A killer uphill in the early stages of the run

October 30
Breaking the Dragon's Back
An elite core of Dragons members took to the hills of Hong Kong island on the the public holiday Monday, ignoring their duty by local custom to attend to their dead relatives graves.

Death was never far from the minds of several players tasked with running about 10km through testing terrain. Without naming names, Caldwell and Byrnes did particularly well to stay with the living. Both deserve kudos, Big Man because of his advanced years and Byrnes-eye because of his advanced state of liver malfunction.

Nige was another to put in a determined effort, driven by the single-minded desire to sink a couple on the beach at Big Wave Bay at the conclusion of the run.

The Dragon's Back trail sucked the life from your legs in the first ten minutes of solid uphill slogging. Being overtaken by octogenarian grandmas with walking canes did little for morale. Rest breaks under the guise of essential photography stops eased some of the grief.

A lengthy trot along the spine of the dragon followed, with sensational views of Shek-O beach and village and the solid swell rolling into Big Wave Bay. When life seemed benevolent and good, a major uphill (pictured) confronted us. Riggsy, Boges and Lips urged the boys to push the last 50 steps and with Lips breathing heavily behind you, no further motivation is needed to keep moving.

The run then cut its serpentine swathe down into the jungle, where your footfall and heart beat were the only soundtrack. Maybe a babbling brook in there too.

A rest at the prison followed and a near cardiac arrest for the Prez.

Members of the Dragons' Japanese fan club were waiting for the team at Big Wave Bay

The rest of the run, punctuated by regular queries on where the hell we were, took us back across the top of the Dragons spine and to the 1000 steps down into a very welcoming view and reception at Big Wave Bay.

Burgers, beers and boardriding followed on the beach at the end of one of the most rewarding and enjoyable training sessions ever held.

Plans are afoot to conduct a similar outing before the Shanghai tour at the end of the month and the eight blokes who fronted for this session (namely Big Man, Rigger, Nige, Longhair, Boges, Lips, Prez and Nico) will attest that it is a run not to be missed.

* See all the photos in the Dragons in Action gallery under Scenic HK training run 2006

Boges

October 22
Training bucked from the agenda
Our infarmants infarm us that due to the inability of anyone to confarm training, due in no small measure to a collective sense of feeling infarm following Farm's bucks night in Macau, training was cancelled.

October 15
Numbers Improve Under Steamy Lights

It was great to see 19 blokes turn up for the 2nd training in October to help prepare for our Shanghai Tour on 25th November. With Burbs and Stuch combining to take training, the boys displayed solid skills under the neon lights of Happy Valley.

After 4 drills we played a scratch match of two halves which saw new comer Wally turn it on in the 2nd half. Brushy made up for his sh*thouse kicking all night with a lovely outstretched one-hander while Shannon had a fight with the goal post. Supposedly the post said something about Shannon's gay boots.

Look forward to seeing an even bigger turn out at 4.30pm this Sunday at the Valley.

Byrnseye

October 8
Fight For Ground Space Ends In U-Beaut Training

Last night's training session was the first one back after 4 weeks break.
And the grounds staff decided to stuff up the booking system which saw the Dragons train on the soccer pitch under weak lights. Just as we though this would dampen spirits, instead it gave the boys a new lease of life with outstanding accuracy on the kicking drills, good voice and a high powered handball game. Good to see 17yr old Brenton turn up for his first session in a long time and while the little scrawny fella looks unintimidating, the Colonel put on a display with round-the-back baulks, long kicking and an impressive overhead mark.
Apart from Burbs losing both contacts, which actually improved his game, and Brushy getting the ball lost in his hair,
it was a good session but not enough players. More required this weekend to make it competitive.
Byrnseye

Besty lines up for one of his seven

DRAGONS SNATCH LAST MINUTE THRILLER

Shanghai: With just seconds on the clock, the Hong Kong Dragons took the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter and held on for a thrilling three point win against the Shanghai Tigers in China.

Confronting a 17 point deficit at three quarter time and kicking into the teeth of a chilly three-goal north China breeze, the Dragons never-say-die attitude dragged them to an unlikely victory.

A stunned home crowd gathered on the outer perimeter of Shanghai was left silenced as debutant Betsy drilled his seventh and final goal of the day with 30 seconds left on the clock. A three point deficit was turned into a three point lead and the Shanghai Tigers were left with one last bouncedown to create something special.

But the Dragons gun midfield evacuated the ball out of danger and into the forward line before the siren sounded on a much-needed win for a side that, while formidable at home, has taken to the road of late like an Indian cricket team.

The match also provided a fitting farewell for one of its favourite sons, Tim Burbury, who put in a stellar performance in the backline.

Despite stealing Besty's man-of-the-match award, Byrnes-eye was his usual dominant self around the ground. His award-winning, headline-grabbing opportunism stems both from the ability to take a big grab and his penchant for placing his 200cm frame in front of the umpires and setting his pubic hair alight - never fails to get noticed by the umps.

With greasy conditions prevailing, the Dragons mosquito fleet was integral to its eventual success, with Junior Burger Stuchy always lurking dangerously, Taity putting in a good second half, the ageless Winesy solid and the unlikely figure of Farmer, in his 51st match, showing some of the class he has often spoken of but none have witnessed. Well, 'class' may be too heady a superlative, but 'dogged persistence' would cover it. In the backline, burbs was rock solid and ably assisted by Ian Allen in a back pocket.

The first quarter saw an experimental midfield of Salty, Stuchy, Besty and Boges clash with the decorated Tigers engine room. Honours were even, with little separating the two sides at quarter time. The Dragons created opportunities but failed to convert.

The second quarter saw Shannon, Wu and Tait assume some roaming capacity (unlike the mobile phone of President and organiser Byrne), while the twin-spearheads of Caldwell and Gribble were diluted with some speedier options. But the Dragons still were overrun by a fit and fired up Tigers team.

Laughing all the way to the victory dias - the Dragons in Shanghai

Kicking with the wind in the third quarter after receiving a spray from the management heirarchy, the Dragons lifted but again were dragged to the wide expanses of flanks and pockets that seemingly receded to the Tibetan steppes.

The irrespressible goalsneak 'Loose' Faulkner popped up for a major after popping out of a waist-deep pothole and Besty broke a pack like a card-shark and boomed one in from half-forward to fire the visitors.

But with Marcus Tehan, player of the tournament in Hong Kong earlier in the year, and no 4 powering out of the midfield despite wearing more tags than Posh Spice's wardrobe, it was still the Tiges in front at the final change.

Each side went goal-for-goal, with the Dragons every major replied to almost immediately. A sealer from a suspect holding the ball decision against Burbs, who had unceremoniously flung a mother hen from atop his hatchling, seemed to consign the Dragons to a grim year.

But it was the Dragons who dug deepest and took the spoils. In an emotion-charged spectacle unlikely to be bettered in China before the 2008 Olympics, Besty celebrated his winning goal with a selfless solo run to the boundary to accept the plaudits of the crowd.

Goalscorers for the Dragons were Besty (7), Faulks, Dale, Stuch and Doddsy.

Special praise must be made to the Tigers, who organised a great trip, from our bus and beer wenches at the airport to the end of a great function at the Big Bamboo.

As usual in Asia, football was the winner.

Craig 'Boges' Francis

On song: Burbs struts his stuff

After 21 games with the Dragons, the most famous Tasmanian since Boonie has decided to pull stumps on his Asian football career. After his Buck's night, he caught up with The Firebreather for a few soothing pints of Boags.

Firebreather: So, you've decided to pull stumps on HK? Not a bad way to go out of international football, eh, that three point win?

Burbs: Yeah, I guess I'll be transfered onto the 'Past Players' part of the Dragons' website now? Mate, it couldn't have been scripted better. Leaving aside the Champs' wins, that was one of the best Dragons games I've been a part of and I was proud of the way the boys never gave in. Special thanks to Shannon Morgan for getting Besty to come on his first tour and kick 7 goals, including the sealer! He'll do well that boy.

FB: So how long you been in HK, what ya been doing?
B: Almost 4 years. I've been moonlighting as a lawyer when I'm not playing footy.

FB: Is it true you'll be working as a kitchen-hand in a Melbourne train station when you go back?
B: Ha ha! Anna is starting a new health food business when we get back. I'll be helping her out in the mornings, but I'll keep my day job.

