Another week in isolation. Another week of training and waiting for Western Bulldogs premiership midfielder Josh Dunkley.
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Monday 11/5/20
Day 50
Up early this morning to attack another week. We trained immediately again which meant it was a little cold whilst we started running, however we were soon all very hot and stripping off our jumpers. It ended up being a really nice day, weather wise. I had a big session on the cards as we are starting to ramp up things, hopefully getting closer to a return of Football. After getting through the session we headed home to do a program of weights in the gym.
I quickly jumped on the line to a leaders call soon after. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any new or very much information regarding the possibility of a return to football, as the Victorian Premier was speaking throughout our meeting.
After the meeting I went outside to help unload the bluestone cobbles, which we are using as part of our landscape in the backyard. Once the task was finished I headed back inside for some lunch, chicken and salad was on the menu today. We all completed some work on our new JKLD entity together and discussed various other events that we could partake in online, phone, via zoom or social media.
I whipped down the street to grab a take away coffee for everyone and made a few calls on the way. Teammates were ringing up with a lot of questions about training and when we were going back? Sadly, I didn’t have too many answers for them. Once home I finished off my Pilates and Injury Prevention, before getting on the PlayStation to do battle with my brother.
A very quick dinner break was had and we all noticed the red sky, which on the farm the saying was: Red sky at night, Shepherd's delight. Red sky in the morning, Shepherd's warning. So it looks like we are in for another nice day tomorrow. Straight after dinner we were back into the PlayStation game. Meanwhile, I did take a break and message all the boys on WhatsApp giving them a bit of a Footy update, this is mainly to make sure they aren’t getting mixed information. Social Media can be very tricky during times like this, it is hard to know what’s right and wrong at the end of the day. After completing my messaging, I felt quite tired so headed off to sleep.
Tuesday 12/5/20
Day 51
Today Lara and I got up early to complete a fitness session with a mate that we used to be close with back home. He is now running daily sessions on Zoom at 6.30am. I went into it thinking I was going to be ok, wow I was wrong about that. Both of us soon had sweat dripping off us, as we completed each exercise. I suppose it also became a bit of a competition, especially when you have a different Fitness Instructor. However, we both enjoyed the different challenge and it was nice to see everyone on the screen working away at the same time. A shower was definitely needed soon after.
I got changed into some old ‘farm clothes’ and let the builders into the backyard. Unfortunately I couldn’t do much at all to help out, as the deck was being laid down and this required the professionals to attend to. I went back inside to have some breaky before finding something to do outside. I decided to get the pressure washer out and clean a few rubber mats that were stored in the garage, to put in the gym. Heavy weights don’t go to well on a carpet floor trust me. After waiting for the mats to dry, I placed them into the gym with some help from Kyle. We then started cleaning up and disinfected the gym equipment and tidied up everything. When I clean up I like to do it properly, this soon turned into a bigger job and I vacuumed the whole downstairs of our place, as an end result. Once everything was cleaned, I started making lunch. Today I had promised the boys out the back that I would make them some turkey and salad wraps, pretty basic but a nice thing to do every now and then. Everyone must have liked them as there wasn’t a skerrick left!
After lunch I finished off with some gym cleaning and completed another body weight circuit, with a recovery bike session also. Lara cooked a lovely curry dinner for us, whilst we were watching the TV and an announcement came over to say that there were going to be a few changes, which meant that people could move about a little more, which was pleasing to hear. Kyle and I jumped on the PlayStation again to finish off the day. This PlayStation has certainly become a bit addictive, I must admit!
Wednesday 13/5/20
Day 52
Another early morning session was on the cards, however when we arrived at the oval to train around 7.30am, people were out in groups already. As of last night Victorians can now train in groups of 10, unfortunately for us, we were still under some AFL restrictions, so we couldn’t do the same. We knocked over our sessions quite easily today and went home to lift, and I finished off the training part of my day with a protein shake. I had a very quick shower and then jumped on an AFLPA call with my brother.
I sat down to record some birthday messages for various people that have reached out through our new JKLD website. We are offering a range of services online and have been really excited to get this up and going for everyone. If anyone is keen to get in touch with us, please jump online, we would be happy to hear from you!
Soon after it was lunchtime, so I grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading to COVID testing at Marvel Stadium. This was a little nerve-wracking, I didn’t know what to expect, it honestly felt like I was in a movie when driving in. The lady passed me a tissue, I was like ‘What is this for?’ she quickly replied, ‘you might need it.’
Not knowing what to expect she told me to open my mouth and say ahhhhh, I did so while she stuck the swab down my throat. The next step was to measure my index finger, mark the rod and then stick it up either side of my nose, until it was up that far that I started balling my eyes out, obviously this was what the tissue was for!
After the test and arriving home, I jumped on a Zoom call with Telstra about an exciting event they are doing in the coming weeks. Soon after, I started to prep for dinner, HelloFresh was on the menu again. Whilst answering a few JKLD emails I managed to cook dinner. Once dinner was completed and everything was washed up, I then headed upstairs again to play Fortnite with a cup of tea and choc chip cookie, which Lara had made. Lara had been baking, whilst I was out getting my COVID test and her choc chip cookies are the yummiest cookies, everyone loves them. I know, I’m a bit addicted to the PlayStation at the moment. I used to refuse to play Fortnite and now here I am playing every day. I’m not too sure how long we played for, but that was the rest of my day.
Thursday 14/5/20
Day 53
We all woke up again this morning for a 6.30am training session again on Zoom. Today’s session was similar to a session that Kyle and I had completed in San Diego in our off season. It certainly wasn’t easy. Straight after, I let the builders in and got a roast turkey out of the freezer in preparation for dinner. I then ducked off to the shops to get some produce for home made sushi that we were making for lunch, along with some vegetables to go with our roast turkey for dinner.
