Article by Macarthur Bulls Junior Reporter, Chase SMITH
On Monday night I got to be the Junior Reporter for Macarthur FC, and it felt like the best thing ever.
I arrived at the stadium at 4:30pm and the nicest ladies greeted me at the gate. They were so friendly and made me feel really special. They even gave me a tour, which was amazing. I got to go inside the change room where all the players’ jerseys and boots were already set up and ready. It looked so cool, like a real professional place where champions get ready.
Then I got to sit in one of the racing‑car style chairs on the sideline, and I felt like a real player waiting to go on the field. After that, I got to take a picture in the tunnel where all the players run out before the game. Standing there made me feel like maybe one day I could run out too. I even got a photo with the big camera the cameraman uses, and it was so cool because it looked huge in my hands.
At 6pm I came back after eating my yummy nuggets, and that’s when I started interviewing fans as they walked in. They told me who their favourite players were and what they thought the score would be. Lots of people said it might be 0–0 because the weather was stormy and it looked like it would be really hard for the players. I also got to interview Joshua Damevski, and when I asked him what he thought the score would be, he said 0–0 too because of the conditions. Then I met Frans Deli and asked him when he started playing soccer. He said he started when he was 5, and I told him I also started when I was 5. That made me feel really happy, like we had something in common.
Before the game started, I walked up to the grandstand and saw lots of young fans just like me. I met them and played with them for a bit. They were so cool and huge Bulls fans too, and it felt nice to make new friends who love soccer as much as I do.
When the match kicked off, both teams moved the ball quickly and tried hard to score. Auckland got the first goal in the 41st minute, which made me feel a bit worried, but the Bulls didn’t stop working. They kept pushing and defending really strongly. My favourite moment was when Tomislav Uskok scored in the 70th minute. I smiled so big when the ball went in because it was such an awesome goal, the kind I dream about scoring when I’m older.
The game finished 1–1, and now the Bulls are six games undefeated, which is really cool. It shows how strong they are and how much they believe in each other.
Right before full time, I went back down to the sideline so I could meet all the players properly. I got photos with them and signatures on my brand‑new Macarthur FC ball that my mum finally bought me. I was so excited because I’ve wanted one for ages. The players were all so nice to me, and getting their signatures made me feel like maybe one day people will want my signature too. My mum said she’s going to buy a special display case for my signed ball, and I’m going to put it in my room so I can look at it every day.
When we left, I also got a showbag with so many cool things inside, like a pencil case, and a hat. It made the night feel even more special. Being the Junior Reporter was one of the best days of my life, and I’ll never forget it.
