Decked In Double Green
By the time the Birds and Bunnies' joint end-of-season dinner began, Grilled's defeat to Arrogancae earlier in the day had apparantly been forgotten, with the squad in full-on party mode. While less trophy-laden than the last such event, there was at least some silverware of significance to show, and the premises were tastefully decorated in two shades of green, representing Grilled's main colour, and the Emerald Challenger Cup - won so memorably against Isle of Flames.
The recently-retired Gleb Dorogan added even more flavour to the function, as he was at his witty best as master of ceremonies. His gentle yet spot-on ribbing had the guests in stitches, and it was with some effort that
Djan Bacelar got him to quieten down, that the presentations could begin.
There was little suspense before Grilled's Player of the Season was announced, since one player had stood, if not head and shoulders, at least quite a bit taller than his peers. Other than
Mohd Safri bin Mohd Kassim's impressive goal haul in all competitions, he had also been a revelation for the national side, and all this is without mentioning his outstanding link-up play.
The award would be Mohd Safri's third, with the three coincidentally seven seasons apart from one another, which should speak volumes for the one-club man's longevity. "He's a modern-day Giggs... well, not that Giggs was that long ago, but you understand." Dorogan quipped.
It was much more of a toss-up for the Young Player version, with Foo Yong Fu having left just days too early to be in contention. Still, while it has not been a vintage harvest for the Chicken Wings, there have been some bright spots, and striker Zaman Syarif Thamin IKram was nominated for the honour. A few attendees clearly felt that Chew Wee Tong deserved it more, but both youngsters took the selection in good grace.
On the Bunnies' end, it was an easy choice to make too, with
Cheah Chang Ming qualitatively far more effectual than any of his colleagues, in what had been a long, hard grind of a season. In contrast, the Bunnies' Rancher Rabbits youth side have perhaps eclipsed the far-longer established Wings, with 15 year-old Ong Kok Long reportedly already on the radar of international scouts.
Given that the Bunnies' senior squad is packed with eligible talent, however, not even Ong's clear genius - or that of several of his very qualified fellows in the Rabbits - could earn him the nod. Certainly, former Rabbits stalwart
Tham Leng Teck had consistently proven himself against forwards of Division Three calibre, and as his hobbling up the stage reminded, he had definitely worked for it.
The night ended on a slightly sombre note, as
Djan Bacelar chose his words carefully for his brief yet penetrating closing address. "For some of you, this is just the beginning, but for some - many - others, it's coming to an end. You know who you are."
"And you know what you really want."
