Now before the mods get inundated with requests to move this post to the "summer of cricket" thread, it does have a Carlton link.

I have recently returned to Darwin from a trip to Melbourne to see my father (who is extremely ill with pancreatic cancer). Dad would not entertain the idea of me travelling all that way just to see him, so I told him that I was mainly coming down to see the one day cricket game between Aust and SA at the Telstra Dome and may as well drop in to Rye and see him. The ploy worked.

After spending a few days with dad, I ventured to the dome and had just settled in to my seat when 4 young blokes wandered in and sat in the seats immediately in front of me.

I thought I recognised them so I tapped on the shoulder of the guy in front of me and said..." Excuse me but are you Marc Murphy?" He said yeah, so I introduced myself and told him that I was from Darwin, had barracked for Carlton all of my 56 years, was a Carlton member, was a member of a couple of online carlton supporter groups and that I recognised the three blokes with him (who were Josh Kennedy, Paul Bower and Ryan Jackson.)

We got talking and the guys were a bit supprised that I knew and remembered the number they were picked in the draft, where they were from and what their guernsey number was. The Melbourne supporter next to me was a bit taken aback as well. I explained that all dedicated TalkinCarlton posters were just as well informed.

I talked to Marc about his cricket as he had played in previous Aust under age carnivals against my son.

I talked to Josh and Paul about settling in in Melbourne after arriving from Perth.

Ryan was busy dancing to all ther old disco songs that they played between overs.

I asked them if I could take some photos with my phone and they were happy to oblige and then took some of each other with my phone. I have tried to download them to my PC but failed miserably. If there is anyone with the technical know how willing to give me their mobile number I could message the photos to be downloaded to this site. ( I asked the guys if they were OK with me posting their photos and a bit of a blurb about meeting them. They were fine with it)

Bower and Kennedy are big blokes and look like being the physical type to develop into KPP of the future.

The four recruits were impressive young guys and caused me to recall a post on TC that talked about the club being keen to recruit kids of good character. My impression is that with Marc, Josh, Paul and Ryan the Blues are well and truely on the right track.

I'd be interested to calculate the odds of getting seated behind the four Blues recruits in a crowd of 39.000+ ( may be a job for Jarusa)


So meeting the Blues recruits really topped off my day/night at the cricket - we beat SA as well.

And if Ryan is just as hungry for the footy as he was for the beach ball in the crowd, then he will be a gun.

_________________
“Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile a way and you have their shoes."

Great post.

Did you inform Paul Bower you are his player sponsor?



I'll get back to you on the odds.

_________________
|♥♥♥♥♥♥| http://www.blueseum.org |♥♥♥♥♥♥|

I mentioned to Murph ( we are on nickname terms now ) that a couple of supporter sites that I belong to sponsor Josh and Paul. Paul wasn't aware of Talkin Carlton or the sponsorship. I thought maybe it is announced at the jumper presentation but was going to PM the mods to check.

_________________
“Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile a way and you have their shoes."

Good thing about being these 4 blokes is that it seems that these new draftees have decided to get some bonding outside of footy time by going to the cricket together which means they seem to be friends already. That's a positive sign...good camaraderie off the field will lead to better understanding and good camaraderie on the field.

That's what I'm most pleased with. Good to see the Melbourne boys helping Kennedy and Bower settle in by being mates with them.

_________________
"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

I know its only three but Bradley, Kernahan and Motley. I like bonding

top post! great to see the new lads looking after each other.

Great post NTBlue! Thanks for sharing with us.

_________________
Witty signature required.

Hope all goes well with your father.

_________________
"Carlton's most loyal, their bruised and battered egos now seemingly a bad dream, drank beers, murdered pies and cheered every time Judd touched the ball."

Great story...can't wait to see the pictures (was there a Boony involved!?!)

So , is the Melbourne Supporter going to be their witness when they lay the stalking charges?.. ..

Good luck with your Dad too!

_________________
“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee

Great post NTBlue.

Very good of the lads to happily mix with their supporters in their down time.

You Dad sounds like a good man making you go to the cricket before you can visit him.

Best Wishes.

Sure that's the way you bumped into the boys. Yeah right. Stalker.

_________________
This might sound extreme in the context of alleged sexual assault, drunken violence and a drug trafficking charge...

GREAT NIGHT OUT !!!

_________________
*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

Great stuff NTBlue. Thanks for the report.

All the best with your Dad too.

I'll PM my mobile number and we'll see what we can do with these pics you got.

Cheers camel

_________________
Click here to follow TalkingCarlton on twitter
TalkingCarlton Posting Rules

Terrible news about your Dad NT, pansreatic cancer got my old man a few years ago.

My thoughts are with you mate.

_________________
Richard Pratt - A Carlton legend.

I haven't been online for a couple of days as I have been crook in bed and MrsBlue has confiscated the laptop. ( Bloody Essendon* supporters!)

Thanks to CamelB for the offer to post the pics. I have probably just overloaded the SMS on CBs phone.

Thanks DeannoS, Laserboy and CB for the kind words about my dad. He has been a Carlton supporter for 80 years and was happy to hear my account of meeting the four blues recruits.

Billc3 and WBY.... I was concerned about infringing on their space, (stalking) so was very particular about asking their permission to take photos. I wanted some from behind to show that they were seated right in front of me. They were not the slightest bit put out and actually took a few photos of each other with my phone.

CarltonClem... the point you make about the Melbourne lads (Murph and Ryan) bonding with the Perth lads was very apparent. I had similar thoughts at the time about that sort of value to the team.

_________________
“Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile a way and you have their shoes."

After undergoing a steep learning curve on txting photo's per mobile phone, uploading them to a PC and emailing to a helpful (and patient) moderator (thanks Cboy), I think I may now know how to post pics... I am only a couple of light years away from my grandkids when it comes to this technology stuff....

I think I recognise these guys sitting down in front of me... isn't that Ryan Jackson the Carlton recruit?



and yeah now I am sure - thats Mark Murphy



and those two guys are Josh Kennedy and Paul Bower. We sponsor them at TalkingCarlton and TBV/BigFooty




Hey Ryan would you mind taking a break from the dancing to disco tunes between overs so you could take a few photos with my phone?




Josh Kennedy - taken by Ryan Jackson




Paul Bower taken by Marc Murphy




Self portrait taken by Marc and Ryan with NTBlue lurking in the background ( Wild Blue Yonder and Billc3 - I said LURKING not stalking )

_________________
“Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile a way and you have their shoes."

Good Work

_________________
"Dont count the games, make the games count"

Good stuff NT.

_________________
Click here to follow TalkingCarlton on twitter
TalkingCarlton Posting Rules

Nice work for a northener.









stalker

_________________
This might sound extreme in the context of alleged sexual assault, drunken violence and a drug trafficking charge...

Excellent stuff,....don't worry NTBlue, I'll be a charcter witness for you at the trial...

_________________
“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee