The people you bump into in Claremont...

[logansrogue]

So I'm there in the chemists, waiting for the line of people to thin. My eyesight is shit, so all I see is a reasonably burly/fit guy with blond hair, and his equally blond child, resplendent in Eagles regalia (That's a football club for those that are from somewhere other that Australia) and he's toting a high quality miniature football. This should have been a clue.

A dude is also there in a suit. He and the burly dude greet each other like they know one another. Me, I'm not paying attention to either of them, I'm peering at the fake tanning solutions and wondering why one would spend *that* much money to look orange.

I notice that the little kid and the dude in the suit are passing the footy to each other, IN the store. The Dad is there, on the phone, letting all this happen. I'm shocked. I think, "What kind of *asshole* lets his kid pass a football around IN a shop?" I glance at the dude properly, squinting to make out his face. His voice was certainly familiar. Oh!

It's Chris Mainwaring.

I was a HUGE football fan in my teens. He just finished off a pretty nice career in that time, and I'd met him once before. I've always thought he's a pretty good player, and as football players go, he's pretty approachable and friendly.

To his credit, he didn't let his kid toss the ball further than a metre, or near any of the stands. I still would have not let it happen. The dude in the suit asked the kid who his favourite footballer was. The kid says "Cousins" (Ben Cousins). Mainwaring makes a gag about who these kids have to look up to these days, but then he also makes a joke about not throwing stones.

So. I buy my pills. You know my memory, and with the codeine, it's worse. So I'm walking towards the front counter of the shop, humming along to the radio cause they're playing some good disco songs. Okay. I'm not humming - I'm singing. And I know the words. And I'm grooving a little.

Chris Mainwaring is at the front counter, and he chuckles and says, "I guess we're both from the old school, bopping away here." I laugh and said, "I'm definitely old school." Cause I so am. Then he makes his way from the shop with is kid (who is pretty adorable in his little mini Eagles uniform and miniature footy).

So yes. My brush with local awesomeness.

Comments

[forweeksnow.livejournal.com]

haha. (:

[forweeksnow.livejournal.com]

forgot: i had a brush with footballers too. once at sydney airport i was in the taxi queue with about six or more bulldogs.

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

It's weird, isn't it? You don't know whether to act like they're not there or give them a glance or two. Cause you get the sense they're disappointed if you don't pull the "OMG FAMUZ" spaz face.

[jakie-em.livejournal.com]

see my Chris mainwaring story isn't so nice...

Some time around ANZAC day I went to HJs for Breaky and as I sat down I noticed he was on the table behind me with a heaps of sproglets.

As I sat down I over heard him talking about the "japs" in darwin and he said "if they had won the war we would all be Japanese, we would all have slanty eyes"

I silently objected to him saying that kinda stuff to kids...

Anyway, Karaoke this friday, KKs

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

What a jerk. >:[ Fuckwit.

Ooh, thanks for lettin' me know!

[nousia.livejournal.com]

Heh. Awesome :D

[caitlen.livejournal.com]

WOOHOO!! LOCAL CELEB!!!

[whooz-queen.livejournal.com]

He's as dumb as a box full of hammers. A friend of mine used to work with him at the tv station, and told me bunches of stories of their trials and tribulations. My own encounter with him was when I was doing my broadcasting course at the academy, and he popped up for some media training (way, way back). Came across as a Footballer Meathead. Even with his background and highly recognisable face, couldn't believe that the station was hiring him to do that work. Where are the likes of Dennis Commetti these days, in terms of intelligence/knowledge and presentation style?

[logansrogue.livejournal.com]

He seemed pretty thick to me. He had that same vibe as a popular kid at school. I was sitting alone waiting for my Dad after school once, and one of these popular kids was nearby. I think they were a little surprised I wasn't schmoozing up to them. Was kinda weird. I got the same vibe from Mainwaring.

Dennis Commetti is the man. My brother downloaded the AFL game again JUST to have the version with his commentary on it. Whenever we knock the shit out of someone, we chime in 'Nice shepherding!"