantoms running out comfortable winners. Coach Whitey was a bit happier with the second half efforts.

The last game was against the Northern Warriors. This is the team that gave us an old fashion shellacking at last years carnival. In fact it was suggested they had beaten us at the last four carnivals. Revenge was in the air especially with the Sharks keen to redeem themselves after a poor showing against the Phantoms.  This proved to be the case with the Sharks starting well & dominating early possession. The midfield was well on top with Reggie & Belly in the thick of the action. Belly was also seen to handball straight after taking a mark, his first option handball opening up the forward line for yet another goal. Des hit a purple patch against the purple Freo team as he provided a great target at half forward on the far side of the ground. Terry the Taker was busy showing his tumbling & recovery skills as he tripped over his own feet ball in hand all alone in the defensive goal square. After the Eskimo roll he managed to re gain his composure & gather the ball. By this time the opposition had arrived. Instead of rushing the ball through for a behind, Terry handballed to an unsuspecting Royce who was now in a spot of trouble. He managed to get out of the situation & come to rescue Terry for his clumsiness. Again that is what Master Rules is about simply laughing at someones unintentional mistake, enjoying the moment & not paying out on them. Not long after Woodsey was caught in an old fashion sandwich between Belly2 & an opposition player. He was lifted off the ground then hit the ground with Belly2 landing on top of him. He lay on the ground motionless for a period of time trying to draw breath from a good old fashion winding. After a good first half the Sharks went into half time with a comfortable lead.
The last half got underway with the Sharks holding sway again. The midfield was doing well with Thommo, Walks & Crawf doing well. Up forward Fergy & The Pig were providing good targets with some strong grabs. Youngy got cleaned up in the forward pocket & from the resultant free kick kicked what looked like a miraculous goal from the impossible angle. However it was judged to be a point much to the disappointment of the crowd. The final siren blew to the relief of all involved as it signaled the end of the football for these 2 clubs for the day then onto the serious business of a few beers. It also signaled the end of the Northern Warriors domination of the Sharks & the Sharks were able to savior a significant victory. Well done to all it what was a real team effort. It shows what can be done when just concentrate on the football, do the first option & share the ball around. Final scores 7.3 to 2.3

Award winners for the day were Des for his elusive efforts on the half forward line. He presented well all day. The other award went to “Crack” who was very solid on the last line of defense  then turned defense into attack with some good runs out of the backline.
Special mention to Belly2 who not only paid all Sharks games but also filled in for Collie in their 3 games. Well done that is what it is all about. Also thanks to Wishy for umpiring duties for the Sharks in 3 games. Another thanks to Bevan for his assistant coaching duties. Not an easy task to do with so many guys on the bench all wanting a run. He did a great job apart from one blunder in the last game which best not to elaborate any further on.
The one downside for the day was the injury to “Not so Lucky” Phil. He managed to dislocate his shoulder somehow in the first game. After some attention at the Busselton Hospital to put the shoulder back in place, he was back at the Carnival in a sling. Best wishes for a speedy recovery Phil.
After the presentations & a few beers it was back onto the bus. Went into Busselton to the Esplanade Hotel. Pretty quiet there so after a few beers off to the Capel tavern for a few more beers. Then back to Bunbury around about 8.00pm
All in all a great day out & a great experience for our new players such as Vossy, Crack Woodsey, Brett & Walks. You now have Perth Carnival to look forward to.