CHRIS KEUNEN PLAYER COLUMN – ROUND 8

A WEST Perth premiership player will be writing a column for the club's website every week of the 2014 WAFL season. This week's edition is Chris Keunen's latest offering.

I AM going to start my column by adding a bit of information that I missed last time. My mate, Greg Bland, informed that he remembered attending a wedding with us last year that was a surprise as we thought it was a going away party.

So sorry, Andrew and Ros, for forgetting and thanks Greg for your memory jog.

Now, to get to this week's column.

It’s amazing how quickly a year actually goes. It was this time last year that I was sitting in Joondalup hospital with Anna cradling our just born little man Xavier. A year on and we have the family over to not only celebrate Xavier’s first birthday but also enjoy the Mother’s Day clash against Peel Thunder. 

This season has been great having Xavier around. Now he is much more interactive and loves playing with a ball. I enjoy being able to sit on the grass with Anna and Xavier before a game and playing with his footy and then after the game, no matter if we had won or lost, having him run over to me with a big smile on his face is a great feeling.

We get to share those experiences with family this weekend, as I look forward to having the family over to be a part of Xavier’s birthday and to also support me at footy. It is great to have our family visit and for Xavier to get a chance to have time with his grandparents, who he only gets to see on a computer screen most weeks.

Having the family over for his birthday also means they get to come to watch me play footy. I know they would have loved to have seen me play at Etihad on Tuesday in the Foxtel Cup. It worked out nicely that they were coming over this weekend.

I know my parents miss being able to come watch me play each week like they used to. It is always great to have them here for a match, as they have always been a big part of my football, as all parents are to their children. 

Anna’s parents are also here and while they haven’t been to many games they are also constantly keeping track of my games and how I am going. Often, they ask about how I am and how I have pulled up after a game before they even ask how Anna is, which I always have a good giggle about.

I guess they are two people who I do feel I need to make sure I play well in front of because I took their little girl away. I guess I want to make sure that they see that the move was worth it. Although, I think now we have Xavier, they know it was.

Since having Xavier, It has been harder living on the other side of the country and not having our families close by. There were times when we wished we had that family babysitter to call on or even just our parents to fall back on to give advice.

I remember when we first moved over and having our parents visit and that when they left neither Anna nor I felt upset about it, compared to how we both choked up when they left after visiting after Xavier was born.

Yes it has become easier when they leave but there is still a part of us that wishes Xavier could spend more time with his grandparents and extended family. We see Razor’s little one, Elexis, running around with her grandparents, Fred and Wilma, every weekend and love seeing that great interaction. We do have many people at the club who give Xavier that love and affection, nanna Jude and ma Carol (as they both call themselves to him) have been great.

It will be great having the family there running around on the grass with Xavier on Sunday. He can show his grandparents where he likes to stand on the fence calling out “Dad dad” and seeing the two us kicking the footy around.

The game has a lot of meaning for me this week and I hope that the result can replicate it. With a few more West Perth fans in the stands supporting me and little monkey enjoying his first birthday it is going to be a great day.

Happy Birthday Xavier and Go West.  

BY CHRIS KEUNEN