Diary of a Redneck Texan Down Under

In February of 2011, Austin Crows star wingman Jesse Leos embarked on a trip of a lifetime down under to play a season with the Barwon Heads Football Club.  Below are his accounts of his journey thus far.  Stay tuned as his year unfolds...

Ups and Downs on and off the field

Thanks to all ya'll who have read my first couple blog entries. The time here is flyin' by and I'm glad I can share it with some folks back home. One quick note of congratulations to my fellow Austin Crows who finally got over Dallas on their way to winning the annual Crawfish Cup vs Dallas and Baton Rouge. That's a huge result for the club and I'm proud of the boys for getting over that mental obstacle. I hope you have sobered up by now, it's been 2 weeks.
 
At the end of the last entry, we had just played Round 3 of the season. After getting a huge win over Torquay in my seniors debut, we were set to face a top 3 side in Queenscliff at home. The Barwon Heads boys had enjoyed a big weekend after the Torquay game. Not only had we beat a side most critics considered premiership contenders, we had done it on a long holiday weekend. All I'm going to say is I was on my A+ game that Saturday night at the pub. And Charlie Sheen would have told me that I'm winning in Australia... Everyone had regathered themselves by Tuesday to start preparation for the next challenge.
 
My current weeks look like this training wise for me: Mon-Heavy lifting (ie-squats), Tue-Footy, Wed-Dynamic lifting (indoor row, stationary bike, hill runs, etc), Thu-Footy, Fri-Stretching/active recovery (maybe a light jog or swim), Sat-Gameday, Sun-Recovery/rest/survive hangover/cold water swim/ask someone what happened last night...
 
The Torquay game had instilled the squad with the confidence that we were being highly underrated and could scalp a top team any given Saturday. Torquay had not gifted us a win like the Geelong Advertiser insinuated, but rather we earned it. I had pulled up well after Torquay and a couple big nights and was happy to be selected in the 1's again vs. Queenscliff. After the best week I've had in Australia (seniors debut, first win, selected again in the 1's, babes, etc.), I received some really sad news. I was absolutely gutted to find out that Friday my friend, Ashley Harrison, had been killed in the Alabama tornadoes. She was beautiful and I will remember how much fun we had in college hanging out, drinking beer and watching our Dallas pro teams every week. It was shocking news and hard to believe. I couldn't wrap my head around it and it really consumed my mind for those first few days. On Saturday I asked our captain, Bobby, if he would ask the boys to wear the black armbands for a friend I lost at home. He said of course and when I saw 22 of my Australian friends/teammates wearing the black band for someone back home, the gesture really fueled me to perform well that day in her memory.

Queenscliff was a highly rated side with several midfielders having played in the GFL, the highest football league in the area. I started the game on the interchange bench and was a bit unsure of what my role would be for the day. I was mentally prepared to come on the wing as I did last week, but that's not what happened. After our starting Half-back Flank pulled up with a corky to his leg in the first 5 minutes, I was the first to come on. Our runner quickly directed me to tag a particular Queenscliff forward with dangerous pace. He reminded me not to get sucked into packs because he was a smart player who would hang around looking for the ball to pop out to him. The pace of the game was as fast as I remembered the week before. Our ground is not as wide as Torquay and that was perhaps playing in our advantage this week. Queenscliff was a quick running team, as opposed to Torquay who seemed to have a much bigger/stronger squad. I actually liked that and was getting much more of the footy than the week before. At the end of the first half my man had only gotten a few touches, mostly outside of 50m, and I had several effective clearances out of the back. I was happy to have gotten the experience in preseason with playing out of the back because it helped my confidence tremendously. To make life much easier, my teammates in the back were playing possessed and marking and spoiling everything that came near them. We have an incredibly strong and aggressive back line I really look up to those guys. The midfielders were putting on tremendous pressure so the delivery to their forwards was not the best early on. This helped me because I was playing on a very active forward who did not look to get involved in big marking contests but rather crumbing the subsequent loose balls.

