Fists pumped and rarin’ to go. Ben King, left, and his dad Bill are at war over their allegiances to Narre Warren and Cranbourne in
By Peter Sweeney
Witness the King home, in Narre Warren North, where just such a civil war is taking place in the lead-up to this Saturday’s football grand final between Narre Warren and Cranbourne.
When it’s time to decide who’s the best, there’s no shortage of talking, and tackling, in this house divided between two Kings: dad Bill and son Ben.
The gloves are off; Bill and Ben are going for it. And it’s just as comical as listening to, and watching, the Flowerpot Men and Thomas the Tank engine characters of the same names.
“It may look fun, but it’s serious … and he knows we’ll give it to ’em,” Bill said.
Bill’s the chairman of selectors at Cranbourne – and the right-hand man of coach Doug Koop, the pair being former teammates at Springvale.
Ben is captain of the Narre Warren under-18s, but so rapid has been his climb this season that he has become a regular in the senior side.
On Saturday, the Eagles and the Magpies clash in the 2011 grand final in the Casey Cardinia Football League. Cranbourne is unbeaten; Narre the reigning premier.
But one is about to have their wings clipped.
“I can tell you, it won’t be us,” Bill said while ruffling the feathers of his son.
“He should come and play for us. Maybe not, he wouldn’t get a game.”
Ben grins, but doesn’t budge.
He may be still in school – a Year 12 student at Mazenod College – but he has the maturity of an old-timer.
One of those old-style backmen, the boy can play. And he’s gamer than Ned Kelly.
“He runs back with the flight of the ball, he does it week in, week out,” Magpie coach Chris Toner said of Ben following Narre’s preliminary final winner over Berwick.
“He won’t be able to get away with that against a great side like Cranbourne,” Bill said. That’s when his wife Cathy, Ben’s biggest fan, steps in.
“You leave him alone. Hell hath no fury when Cathy King is upset,” she said.
“I know all the Cranny boys and I like them. But heaven help one if they hurt Ben.”
To Cathy, her husband and Koop are ‘Tweedledum and Tweedledee.’
“And don’t fall for what Bill says what he does at Cranbourne. He puts out the cones at training,” Cathy said.
But this lively woman who helped save the life of her husband when he suffered an aneurysm while putting the rubbish bins out seven years ago, dips her lid to the Koop-King partnership.
“Doug was very, very good to me and our three children when Bill had the aneurysm. Bill hung between life and death for two weeks.
“They are great mates and not bad blokes – but they might have to settle with second on Saturday.”
“Ere, ere,” echo Ellie and Mitchell, Ben’s younger siblings.
“Look, we’ll win … but I hope my boy is best on ground,” Bill interjected. “I do love him.”
‘The Kid’ just smiled and said: “If you told me last year I would be playing senior football this year, I wouldn’t have believed you. And I couldn’t imagine to be playing for a senior premiership.”
See what we mean about him being laid-back.
