This week we hear about what Alan Toovey has been doing in his spare time.
Saturday - Game against Greater Western Sydney at 4:40pm
We had our recovery after the game and caught the bus back to the hotel. I had dinner at the hotel and then went and watched the Olympics with Tyson Goldsack, Travis Cloke and Cameron Wood. We watched the men's cycling. Goldy was really into it, trying to tell us who was who.
Sunday
I got up and had recovery in the hotel pool before packing up my room and going to breakfast. I checked out and caught the team bus to the airport. We were in the Virgin Lounge at the airport about half an hour where I had a coffee and was going to buy a magazine but then couldn’t decide which one I wanted, and before I knew it they had called my name out on the loudspeaker so I jumped on the plane. It was about a 90-minute trip back to Melbourne. We got our bags, checked in and went to the long-term car park where I drove home with Trav, Woody and Goldy. We dropped Goldy and Woody at Goldy’s place, and Trav dropped me off at mine.
I chilled at home for a bit, just watching some more Olympics where I made good use of the Foxtel remote. There’s almost too much choice. I love the track and field sports. Javelin is probably my favourite, as well as the hammer throw - all the weird stuff. I went out for dinner that night with Trav, his girlfriend Bethany and my girlfriend Jade. We went to the Smith Hotel off High St near Chapel St. It was very, very good, we had a great night.
Monday
I was in at the club at 9am after getting up at 8.30am. We had some breakfast in at the club and did all my review stuff and the conditioning stuff that David Buttifant had set out for us with light weights and things like that. We had our team review and then a training session out on the track. I did my defensive review with Ben Hart and had lunch before jumping in the pool before heading home.
I got my girlfriend to take me into city to buy a new motorbike. I have sold my old one, which was a Hyosung 250, and bought a Honda CBR 600. I’m a big fan of them. It took me a while to choose the one I was after, so I did a couple of test rides, but the difference between bikes, price wise, is very small, so if you keep upgrading it’s easy to spend too much money. I like to ride it on weekends or during the week on our day off. The helmets cost about $800 if you want to get the top of the line.
Goldy and Trav ride as well. Woody doesn't ride too much. Goldy was the first to get into it, then Trav, Woody and I got our license all together and got our bikes. The four of us call ourselves The Beaks. Our name came after we got our licenses for a bit of a laugh.
I rode my bike home, and did next to nothing in evening. Jade made me lamb and lentil soup which was awesome, and I watched more Olympics as well as the final episode of American Horror Story which I had on IQ. It ended up being a pretty strange series.
Tuesday
We had training in here early, but it was a pretty quiet day. We went out to the Tan running track to stretch the legs. I was only here for a few hours after we had a review for the backline group. Then Trav, Goldy and I rode our bikes up to Kinglake and Healesville. We were up there for about four hours, getting had lunch in Healesville at the Beechworth Bakery where I had a salad sandwich, a coffee and a steak pie. It was freezing on the bikes after a while, so next time I might wear some skins under my jeans. Goldy is the best rider at this stage, while Woody is definitely the worst by far.
Once I got back I took our dog, Lily, for a walk. She’s a poodle-cross-schnauzer - a schnoodle. It was my turn to cook dinner after that, so I made osso bucco in slow cooker with a barbeque kind of tomato source with some mashed potato and steamed carrot, broccoli and mushrooms. Then we sat down and watched the Aussie men’s basketball team get beaten, which was a bit disappointing.
Wednesday
I got into the club at about 8.30am for some breakfast and to get ready for training. We had our opposition meeting before getting into some training and weights before lunch. After that I did all the little extras I had to do; it usually takes all day to get through everything. Once I got back home, I relaxed for a bit and met some university friends out for dinner out in Richmond.
Thursday
After I had a massage early in the morning I had to go to uni where I study exercise science. I’m into my last unit of the course. It’s actually a three year course but it’s taken me six to complete because I’ve done it on a part time basis. It’s not hard to juggle it with footy, you’ve just got to be organised. There’s a lot of practical work involved, as well as a lot of group assignments and presentations, which are OK to do if you know what you're talking about.
In the early afternoon, I went with Woody to the Epworth Hospital to visit the head and injury ward where we go every fortnight. We know the patients well by now. Some aren't in a great way, but most recover. It just takes a long time - up to five or 10 years - to get back to full health. They are pretty serious head injuries and every person's situation is different.
We get in and have a chat to the people stuck in bed, and it’s good to talk to someone about footy or whatever is going on. The club's been doing it for about six or so years now. Johnno and Swanny were doing it for a while but it fitted in with uni so I was keen, as was Woody. We have done it the last two years now.
Friday
Today is training day, so it’s a matter of breakfast, getting ready for training and going through the final meeting with Bucks before hitting the track. I always warm up with Reidy before each session. After we have our divisional meeting I’ll do a bit of pool stuff and go and have lunch with the other three Beaks, Trav, Wood, Goldy, as well as Jonathon Ceglar, and get ready for Saturday night against St Kilda.
