A short notice deployment to augment the army team versus navy. I signed up to be a touch judge and found myself playing Number 8. It was a spectacular feeling being on the pitch again. We scored ten tries to zero. Our style of play was unique and dominant. Most teams play 1-3-3-1. The army team played 1-1-1-1-1-1-1. Essentially, we were a forward line. If everyone held their feet and passed the ball early, we got the ball to the edge and attacked. The rucks were more difficult to source, though if we played the pattern correctly, a ruck is only required on the edges after a carry.
En route to a hat trick. I scored this one in a similar way to my first try as a Seawolf in 2018. That was a peak experience for me.
If life was predictable, it would be boring. I never expected I would or could play for the Army team. I think I got grandfathered in through the old Army-Air Core clause. Once a soldier, always a soldier.
My body was quite sore from the game. Touch can only prepare you so much. My lungs were fatigued, my oxygen flow suboptimal. Luckily the game was lopsided, I was able to conserve my energy and put on a show when the opportunity arised.
The fans were amazing. I think we all felt a sense of closure. Seeing a player return from brutal injury. Thank you to everyone who cheered and said hello. I will never forget this day; May 20, 2023.