I was fortunate enough to be sideline for the Kookaburras 5-0 win against hosts Scotland and catch up with our very own Simon Orchard on day eight of competition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 28-year-old was unable to explain the exact science behind the interesting, fashion-breaking and compulsory breakfast uniforms which have been sweeping the national hockey squad during the Commonwealth Games but certainly expressed his desire to win gold in Glasgow this weekend.
Orchard also presented father Steve with a pair of big badges to celebrate his 54th birthday.
It’s been a whirlwind 48 hours on the Glasgow front and so much so that travelling mascot Jumpy has gone missing.
Jumpy the Kangaroo - about one metre in height, yellow in complexion and wearing a Scottish jimmy hat – was last seen making his way around Hampden Park.
The culprit was none other than gold medal-winning javelin thrower Kim Mickle, who sought Jumpy out in the crowd after winning the competition with a Commonwealth record throw of 65.96m.
Jumpy was an instant hit in the crowd and on televisions across the world, including at home, but as of deadline the adventurous chap had yet to return home.
An overnight stay in the athletes' village may well have been on the cards for one of if not the most popular part of the XX Games.
It will be interesting to see when, or if, Jumpy decides to come home.
This was all after Jumpy had made an appearance on Scottish national television earlier on day seven.
Jumpy, along with Mossy and Robbo, was interviewed by David and Jennifer from the popular Riverside Show on Stv Glasgow.
Not a bad view from the studio either – overlooking the River Clyde with the Armadillo and other nearby venues in the background.
As the old saying goes, you can take the boy out of Maitland but you can’t take the Maitland out of meeting people from home on the other side of the world.
Well maybe not that exactly, but I was sitting in the stands at Hampden Park in the moments after Mickle won gold for Australia and who was there but Matthew Harris.
The six-time NSW decathlon champion and former Maitland Senior and Little Athletics Club president was trackside to watch fellow Hunter multi-sport competitor Sophie Stanwell in the heptathlon
To the pool and the electronic scoring system took a dive on day six and judges were forced to revert to old-school methods of displaying their thoughts.
Instead of pushing a button and hoping for the best, those assessing the action had to write down their score on a piece of cardboard and hold it up for the crowd, coaches and competitors to see.
Maitland’s Simon Orchard will aim to keep the Kookaburras perfect Commonwealth Games record intact with semis on Saturday from 7pm (AEST) and hopefully a decider on Sunday from 7pm (AEST).
Medowie squash player Matthew Karlwaski will want to be in the mix of the men’s doubles with semis on Saturday from 8.30pm (AEST) and the same time for deciders on Sunday.
Raymond Terrace lawn bowler Natasha Scott remains in the hunt for a medal in the women’s pairs with medal matches from 5.45pm on Friday (AEST).