When we went into halftime we were up a goal. We had won both quarters and were feeling momentum in our favor. The big challenge presented to us was to win the 3rd quarter as we did against Torquay... Unfortunately, a lack of urgency and some quality forward 50 entries helped Queenscliff pull away in the 3rd. A few questionable officiating decisions in the early part of the 3rd quarter gifted Queenscliff with a couple easy goals that really got their momentum going. By the end of the 3rd, we had dug ourselves a hole too deep. We went on to win the 4th quarter, but it was never going to be enough. A very frustrating loss for us after having won 3/4's of the game versus a quality opponent. I was pretty happy with my play and felt like I had improved over my first week but knew I had a lot more to learn and improve upon if I was going to stay in the 1's.

The night after the Queenscliff game, I walk into the pub to do the Aussie thing and get a chicken parmi and a pot of beer. No big event at the Barwon Heads pub, only I look over my shoulder and I'm standing next to Geelong superstar Steve Johnson. It's one thing I really love about the sports culture here in Australia. As famous and worshipped the athletes are here, they are still understood to be regular people. I can't say the same about professional, or even college players in the states. I can't imagine the equivalent of a Vince Young or a Dez Bryant hanging out at a local pub with a couple non-famous buddies. And not only that, but not getting hassled or gawked at. I've pulled up beside Cameron Ling in my car in Geelong. And seen Brad Ottens having dinner at the same place as me. It's a small thing, but makes the relationship between team and town even more connected. Also, Sunday afternoon I headed to Etihad to check out the Richmond-Western Bulldogs game. While walking around before the game I saw Barry Hall (not playing) grabbing a coffee. That is a scary human being. But he probably said the same about me, though.

A memorable moment of the 21st century occurred when word came through during a Monday workday that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by US Special Forces. I mention this because it is news that most Americans will always remember receiving. Without being political or engaging in the various interpretations of what the "appropriate" reaction was for Americans, I certainly wasn't immune to an emotional reaction at hearing the news. My work partner, Wayne, was forced to listen to 3 hours of Team America's song, "America, F*** Yeah!" Sorry, I'm not sorry.

Back to the footy. The next week Barwon Heads would look to bounce back with a win against a struggling Portarlington side. Portarlington had showed fight against good sides this season, but were still winless coming into Round 5. Having played competitive sports my entire life, I knew that you cannot under-estimate teams with their backs against the wall. I anticipated a tough training session Tuesday to hammer home that point and boy, was I right. That Tuesday night was maybe the toughest session I've experienced since playing here. We spent the majority of the session doing fitness conditioning. As much as it sucked, I was very satisfied after testing my fitness level. My legs have not felt quicker or stronger in years... Thursday night before selections I was pulled off to the side by our coach. He told me that he was very pleased with my progress and my performance over the last 2 weeks in the 1's. However, he said that it was his goal to see me not only contribute as a role player but become an overall footy player. He said that tagging week in and out would not help me grow as a player and I agreed. He told me he was going to drop me to the 2's that week so I could get more time playing on the ball and, hopefully, get a ton of touches. He said that I would be the first emergency player, though, in the event someone had to pull out Saturday. Despite some disappointment, I agreed completely and was genuinely excited to see if I was improving when I returned to the 2's... However, Friday night while having SUSHI (because I'm a highly-cultured, world travelled renaissance man now after 3 months in Oz) with a friendly young lady, I received word from the coach that someone had come down with the flu and I was being named in the 1's for Saturday. I was pretty excited and my mind change went from "Work on improving disposal, impacting the game with run and carry, etc." to "Get ready to scrap.''

Speaking of sushi, I have gotten to try a lot of new food since being here. I had never had sushi up until a couple weeks ago or Indian food. I'm crazy 'bout both now. I keep getting asked how that is possible but it's easy. I'm from Texas. Sure, I know there are sushi places and probably Indian food... but why would I ever try 'em? haha. I would have never been sittin' around with my buddies in TX and said, "Hey ya'll wanna grab a bite? Nah, not bbq or Tex-Mex. I'm thinkin' Japanese sushi. You?" without gettin' punched in the face. BBQ and beer, that's what Texas does. And damn proud of it.