FB: Talk us through your ascendancy to the top post in the Dragons lineup. Who were some of your influences along the way and did you find the captaincy an inspiration or burden?
B: I'm sure it was a process of elimination. Dicko semi-retired, Macca had to go home, Riggsy was elevated to coach and Byrnes-eye had too much on his plate as president/tour organiser/training coach/mad hatter. In fact, I'm sure Byrnes-eye and Riggsy decided to make me captain to get me to training and to go on tour! Well it worked and I was honoured to lead the boys out in each game. All of these people were big influences, along with Hamish Stuart who is an exceptional footballer and the great man himself, Will Hamilton.

FB: Did you develop any particular rivalries, with a certain player or team?
B: I can't think of any rivalries with individuals, but I tried to lift a notch every time we played Singapore. They proved to be a quality side in last year's Champs so you always want to gee the boys up to play well against them. We also have a friendly rivalry against the Thailand Tigers, who I really respect.

FB: Any game/incident that stands out?
B: Apart from my last game in Shanghai? There's a few here. Winning the Asian Champs in '04. We kept Singapore scoreless which was a credit to the boys, especially Dicko, Hamish and Jamie Liddle on the back-line and Riggsy who simply dominated the game. One incident from that game stands out. Before the GF, I went to see Jazz Neil in the medical room. He had a nasty concussion from the previous game and was no chance for the GF - he didn't know where he was. Then in the last 5 minutes of the GF, he suddenly appeared in the forward pocket and kicked a goal. He still didn't know where he was! The other one that springs to mind was last year's tour to Bangkok. As part of the tour, we went to Hellfire Pass with the Thailand Tigers for a rememberance ceremony for the POWs. That was quite an experience. And of course, no one will ever forget Farmer's acceptance speech after winning the KL Asian Champs in '04. I still cringe when I think about it.

FB: Former Dragon Jazzman has recently returned to Melbourne from HK and said he loved Melbourne during the weekend but missed the action of Hk during the week. Are you looking forward to the move and what do you think you'll miss the most (Dragons aside)?
B: We're really looking forward to returning home. We both miss our Oz friends and our families, so it will be great to live with them all again. Having said that, we'll both miss HK, especially the city's vibrancy and pace. I'll miss all the good friends I've made over the years. One of the great things about living in HK is that you see your mates a lot more than you probably do back in Oz. That's probably due to the fact everyone lives and works in such close proximity and also because we tend to socialise a lot more during the week. I'll also miss our little god-son, Sam Badenach. I'll have to work out that video Skype thing to check on him from Melbourne. I'll also miss the junk trips, the walks and showing the city off to friends when they come to stay. I'll have to come up from time to time for work, so I don't plan to say 'good-bye' when we go, just 'see you later'.

FB: How has HK treated you as person? Do you think you have grown as an adult or reverted back to childhood?
B: Good question, you'd better ask Anna that one! A bit of both to be honest. I've certainly rediscovered having the kind of fun I had back in my Uni days - playing footy and having fun out with the boys. I think the '80s & '90s music in LKF has something to do with that.

Burbs leads the team through the club song

FB: The Dragons personnel has evolved over the past few years. How do you see the club faring in 2007?
B: There aren't many guys left from the team I was playing with in '03, but I think we have a terrific bunch of guys right at the moment. We also have done well in recruiting players of the calibre of Byrnes-eye, Brushy, Shannon, Cole Mitchell & Besty. There is also a real team spirit that you only get when you have a bunch of guys who genuinely like hanging out with each other. We need to take that into next season. There are already plans for a new coach and captain, and hopefully we'll see guys like Dicko, Riggsy, Stu Walker & the rest of the Cathay boys return in '07 to show the way. Try to get Rabbit Tucker back too. He's massive, but he has a penetrating left foot kick.

FB: How does Asian footy compare to the stuff you played in Oz?
B: I played most of my footy in Tassie in the early to mid 90s. It was a good comp - in fact I found out the other day that Besty and I both played against each other in '92. It was probably a little quicker, but so was I back then! I think the quality footballers tend to stand out more in the Asian game.

FB: Lucy Lui or Cameron Diaz?
B: Cameron.

FB: Any parting words from a man of your experience to pass on to those you leave behind?
B: Tour as often as you can. Don't sit back and watch - get involved with the Dragons as much as you can and you will have some of the best experiences. I was given this advice from people like Will Hamilton, Webby and Damo McNair when I arrived in HK, and Hamish Stuart said it again in his B&F acceptance speech last year. None of us will play here forever (well, maybe Winesy), so make the most of the friendships and experiences while you are able to.

Club legend Dorian married little-known Dragon import from Claremont, Michael Robertson

THE FIREBREATHER ANNALS to NOVEMBER 5, 2006

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
"I'm surprised to see chardonnay on the table, Dorian said she likes a good semillon"
Faulks makes a sly reference to Farmer's tic-tac during his stint as MC at the football world's wedding of the century
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Two Dragons for Macca
Paw at the air with two fingers extended as claws and altogether chant ... "two dragons, two dragons". The Dragons junior programme continues unabated with singing sensation Macca fathering two wee bubs, at the same time no less. Congrats to all the family.
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Wedded bliss
Farmer and Dorian tied the night last week in a gala ceremony in front of 140 guests from across the globe. The 37 second-long wedding service was followed by a 13-hour drinking session at the Aberdeen Yacht Club and later in Bulldogs, LKF. All the Dragons wore suits and looked very smart. Macca provided the entertainment, setting the mood at the Chinese-Aussie hybrid reception with a blend of cross-cultural and romantic classics - such as ... Up there Cazaly, 70s gem C'mon Aussie C'mon and Paul Kelly's To Her Door ( a tale of drunkeness, poverty, unemployment, divorce and custody battles. Telegrams came in from around the world, including those from the 5 Dwarves to the other two and another from Farm's very own stalker. A great night was had by all thanks go out to the lovely couple for a top gig.
The bride and groom are now holed up in a hotel in Hawaii watching two weeks worth of Tony Lockett DVDs.
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Profile of a legend
Check out the latest addition to the player profiles, Nick Hyland, our games record holder, reveals all.
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Macau mayhem
The Buck's night in Macau of former President Farmer left the weekend's footballing activities in disarray. Much like the evening itself in many ways. Macau qualifies as a tour so 'goes, stays etc' but a couple of nods go out. Farmer flashing, Byrnes-eye burning in a family restaurant, a desperate-to-get-home Bogan missing the 3 and 4am ferries and resorting to jumping the customs wall in Macau before being pounced on by four customs police, big-time boys Ronnie and Faulks poker machine bonhomie attracting crowds of curious 7am onlookers despite their paltry stake at stake, karaoke duets, lycra, Tryst floor shows, Mallia late night no-shows and so much more....
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Take a hike
The ageless former Dragon warrior Will Hamilton is looking for interested parties to do a Kokoda Trail hike next year. Likely date is mid July and involves about 6 to 7 days walking.
If you are vaguely interested then drop an email to Hamstring Hamilton at: willh.16@bigpond.net.au
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Post card from Sudan
The secret as to why the website was getting hits in war-torn Sudan has been solved. Recently retired Dragon John 'Grova' Anderson has sent a missive from the barren wastelands of Khartoum. These words arrived on The Firebreather's desk, written on papyrus, in the mouth of an African bird of prey, which promptly collapsed and expired upon delivery .....
"Still in Sudan, lots of sand, camels and tea. Trying to get this job completed so I can get out of here. There is no alcohol and at the moment we are in the middle of Ramadan (bringing a new meaning to the word slow). Trying to get back to HK before Christmas (they keep threatening to send me to India) so will definitely be looking for big session. Was meant to be here for three months but looking more like six. Grova".
See Past Player Profiles for his new addition to the annals. See the all-new September webstats report in Headlines on left of main page.

