Friday, April 27, 2007

Wayward Eagles star in new 'bear hunt'


This column has appeared in The Redland Times, Cleveland, Redland Shire, Queensland, Australia. Image from West Coast Eagles Store.

THINGS just haven’t been the same at the Malone household at Alexandra Hills since Easter.
Life continues under a cloud for Katrina and John Malone and their four kids after a valued member of the family went missing.
The youngest, Naython, 2, feels the absence most. Mum says the boy will utter, "Need Eagles, need Eagles."
She has tried everything she can think of to find his favourite soft toy, a 20cm Eagles bear, representing the West Coast's AFL premiers.
The bear, with the famous blue, white and yellow jersey, went missing at Cleveland Showground while the Malones, members of the congregation at St Anthony’s Catholic Church, enjoyed the Easter festival.

KATRINA says she made about 30 phone calls tracking down the team that cleaned up.
"I managed to get hold of the last people who were on the site but they said there were only a couple of pairs of thongs and a backpack," she says.
She also posted notices at shopping centres and St Anthony’s and St Luke’s churches and, of course, advertised in our Classifieds, but without result.
"Naython has had Eagles bears since he was six months but the new ones have different fur and unfortunately are not what he likes," Katrina says.
"This one has satin shorts with a hole where he hangs on."
Naython especially misses his bear while he watches his favourite DVD, Disney Cars.
Katrina, who grew up in Northam, near York in Western Australia, is an avid Eagles fan. John, hailing from Blackall in Queensland, backs the Lions.

THE couple met in Papua New Guinea when Katrina’s dad was working for Telstra and John, who operates Malone Plumbing, was completing a contract on transportable houses.
They married 15 years ago in St Anthony’s and made the Redlands their home.
Before his second birthday last autumn, Naython had a prime seat on dad’s lap at the Gabba to see the Eagles beat the Lions at home on their rise to glory.
Katrina will long remember how the baby waved his bear in John’s face and chanted "Go Eagles" at every match highlight.
The Malones are a spiritual bunch, with the eldest son, Justin, 14, reading during mass.
Let’s hope St Anthony, reportedly good at finding things, hears their prayers.
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