And Port turned out to be just that: Scrappy. It was obvious that our team had much more quality skills, but to their credit they battled very hard. The hard ball had to be won and their high pressure kept the game close through 3 quarters. I was being rotated between HFF and spent a few minutes on the ball. My time forward was my most effective. I took some marks and had a few run and carry opportunities where I spotted up our full forward, Jimmy. Jimmy was catching everything that day and made me look good when kicking his direction. After hanging around for far too long, we buried Port in the 4th quarter for an eventually comfortable win. It was the kind of win where you feel more relieved the game is over than the actual performance. But a win is a win and brought us closer to the top 5 needed to make Finals... I am becoming more and more acquainted with being in the forward line and I really like it. It makes a lot of sense to me and I love the responsibility of being a small forward. It's about running hard to win your individual battle of attrition with your opponent, reading the play to crumb off your big forwards and providing high pressure on their clearances. I really get a rush playing up top and feel I'm most capable there. I found the time I spent on the ball was ok but I am nowhere near the knowledge level of our other onballers. Offensively, running through the middle is great. Defensively, I struggle a bit with zones and when to go man up or play off my man a bit. Playing on the ball at this level is a tough task and the most foreign of all positions for me. I can relate playing on the wing to my experience in soccer (same in the backline), tagging is just pure competitiveness, and up top is about hard running and anticipation. Playing on the ball requires all these, and then the footy knowledge to be aware of yourself offensively and defensively simultaneously. Tough task.

Major news happened the following Monday, though, when Barwon Heads FC announced that it had fired our coach. Apparently, a dispute between our coach and a committee member had occurred that Saturday night that prompted a decision to be made by the club. Local footy here is a big deal and made quite the splash in the Geelong Advertiser. I will remain thankful to Byrnesy on a personal level because he was ultimately the man who gave me my chances in the 1's. We may not have had the most communication as other relationships I've had with coaches, but simply by giving me the opportunity, I knew he was giving me respect. The coaching shakeup may have been a big talking point around the league, but come Tuesday the team was ready to get back to footy. Our assistant coach Clarkey was already very vocal and we were used to seeing him at training and in the gameday huddles. I can't say any of us believed that a change in face would affect our performance on the field.

This past Friday night I attended the Geelong vs Collingwood game at the MCG in Melbourne. I had been looking forward to the 1st-2nd place matchup all week. Both teams were in fine form and it was sure to be the top game of the season so far. It lived up to the billing and didn't disappoint. Not only was I excited for the footy, I couldn't wait to see the spectacle from Collingwood fans I had heard so much about. I've heard nothing but jokes and hatred for Collingwood supporters (from every team's supporters) since moving to Oz. They didn't disappoint in their overwhelming obnoxiousness. Between commentating on every second of the game and yelling "BALL!!" before a Geelong player had even picked it up yet, they were unbearable. The only time I was entertained by a Pies fan was when a couple cute kids behind started getting scolded by their mother for laughing every time, "Brad Dick" from Collingwood was heard over the PA system... But Geelong had the last laugh on the night. My Cats took down the 1st place Magpies by 3 points.

As I expected, I was selected in the 2's this past week. Same reasons were given as last week that I needed more time on the ball to keep my progress from stalling. I couldn't agree more and was pleased to hear the coaching staff have such a long term view of me in mind. In addition, we had several very established senior players returning from injury and rehab time in the 2's. Another player from the Geelong Falcons football development club would be rejoining Barwon Heads in Round 6 vs undefeated 1st place Angelsea. The seniors list is continuing to get tighter as the season goes on, not vice-versa. I may be looking at a few more weeks in the 2's and I'm ok with that as long as I keep getting better. The game Saturday vs Angelsea's 2's went well. I spent most of the game rotating between on the ball and HFF. Once again, I really felt like I excelled up top. It took awhile to feel fully switched on and used to my heightened responsibility as a play maker in the 2's but I finally felt like I had some real run in my legs in the 3rd. I just needed to get into a little scrap to get goin'! After the 'Seas full back leveled our full forward after running into an open goal for a score, I stood up and cleaned him up. We got into a good wrestling match, which I definitely got the better of. Then, a few minutes later I scored a goal crumbing off our full forward. He made a great pick up off leading out from goal and gave the handball off to me. I was running into goal from a tight angle in the pocket. I sold some candy to the defender (the same full back I had just had some off the ball recreation with) coming out to cut me off and took the ball inside before snapping over my left shoulder for the goal. Good feeling as I haven't had many opportunities in front of goal since Round 1. My best play of the game came when I took a handball pass at midfield and with no one to kick to in the forward line, I fended off my first tackler and took on about 5 defenders as I dashed towards the pocket. It was a 5 bounce run before I snapped unsuccessfully while getting plowed down in the pocket. My chance at goal of the year glory dashed haha. Overall, I was pleased with: My run-and-carry/hitting targets by kick, clearing space with shepards at stoppages. What I will focus on next week (likely in the 2's): More tackles, look to handball backwards when receiving in a pack, and more clean touches around stoppages.