Eagles fans Tanya and Alessio (6) Kenda had plenty to rejoice about watching the AFL grand final in TST

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Roaring success
The Dragons 2006 Grand Final function was a massive success, with 400 punters in the ballroom of the Holiday Inn, TST on September 30. The one-point win to the Eagles in the closest GF since North Melbourne and Collingwood drew 30 years ago had everyone standing in the dying minutes.
Jointly hosted by the Australian Association and the HK Dragons, the event is one of the club's major fundraisers for the year. Record bar-takings and solid merchandise sales ensured the club had as big a day as the Eagles.
Photos from the big day are on the website gallery collection.
......................................
Baby Dimsum
High-flying specky-merchant Nick Hyland and lovely wife Christine announced the arrival of Baby Nicole on 3 October, 2006, weighing 7 lb 4 oz. For reasons the Firebreather has yet to ascertain, they have dubbed her Dimsum. The Dragons wish them both well and hope to see Nick at training this Sunday.
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Tour date locked in
December 2 or November 25 - you decided. The Shanghai tour is now locked in for November 25. The date had moved around more than a Victorian football team's home ground but is now set in stone. Express your intention to tour by emailing tours@hk-dragons.com
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New photos
Go to the Jakarta photo gallery to check out the latest additions to the collection.

Eagles supporters wish Michael O'Loughlin all the best for the finals series

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Budgie sings
Check out the latest player profile from that marvellous songstress, Ian 'the Budgie' Allen. The five game veteran talk us through his big day in the limelight at Manuka Oval.
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Ya Gotta know when to hold em...
Winners: Ronnie Bertoli, Big Ticket Thommo
Losers: Graeme Rigg, Pres Byrne
A monster card night at the Pres' house came down to a final hand of Texas Hold-em between Two Aces Rigg and Two Twos Bertoli. The Rigger was strutting his stuff before the hand was completed. Not a big Kenny Rogers fan, our Riggsy. Snake Bertoli bit him hard with a three-of-a-kind and bagged the 4G up for grabs in the final contest of the night. Riggsy's potential nappy fund ended up going over the bar in Wan Chai.
Big Ticket bagged himself a 4G haul as well, with a couple of bets against the Pres during the first rounds of the finals series. Not a good year for our Geelong man.
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We believe you
This is Matty Campbell's alibi, sorry, explanation for missing his JKT flight back to Honky.
"Alive and well ! Was unable to make the early flight due to a prior engagement. Made the quick call to Cathay and got on the 3 o'clock flight for an extra 700 honky, which enabled me to fulfil my prior engagement."
ED: Prior engagement eh. Eagerly await further info at the pub on that one.
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Media mentions
The Dragons were mentioned in the Sports Briefs of the SCMP on the day of the Champs (August 26), with the result published in the same column on Sunday, September 3.
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The great avenger
The Dragons offer hearty congratulations to the Rigg family on the arrival of a 3kg hrealthy girl, Sienna. Sienna arrived the day the Dragons endured their worst ever Asian Champs, offering solace in the thought that in their darkest hour the great avenger was being born.
No sign of Riggsy since, by the way! (Ed: Oct 6).
..................................
Insight into the mind of a Dragon
Check out the latest batch of player profiles on the website. And if you aren't up there yet, cut and paste the questions and email to media@hk-dragons.com
Also, if you know any former players, get them to email an answer sheet from the past player profile or let Firebreather know their contacts.
.................................
DROP PUNT US A LINE
We're always keen to hear a candidate for Quote of the Week or Excuse of the Week.
Or have you got any goss' you wanna spread, news tips we simply have to know about or cries for help that need an audience? Drop a line to media@hk-dragons.com
The editor will guarantee confidentiality, while ensuring no-one threatens us with libel or physical retribution

Eagles fans Tanya and Alessio (6) Kenda had much to rejoice about

THE FIREBREATHER

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
"Hit me. Hit me again. Hit me one more time, but harder."
Villain of the month, Salty, demands his own punishment from fellow Dragon, Farmer, after it was revealed the former had promoted an alternative Grand Final event to the detriment if his club's gala event and major fundraiser for the season.
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Roaring success
The Dragons 2006 Grand Final function was a massive success, with 400 punters in the ballroom of the Holiday Inn, TST on September 30. The one-point win to the Eagles in the closest GF since North Melbourne and Collingwood drew 30 years ago had everyone standing in the dying minutes.
Jointly hosted by the Australian Association and the HK Dragons, the event is one of the club's major fundraisers for the year. Record bar-takings and solid merchandise sales ensured the club had as big a day as the Eagles. Photos from the big day are on the website gallery collection.
......................................
Baby Dimsum
High-flying specky-merchant Nick Hyland and lovely wife Christine announced the arrival of Baby Nicole on 3 October, 2006, weighing 7 lb 4 oz. For reasons the Firebreather has yet to ascertain, they have dubbed her Dimsum. The Dragons wish them both well and hope to see Nick at training this Sunday.
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New photos
Go to the Jakarta photo gallery to check out the latest additions to the collection.
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The get-rich-quick form guide
Goodes has saluted the box, judges have given correct weight the Brownlow is his. Freo and Adelaide have been pushed aside. Time to grab your tickets for the annual day of days: AFL Grand Final 2006. All the details are on the main page of the website.
Food for thought: Last year the Swans went the long way through the finals, An Eagle won the Brownlow and the Swans lost a close to the Eagles before winning the flag. This year has been the opposite - so far. And ... for the past 11 games the the two teams have alternated wins and losses, with Sydney winning the last one by a point. All signs say the agles. But go the Swans (paying $2.30) says the Firebreather. Judd is favourite for the Norm Smith ($5). Dean Cox ($12) picked up 12 Brownlow votes and represents value - the Firebreather likes Brett Kirk ($15). You want a mad outsider? Eagle new boy Mark Le Cras polled a vote in the Brownlow so the umps know who he is. He's at 201/1 to win the Norm Smith. Just a thought.

Eagles fans wish Michael O'Loughlin all the best for the finals series

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Tour date change
The Shanghai tour has been put back one week at the request of the Shanghai boys. It will now be played on December 2.
......................................
Budgie sings
Check out the latest player profile from that marvellous songstress, Ian 'the Budgie' Allen. The five game veteran talk us through his big day in the limelight at Manuka Oval.
......................................
Ya Gotta know when to hold em...
Winners: Ronnie Bertoli, Big Ticket Thommo
Losers: Graeme Rigg, Pres Byrne
A monster card night at the Pres' house came down to a final hand of Texas Hold-em between Two Aces Rigg and Two Twos Bertoli. The Rigger was strutting his stuff before the hand was completed. Not a big Kenny Rogers fan, our Riggsy. Snake Bertoli bit him hard with a three-of-a-kind and bagged the 4G up for grabs in the final contest of the night. Riggsy's potential nappy fund ended up going over the bar in Wan Chai.
Big Ticket bagged himself a 4G haul as well, with a couple of bets against the Pres during the first rounds of the finals series. Not a good year for our Geelong man.
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Training winds down
A handful of fellas pulled themselves away from the DRUBBING being dished out to the HAPLESS Pies in the ONE-SIDED FLOGGING at the MCG last Sunday arvo to go training. Congratulatory pats on the bum as you jog past the following Dragons that got down for a loosener - Pat Duffy, old man Winesy, Pres Byrne, Ian Allen, Jarrod Tidd and a bloke who apparently looks a lot like Capt Burbs, new recruit Al 'The Jazzman' Curtis. Unclear whether he plays with the clarity of his ochestra-leading namesake but the Dragons will offer a hearty welcome to the HK newbie. Training now goes into hiatus until October 8 while we sort out a new AFL premier.
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We believe you
This is Matty Campbell's alibi, sorry, explanation for missing his JKT flight back to Honky.
"Alive and well ! Was unable to make the early flight due to a prior engagement. Made the quick call to Cathay and got on the 3 o'clock flight for an extra 700 honky, which enabled me to fulfil my prior engagement."
ED: Prior engagement eh. Eagerly await further info at the pub on that one.
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Sightings of Matty
An email has just gone out to Matty Campbell from the Firebreather seeking the full story. He is apparently alive. Alleged sightings have poured from Melbourne, Bali, Bangkok, Uruguay and Bhutan.
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Media mentions
The Dragons were mentioned in the Sports Briefs of the SCMP on the day of the Champs (August 26), with the result published in the same column on Sunday, September 3.
......................................
Dragon MIA
MISSING PERSONS NOTICE: MATTHEW CAMPBELL - approx 79kg, 188cm. Last seen at 4.30am in a decidedly dark Jakarta nightclub. Was wearing dark blue dragons tour shirt, shorts, thongs. Failed to meet team members for return flight to Hong Kong at 8am, August 28. Authorities regard his disappearance as out of character and suspicious.
REWARD OFFERED: Any information relayed to media@hk-dragons.com leading to his detection will be eligible for a reward of one Dragons stubby holder.
.......................................
The great avenger
The Dragons offer hearty congratulations to the rigg family on the arrival of a 3kg hrealthy girl, Sienna. Sienna arrived the day the Dragons endured their worst ever Asian Champs, offering solace in the thought that in their darkest hour the great avenger was being born.
..................................
Insight into the mind of a Dragon
Check out the latest batch of player profiles on the website. And if you aren't up there yet, cut and paste the questions and email to media@hk-dragons.com
Also, if you know any former players, get them to email an answer sheet from the past player profile or let Firebreather know their contacts.
.................................
DROP PUNT US A LINE
We're always keen to hear a candidate for Quote of the Week or Excuse of the Week.
Or have you got any goss' you wanna spread, news tips we simply have to know about or cries for help that need an audience? Drop a line to media@hk-dragons.com
The editor will guarantee confidentiality, while ensuring no-one threatens us with libel or physical retribution.

