"We are the Champions, my friends...."

Wine of the Week:
Margan Merlot 2007 - there is a saying that when you swirl the wine around a glass and it leaves a coating, then it is a good'un. The Margan Merlot 2007 is one of those wines. A quality wine that leaves you wanting more. It is one of the many good wines that come from the Margan winery; one of the more stylish wineries in the Hunter. 
http://www.margan.com.au/ 

Friends, it has been a while since I have posted on this, what was going to be a weekly project. Circumstances both home and at work have led me to neglect it. However, I hope that I am back on track and while I can not promise for a weekly installment, I can promise that my rants on the soapbox will be more regular. 

However, today's chapter is not a rant but purely one of self- indulgence....WE WON!!!!!

Yes, dear friends we (we being the St George-Illawarra Dragons) are the Premiers. This, after the 32-8 beating of the Roosters in last Sunday's Grand Final. It was said that it was one for the True Believers and it certainly was. It was the first time since 1979 that the Big Red V have won the comp and the first time that the joint venture has won the Premiership. 

Only one thing could sum it up....WOO HOO!!!!!!!!

It was bucketing Grand Final day and our seats were not under cover but I didn't care...well, I didnt. Trish, Craig and Lynne may have other opinions.  It was a great victory and one that set up scenes of jubilation and sheer joy both at the Stadium and at Kogarah Jubilee Oval later that night. They say that a picture paint a thousand words so here are just a few from the night proceedings thanks to Trish who had control of the camera (Thank God!).

The first half was one of our worst all season but the second half was one of our best. It was an emotional rollercoaster which ended in jubiliation (as can be seen from above). It was the first GF that I had been to that the Dragons were in and the first one we had won so...I was happy.

Just one section of the Dragon Army that start the celebrations as the Dragons get the Telstra Premiership Trophy.

We managed to get to the fence for the lap of honour which was awesome. Here, Jamie Soward and Nathan Fien join the crowd in celebrations. Jamie Soward has been much maligned all season as a five-eighth not good enough to guide a team to a premiership. Now, he has the ring to prove them wrong - and wasn't he happy (and rightfully so).

Again, we're getting wet during the lap of honour but no one cared (well, I didnt care anyway)

The Dragons' mascot (Happy Dragon) also is the mascot of their major sponsor...he too, hasn't seen a Premiership since 1979 when he was walking the sidelines at the Sydney Cricket Ground that day as the Dragons beat the Bulldogs. I saw him during the Grand Final marathon on the night before the GF and there he was. Age has not wearied him that's for sure.

 

So Trish, Craig and I headed back to Kogarah Oval with reportedly 15,000 other like minded supporters to congratulate the team on their win. It was a joyous celebration and one that I hadn't been a part of since the Sydney Olympics.

All week, I have been smiled at, honked at, cheered by other supporters as we celebrate the breaking of a long Premiership drought. Complete strangers as well as friends and supporters I know, have hugged me and/or shaken my hand from Sunday night right through to today as we went to the dentist in Campsie and cars still were honking their horns at the sight of a red and white jumper. 

And make not mistake, the man in the light shirt in the picture is responsible. Wayne Bennett was once one of the most disliked, if not hated men in New South Wales. He is a non-drinker but if he wasn't, he would not have to buy another drink for the rest of life between Kogarah and Wollongong. 

He brought in discipline, structure and belief into a side that had all the talent to win the Premiership but none of the above. He may not be the Messiah but he certainly is a God to many a Red V player and supporter. One of the other characteristics that Wayne Bennett has is that he is a realist and understands what these things mean to all stakeholders; including the fans who pay their hard earned week in, week out to support their side. After this picture was taken and the players left the stage to continue their celebrations, Wayne Bennett stayed for another good thirty minutes shaking the hands of the supporters, accepting their thanks with good grace and making their night that more special. Craig also managed to shake hands with the great man - oh, to be over six foot tall!

I don't profess this to be the best writing I have done but it has been a big week and one we will continue to celebrate until the Premiership kicks off next year. Trust me, the drinks Trish, Craig and I had on Craig's balcony at 1.30am on Monday morning were the best we had in a very long time as I introduced them to concept of "winners' p**s" - something I was lucky to experience when we won our cricket premiership a couple of years ago. And guess what...it doesn't run out until March 11, 2011 when the NRL season kicks off again.