'Stacking It' Becomes 'Having A Fall' As Local Man Turns 60

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It feels like just yesterday that Marty Dollarhyde was playing Golden Oldies rugby with his old Betoota Dolphins teammates from yesteryear.

Back in those days, the then-55-year-old didn't have a care in world about putting the shoulder into another aging weekend warrior and drinking 13 cans of XXXX Bitter on the hill afterwards.

But he's had to give that away now, at least the sporting aspect, because his knees and hips are simply shot.

Back then his friends and family laughed and giggled when he took on the wrong defender and ended up being lifted way beyond horizontal and speared dangerously into the cricket pitch.

Even Marty laughed.

But that was then and this is now.

He's just turned 60.

That means having a stack is no longer a laughing matter. In fact, it's cause for concern and anxiety.

That's what he learnt yesterday afternoon, when he fell down two short steps in the living room of his Betoota Grove home.

His daughters and their friends gasped, somebody even screamed.

Marty couldn’t get his arms out in time and the floor raced up towards him.

The rich Oregon floorboards negatively geared his internal organs as he let out a soft moan.

“Marty!” screamed his wife, Julia.

“Dad! Oh My God! Are you OK?” added his daughter, Megan.

Ultimately this fall wasn't a 'bad fall' but it was still a fall. Gone are the days of 'coming unstuck' or 'going arse up'. Marty has to be on the ball more than ever.

It's not that his balance has gotten worse, it's just that his ribs don't bend like they used to, and there's no double bounce anymore.

Speaking to The Advocate a short time ago from his private hospital bead, the old man said he suddenly feels old.

“Yeah I feel a bit worse for wear,” he said.

“My family just stood around me after the fall and gasped. They thought I'd carked it"

"My son-in-law could barely hide his disappointment when he came to visit just before and found out that the keys to my 5-bedroom red brick are going nowhere."

"Am I that old?”

More to come.