As amateur footy leagues move towards the pointy end of the season, local footballers across the state will this weekend prepare to hear Al Pacino’s speech from the 1999 film Any Given Sunday be horribly re-told.
“It’s a game of inches…” will be scribbled on the changeroom whiteboards from Surrey Hills to Sunraysia, before a spate of mythical eight point games get underway, and finals berths are put on the line.
Coach of The East Brunswick Buskers, Sean "Stump" McKinnon, is a devout advocate of the fictional Tony D’Amatos pre-match pump up, telling 800.85 Sport FM’s Bazza and Mungo that it “got a huge response” last time he used it.
“I wasn’t keen at first, but my assistant Old Balls (Tim Maloney) talked me into it and we ended up rolling the eventual premiers” said the dashing 46 year old wingman.
Across the road in North Fitzroy, Flat Whites coach Roger “The Dodger” Gibbons says he too will “utilise certain excerpts” from the famed gridiron movie to help lift his team after two losses.
“It’s a bit earlier in the season than I’d like, but it’s now or never” said the self professed footy nuffy, admitting it hadn’t always worked for him though.
“Look, I’m three and one (going with the Any Given Sunday speech).
“Last year we lost heavily, but there was an iPod shuffle do on later that night that I think some of the boys were more focussed on… I’m confident we’ll get the result Saturday.”
According to Peninsula Parakeets chairman of selectors Brian Patterson, the famous speech has “had its day”, insisting the days of getting a guaranteed win with it were “long gone” and he “found out the hard way”.
“We used it in the prelim to get over the Red Hill Sommeliers in two thousand and eight, but then on Grand Final day we went again and the boys got their pants pulled down” said the burly 68 year old bricklayer.
But if you think that’s going to deter the one thousand local coaches who are expected to channel Pacino this Saturday afternoon, “you’ve got to be kidding” said Gibbons, whose Flat Whites take on the undefeated Carlton Ganglanders in a do or die clash.
“On this team, we fight for that inch. We tear ourselves, and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. But failing that, we just watch a YouTube clip of Any Given Sunday and bank the win.”
Good luck to all the suburban legends battling for that inch this weekend.
