Iceberger 100 Michael Conlan

Iceberger News 26th June 2020 Editor: Ria Bleathman

Melbourne’s year-round open water swimming group

Lead Article – Kerry Watson Swims

Iceberger Kerry Watson swims every morning with the 7.30 Squad, a routine he has maintained throughout the lockdown.

Kerry completed 92 consecutive swims up until 1st June 2020 which meant he swam every day for the entire Autumn - and he is still going! Kerry’s quiet achievement is an inspiration to all.

Kerry swimming at RBYC in the first chill waters of Winter. Photo: David Brooks

Miscellanies - Iceberger 100 Michael Conlan

Iceberger 100 on our Honour Board is Michael Conlan who is also well known for his 200+ games with Fitzroy Football Club during the 1980’s. Michael was one of the first players to incorporate fitness, health and nutrition into his training regime, one that he still follows today as an Iceberger.

Michael continues to swim most mornings at 5.15am and at weekends with the legendary 7.30 Group. He runs along the Esplanade prior to each swim and concludes most swims with push-ups on the beach.

Michael is a member of the Fitzroy Team of the Century alongside legends such as Haydn Bunton, Kevin Murray and Bernie Quinlan.

He was given the nickname ‘The Sherman Tank’ due to his explosive style of play, bursting through packs to kick vital goals on the run.

Michael ‘The Sherman Tank’ 1980’s

Michael ‘The Iceberger’ May 2020

26th June 2020 © RBYC Melbourne Australia

In 1996 Fitzroy played its last game as a Melbourne-based AFL team when it was merged with the Brisbane Bears and the team relocated to Queensland. But the ‘Boys from Old Fitzroy’ still stir the passions in the Fitzroy neighbourhood today:

Gertrude Street, Fitzroy circa 2019 Graffiti, James Street circa 2018 Garage Door, James Street, Fitzroy, 2020

Miscellanies – “The Sir Michael Lombard”

The Sir Michael Lombard Fly At left is a photo of the original Sir Michael Lombard Fly, tied by Iceberger Alistair Purvey on 10th June 2020 when Michael was undergoing major heart surgery. Alistair describes The Sir Michael Lombard as follows: Hook: Down Eye Size 10 Captain Hamilton. Working silk: Black. Tail: Black over Red Marabou. Body: Red and Black Chenille. Hackle: Large Medium Ginger Cock, Palmer Style. Head: Black.

Alistair says: the fly will remain under lock and key and presented to Michael in the ‘heated’ underground change rooms at RBYC on his return from surgery. Get well soon Michael, from your Iceberger friends.

Statistically Speaking

The Iceberger News has now been issued each fortnight for a full six months. During this time 13 editions have been published involving 111 separate contributions from Icebergers made up of 44 stories and 67 photos. 34 individual Icebergers have made contributions during this time representing about 25% of our total Iceberger membership.

The RBYC Commodore Paul Pascoe also provided a Lead Article in The News reflecting the integral nature of both our sailing and swimming memberships.

The most active contributor to The Iceberger News over the first six months was Sam Paynter who made contributions to five editions representing nearly 40% of all editions on issue.

Sam has therefore earned a well-deserved Number One ‘podium position’ at the halfway mark of the 2020 Year In Print.

It is solved by swimming

A long swim in the ocean enables us to remove all those dissonant distractions and to consider the many riddles, questions and complexities of modern life. The Latin phrase which explains this phenomenon is: ita solvitur natandi which, roughly translated, means it is solved by swimming. So there it is, go for a swim, problem solved!