... The senior side had the biggest win in years Saturday against undefeated Angelsea. The 'Seas have looked untouchable in the BFL against even the top sides. They even have former Geelong 150 gamer David Mensch playing in their forward line. But Barwon Heads proved to be Giant Killers again knocking off Angelsea by 7 points at home. The crowd was absolutely on the edge all 2nd half. The boys played like animals and I couldn't have been happier for them. It was certainly more nerve wracking to be watching. I was really proud at how well a couple of my good buddies in the 2's played in their first 1's game of the year. They are true hard-ball-getters and I was really happy to see them get to feel how I did at Torquay.

The weather here is getting cold now. I enjoyed 2 and half months of very moderate weather and had gotten quite used to it. No more. It's footy season for real now. It seems to rain briefly nearly everyday and the mornings are very cool. It doesn't ever freeze where I am, but the wind cuts right through you. Working outside has become a little bit rougher. Our field is only a few meters from the ocean so we always walk into the water for post-game recovery on Saturdays. This was very fun March. This is not very much fun in May...

My next installment should be the biggest to date with our annual rivalry game, The Battle of the Bridge, at neighboring Ocean Grove set for next weekend. This is always our biggest game of the year. Made even bigger this year because Ocean Grove is now in 1st place at 5-1. The rivalry is bitter and some good scraps will be expected in front of the biggest crowd I will play at all year. As well, I will travel to the Gold Coast for the Geelong vs Suns game on our bye week and do just a bit of... umm... partying.

Gitrdun. Later on ya'll-

"Tex"

Dear Diary - Senior Debut

Hey ya'll,
 
Just wanted to start off my second entry with a bit of thanks to those of ya'll back home who read the first one. I received a lot of positive feedback from my first writing effort and it meant the world to me. It was motivating to hear the support of my teammates back home, USAFL friends and strangers alike. It makes writing more of these that much easier, too.
 
I finished my last post after our round 1 season opener at home vs. Modewarre. Much has happened in 2 weeks and and I've already experienced the ups and downs of the footy season. After a showing in the reserves I was pretty pleased about in round 1, I looked to improve my form next weekend in our first big challenge of the year. My team (Barwon Heads) would be playing at perennial powerhouse Geelong Amateurs. The team was in good spirits after a tough week and training that week did not drop off. I was realistic of my chances that week before our Thursday night selections and was preparing myself mentally for (hopefully) a break out showing in the 2's. I was picked for the 2's and I was excited for my first game away from Barwon Heads. I couldn't wait to find out for myself just how big the Geelong Ammo's oval was. I heard all week that it would be a dream ground for hard runners like myself.
 
When I arrived Saturday morning to the ground I felt pretty switched on. I had a chance to have a walk around with the boys before the game during the U18's halftime and I was really impressed by how good the grass was. Before I knew it, warm ups were over and it was gametime. It was the Ammo's home opener that week and we had to line up while they raised their 2010 Reserves Premiership flag. Not of any interest to us all and you can imagine how much we wanted to spoil their party. I started the game again on the wing. I was getting some early touches from the center bounces/easy marks on the wing and finding our forwards in our 50 with some long kicks. The team started well and we were pleased at being ahead after the quarter time siren. Also, an Ammos player had a bit of a punch on with our full forward and was sent off for the game so we would be a man up for 15min. A bit of a sluggish 2nd quarter left us with a 1 goal deficit at halftime. All things considered, I believe everyone in the locker room at half thought we could pull away with a big 3rd quarter... But things don't always go your way. The rest of the game was disappointing for the team and my own personal goals. Our pressure and tackling had kept them at bay in the 1st half, but they began to pick us apart in the 2nd. The boys worked hard and I know no one let off. But when it rains, it pours, and we couldn't change their momentum. I suddenly felt like I was on an island on the wing and couldn't get involved no matter how hard I ran. I did my best to obey my coach's instructions to stay wide and avoid running too far into our defensive/forward 50's so I could be an outlet under pressure. It wasn't a feeling I liked and the day's result was tough to swallow. I felt like I had run hard all day, with little to show for it. But just like my days on the soccer field, sometimes that's how it goes. Unfortunately, the seniors would go down to Ammos and start the season 0-2, too.