Western Derby: A scene you won't witness at the MCG for at least a year

KOWLOON: The Holiday Inn in TST again plays host to the Grand Final live, big screen spectacular to mark the culmination of AFL season 2006.

The day is one of the feature events on the crowded Dragons calendar and is a sell-out each year.

Presented in conjunction with the Australian Association, it is also one of the club's main fundraisers for the year.

Each year is a sell out and this year will be no different.

The day gets under way at 11am and goes through until 6pm. To read about the effect that can have on you, consult last year's website report at:

http://www.hk-dragons.com/news_details.php?article_id=SUQW4GX-GWBDQVO-AJ67RX4-4HD2HM9

To get there, it's the Holiday Inn Ballroom, 50 Nathan Rd, TST.

Prices: $290 AA members, $320 non-members. Buy on the day and it's more expensive.

Contact Carole Laird at office@ozhongkong.com or on 2530 4461.

We have a huge auction so If your company is good enough to provide a prize to raffle off (anything from wine to ipods to gift vouchers to world cruises) then please email social@hk-dragons.com or call Mr President on 6034 1204.

This dedicated European fan had to tune in to her beloved Dragons when departing Hong Kong airport

TOP TEN READERSHIP BY NATION
August top 10...........July
United States................United States
Singapore.....................China
Japan............................Thailand
Thailand........................Singapore
Indonesia......................Great Britain
China............................Japan
Great Britain.................Bahrain
France..........................New Zealand
European Union............Philippines
Netherlands..................Myanmar

(All tables exclude Hong Kong and Australia, which represent about 80 percent of our readership)

This month's global top ten saw some interesting developments, with our main Asian rivals suddenly taking a keen interest in all things Dragon. Could it be that the opposition were keeping a close eye on us in the lead-up to the Asian champs, our writer asks rhetorically?

Whereas the previous month (July), far-flung destinations such as Bahrain and New Zealand featuered in the charts, the latest top 10 features Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand at the top of the table (with the US, which may be a technical issue, with our readers in other countries having US domain names or urls or something. Or we are just popular in the US, where there are admittedly 50 or more Aussie rules sides).

In other trends, Wednesday usurped Friday and Tuesday as the day you are most likely tuning in. And obviously the excitement is too much these days, as the noon-3pm bracket is now less popular than the 9am slot. The Asian champs lead-up month probably meant footy was the first priority when you got to work in the morning.

Overall readership had soared by 50 perecent per month until august, when it dipped by about 5-10 percent to a still-impressive 771 unique viewers (877 in July), 1435 visits (from 1540), 32,871 page views (39,802) and 74,000 hits (91,000).

The photo galleries were particularly well-attended in August.
Maybe it was the Ladies Gallery section in the Trinations series image gallery that did the trick.

Make www.hk-dragons.com your email sign-off and spread the word.

Boges

The Dragons took another monumental step towards the Asian Champs weekend in Jakarta last night with the final fitness session at the hands of Mike the Masochist, the team's dedicated personal torturer, sorry, trainer.

For this writer, the later start time of 7.30pm enable my first Wednesday night session for season 2006. It therefore came as something of a relief to know that the weekly sessions had been building inexorably towards this, the most gruelling night of all.

What followed was a pleasant evening in the Killing Fields.

* A brisk 1km 'warm up' lap on the inner track, interspersed with spell of 'looseners, such as lunges, squats, sumo walks et al.
- Finished the lap feeling good and ready for a beer. "Nice work fellas. Well run," I offered by way of encouragement to my teammates. They only returned slighltly disguised looks of mild condescension. They'd been here before.

* Jog over to the driveway running under the grandstand. In pairs, embark on five uphill sprints. No breaks. No walking. Legs wobbling. My partner, Adrian digs deep and wills me along with him with solid encouragement.
- Now completely knackered. Hot. The stifling heat in the driveway underpass was nice too.

* Without breaking stride, we segue into a 1.5km lap of the racetrack. In single file the last man sprinting to the head of the queue. Indian sprints or something. Attila the Hun sprints more like. Some heartening post-sprint words from an otherwise Borg-like Mike help - because you know he doesn't give out praise easily.
- Feeling spent. Sucking air like house fire. Had been listening to Tom Petty's Breakdown on the way in. It's starting to sound prophetic.

* Off we trot now to the stairwell at the Central-end entrance. Five sets of sprints up the 3-tier stairwell. Yeah, why not?

THE WALL
Things at this stage are blurry. And not solely due to my lack of a short-term memory. And not solely due to my lack of a short-term memory.

* Now it was off to the other end of the track to do some exercises. But obviously to get to the other side of Happy Valley we had to run. Quickly. All the way outside, up and down stairs. Loving stairs. Once outside the ground, it was step-ups. 20 left. 20 right. Push-ups off the steps. Reverse push ups.
- Felt like a prisoner on day release. With all the free citizens staring at us. Just wanted to make a break and keep running all the way home. Should've.

* Continue run to interior of racecourse again. And again, no sedan chair on offer to get there.
- I try drawing on the strength of the Diggers at Hellfire Pass but have learnt nothing from the Thailand tour - had to keep asking Salty when it would end. Sorry Grandad.

Here it gets hazy. There may have been other drills but the brain is an amazing instrument and will, at moments of extreme trauma, block bad memories. Like the wake of a big night out, I can only try piecing together gaps. Back on the playing pitch, Mike Hunt devised a devilish new torture. He even started looking Japanese at this point, and i'm sure he was carrying a pistol and bamboo cane.

Andrew Scott: on yer bike, pal

* Mike forces us to try sprint 10 metres. Not far. Unless you have a teammate holding you by the waist and dragging you backwards. Legs felt like string. Teammate then lets go and sprint continues 20m, touch turf, sprint back to start. Repeat ad nausea. Graham 'Trotsky' Merrett has gone about his business with quiet aplomb. Respect.

*At last it seems all over. Not a kilojoule of energy left. Alas, homebaseis only the source of more torment. 200 (10x20) ab crunches of various design. With 30-second pose holds. That kinda thing. Now it's just getting silly.

* But it does end. An hour later. With much needed stretches and mental recuperation. Ten good men have done well.

Scotty is heard talking to Mike about going for a bike ride. Any talk of exercise at this point is just alien. Even disrespectful to the likes of Corky, by his own admission, and myself.

If nothing else, this session showed just how hard you can push yourself if motivated. Between now and Saturday night of the Asian Champs, every Dragon must do just that. Let's get into it fellas. Seeyas Sunday. Get the Cup back.

Craig Bogan Francis

July 29
More than 100mm of rain was dumped on Hong Kong on Saturday, forcing the abandonment of the second instalment of the Cats v Demons intraclub match.

Although regarded as a winter sport, the Dragons appear to be enduring an ancient Chinese curse that demands they play all their footy games in 35-degree heat and 98 percent humidity, and miss out when it gets a bit cool and wet.

Players should take note that the website was updated as soon as Saturday's match was canned and be reminded to log on to check the situation online whenever rain or typhoons are threatening. This is particularly relevant when training resumes at Happy Valley.

July 22
The Dragons will be sending a squad to Jakarta next month that has been forged under the white-hot heat of the blacksmith's hammer. Or, at the very least, under the blazing tropical Hong Kong sun.

To their credit, 18 unwavering Dragons took to the freshly-cut Mission Rd cooch for an unforgiving session of tactics, drills and skills under the tutelage of a similarly freshly-mown Riggsy.