The phone was ringing hot all day, most of it to do with our new website and also in regard to returning to training/playing, so the afternoon flew which was great. Before I knew it we had everything cut up for the sushi and just had to roll them up, they tasted delicious. Once cleaned up, it was time to prep for dinner as that was nearly upon us. We had a bit of sushi for entrée and I whipped up a nice roast turkey and roasted some vegetables. After eating dinner we sat down and flicked on Apple TV. As kids we always used to do this at home and laugh as everyone played funny videos from the past, a great way to provide some joy and laughter in the house. Everyone always contributes and the night sort of turns into a screening night, with a lot of fun had. Soon after I jumped on Fortnite for a quick game and to see if I could win a game and headed to bed after that.
Friday 15/5/20
Day 54
Up early again today to let the boys in, before heading down to the park for hopefully our last big session before we return to a small group training session. As soon as I finished the session, I checked my phone and it was official, we were back to training on Monday. It’s hard to explain that feeling, I was so excited! This is what we all live for, so to know that soon we will be back doing what we love doing is certainly satisfying.
We then quickly whipped home and I knocked out my weights session like there was no tomorrow, full of excitement. I then received a message from the club to return all gym equipment so I jumped in the car and dropped it off as soon as I could. It was also pleasing to see not too much traffic, but it felt strange heading towards the club, after all I haven’t been there for quite a while.
Upon arriving home, the builders had left, so I grabbed out the basketball and started shooting some hoops. I found myself out there for quite a while, enjoying my time alone, before coming inside for dinner. Tonight we couldn’t be bothered cooking, luckily, we had some leftover sushi. However, it wasn’t enough! We decided to order some takeaway fish from a local shop down the road.
Whilst doing this I found out some not so good news, that a few significant staff members weren’t returning to the club. I felt absolutely shattered for them, I didn’t really know what to think. This was a reality check with everything still going on. All of these people have done so much for me and to know now that because of this virus, they won’t be returning, really hurts. Trying to type a message to them all took me so long, I didn’t know what to say. I sat and thought for a long time before I finally got the messages completed, whilst feeling very sad. This took up the rest of my day, a few phone calls and text messages to try and come to terms with what I had just found out and then finally a bit of reassurance from my parents on a FaceTime call. After discussing the situation at hand and although not fully satisfied, I felt a little better. Good communication is the key.
Saturday 16/5/20
Day 55
This morning after last night’s events, I decided to sleep in and get some much needed rest. After heading down the street to grab a takeaway coffee as there was no milk left in the fridge. Someone had decided to finish off the milk and not replace it. I returned home and did some life admin. We had a few messages to record for our website and meanwhile, I made myself some breaky.
I then started to clean up a bit and mucked around the house up until lunchtime. Before heading to the park to run a few strides, I grabbed another take away coffee and Copperfield Toasty from the local café around the corner. The toastie was yum, as I hadn’t had one of these for a while.
I then met a team mate at the park to tick the legs over and discuss everything that was happening. We ran for an hour or so and then both were required for a meeting, not long after we broke off and went home. After the meeting I went outside to shoot around again and put a load of washing on before dinner. I came back downstairs to cook some steak on the BBQ, which I hadn’t done properly for a while as the backyard didn’t make using the BBQ very practical. Now that the deck is nearly completed this makes it way easier. Lara made a salad and I put some sweat potato in the oven. How good that steak was, it just melted in my mouth haha. After dinner I had a cup of hot tea, played some more PlayStation and then headed to bed.
Sunday 17/5/20
Day 56
Another sleep-in this morning was great, I woke up full of energy and ready to attack the day. Making myself a nice breaky to kick it off alongside a coffee. I cleaned the house again, vacuuming upstairs this time whilst moving a few things around. Lara and I then went for a walk with PuppyDunks, Lara wanted to show me this new park she had found in the eastern suburbs that was kind of cool. Along the way we stopped off for coffee at Remy café in Kew, obviously rang ahead to make sure they were ready in time for when we got there. After walking for roughly 7km we arrived home and had some homemade vegetable soup for lunch that Lara had made using our Grand Mother's recipe. Soon after I had a Zoom call scheduled with the club where they let us know what and chatted about what the next few weeks might look like. Obviously not ideal but I know I will do anything to get back playing again and if that means more restrictions for us AFL boys and I can’t leave my house, other than to train or play, then I will do that. Kyle also agreed and said the same, we all need to get back playing again.
We all then headed outside to play a few basketball games of HORSE in the backyard. Horse is a game where someone sets the shot for everyone else and if you miss after the first person gets it in you get the letter H, if you miss again you get O. So the first person to spell HORSE loses. When back inside I FaceTimed the parents, just to catch up and see how everything was going, before sitting down to dinner again made by our neighbour, who is certainly not disappointing us with her home cooked meals.
After dinner I started to think about tomorrow and get prepared for training at the club again. Something I haven’t done for 8 weeks now, 56 days in fact! Excitement is an understatement. Although it is going to look very different, I can’t wait to get back into it.
As for my diaries from now on, I’m not too sure what I will do. Definitely open to ideas, maybe something that doesn’t take as much time might help! Although I have to say I have enjoyed every moment of it. After all a pandemic doesn’t happen very often, however, let’s hope it doesn’t happen again. Thank you to everyone who has sent me little comments along the way. I hope this has helped you kill a bit of time and given you more of an insight into our daily lives.
We are all normal people and we should all help each other, especially in a crisis like we are all living through. We aren’t fully through this virus yet, but everyone has done an incredible job to date. So please let’s not go back on this now, but build slowly.
Continue to stay happy, healthy and safe and take great care, look after each other.
Talk Soon, JD.