I went for a recovery run/swim in the ocean Sunday and tried to refocus for a good showing at our training sessions before round 3. The positive result for me after the previous game was that I felt my match fitness was still on the rise, and my body felt very quick the week before. I've been putting in a couple hard weight sessions Monday and Wednesday's when we're not training. When Thursday night rolled around I was pushing through a little bit of soreness but knew a Friday off before Saturday's game would do me right. Going into Thursday night, I was very unsure of what my chances of breaking into the 1's were. I was encouraged during the session when the reserves and senior sides were split up by the coaches and I was told to go with the seniors. I didn't put too much stock into it because same thing had happened the week before. It was one of the better sessions the squad has had and we headed upstairs to the clubroom for our weekly team dinner/selections. When the senior side was being read out by our coach, Burnsey, I was prepared to not be disappointed either way. I felt like I still had unfinished business after my last game in the reserves, but was also dying to make my debut. Luckily for me, "Tex" was read out in the 1's. Great feeling for me and I received hearty applause and handshakes from teammates and the loyal clubpeople who work so hard to keep the club running. Seeing genuine smiles from people and players who have been around the Barwon Heads Football Club their whole life meant a lot to me and I was proud. It was sure to be a big day for the team and myself.
 

I started the game on the interchange bench but only a few minutes into the first quarter I was the first to come on. I went onto the wing and was given permission to get forward but primarily to run with their wingman. My first opponent was definitely an old vet. I was pretty excited how much quicker than him I was. I came on just before the center bounce following a goal. I had been watching this wingman before I came on and noticed he sprinted to his defensive side of the center bounce every time it was balled up to try and get an easy kick. When I came on I thought, "Nope, I'm gonna get to your spot first and if that ball pops out the back, you won't get it." Well, I had been on for all of .02 seconds and this time, he just stood there on the center bounce. Stood there. I sprinted in, they won the tap straight away and kicked long to their full forward who marked it and goal. He was either smart or lucky, but if I had gone to our defensive side when I saw him staying on the wing, I may have been able to break up their on-ballers kick. You learn quickly out there and I was reminded of that by our runner shortly after to my dismay... The team was flying early, though. Our backs were delivering good balls and our forwards were very active and kept it alive in the forward 50. We were up at quarter time and our confidence was on the rise. My opponent didn't get a kick and despite only getting a couple touches, I started to settle into the game. The 2nd quarter went Torquay's way, but not by much. We were down 10 points at halftime. We couldn't be content with our efforts but there was growing confidence. Everyone sensed that Torquay, and from the groans of their fans, approached the game without much respect for Barwon Heads. Our coaching staff challenged us to win the 3rd quarter and we could win the game. The pace and intensity went to a whole different level when we returned from halftime. The boys played outstanding in the third. You got a palpable feeling of the team's quality collectively rising. Our backs were hard and fast. Our on ballers were winning the 50/50's. Our forward line seemed to outnumber theirs and always have a loose man. At this point, I began a tagging role on one of their young wingmen. I was splitting this duty with another teammate and we held him at bay in the 3rd quarter. At the end of the 3rd we were up by 19 and unfortunate not to have scored more.
 

