Cam and Lib With Us

All things sport in Australia by your resident expert – a few weeks in

For some reason I’ve been tasked with writing this section by Lib. I’m not sure what makes her think I’m more qualified or knowledgable about it?

Anyway, the sporting scene in Australia is not disappointing. To start with we had a lovely trip to the iconic Western Australian Cricket Association ground (the WACA)  to watch a one day match between Western Australia and South Australia. It did not disappoint, a beautiful day in the sun with a couple of beers. The only downsides being the reconstruction of one of the stands leading to construction noises all day and Western Australia losing. Nonetheless my first experience of Cricket in Australia was one to remember and it made me realise that with only a month left in the Australia cricket season I needed to find a team to join. 

So I dropped the mighty Scarborough Sharks a message on instagram and before I knew it I was on my way down to Thursday night nets unsure what to expect. How would my experiences with the Mighty Kimps back home compare to cricket in Australia? Well to start with it’s a little warmer, after adjusting to the heat and chucking a few long hops down I was asked if I bat. I reluctantly said yep, I usually open. So after borrowing some sweaty gears I took guard and faced up. I quickly realised the Astro turf layer on concrete would play slightly different to the rain drenched pitches back home with numerous balls zipping past my nose and making my eyes widen. Despite this I was glad to see the post cricket beers culture exists in Australia as well. So after insisting I’ll only stay for 1 beer (it’s never one) I settled in and was made to feel part of the team. As the committee meeting discussing teams for the weekend ended the skipper wandered over to me and tapped me on the shoulder. “You’re in this weekend mate, hope you’re ready to go”, I assumed he meant in the 2s or 3s, just ease myself in. I quickly realised he meant I’d be playing A grade cricket in the 1st team. Unsure how this level translated back home I spent Friday trying to understand the intricacies of the Australian cricket system but had no success.

So I rocked up on Saturday to the ground and as my new teammates introduced themselves I started to realise this was a big game, currently in 5th we needed a win to try and move ourselves into the top 4 and be in a position to make the finals. The opposition were currently second in the table and it was going to be a tough day in the mud. I said to a few of my teammates that it was a little warmer than I was used to back home, they quickly informed me it was pretty cold today and only 29 degrees. After a grueling 3 hours in the field, I headed out to open the batting. It was tough going and despite saying I needed to leave at 4:30 at the latest to get to work, when the umpire informed me of the time there was no chance I was walking off the pitch. I got out a short time later and made it to work 10 minutes late. Despite this the team went on to win and we followed it up this weekend with another win which secured our place in the finals with one game of the season to go. Despite only being here a short time I’ve been made to feel a part of the team straight away and that seems to extend into everyday life with everyone we’ve met so far being so welcoming and helpful. 

Now onto the next sport, Golf. Having worked at a golf club for 14 months back home it made sense to drop local clubs an email to see if any were hiring. Thankfully I heard back from a very fancy golf club and before I knew it I was in on Thursday for an interview and working an 11 hour shift on the Friday. It was on the Friday that I saw my first Kangaroos with them jumping about on the driving range on the drive into the club. Having chatted to lots of members since joining, many have asked what’s the main difference to a club back home. On the whole there isn’t much except one thing. The golfers (on the whole) are far happier when they’ve finished a round in the warm and sunshine than they are after coming in from freezing temperatures, horizontal rain and 30mph winds. 

While working I’ve also had the chance to pick Australians brains about all things sport. I’ve learnt every rule there is to Aussie Rules (or Aussie no rules as Mike calls it) and am rather excited for the season to start next week. Getting to a Freo Dockers game at Optus Stadium is definitely on my to do list. So much so that I applied to work at Optus Stadium and have now been offered a job working corporate hospitality and suites on game days. 

It’s fair to say Australia lives and breathes sport. It’s everywhere, opportunities galore and I’m sure as I settle into our new home for the next 3-4 months I’ll make the most of these. Playing and watching everything I possibly can, so stay tuned for more updates over the coming weeks as I discover more of the sporting scene in Perth.