With his clean-shaven chest radiating a mirror-like sheen in the sunlight, coach Rigg coordinated a series of drills that required a theodolite, compass and homing pigeon to work out. t was all very Gerard Neesham but the boys eventually cottoned on and some slick work was completed.

Much of the emphasis was on putting in the second effort after giving off a handball or pass. The unavoidable conclusion was that players simply had to stay switched on and commit to some extra effort after offloading the ball, rather than stopping to take a bow to the crowd.

With such a healthy turn-out on the track, it doesn't serve this column to single out individual efforts, although Feeney's efforts with the whole-body lady shave were worthy of note.

Saturday's training also marked the final session before this weekend's all-important intra-club match between the Blues and Cats at the same ground.

"It is really important we get 15-a-side sort of numbers down this weekend. We don't to be playing 9-a-side or anything," urged tour manager Farmer.

Team lists can be found under the headline and news sections of the website.

The Duffman strikes a chewing gum card pose

July 15
It was hot...hot and wet. That's alright if you're with a woman. It's no good if you're at footy training.
But ten Dragons were not perturbed by the inclement conditions. The reality being, if weather is going to put you off training, it's time to go back to those domestic leagues in Australia and bow out of international football.
The Dragons took the yellow ball and put themselves through drills at the far end of Mission Rd, focusing on getting the body behind the wet pill.
While the triangle work was completed with zest and panache, the goalkicking on the run drill was seemingly completed by a group intent on securing a spot in the backline. Shallow Hal and Gribble slotted one each for a combined group tally of about 2 goals 23 behinds.
A shirts vs skins handball footy match rounded out proceedings to the delight of the sole female spectator.
"A bunch of guys with their tops off writhing around on top of each other in the mud. If you were women it would be on pay tv," exclaimed Lisa Francis (nee Parry).Session four, March 12
Training this week saw a return to the kind of numbers the club is aiming for this year.

In the scratchy, Stuart for the Dragons jumpers kicked a bag and showed strength in the goal square in one-on-one contests. Coach Macca was of course vocal and gathered a plethora of touches. Tiddy managed to show some class for 'the rest', as to did Bryso, who managed to haul in some marks at centre half forward.

Shannon again showed flair and skill around the ground and Mallia forf the second week running managed to sneak through a few goals from some fine mid field delivery.

The courageous Jackel showed promise early, before an
untimely kick off the ground in a pack ended his session. The result was a bruised ankle but fans of The Enforcer can rest assured he will be fit for the upcoming tour.

Light rain cooled off proceedings, and a contingent of Dragons retired to The Jockey for a few ales and exchanged what one would assume exaggerated recollections of
their former playing days.

Once again, fresh faces were there in abundance among the 18 on the track. In AFL parlance, the Hong Kong Dragons could be said to be in a rebuilding phase after the disappointment of losing the 2005 Asian Champs title. But given the team's strength on tour and at home last season, the football department will be eyeing the new talent as a chance to fine-tune this quality engine rather than perform a complete overhaul.

Among the more established names in the club, including the bulk of the current tour line-up, it has been a small core of players at training regularly. Many of the household names of Hong Kong football have still yet to surface.

Gribble kicks as Lips looks on ... and is that Farmer in the background? No... it's 3yo Tom Francis (Sat, July 15)

Gold stars on the forehead for turning up go to: Sam Gribble who took the session, Tony, Duffy, Archer, Lips Kerr, Boges, Dave 'the Badly Drawn Boy' Hardy, Colin, Graham 'Max' Merrett and Sam Mrad.

July 1
Mission Rd resembled a potter's kiln Saturday, where more than 20 players pressed for selection in this week's Dragons sides taking on Singapore and China.
As the squad honed its skills and finessed its touch, President Byrnes-eye could only manage offer enchilada farts and spew-in-a-burps as the heat exacted its toll on his heady nocturnal lifestyle.
The living entity that is the squad was divided up into its organs, with ruckman and midfielders, forwards and backmen all working on their set plans. Capt Burbs was displaying his silky skills, while Stu Walker had made the supreme sacrifice of taking time away from his quiet holiday in South Lantau.
New recruit Andrew Jess made his presence felt, while Graeme and Tony earned plaudits for their outstanding sequence of training appearances that will surely reap dividends around the selection table.
Shannon, Stutch and Col continue to shine, and Farmer's absence ensured the drills were sharp.
Rumours swirling around the Dragons camp hint at Bogan losing his long-standing slot in the back pocket for missing training, although it could be argued (by this writer at least) that his being in Australia, being stuck at work on weekends and flawless efficiency in nullifying opposition forwards would render him a certain starter (lest he vent his revenge on selectors with a series of tell-all tabloid exposes).
Finally, we found all the goal posts and base supports so we do not have to use broom handles anymore.

June 24
With ten blokes braving the heat and MTR to get out to Mission Rd on Saturday, training options were fairly limited.
The focus of the session was on that often overlooked part of the game - kicking goals.
Awards for most improved kicker went out to Faulks, Lips and Salty. The latter was described by one astute observer as "moving from a stabbing kind of action to a gracious full arc."
Ian Allen trained well and former Dragon and now Sydney resident Sam Greenland paid a visit and had a kick, reminding everyone of what we're not missing!
The team is preparing for the July 8 tri-nations series against visiting China and Singapore.

June 18
Training this week saw a very good turnout. Hot and sweaty session with a big focus on talking to your team mate, leading and calling for the ball at the right time and kicking skills. Riggsy took it and was very demanding of voice and passion for the ball. All in all a good session but we will need people to really focus on their game and improve finess if we are to win on the 8th July.
Training is unavailable at the Happy Valley sandpit as it is caked in horse manure and left to bake in the sun for a couple of weeks. Training this weekend is at Mission Rd (see main page training advisory for details).

June 11
A big turnout in the slosh, as the boys got a handle on wet weather footy.

June 4
Focus on technique
This week's training focused not so much on the one percenters as the 25 percenters. Coach Rigg took the Dragons through one their most informative, productive, technical and fitness-based sessions in recent Dragon memory.

The focus on skills coincides with the July 8 tri-series against the Shanghai Tigers and Singapore Wombats. The Shanghai boys are coming down a week earlier than originally planned to join the Wombats in HK.

Fifteen blokes were on the training track and a few others were trotting the sidelines putting their various injuries through a gentle workout. The weather was pleasantly cool with the drizzle holding out for most of the solid two-hour workout.

The first obvious innovation involved the end-of-exercise sprint. At the comp-letion of each drill, the last player back to the huddle was sentenced to push-ups. This quickly negated the need for any calls of "jog it in lads". Long-time Dragon, Man, was back on the track for his first run in a year or so and was particularly pleased with the timely new emphasis on fitness. So much so he ensured a few push-up drills came his way to help kickstart his fitness programme.

The usual kicking and handball drills took on a similarly focused vein, with more sit-ups and push-ups meted out for dropped marks and miskicks. Standards lifted noticeably.

The Dragons have fallen down in a couple of key areas oif the game of late and the push is now on to iron out the flaws. Three areas that were targeted last night included crumbing, positioning to receive a handball and making the second effort when the ball is coming out of our forward line.

Coach Rigg dished out the advice and some fresh new drills bought a real spark to training. Defending and attacking mini-squads were put through the drills, with the forwards focusing on crumbing and the defenders on closing them down. Mistakes were pointed out, and the exercise reperated until we got it right.

Every Dragon present left training an improved player. Everyone who wasn't there should get there this week. Despite not playing the much-loved scratchy, the session was a lively and refreshing step up in pace and a good workout tactically and physically.

The Dragons also welcomed a new boy down to the track, Geoff, who has been playing in the BARFL for North London.


May 14
Good turnout for first post-Thailand run

Around 20 guys showed up to training in the first training run since the successful Thailand tour. With Coach Rigg away and captain Burbs nursing a hangover, a similarly hungover President Byrne took the reigns for the session.

After a few drills, we had a short game of 10 a side with two 12 minute halves. Of note was big Jamie Liddle in his first session of the year who provided plenty of run out of the backline. Less notable was Matt Feeney's unnecessary agressiveness towards the men in white.

Some of the boys finished the session with a few beers at the Jockey bar where we bumped into Singapore Dingbat Andrew Taylor (who is rumoured to be moving to Hong Kong over the summer).

Next up is the internal game at Tin Kwong Road on 20 May. The ground has a full cover of grass, so it should provide for an enthralling encounter.

