Head vs Heart

A brilliant idea popped into my head last week - not an idea, per se, but a realisation, maybe even a resurfacing of a yearning from the subconscious that had been suppressed for the past several years: it just occurred to me that I missed the atmosphere of live football games. As of that moment, I have made a vow to start watching games live again.

Now that that's sorted, I need a team to support. Sure, the team I used to support is still around (back in the days when I lived in Perth - it was no coincidence that that team was the local one), but I could do with one that is a little more local, more accessible (also, Perth Glory isn't going so well, although I will keep my soft spot for them). Melbourne has two teams: Victory and Heart. Now, if you're not a sports fan, how it is that I choose between these two as to who I'd support would seem like an utter act of lunacy. However, all sports fans are mad, so if you happen to know one, try to understand.

One would think that part of this process would involve the form of the teams - whether or not they are playing well. WRONG. It's all about your opinions on the clubs. This means analysing the following: what you think of the players you recognise; your first impressions on the players you don't; and the potential achievements the club can accomplish within the foreseeable future (say, 2-3 years) with the current playing group and coach based on your opinions of said playing group and coach. It's all very instinctive; or, to put it more crudely, very blind.

So let's compare the teams: I know several players from each team, so I can actually do the first step. Heart's captain is a man named Simon Colosimo, a centre back who I've seen play for Perth and Australia as a holding midfielder. While my memories of him are not distinct, I remember being fond of him. Victory's captain, Kevin Muscat, is also a centre back who also used to play for Australia, only he's much older than Colosimo. I have yet to see him play, but he has recently been involved in a spat with a referee due to his excessive complaining about a specific decision, which caused him to be banned for three matches. As far as captains are concerned, Heart has this in the bag quite easily.

There are more parallels in the other players I know from the clubs - both of them are strikers. Victory's is Archie Thompson, a very fast, if injury prone forward who has represented Australia - I had never been a big fan. On the other hand, Heart has John Aloisi: the very person who kicked Australia into the 2006 FIFA World Cup in the penalty shootout against Uruguay, something I respect him immensely for. In addition, I am familiar with the goalkeeper and another defender from Heart, both of whom I like. This also produces a clear result.

Onto the players I don't know. One player from Victory that has been prominent in recent weeks is Robbie Kruse, Thompson's partner up front. He looks like a jerk and he acts like one too - he's the guy who celebrates his away goals obnoxiously in front of the home fans (granted, he was only shown like that on the news once - the A-League doesn't actually get coverage on regular TV), but he looks the type to do that consistently. I haven't actually seen what the other Heart players are like, but judging by the team members that I know, they should be awesome too.

Heart, being a relatively new team (they only started competing this season), has no history, while Victory has been around since 2005, which was when the league was established. During this time, they are the only team to have ever won the league aside from Sydney FC. However, Heart is not playing too badly and, in fact, are only two points behind Victory on the ladder, which indicates that they could play finals this year and in the years to come. So there you have it: I am now a Melbourne Heart supporter.

When it comes down to it, picking a team to support is really just going with your guts. Which is weird, because this is what lifelong loyalties are made of. If anyone's wondering, no, I will not show up at my first game with a jersey and a scarf and a flag and all that. No, I will have to earn my stripes and each piece of memorabilia will come when the time is right (and the wallet had been replenished). There will be a home game as soon as the 2nd of January and I know I will be there.

Is There A Name for A Question You End Up Answering Yourself?

So, the holidays are here and, as usual, I'm not entirely sure what to do with myself. For this first week, I have been reduced to a breathing blob. Not that I mind too much, of course. It's just not really how I'd like to spend the next eight weeks.

Currently, I'm aiming to have written an LP's worth of songs over the holiday period, which, although plausible, would require bouts of dedication - something that does not particularly go hand-in-hand with relaxation. Not to mention the fact that I have schoolwork to do (and more than the prescribed amount if I want any sort of edge for the coming year). If this were to flop, I wouldn't be entirely surprised.

As far as a job is concerned, I've been advised to get in touch with an agent for Indonesian international students looking for employment. Conveniently, the local one's a family friend. More to follow.

As I type, the answer to my original query ('what will I do over the holidays?') flies and hits me in the face: I realise that I have not been the most diligent in updating this. This could very well change, so look forward to a hell of a lot more posts over the next two months.

(I need a sign-off line pretty badly)