FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[retagent]

Colon looks like he might be close to giving birth. I may be in better shape than he is.

[OzJohnnie]

The Twinkies are surprisingly competitive this year and, amazingly, in the hunt for a post-season birth. They still haven't made it to TV down here. I've only watched one game about a month ago. Maybe as the season heats up I'll see some play.

Boy or girl?   

Ha!  As a former sailor I should know better. As a surprise announcement, one we looked forward to and one we dreaded.

[OzJohnnie]

Colin's performance (eponymous name for that outing) was actually on TV last night. We watched The Office re-runs instead.

[BDB]

I thought Bart Colo did OK last night. He got into the 5th and could have easily left with a lead if the Twins had gotten a hit here or there when they had ducks on the pond. Kepler for example pops up with one out and bases loaded fercrissakes. When the Twins got a run in the first without getting a hit (walk-walk-hit batter-walk) I thought things were going to go our way.

But they did take the series with the win this afternoon so hey, it's later on in July and the squad is in it. Way better than being 21 1/2 games out at this point. 

[OzJohnnie]

Well, it's down to the desperation end of the season for Hawthorn.  There are only six games left and Hawthorn's shocking start to the season means that we have to win every game to make the post-season. We've been playing really well since the bye, though, winning three, losing one and drawing one.  All against teams at or near the top of the standings.

Our slow start is largely due to a huge list turnover as the champions of the last decade retire or move on.  The starting 22 last weekend against the Cats (a theee-point loss in a hard fought game) had 12 players who did not play in our final game of last season.

And this weekend will see another debut when we play in Fremantle on Saturday night. Connor Glass is a genuine (and obvious Irishman who was playing Gaelic football just two years ago but moved to Oz as a bright-eyed 18 year old and took up AFL with Hawthorn. And this weekend he makes his first start in the big leagues.

From this:


To this:


Next year is looking very exciting as these youngsters come together and Hawthorn make a charge to the top of the pops.

[OzJohnnie]

Also, those with a keen memory may remember that Fremantle's farm system was the source of the six Aussies who played on the collegiate all divisions national championship Aussie Rules team that SJU fielded five or so years ago.  They were at SJU on a study abroad program from the U of Western Australia and helped lift the Johnnies over Duke, I believe, in the championship game.

[OzJohnnie]

Glass actually helped attract another Irish prospect Connor Nash. Nash is a giant who was a champion Gaelic player as well as a member of the under 18 national Rugby Union squad for Ireland. But he's decided to give Aussie Rules a go and moved to Melbourne as an 18-year-old. Although playing this game for less than a year, he got a start in the pre-season and had been playing really well at Box Hill (the highest level minor league team in Hawthorns system).  He tore his hamstring pretty badly a while ago and ended his season, but he's a great prospect.

I had a chance to sit and chat with him for a night at a Hawthorn function a few weeks ago and found out an interesting factoid. He's a dual citizen of both the USA and Ireland as his parents, although both Irish, were living in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin when he was born (his father is a professor, I think).

From this:


To this:

[OzJohnnie]

But the Hawks youngster to really keep your eye on is Ryan Burton.  "Burto" is the very short favorite to win the Rising Star Award this year (Rookie of the Year).  He was an extremely lucky pickup for the Hawks.  We've had horrible picks over the last eight years with five Grand Final appearances, four Premierships, and deep runs every other year except for one.  It has taken some good luck and great hunting for overlooked talent to provide a good, young base of players at the club.

We picked up Burton at pick 19 in the 2015 draft because of a horrific injury his senior year in high school, causing him to miss the 2014 draft where he was a sure bet for a top 3 pick and short favorite for the #1 pick.  In high school we went up for a mark and came down funny, snapping the ball joint off his femur at the knee and causing heaps more ligament damage.  He was told he would never play again and may never run again.  We picked him up with titanium plates holding his leg together a year later, and a year after that?  Superstar.



Burto.  Future Hall of Famer.

EDIT: One last anecdote on Burton that I really like.  He was being interviewed during the televised draft in 2015 (the year after he broke his leg and when we picked him up) and the TV guy asked him, "Who do you think Carlton should draft at #1?"  Burton's answer, "Me."  And he was right.  I'm glad Carlton (and 16 other teams) were wrong.

[SJUrube]

Oz is going heavy on international sports so I thought I'd throw out a Throwback Thursday to some international football and the well publicized UST trip to Canada a couple of summers ago.

[BDB]

Money magazine is listing Brainerd as the poorest city in Minnesota.

I guess they never heard of the WJJY Cash Call.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXJ51EKtkR0

[DuffMan]

Saint John's has a new head wrestling coach...an Auggie (well, he came to the good side quite a while ago).  Congrats to Kevin.  I don't know him well, though we've met a couple of times.

LONGTIME SJU ASSISTANT TAKES OVER WRESTLING PROGRAM

[OldAuggie]

Perfect. I was reading that and was about to post that myself. Congrats!   

[OzJohnnie]

Money magazine is listing Brainerd as the poorest city in Minnesota.

I guess they never heard of the WJJY Cash Call.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXJ51EKtkR0

Ha!  Favourite clip. True fact: that bit made Mrs Oz fall in love with Minnesota. She cackles uncontrollably every time she hears it. "Yeah, I was just out choppin' wood."

[OzJohnnie]

Double ha!  The wife and I just listened again. We always crack up at "A new pair of choppers."  You know it's true that a good pair of heavy-duty, fingerless leather gloves always comes in handy.

[sjusection105]

Money magazine is listing Brainerd as the poorest city in Minnesota.

This source names New Munich as the poorest....after the New Munich Ballroom burned to the ground in January 8,1998 that little town lost a central meeting location for many in Stearns County.
http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/minnesota/poorest-cities-mn/