AIHL Finals Weekend Craziness!

Sep 5, 2018
5 min read

Now that the dust has settled and we have all had a little bit of time to sit back and realise that our CBR Brave are the 2018 Goodall Cup Champions, I think it might be time to share my thoughts on the weekend!

This post would never really have happened without the encouragement of Coach Starke, I just would never have thought too much about it! If there is one thing that I took out of this weekend is just how wild and crazy this Brave Family of ours is...and how much love there is in it!

I, like many of you, had been looking forward to the Finals weekend for some time...the Brave locked up top spot and all our attention turned to September 1 & 2. This was our shot...it was our destiny!

We had our accommodation booked, our tickets were carefully planned and purchased. It was going to be an epic weekend with great friends, great food and plenty of good times!

That all came crashing down with one email....but it was an email that I had been wanting for so long. An incredible career opportunity had presented itself...and I literally had no choice but to take it!

So with heavy heart I told my wife, friends and family that I wouldn't be joining them for Finals weekend....the saving grace being that I had all of their support in the decision.

Unbeknownst to me, behind the scenes there were plans for Grizzly to still be at the AIHL Finals! This is where things get maybe a little crazy!

It all started when I received this picture....

I couldn't help but laugh when I got it....but what would follow in the days to come completely blew my mind!

Over the course of the next two days (Saturday and Sunday) I was inundated with the images below...and it honestly made up for not being there! Most of you I know, but then there are the few in there that I haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting. All of you helped me make it through the weekend and even more, made me feel like I hadn't missed all that much! There is a gallery below of all of the images I received during the course of the weekend....thank you to everyone that took the time to have their photo taken and an even bigger thank you to the guys that organised this....you guys are unreal!

My initial plan for the weekend was to catch a flight to Melbourne at 5pm and come and celebrate or commiserate...whichever was more applicable....with the Brave Family. Knowing that I would only make it for such a short time was alright with me because I would still get a chance to be there and I would still get to spend time with Wifey and our friends and family.

But......it would seem as though the Hockey Gods were smiling on me that day as well!

An early finish on Sunday set of a series of events that would normally be innocuous....but not on this day! I managed to finish everything that needed to be done at around 2pm on Sunday and I immediately set about getting to Melbourne as soon as I could!

The car was low on fuel though....and I knew I wouldn't make it to the airport. I made a bee line for the nearest petrol station and filled up, while at the same time buying a one way ticket to Melbourne on the 3pm flight. When things are this crazy....you have know idea how difficult it is to purchase a ticket...first it wouldn't let me use frequent flyer points.....then it kept refusing my payment method and saying my details were wrong....they weren't....then it kept trying to add a hotel stay...which I did not want!

After all of this....I finally managed to get a ticket for the 3pm flight from Canberra to Melbourne. I had also managed to check in while still filling the car up. I was all set to go! I just needed to get there!

Despite a wrong turn....luckily there was a roundabout just after it...I made it to the car park at about 2:30pm and changed out of a suit into something a bit more comfortable, then made my way as quickly as possible to the gate!

I threw my phone on the charger and put the live stream on just as the game got underway!

My flight was delayed by 20 minutes due to an issue with the catering on board or something...and I thought for sure I would miss the end of the game. I boarded the plane and continued to watch until the last possible moment. We were up 2-0 when I had to put my phone on airplane mode and endured a torturous 50 minute flight with no way of knowing what was happening!

As soon as we landed I let Wifey know I was here and I promptly put the game back on...only to find out that it was now 3-3......WHAT HAPPENED HERE?! HOW IS IT 3-3!!! ARGH!!!!

I ran through the airport to get a taxi as soon as I could....and could not have caught worse luck here....not only did the driver not know what the O'Brien Group Arena was...He didn't even know what the Melbourne Star was....you know...that giant Ferris wheel in Docklands?! Despite having about 12% battery left on my phone I threw on the GPS so I could give him directions....and watch the game unfold in the 3rd period!

I was about 5 minutes away when period 3 ended....and it suddenly got real...I would actually get to see the Brave win or lose. It was happening....I was going to be there!

I stopped the taxi and backed up traffic back to Costco.....I didn't care.....I had somewhere to be!

I ran across the road to the front of OBGA and saw that there was a small crowd out the front....their reaction was incredible! All I remember is everyone there screaming and yelling and hugging me! I HAD MADE IT!!!!!!!!

I ran inside and said to the gate attendant "I haven't been here all weekend....and I have a ticket.....and I need to get in now....please....thank you"....I'm still not sure whether she let me in because I am a crazy, frantic, big dude in her face.....or if she actually believed me....but thank you!

I caught a glimpse of the ice just as the puck dropped on overtime!

I continued to run.....I ran up the stairs....I ran to the stairs and made my way to my family in the stands.....they were all over the moon that I had actually made it and that I would be there with them regardless of how this turned out!

Everyone that saw me from that point on screamed in excitement that I had made it! To all of you who did.....thank you! It was absolutely incredible and surreal that you all had that reaction.

Before long....Scott and Murray had beckoned me down toward the bench to keep the C-B-R chant rolling...but before I could I was wrapped in hugs and then we saw Dr Darge take the zone and Hollywood (Gerling) let loose a wicked wrister....all I saw was the twine of the net ripple and Kimlin's bottle jump up and I knew it had finally happened! GGGGGGOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!

I have never seen anything like it before.....the reaction from every single one of you in the stands....from pure elation to uncontrollable tears of joy....that is something that I will never forget! As I sit here writing this I am covered in goosebumps remembering it all!

I rushed the bench to congratulate the boys and thank the Bears players....We had seen the heartache....we had tasted success....we had tasted glory.....we have finally finished the story!

As much as we have finished the story....this is still just the beginning....there is more to come!

Grizz!