1997 was an odd year in many ways.
Aqua somehow managed to top the singles chart not once but twice with ‘Barbie Girl’ and ‘Doctor Jones’ and ‘Beverly Hills Ninja’ and ‘James and the Giant Peach’ spent several weeks as the biggest cinema draws in the country.
Pauline Hanson sued the ABC for playing a song that she claimed lampooned her and Mike Tyson infamously decided to have a nibble on Evander Holyfield’s ear.
Strange times indeed and it seems that Glory were quite happy to follow the trend and be a little bit unorthodox themselves.
Having seen his side narrowly miss out on the finals in a largely successful inaugural campaign, Head Coach Gary Marocchi added a number of new faces to his squad, including local lads Michael Garcia and James Afkos.
But perhaps fortunately for Garcia and Afkos, they were not required to appear in this promotional picture that graced page 41 of the club’s Official Yearbook.
It really is one of those shots that raises more questions than it provides answers.
While the paint job is undeniably eye-catching, was the club’s acquisition of a Toyota Hiace really worthy of such fanfare?
Why was it parked at such a perilous angle so close to the Swan River?
Are the players all sitting on the land side of the van more in in an effort to ensure that it doesn’t topple into the water than to get themselves into shot for the photographer?
And is there any truth in the rumour that the van is now used as a makeshift chicken coop on a property in Stoneville?
The final question is one that we’re going to throw out there with the offer of a prize for the first correct answer through.
Can you name the four Glory players bravely trying to prevent the van from tumbling off the foreshore?
(Clue: three of them were new recruits for the 1997-98 season).
Disclaimer: the prize on offer is likely to be a copy of the pen picture of a very youthful Basil Zempilas that featured on the back inside cover of the Official Yearbook.
#CREATEDESTINY
