The challenge to build the tallest and most sturdy structure from natural resources including felled trees, logs and branches in eight minutes seemed friendly enough, but with significant rewards on the line, things turned nasty.
Split into on-field groups; midfielders, backs, forwards and ruckmen, the players headed into the forest to gather their building materials.
“It was bloody rigged. A few people need to take a good look at themselves in the mirror tonight because the backmen are not too happy at the moment,” Firrito said still fuming after claiming the backs’ structure was far superior than the winning midfielders.
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| The backs hard at work |
“We were all running around like idiots trying to find wood and stuff to build a teepee. Ours was a solid structure, it had a fence, hammock and everything going on in there but unfortunately Pete Mulkearns…I don’t know what he was thinking, he just awarded the win to the midfielders.”
Firrito says he has been in the game long enough to smell a rat and is at odds to explain the baffling decision.
“The midfielders got all the glory like they normally do, just like Brownlow votes and awards. The backs…well we had the most solid and tallest structure. It was perfect and well built and was never going to fall down but it just goes unnoticed like with everything we do.”
Firrito and his fellow backmen were at pains to point out that the midfielder’s structure only looked taller because they were positioned twenty metres up a hill. A claim that fell on deaf ears.
The veteran defender hinted that money may have changed hands.
“Perhaps that’s what’s needed to win these things.
“We’re not really that happy…but we will fight on as we normally do.”
Firrito also took aim at the other competition.
“The forwards? Well we thought their teepee resembled the way they go about things. You know the forwards just went and grabbed the biggest branch they could find and it was hit or miss pretty much. They go for the glory and theirs just fell down into pieces straight away, it was no good.
“I don’t know what the rucks were doing. I think they just went for a wander in the forest or put their feet up because they were tired. I didn’t see them build anything. They’re not the brightest bunch and they’ve gotten us lost two or three times already…they’re giving us absolutely nothing at the moment.”
For those readers wondering…this article is very much tongue in cheek!
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| A struggle for the forwards |
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| And things don't get any easier as it all comes tumbling down |
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| The midfield group celebrate their win |
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| All smiles despite the controversial decision Michael Firrito says was 'rigged' |
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