Wayne's Memories of Jack

by Wayne Pearce from "Local Hero"
One of my favourite Garry Jack yarns was born in 1984 when he was first picked for representative football,in the City-Country game. What happened on those occasions was that you would turn up,strip down to your swimmers or jockettes and undergo a medical examination, inevitably under the full glare of media attention with the cameras whirring and clicking.On this Jimmy Jack hung back,and hung back.As the players came in one by one,he was asking everyone if they had a spare pair of costumes.No one did.So Jimmy went to the end of the queue, no doubt in the hope that the media blokes would be gone by the time his turn came.It was a tactically poor decision.Media people are very often running late and by the time Jimmy Jack's turn came to be examined by Doc Monaghan there was a cast of thousands on hand. Finally Jimmy stripped down....revealing a pair of those baggy flip-top underpants like the guys wear in those ancient movies on TV. Befitting antiques,they weren't in particularly good condition,being somewhat ragged and torn.The punchline however is a happy one.The next week Jimmy Jack was picked in his first State of Origin side and when he turned up for the medical he was RIGHT at the front of the line. Off came the gear and there was Jimmy in a very,very ritzy pair of yellow Pierre Cardins.Fantastic!