In the shadows of Bromma Airport, nine hardy souls threw off the distractions of sailing and the sommarstuga to take on rivals Solna in the first match after summer break.  With twelve on their side, Solna had the numerical advantage and were keen to bounce back from a defeat earlier to Söder earlier in the season. 

One of the nine Söder Bluesmen was Mick Larsson, soon to swap meatballs for tapas but keen to leave Sweden on the right note.  As the match got underway, it became clear that Mick was ‘on’ as he continuously presented at half-forward, taking strong grabs, brushing opponents aside and booting goals from all angles.  With support from his brother Max and strong defence from Lars and Dylan, Söder went to the first break a few goals ahead.  The second quarter was more of the same, as Söder’s handball, run and precise disposal took control of the game.  Cody iced the half with a cool after-the-siren slot from 40 metres and Söder went to the main break about 80 points up.

With no one on the bench and temperatures climbing to about 25 degrees, Söder tired in the second half while Solna lifted its intensity and put together some good passages of play.  The game was much more even and ended with a scoreline of 156-75.

For the record, Mick finished with 11 and has surely soared to the lead in the SAFF goalkicking; Tanca was a constant threat, especially to the umpire, and snared 6 of his own; Max and Natis dominated the middle; Cody and Dan marked their return to the SAFF with busy games; Berger was a colossus, rucking all day in the heat; Lars was as steady as ever at the back and moved forward to snap a late goal of his own; and Dylan had a great game with his run and carry.

All in all, a strong effort and let’s hope we get a few more on the park this week for the match against fellow undefeated side Bromma.