The huddle before the 4th quarter was intense. I remember the pride and excitement emminating from our supporters who walked on the field and huddled close to the team to hear the final thoughts and rev up before the biggest quarter of our year. I didn't just feel like one of the team, I felt like one of the community and wanted so bad to win. We knew we had to be our disciplined best because Torquay was an experienced side, emotional to be losing on their ground, and they had the wind in the 4th.  I played a tagging role most of the 4th quarter on a new opponent who had just moved onto the wing. He was a young gun who ran harder than the previous two and seemed determined to get involved. I hadn't had much of an impact on the game in terms of possesions/kicks, but I was dead set on preventing him from getting the ball. The 4th seemed to drag on forever and they began to get a bit of rhythm after kicking a couple early goals. Nearing the 20 min. mark, they pulled within 3 points. The 3rd quarter had gone for 32 min. so we knew we could not just bunker down early. Our backs and midfield seemed to rise just at the moment the team looked gassed. A couple massive marks and straight kicking by our full forward gave us breathing room. I may not have had a major impact on the game but I was proud when my opponent finally seemed to gas at the end after I kept him to 0 touches in the 4th. We found ourselves 15 points up at the final siren. I just lost it, we all did. I do remember the Torquay players being respectful after such a heated contest, too. On the way off the field, Bobby (our captain), pushed me and my other teammate who had debuted that day to the front of the group. I was pretty uncomfortable with it because I had just seen the team play so hard, I didn't deserve the honor compared to the rest of them.

But they said it was tradition and I couldn't of been happier wearing our jumper in front of our fans who had come out to Torquay. In the locker room we sang the team song (which I didn't know, yet haha) and the two of us who debuted were thrown in the middle of the circle and doused nonstop for bout 2 minutes. It was a high I didn't want to come down off. And we didn't... practically all weekend...

An interesting development to come out of the game was that I was reported to the league by a boundary umpire. The infraction was "abusing an umpired"... verbally, of course. I was accused of calling the umpire a "dipsh**" in a hotly contested moment during the 3rd quarter. I remembered the moment in question and was eager to plead my case to the tribunal. I wasn't nervous until I was told that abusing an umpire was often a 3-4 week charge. The tribunal is like going to court and nothing funny about it. I explained that the umpire did hear me say that, but it was directed at another player I was involved in an off-the-ball shoving match. I had just run the ball out and when I was reentering play, an opponent and I had a bit of a go with each other. In addition, I now know that Australians are not familiar with the term "dipsh**" as I had to explain in detail what the word mean to the panelt. As you can imagine, it took every bit of tact I have to come up with a respectable definition. The review board fortunately sided that my story was very plausible based on the moment of the game and did not warrant any suspension. Not how you want to spend a Wednesday night, though, trust me...

As I write this, it's almost round 4 vs. Queenscliff at home and tonight was selections. I was very pleased to be picked in the 1's again this week and get the chance to play in front of our home crowd versus a quality opponent. I was fully prepared to go spend time again in the 2's if asked to do so, but more than happy at the chance to improve upon last week. My goals for round 4 will be more tackles and better crumbing, especially in our defensive 50.
 
 

Now as for life here... it just keeps getting better for me. My two jobs are great and after a long Easter break, I'm honestly happy to be back at it. I enjoy the routine I have come to here balancing work and footy. My job with the road signs and linemarking company has allowed me to see some spectacular views of the countryside. Last week we stopped and spent our lunch break at the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

The local life in Barwon Heads just keeps growing on me. I'm finally getting to the point where I feel pretty confident no matter where I go I'll know someone. When we don't head into town, we usually live it up at the Barwon Heads pub Saturday nights. The place is what you make of it most nights, and we make it fun. I've been told by the bouncers a few times it's time for me to go home because they were feeling too threatened by my impressive dance moves. At least, that's what I heard them say...
 
Aight ya'll, thanks for those of you that read this go 'round and I'll write again later on-
 
Gitrdun
 
 
Jesse 'Tex' Leos

Beaches, Bombers and Barwon Heads

So here we go. My first journal entry in Oz. Sorry it's taken me so long to get to it but I have sporadic computer time and, most of all, find talking about myself like this uncomfortable. That is, when I'm not making up stories to impress girls.
 