April 23
The final training run before Thailand, conducted under lights, saw 24 Dragons take to the dustbowl of Happy Valley. The creeping desertification of the verdant fields of a few weeks ago is now threatening to engulf Hong Kong.

And so, in the blinding dust storm, the two dozen Dragons were put through a series of drills. The was no scratch match, just a solid series of drills focusing on the basics, with the Tigers never far from our minds.

Pres. Byrne was at the helm, and he was like a nymphette locked in a roomful of eunochs - never satisfied. No matter how much the lads put in, the prez was calling for more and rallying them to lift and refocus.

Tour manager Farmer also revealed that player numbers had been pared back for the tour, due to the late withdrawal of a handful of Cathay pilots and others with work hassles. A more manageable playing squad of 26 will now take on the Tiges, while about 35 will make the tour.

April 9
The Dragons produced their best performance on the track for the year Sunday afternoon, with a squad of twenty-plus putting on a display more worthy of a crowd of thousands, than the handful of joggers and tai-chi ladies fortunate enough to bear witness.
In a timely reminder of just why the Dragons ascended the pinnacle of Asian football two years running, the squad sent a chilling reminder to Thailand Tiger spies in the deep recesses of the Happy Valley three-tier grnadstand that the side is ready to bounce back in 2006.
Led by new vice-captain Burbs, slick footwork, firm hands and a slew of one percenters (talk, backing-up...) typified the circle work drills, while the scratch match was marked by hard-at-the-ball endeavour and close manning up.
The team has also secured more new signings this year than adultfriendfinder.com. This week was no exception, with a couple of Treasurer Corky recruits and the club's first signing under the father-son rule.
Among the latest crop of first-year draft players, Nige had the job of shutting down veteran tall timber and international man of mystery, Dicko - a job he handled with aplomb. Tim, also playing for Whites, presented himself well at full forward. Although he spilt a few chest marks he'd liked to have taken on the lead, he caused enough headaches to the Blues backline to show definite potential.
One of the more exciting finds of the year could prove to be Dwight Stuchbery - son of former Dragon administrator Gary. The 25yo showed his commitment by training in his first week in Hong Kong and his sublime passing skills and Hird-like poise could see him challenge for a berth in the highly competitive midfield. Held kickless in the first half of the scratchy by back pocket genius Bogan, Stuch was 'dragged' to the Blues midfield where his silky training skills benefited from the lack of close attention found in a forward pocket.
The Whites won the game in something of an upset. Fielding more new-bloods than the experienced Blues, the win, although it may have slipped under the media radar, could provide the selectors with a refreshing dilemma when choosing the starting line-up in Thailand later this month.
There is no training this Sunday due to the Easter break. One final hitout on 23rd before the tour.

Doddsy has been a regular on track this season

April 2
There was no training this week due to Rugby 7s but anyone with some gossip and who did what and how messy it all was should drop a line to media@hk-dragons.com

Session six, March 26
Play abondoned due to rain.

Session five, March 19
This week's session started out with the weily veteran Winesy stepping into a leadership role, taking the fifteen players on the deck through a warm-up session akin to Oz Aerobics, as seen on ABC Asia-Pacific. Clad in gold bikini, he instructed the team to "warm up some of the forgotten muscles". Perhaps aimed at the tour in just a month or so's time.
"This one involves some unusual contortions, reach high now, stretch that Tensor of Fascia Lata, deep into the adductors now..." and on it went.
In the first trainig run of 2006 in the Post-Macca Era, President Byrne took the troops some a series of drills, most of which enabled himself and Rob Caldwell to stand around taking the ruck knock before the rest of the squad completed sprints the length of the field while moving the ball with precision and speed.
Circle work completed a very solid session, that saw the team moving the ball well. Among those showing some special poise and precise kicking were Paul Wilson, Big Bad Barry Hall, Leroy, Bryso, Simon Dodd (pictured, aka the crazy gunman from Diehard), Taity and Matt.
Chris Yee, a veteran of Hong Kong Dragons trips to Darwin and beyond in the late 90s, also made an impressive return to the the fold.

Cosmo 'The Intimidator' has been a regular this season

Session three, March 5

In a slightly underwhelming overall effort, eleven blokes fronted up for training on March 5.

The possibility of rain loomed large throughout the afternoon but rarely has a winter sports specialist been able to use the mere threat of rain as an excuse to opt out - so maybe it was something else. Prizes to be awarded for best excuses emailed to media@hk-dragons.com

After a couple of drills under the tutelage of staff seargent Macca, a five versus six game was instigated. Dragons jumpers were represented by Matt Feeney, Paul Mallia, coach Macca, Riggsy and Ian Allen (pictured on main page). It marked one of the few occasions Rigg has played with a shirt on.

Non-Dragons jumpers were Bryso, Corky, Simon Dodd, Matt Campell, Sam Gribble and Shannon Campbell.

Rebounding from a debilitating hamstring injury that kept him out of the Asian champs last year, Gribble warmed it up by doing a few laps with his expecting wife Anita around the Happy Valley infield before training.

The more experienced jumpers line-up took the honours, with a midfield so slick, Longhair Mallia was able to bag a haul of six or more goals.

For the nons, Corky was a tireless worker displaying a lot of G&D, Campbell was vigorous at the ball and Morgan's slick disposal and aerial skills were a welcome addition to Dragons ranks.

The second half of the game was marked by some light drizzle.

A collection of players later rewarded themselves with a stint in Wan Chai.

July 22
The Dragons will be sending a squad to Jakarta next month that has been forged under the white-hot heat of the blacksmith's hammer. Or, at the very least, under the blazing tropical Hong Kong sun.

To their credit, 18 unwavering Dragons took to the freshly-cut Mission Rd cooch for an unforgiving session of tactics, drills and skills under the tutelage of a similarly freshly-mown Riggsy.

With his clean-shaven chest radiating a mirror-like sheen in the sunlight, coach Rigg coordinated a series of drills that required a theodolite, compass and homing pigeon to work out. t was all very Gerard Neesham but the boys eventually cottoned on and some slick work was completed.

Much of the emphasis was on putting in the second effort after giving off a handball or pass. The unavoidable conclusion was that players simply had to stay switched on and commit to some extra effort after offloading the ball, rather than stopping to take a bow to the crowd.

With such a healthy turn-out on the track, it doesn't serve this column to single out individual efforts, although Feeney's efforts with the whole-body lady shave were worthy of note.

Saturday's training also marked the final session before this weekend's all-important intra-club match between the Blues and Cats at the same ground.

"It is really important we get 15-a-side sort of numbers down this weekend. We don't to be playing 9-a-side or anything," urged tour manager Farmer.

Team lists can be found under the headline and news sections of the website.

A recent readership audit provided a computer-genarated photograph of the archetypal reader of the Dragons website

Monthly traffic to the Dragons website more than doubled for in June compared to May, the only other month for which figures were available.

The number of unique visitors (or individuals) logging on to the site grew from 267 in May to an impressive 619 in June.

The first week of July has already seen more unique users visit the site than for the whole of May.

The number of page views broke the 20,000 barrier, up from just over 15,000 the previous month. The site had readers in 30 countries.

Word of major breaking news clearly swept through the Dragons camp and fan base, with visitors to the site on June 28 more than doubling the average daily traffic for the month and breaking all single day readership records. This followed hot on the heels of the Dragons scoop in The Age newspaper in Melbourne, which lavished international acclaim on two of its players, Daniel Seow and Matty Wu.

Traffic to the site is fairly stable throughout the week, although Monday is busiest day and the weekends the quietest. (NB: A reminder to all players that in times of bad weather, the website WILL BE updated during the weekend to advise if training is on).

Proving what a hard-working group the Dragons are, most viewing is done between the genuine break times of noon and 2pm and at 5pm, suggesting there is not too much slacking off during work hours (although traffic suggests afternoons are considerably more prone to slackness than the mornings).

Hong Kong provides about 60 percent of the web traffic, and Autralia about 15 percent. The rest is divided up around the world.

A regular monthly top 10 (excluding HK and Oz) will be published on the Dragons website at the beginning of each month.

June's top 10 global readership is:
United States
Singapore
Thailand
Great Britain
China
Switzerland
Austria
Argentina
Germany
Philippines

Only Nigeria, with 31 page views, and Ghana (with a lone dedicated Aussie Rules fan) featured in Africa. Brazil led the south American charge and Oman carried the flag in the Middle East.

