Badly ACTed

After getting to sleep reasonably easily last night I was awoken a 3am when the alarm on my phone went off. I must have accidentally set it and since the last time it was set was for 3 am that was the default time. It was 5 before I got to sleep again having given up, turned the light on and read my book for a while before that.

Our game was at 11 so when I did wake again a bit after 8 it was time to get up. Karen got to wear the hat today, because she managed to get hit on the legs not once but twice, in the first game. One of those was my short corner shot.

I did something to my knee during the warm up - doing side steps, so I won't so them again - and it was that bit sore before we even started. Fortunately I was able to run pretty well anyway. Our opponents were ACT who had beaten Queensland 1-0 the first day. Unfortunately, despite having a lot of the play we weren't able to score today and again our opponents scored on a dubious umpiring decision - a high ball into the circle was allowed, despite any similar ball that we put in being pulled up.

In fact, the umpiring seemed distinctly one sided today with a large number of decisions going against us. We had one ball hit an opponent just below the knee in our attacking circle that was given against us when it should have been a short corner for us.

Naturally we were all disappointed with the result although the coach said she was pleased with the way we played.

Another upset was a directive given to our manager that we would not be allowed to wear skins. No reason was given and this reverses the policy for the last 4 years without warning. Apart from the additional risk of injury, those of us who normally wear full length skins don't have any alternatives.

We again had a session in the pool and were back at the apartments around 2pm. The Salamanca markets which are only a few hundred metres away were still going and some of us went for a wander, including me. In hind sight, I shouldn't have as my legs we the worse for it. Not only my knee but the Achilles tendon on the "good" leg as well. This market is quite well known but I was unable to get to it last year, even though it was only 50 m from the hotel. However, markets are pretty much the same anywhere and I didn't find anything that was interesting enough to buy.

At 4 we headed back to the ground to watch our 50s play against SA. SA got the first and only goal in the first half on a solo run against play and despite having most of the play our girls had trouble scoring. Finally, Jillie got the break through goal and then Gail scored on a 16 m hit steal only a minute or so later. With 2 short corner goals after that, they had a very solid win. While there I ran into Kelly, my buddy from the 40s. Each year we get assigned buddies from each of the other teams. Kelly had some small gifts for me - a lapel pin and and piece of Huon Pine that can be used to scent your car.

We headed out to dinner pretty much straight away once we had driven back, going to the Telegraph Hotel, where our room had eaten the second night. Again we had an ice cream on the way back. Steak, chips, salad, a cocktail and an ice cream for under $20!

We gathered in another room to plan tomorrow, which is a bye for us. We have training at 8, then plan to do a short tour through the nearby country towns. Tasmania changes to daylight saving tonight which means an hour less sleep. I'll put up pix later.