southerncross
05-09-2007, 06:38 AM
Aker: We must get better (http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,22364910%255E19742,00.html)
FOR eight teams, this week has been a time to reflect on what has been a disappointing year, Jason Akermanis writes.
No matter what spin you put on it, when you don't make the finals, the year hasn't turned out the way you intended.
I am certainly in that boat. I thought we could finish in the top four.
That was our goal, but not to be, for lots of reasons I won't go into because I hate giving excuses. We just have to get better and make some changes.
But once you get over reflecting on lost chances, you look immediately to next year.
You, of course, also get to let your hair down.
This has been my 13th "Mad Monday" and as I get older, days like this get a little easier. This is probably because I have earned the right to help hand out the punishments.
This year is, however, very different with a completely new group of potential drinkers.
My first Mad Monday was one I will never forget, or one I almost forgot.
When I got off high school and rocked up late, it was my first big mistake. I was 18 and not much of a drinker (I'm still not) so that didn't help.
Two pots of beer and two shots of tequila as punishment followed. After another beer or two, just to show my mates how good I was, I remember starting to feel a little queasy.
The next thing I know I am looking at the garden one floor down and bent over the edge of the railing in front of peak-hour traffic.
My next memory was coming to in the one of the hotel's baths with now-cold water still flowing from the shower head. Unfortunately I had been passed out so long that I used all the hotel's hot water supply trying to wake up.
It was a very harsh lesson learnt for me as a footballer and for my liver tolerance.
So what has changed in 13 years? Well, not too much. I learnt to pace myself and stick with beer.
Football trips have, however, changed a little.
Nowadays most players like travelling by themselves or with close friends and family.
My first footy trip was to the US at the end of 1995 which was pretty quiet because I was only 18 and in America the legal drinking age is 21.
As I got older and wiser footy trips became more enjoyable. Once in Cairns one of the very senior players got up and spoke about the group's potential for any bad behaviour.
He made a passionate plea to not crap in our own nest, so to speak.
After we raised enough bond to let him out of the watch house at 4am the next day we all couldn't stop laughing at the irony.
If he did it these days it would be everywhere -- print, TV and radio. This is why clubs send the footy manager or someone from the club along to keep an eye on the things.
Let's hope we hear very little this off-season.
FOR eight teams, this week has been a time to reflect on what has been a disappointing year, Jason Akermanis writes.
No matter what spin you put on it, when you don't make the finals, the year hasn't turned out the way you intended.
I am certainly in that boat. I thought we could finish in the top four.
That was our goal, but not to be, for lots of reasons I won't go into because I hate giving excuses. We just have to get better and make some changes.
But once you get over reflecting on lost chances, you look immediately to next year.
You, of course, also get to let your hair down.
This has been my 13th "Mad Monday" and as I get older, days like this get a little easier. This is probably because I have earned the right to help hand out the punishments.
This year is, however, very different with a completely new group of potential drinkers.
My first Mad Monday was one I will never forget, or one I almost forgot.
When I got off high school and rocked up late, it was my first big mistake. I was 18 and not much of a drinker (I'm still not) so that didn't help.
Two pots of beer and two shots of tequila as punishment followed. After another beer or two, just to show my mates how good I was, I remember starting to feel a little queasy.
The next thing I know I am looking at the garden one floor down and bent over the edge of the railing in front of peak-hour traffic.
My next memory was coming to in the one of the hotel's baths with now-cold water still flowing from the shower head. Unfortunately I had been passed out so long that I used all the hotel's hot water supply trying to wake up.
It was a very harsh lesson learnt for me as a footballer and for my liver tolerance.
So what has changed in 13 years? Well, not too much. I learnt to pace myself and stick with beer.
Football trips have, however, changed a little.
Nowadays most players like travelling by themselves or with close friends and family.
My first footy trip was to the US at the end of 1995 which was pretty quiet because I was only 18 and in America the legal drinking age is 21.
As I got older and wiser footy trips became more enjoyable. Once in Cairns one of the very senior players got up and spoke about the group's potential for any bad behaviour.
He made a passionate plea to not crap in our own nest, so to speak.
After we raised enough bond to let him out of the watch house at 4am the next day we all couldn't stop laughing at the irony.
If he did it these days it would be everywhere -- print, TV and radio. This is why clubs send the footy manager or someone from the club along to keep an eye on the things.
Let's hope we hear very little this off-season.