Spread the word of the website to your friends and fans around the world and see how far and wide we can spread the gospel according to the Hong Kong Dragons.

Craig 'Bogan' Francis

Wu waits on the hands

Two Hong Kong Dragons have been named by The Age newspaper as being among the greatest Aussie Rules players of all time.

***
To read the full article go to:
http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news/afl/youre-a-champ-china/2006/06/26/1151174134585.html
***

The list took into account every player to have played football in Australia, with the small exception of those who weren't Chinese.

Daniel Seow and Matty Wu, who both competed for the Dragons in the Asian Championships in Manila last year, were listed by The Age as among the best Chinese Aussie Rules footballers of the past 150 years.

Seow, the supermodel-cum-media mogul turned football star, was ranked the second-greatest Chinese footballer ever.

He was eclipsed only by West Australian champion Les Fong, who played more than 240 games for West Perth and Western Australia and is regarded as one of the best WA players never to have played in the VFL.

Wu, now based in Chicago but still, somehow, a tour regular, was noted for his fine international career that was capped in 2003 with All-Asian selection. Journalist John Harms, who was tracing the impact of China on the great game, tacitly acknowleged that Wu had transcended the likes of Ablett, Whitten et al by playing international, rather than mere domestic, football.

Seow managed 18 games with Collingwood and seven with Melbourne from 1986-90, before moving to the US to try his hand at grid-iron. He is now based in Shanghai.

The pack flies in the Tigers goalsquare

The Thailand Tigers have declared the blockbuster Kanchanaburi Anzac clash with the Dragons a draw after studying DVD footage of game.

The Tigers have informed the Dragons heirarchy that the scorers omitted one point kicked by the home side in the second quarter, meaning the their score should have been registered as 9.8-62, equalling the Dragons 8.14-62.

Thailand officials sat through repeated viewings of the promotional DVD of the game before concluding the result was a draw.

As holders of the Hamilton-Reddell Cup contested between the two sides, the Dragons will retain the trophy. The Tigers are in possession of the cup and have said they will be engraving it with the revised result.

The international scandal surrounding the shock reversal echoes the domestic Australian competition's own fiasco played out on the same Saturday - the St. Kilda-Fremantle clash later awarded to the Dockers after originally being declared a draw.

At the time of going to press, Dragons and Tigers officials were unavailable for comment. But Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse vented his anger at authorities.

"What would I know. I'm only a coach. Nobody listens to the coaches anyway. It's a disgrace".

The professionally-produced DVD will be made available to the Hong Kong public soon.

The Dragons resident historian will update the relevant records when the Dragons heirarchy confirms the news from Thailand.

Craig 'Bogan' Francis

Wan Chai Demons
Tim Burbury
Lee Pilgrim
Anthony Thompson
Gary Wines
Stuart Walker
Patrick Duffy
Sam Mrad
Craig Francis
Gavin Parry
Adrian Archer
Gary Smith
Paul Mallia
Simon Dixon
Sam Gribble
Liam Fitzpatrick
Mark Fabiani
Hamish Stuart
Michael Robertson
Dave Kerr
Rob Burton
Paul Wilson
Rob Tucker
Dean Boatman
Shannon Morgan
Dale Cooney
Andrew Bryson
Andy Stewart
Greg Tate
Anthony Hill
Pat Nihan
Dan Seow
Mark Wood
Matt Elliott
Justin Faulkner

Hellfire Pass

Craig 'Bogan' Francis

KANCHANABURI: Footy tours always create bonds of mateship and help to unite the team in a way few other footy sides ever have the privilege to experience.

Every tour stakes its own special place in our personal histories and the collective history of the ever-evolving Dragons Footy Club.

But the Thailand tour over the 2006 Anzac weekend offered an insight into what the cherished Aussie notion of mateship is all about in a way no other tour possibly could. The lesson sprang not from the usual banter, antics and sporting heroics and bloopers but from the bravery and kinship of blokes who toured the very same area more than 60 years ago.

On the Sunday morning of the tour, the two sides paid homage to the memory of those that lost their lives or endured unimaginable hardships at the site of Hellfire Pass, the most notorious stretch of the Death Railway meant to link Thailand and Burma for use by the Japanese during WWII.

After a museum tour, wreath-laying ceremony and two minutes silence, two military buglers playing in perfect harmony broke the morning stillness of the serene jungle surrounds with the Reveille.

Each tour squad member was then left to their own unsettling imaginations as he walked around the site, accompanied by a pair of headphones and the tales of suffering, survival and gallows humour as told by the fortunate and brave Diggers who defied enormous odds, astonishing cruelty and mind-numbing deprivation to make it out of Hellfire Pass alive.

Before the Dragons took to the field on the Saturday, Coach Rigg read an excerpt from a reflection by Fred Seiker, a former Digger POW who writes graphically of the punishment he received at the hands of the Japanese while working on the Death Railway at Hellfire Pass.

The Bridge on the River Kwai

Not since the 1957 movie starring William Holden scooped seven Academy Awards will the province of Kanchanaburi, home to the Bridge on the River Kwai, have seen such an esteemed cast place their town under the international spotlight.

The Thailand tour has taken on special significance, with the announcement that the clash between the Dragons and Tigers is to form the basis of a professionally produced DVD commemorating the Anzac weekend.

Visual arts company 4Reel will be filming the match, along with the Anzac dawn service and other events planned for the huge weekend of sport and remembrance.

In a production to rival anything conjured by the likes of Channel 7 or Fox Sports, 4Reel plan to preview the game with complex tv graphics of the respective team's line-ups, complete with player photos and bios.

"The finished product will be as good as anything you'd see watching the [AFL] grand final or any nationally televised sporting even," said 4Reel director Brett 'BJ' Prentice.

The tour will see the Dragons make the first foray into the Thai hinterland, travelling to the province of Kanchanaburi, home to the Bridge on the River Kwai, Hellfire Pass and the Death Railway.

Of slight concern to the Football Department is the request from the movie industry powerbrokers for a live recording of the Dragons anthem. In order to ensure a PG rating and subsequent success at cinemas around the world, the family-friendly version of the club song may need to be trotted out.

A strong squad is already a certainty. Players are reminded to pay their fees at training this week to ensure their eligibility to tour.

THAILAND TOUR ITINERARY:

Fri 28 April:

Those on group flights meet at airport express in Central at 4.30pm.
Flight CX703 to Bangkok departing at 6.40pm, arriving 7.55pm.
Those organising their own flights to make their own way to Bangkok, and if staying at the team hotel, check in on arrival.
The hotel will be paid in advance, so only expenses such as mini-bar and room service will need to be paid when checking out. Hotel details below.
A bar will be arranged for all to attend and watch the AFL.

Sat 29 April:

Bus will leave the hotel for Kanchanaburi at 9.30am. All people staying elsewhere to make their way to the hotel by 9.15.
Bus will take up to 3 1/2 hours to Kanchanaburi.
Game at Kanchanaburi at about 2.30pm.
Beer and BBQ after the game.
Sat night a dinner on a boat is organised on the river Kwai.
Sat night accommodation is organised for all at Kanchanaburi and is twin share due to the lack of available rooms.

Sun 30 April:

There will be some kind of ANZAC service in the morning. Details to follow.
The bus will leave about 10am and take us back to the hotel in Bangkok.
Jungle Jims and Soi Cowboy is arranged for Sunday afternoon / evening with the Tigers.

Mon 1 May:

Flight CX712 to Hong Kong departing at 4.10pm, arriving 7.55pm.

Rooms and Payment:

Last date to confirm your accommodation is 22 March.

Bangkok accommodation on 28 and 30 April is at the Ambassador at 171 Soi 11, Sukumvit Road, Bangkok. One room per person.

Tour cost is HK$3,200 for flights and acccom, $1,200 for accom only, THB2,500 for accom on Sat night only.

Pay to the account at HSBC number 502 413594 838, then e-mail reference number/advice to Michael Robertson at tours@hk-dragons.com

Bustling Peter Kenny - the Dragons could have their own Barry Hall

The second training session for season 2006 saw 23 blokes turn out at Happy Valley for the afternoon training session.

The second run for the year saw a step up in intensity after the cobwebs were cleared with a light session the week previous.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening was the fact training started punctually at 4.30pm, with the warm-ups and pre-session lap completed by the time the usual kick-to-kick sesh had gotten underway.