So I guess I should start from the beginning. Back in October I was chatting with our assistant coach Darren Gloster and he presented me with the possibility of making a move to Oz to play footy. I think he initially thought I'd laugh it off. Afterall, everyone knows I'm a Texas boy and there ain't a lotta time I've spent anywhere else. In fact, I was quite proud of that. I just got my first passport in August of 2010 for a 3 day trip to Canada with the US Revolution team. But I knew this would be a chance of a lifetime. It fit perfectly with my desire to take on an adventure and further my love of footy. With his connections and Aussie mates, he helped acquire me a job in Geelong, my own bungalow in the awesome town of Barwon Heads, and a footy team willing to give a Texan a look. How great has footy been to my life? I was in a rut after my college soccer career ended. I was searching for something to satisfy my competive nature, love for sport, and the comraderie of a team. In footy, I got all that back and then some.
 
The lead up to the trip was full of hard training on the track and a bit of stress. I felt a little overwhelmed with the endeveor I was fixin to take. Money, work, living arraingments, footy; where would I find time to get all my ducks in a line? I wasn't sure what was in store for me, what it would look like, how people would take to me, how I'd go in the footy, etc.. Big thanks to my coaches Darren Gloster and Simon Boyce who put in a months worth of 1-on-1 training with me putting me through my paces before I left. The skills work with them made me feel confident I was leaving prepared.
 
I landed in Melbourne with Darren Feb 19th. Within a few days I had already moved into my new bungalow and was seeing the sights. The beach is only a couple min away from. And it is a REAL beach. Like nothin I'd ever seen. I felt like I was living in a postcard. And still do most of the time. I spend as much of my free time at the beach. There are some of the most scenic running trails along the beaches just minutes from me. I love hitting the trail and going for a recovery swim after. Can't get enough of it.
 

These days I work 7:30am to 4pm with a road signs and linemarking company in Geelong. It's a good job and hard work. I like the guys I work with. Some of them are Texas rednecks with just a different accent. They have utes with rebel flags on em!! Haha, right on ya'll... And now that the footy club is only training twice a week, I work as a personal trainer in Geelong from 4pm-8pm MWF's. Days are long but I get plenty of time during the week to put in extra time with my own conditioning which keeps me sane.

I had my first training session with Barwon Heads only 2 days after being here. The days had been so busy I hadn't had time to get anxious about it. The first night I arrived it was pretty obvious not many of the boys, or staff, knew an import from the US would be coming out to play. I definitely had some "What the hell am I doing here... " thoughts at some of their "What the hell is this guy doing here..." looks. I just wanted to get a footy in my hands because I knew I could play, and moreover, quickly get past the massive amount of uncertainty everyone watching must have had over my skills. I went in front of the team huddle before practice and briefly told them how I ended up playing footy and why I came to Barwon Heads. It took a whole .02 seconds for my new nickname to be "Tex." The Aussies are very big on nicknames so I think I probably came out alright with that one. Especially given my nickname at the Austin Crows was "Redneck", among others... Once training began and we started some lane work, I felt comfortable. My preparation with the Austin Crows and coaches allowed me to jump into their drills without sticking out. Besides, my accent.
 
Now for the footy. That's the real reason I'm here. And it is great... The level here is like nothing I had seen in the States. Everyone would probably be the most skilled guys on their USAFL team. Everyone can run, even the big men. Training is more intense than any session I'd been in. Conditioning and skillwork was a big focus when I arrived towards the tail end of Barwon Heads preseason. Skills are sharpe and the drills are physical. There's just not a real comparison to the speed of the game with the level back home. My skills are continually progressing but most of all, my footy knowledge. When I arrived I did a ton of wasted running (not reading the play 2 or 3 contests ahead.) I would run a ton but not get a touch. Footy can be very easy, though. Running harder than everyone else to be first "front and center" never fails to work, and it's what I aim to do every chance it's my turn to go.
 
Even after my hard work back home, I arrived as probably maybe lucky to be in the top 10-12 fittest guys. My conditioning has gone through the roof since and I'm as fit as I've been since college soccer now, but stronger. I can confidently say after over a month of preason and 3 games I'm one of the top 3 fittest guys in the squad. However, that aspect of my game is my strongest and I knew I'd have to focus on using it because the skills here are tremendous and no matter how well they progressed, they wouldn't stand alone like some of the better players. Not even close. Especially the high flyers and the big tough ballwinners.
 

