University classes started probably a little better than i expected although there was this Censorship subject that i cant really relate to because everything is virtually censored in Malaysia, making it almost impossible for me to know about any topics discussed in class. Besides that, i was ready for the challenge of writing better essays and having my papers marked by lecturers over at Deakin.
Back home in Malaysia, every weekend means Barclays English Premier League time at mamak or at the comfort of my own home with a pack of nachos cheese and a can of 100 plus, on the other hand, over here in Melbourne weekend also meant Football!!! Yeah!!! but oh no..... Football here is also known as Australian Football League (AFL) which has a huge followings especially over here amongst Victorians. AFL or Footy are played using both hands and legs, a goal is worth 6 points while a behind is worth 1 point. Footy is played on an oval field with 15 players on each side using a oval shaped ball too (tricky).
One unique thing that i found out about Australian sport is that sports here are played year long. AFL and the National Rugby League (NRL) are played over Autumn and Winter while Cricket, Hyundai A- League (Soccer) and the Australian Open tennis were played over Spring and Summer. Being a huge sport fan myself since young made me realise that i chose the perfect place to come to.
Soccer here is not as popular as it is in Europe and Asia as cricket and rugby dominates the market share of sport down under. Bad news for me, it meant that i would have limited access to Manchester United games although SBS do broadcast the occasional UEFA Champions League games. Beggars are no choosers right?
After signing myself up for the new University gym, i found out that the gym organises weekly indoor soccer league. Where and how do i get a team to sign up? The gym staffs took my name and allocated me and my mate Syahid into a random team which were made out of 3 Sri Lankan post-grad students and a Guatemala international student. I was really excited for the first game but at the same time anxious to see who my teammate were.
I was at my peak in futsal in Malaysia so i was ready to keep that going. Scored a hat-trick in the first game where we lost 4-3 and throughout the season, i have only scored one winning goal against the league leaders to end the season 4th of the ladder, just did enough to qualify for the grand finals week. I knew that i was far from my best, scoring only 4 goals as much was due to the different rules used.
Me and the boys celebrating a surprise win.
Nevertheless, i manage to produce 3 winning goals for my team in the semis and the finals to win The Tigers its first and last grand champion title. Goal tally = 7.
