My uncle Julius died when I was 10.

Unfortunately, I have very few memories of him; other than the annual Blues v Saints game at VFL park, his steel-wool hair and a comforting (I know) smell of cigars.

What I learned later on, was his love of whisky, Hungarian card games and spending a lot of time in his converted double garage – playing pool with friends. Competition and passion, in any form.

I was too young to be allowed to play on his prized possession – an Alcock 3/4 table. It sat proudly within the timberlined walls and dwarfed the bar in the corner. The room was separated from the house so nobody inside could hear the racket.

I remember being a 14-ish-year-old when my Auntie, Eva, whispered to me and invited me to come over any time to play pool with my friends. No questions asked – she said I could turn up any time and didn’t need to announce my arrival. I thought it was weird that she offered that to me.

It wasn’t until I was around 16 that I realised the opportunity of using the space – especially as it was a couple of streets away from home. I was lucky/gutsy/stupid enough to ‘borrow’ a car from home late at night, pick up some friends and go spend the night playing pool.

This favorite pastime lasted the final years of living at home and thankfully honed our skills so we could confidently hold down a table at one of our favorite venues.

The pool table sat largely unused for almost 20 years – waiting for someone to bring it back to life. When we moved down to Torquay, Lael was thrilled there was a second living area (for the kids to hang out) but when I first saw the space, I knew this was my opportunity to relocate the table and give it a new lease on life.

I love witnessing the joy the table brings; connecting multiple generations of people who visit us – combined with a healthy appetite for competition – so I thought it would only be fitting to put on a tournament and spend a day with some favorite people. And so, begins The Break Club.

Cheers, Julius!