Smith's Crew in SA

[ElwoodBlues1]

I had a similar experience coming back to play for much the same reasons as yourself when in my 40s. Invited to captain a team made up of "youthful potential" that seemed to be mostly misdirected talent.

But had the sledging increased or was it just because on return we were at the weekend warrior level? A level that is often proliferated with teams full of young footballers bridging the off-season with a bit of cricket?

I also found interfering parents an issue with young teenagers, a lot of why isn't my kid opening sort of discussions went on! Kids playing the sport a parent had chosen for them maybe?

Many years ago I played some Sub District cricket in the Melbourne East and we had a game where we were short and I invited a workmate who had played a bit of District cricket for a team in the West, he was a bit of a gun batsman and carted the other mob everywhere and the opposition were not impressed. He got sledged really bad especially by two brothers one of whom was a TV personality at the time and had a big gob...when he was dismissed it continued and he told them they had better be prepared to back it up off the field. It ended up in a brawl in the carpark with the police in attendance....this is what sledging can lead to when it gets out of hand..the sledging wasnt so much personal but more along the lines of anyone from the Western Suburbs must be some low life with a crim background etc etc, whose car did you steal to get to the game etc, my mate was a good Braybrook boy from a hardworking family and didnt find it amusing.