So far we've played 3 preseason games. I was fortunate enough to get selected to play with the seniors in all 3. I've spent time nearly everywhere on the field through the preseason matches. In the second game I played the whole match at HBF. We played a very good squad from Melbourne and went well. I had never played in the backline but I loved it. You matched on up your man and it's just you vs. me. Who's gonna be better, harder, faster today - you or me? I enjoyed it and can see myself becoming a utility fill in for the backline potentially. I moved back to the wing and HFF in game 3.
 
I played progressively better in the 3 games and it was a good gauge for me. I learned a TON from every minute of the game. You have to be switched on mentally and physically every second you are out there. Aware of your position, your opponent, the ball, etc.. If you let off for a second, you will make a mistake or get run over. It's intense but I'm slowing getting used to it. The best players initiate the contact everytime without blinking and actually use it to their advantage. It's amazing how hard some of these guys hit the ball in a pack and then have the awareness to use it well.
 
Our season opener was this week. I was selected in the reserves which did not suprise me. I was a little disappointed as that's my goal, but understanding that I am probably on the bubble just on the outside looking in at the moment. I really look up to some of the senior players and want to make sure I earn it. It took awhile to feel switched on in the first game with the reserves. The intensity is still so much higher than USAFL games, but not what I had seen in the seniors here. I started on the wing and it took me awhile to realize that unlike playing with the 1's, the delivery would not be as great to allow me easy marks/handballs to run and carry into space with. I would have to go get my own ball if I wanted a touch. It wasn't until the 3rd quarter when I was moved onto the ball that I got going. I got my legs underneath me then and started to get a lot of the pill. I finally slotted my first goal roving around our FF. And although we don't get paid in the 2's, I received one of the game awards for the reserve game. 10 free beers at the clubhouse. Don't mind if I do! I'll be getting the boys a celebration round for our first win, for sure. The club's weekend started off rough, though, with both sides going down to Modawarre in the first round of BFL action.

The town is small but I like it. We're just far enough from the city you can get away from it all and enjoy the local vibe and coast but still have access to Geelong or Melbourne whenever you want. You get to know people quickly. The boys on the team have become my best friends here. I can't imagine moving here and not having been instantly connected into the footy club. And I feel almost like my novelty as a Texan playing has made me a bit of a cult figure on gamedays haha. It does feels good to hear the crowd get up and about when I get a kick, though. Or hear all the juniors (I haven't even most met, yet) call out my name incessantly when I get around the boundary line. In fact, while watching the 1's with the crowd Saturday, I even heard a very little boy with a Barwon Heads jumper on yell to his dad, "Dad! Dad! Is that Tex?!" hahaha. Also, the looks I get from opponents when I start talking on the field is pretty hilarious. I had one guy last week almost stop dead in his tracks and take out his mouthpiece to ask, "Where the hell are you from, mate???"
 

I've also been able to attend a bunch of AFL matches already. I have Darren's AFL membership since he is back in Texas and it gives me access to all the matches. So far I've been to Skilled Stadium in Geelong, Etihad and the MCG in Melbourne. The Gold Coast in May is next on the agenda! The stadiums are sick and the grounds MASSIVE. It is surreal having done whatever it takes to watch footy back home and now I can go to the MCG whenver I want.

Also, I got to visit the Essendon Bombers training facility with Darren a few weeks ago. I got to be right in the thick of it with the coaching staff while they finished up a training session. Guys like Jobe Watson and Michael Hurley preparing for their NAB Cup match against the Saints that week. We spent an hour just chewing the fat with greats James Hird and Bomber Thompson. Asst. Coach Brendan McCartney was incedibly personable and candid while he took us under his wing for the tour. The pictures and experience I walked away with are some most AFL fans would kill to have after meeting such legends.
 

Well there ya go ya'll. A redneck in Oz. Feb 19th to April 10th. I promise to try and make my future entries more brief and frequent. I miss all ya'll back home and all my teammates at the Austin Crows. I hope ya'll are workin hard and ready to make it back to the Grand Final in 2011.
 
Gitrdun,
 
Jesse Leos