Outgoing coach Macca took charge and introduced a couple of new drills that put the emphasis on kicking long, crumbing smart and running hard to make the play.

Another encouraging sign for the year ahead was the strong turnout yet again from the new-bloods. About a dozen new faces have hit the track and shown early promise.

The skins-shirts scratchy was pretty evenly balanced. A string of players were deserved of praise on the Dragons website (and its potential global audience of 3 billion readers).

Salty was a revelation in the ruck and worked hard, the ageless (well, 47 we're told) Winesy displayed the dash of man a third his age and the Jackal warranted a medal for going in so hard after a famously huge Saturday night. Anyone who missed training after a big night should be having a good long hard look at themselves.

The grunts have brought fresh legs and attitude into the camp. Among the crop of FNGs who put in a good session were Paul Wilson, Stuart Blieschke, Ian Allen and Andrew Scott (pictured on main page). New recruit Dale also acquitted himself well after drawing one of the toughest assignments in Asian football in his debut scratchy, up against back pocket specialist Bogan.

New grunt Lee 'Lenny' Pilgrim brought form and enthusiam to the track

Special mention also to Barry Hall lovechild (or more likely, father) Peter Kenny, who in the fading light of the arvo looked very much like the big Swan, complete with prodigious kick and elbow to the throat of an oncoming Lipps.
The former Singapore Dingbat will be keen to further hone the kicking radar and stake a claim up forward.

Avid supporters in the stands were also shocked to see the recently retired Dicko don the boots for a spell, before a "tight hammy" saw him join long-term injury prospect Farmer (ankle) on the sidelines.

As the Thailand tour draws nearer the incentive to claim a spot on the team should see numbers swelling further on the track.

In other news, plans are afoot to start an intraclub Sunday comp, complete with a draft night on Anzac Day. Stay tuned to the website for more on this one.


Craig 'Bogan' Francis

A rusting relic from WWII in Kanchanaburi

The first tour of the year is confirmed and is a must for all patriots.

Bangkok (Hellfire Pass): 29th April (away - confirmed)
Singapore in Hong Kong: 20th May (home - TBA)
Japan: 10th June or KL: 10th June (away - TBA)
Singapore: Late July (away - TBA)
Champs in Jakarta (or Bangkok): 19th Aug - TBA (away)
Shanghai: Early October (away - TBA)

(With the exception of Hellfire Pass, the above are tentative tour dates only and subject to change).

The Dragons will be making their first visit to Hellfire Pass for the annual Anzac tournament hosted by the Thailand Tigers. It is renouned both for its uniqueness on the Asian football circuit and the obvious sentiment attached to playing in front of Diggers who endured one of the toughest chapters in Australia's wartime history.

The tournament is played in Kanchanaburi, a couple of hours west of Bangkok. The Dragons will fly out on Friday, April 28 and return on the public holiday Monday, May 1.

Thailand, for the record, have made a winning start to the new season, defeating Malaysia in late December, 13.0-78 to 5.2-32, following another victory in Vietnam over Hanoi. They have publicly set their sights on the Dragons and Wombats.

The railway that cost more than 90,000 lives

The following excerpt is from the Hellfire Pass Official Memorial Website, and is compulsory reading for any prospective tourers.

In 1942, Japan put itself under pressure as it widened its hold on the Far East, as its forces had to be supplied. Burma had a natural supply line for its troops, the Irrawaddy River which runs the full length of Burma and boats could therefore supply the Japanese forces pushing towards India, but this was slow.

The Burmese railway also ran the full length of Burma, the only problem being there was no line between Malaya and Burma, this had to be bridged quickly. If this was joined to Malaya the Japanese forces could be supplied quickly and could carry on with the invasion of India.

The route ran on the east bank of the Mae Khlong River from Bangkok until it reached the Khwae Noi River, the track was then to cross the Mae Khlong and hug the east bank of the Khwae Noi until it reached the mountains in the north and cross the mountains at Three Pagodas Pass. It would then snake out of the mountains towards Thanbyuzayat.

We recommend you consult your atlas for clarity

Kanchanaburi today

With this plan the river was a great advantage as it could help supply materials and the labour force needed to build the railway.

In peace time, plans to build a railway from Bangkok to Burma had been shelved because of the cost involved. Now, with over 100,000 prisoners taken in its advance, Japan had a workforce, to do with as it pleased.

A railway could now be built to help supply its forces on the Burma front and its advance into India for little cost to themselves, this was to prove a huge deficit in prisoners lives.

On 8 August 1942, the Prime Minister signed an agreement with the Japanese representative General Sheji Poriya to build the railway. The Japanese hoped that the single meter gauge railway would be able to transport 3000 tons of supplies and strategic materials a day.

The Death Railway branched off from the existing southern railway and headed towards Kanchanaburi. The first fifty-five km from Nong Pladuk to Kanchanaburi were easy to construct because of the flat terrain. The rest of the way was hell though and that is how it earned its nickname.

When the first survey on the railway was completed it was estimated that it would take five years to build. The principal engineer was S.O. No. Construction began in October of 1942 and it was finished in August of 1943. The railway was put into use on 25 October 1943. With two tracks, one starting from Thanbyuzayat in Burma and the other from Nong Pladuk met at Nieke just south of Three Pagodas Pass.

This is only estimate of the human lives that perished building the death railway:

Workers on the Death Railway/ Total Forced Labour Deaths
Asian Labourers 200,000; +/- 80,000
British POW's 30,000; 6,540
Dutch POW's 18,000; 2,830
Australian POW's 13,000; 2,710
American POW's 700; 356
Korean & Japanese soldiers 15,000; 1,000

Capt. Rigg calls the shots as Sam Greenland and Ben Davis take note

by Michael 'Farmer' Robertson.
The Dragons travelled to Manila in September to compete in the 6th annual Asian Championships.

Having won the past two years and travelled unbeaten all year, the Dragons went in as firm favourites and were justifiably confident. Too confident.

Their hopes of a three-peat were dealt a major blow in the first game of the day with a heart-breaking one point loss to the Bali Geckos. The Dragons led for most of the game and seemed to be in control. Unfortunately it was not to be as Bali managed to snag a goal in the dying seconds to take victory.

Next up the Dragons took on the Thailand Tigers. The Dragons were a much improved unit against the Tigers and used the ball much more efficiently. The game produced a 20 point win for the Dragons.

Next up was Singapore. The Dragons were bouyed at watching Bali lose a close one to Japan in the preceding game. A win over Singapore would have given us a fighting chance of progressing to the final.

The playing group were all fired up. The training services department had done a good job in the preparations, and the stage was set. The intensity of the game was clear for all to see, with neither side scoring for the first six minutes. A few fights broke out around the ground showing that there was no love lost between the two teams.

Singapore were first to break the deadlock with a clever goal. A couple of points followed for Singapore to see them go in with an 8 point lead at half time.

An early goal to Singapore in the second half saw them extend their lead. It was going to be tough for the Dragons from here. The Dragons did start to win more of the ball and were making less errors. A goal to Rob Tucker with five minutes remianing offered the Dragons some hope. But Singapore tightened up and managed to hold on for an eight point win.

The Dragons could not make the final.

The Dragons final match was against the host Philippine Eagles side. The game was a bit of a mismatch, and the Dragons used the opportunity to rest a few players to allow everyone to have a decent run. Faulks and Long Hair were good for the Dragons up front and Riggsy was starring in the centre. The final score was Dragons 6.8 to the Philippines double bagel.

The beers then started to flow for the Dragons as we watched the other teams complete their round robin games. The most interesting thing was seeing who would play Singapore in the final. Japan had not lost a game coming into their last match against against Thailand. A win would put Japan in the final and a loss would have seen Bali progress. Thailand won the game in a thriller, meaning Bali went through to their first grand final.

In the final, a brave and weary Bali, who had travelled with the bare minimum squad, put on a good show in the first half, and were only down by 3 points. However, this was short lived as Singapore turned it on in the second half and cruised to an easy win and their second Asian crown.

Thanks to Will Hamilton for organising the tour and for coaching, Riggsy the skipper, Russ the head of the training services department and Nick Hyland for running the changes. Congratulations also to Macca and Officer Byrne for making the All Asian team of the tournament. Riggsy created a dubious piece of history by winning player of the tournament, but failing to win selection in the All Asian side.