I was invited to watch a holiday weekend footy match, another Australian tradition. I had decided that I needed to choose an Aussie Rules team to support, so I opted for the Geelong Cats (on the personal advice of the State Premier of Victoria, where the game is mostly played).
Geelong President Colin Carter filled me in on the club’s distinguished history. It dates from 1859 which makes it 19 years older than Manchester United, the team I support in the UK. It last won the Grand Final in 2009.
Watching any sport played at the top level is an exhilarating experience. But when it’s played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, one of the world’s great temples of sport, packed with some 63,000 fans, that’s even more the case. I’d never really followed AFL before coming to Australia, because I think you have to see it live to really appreciate it. It’s a fantastically fast flowing game – players run up to 20km in a match – and there can be lots of goals.
I sat between two members of parliament, who generously took the time to explain the finer points of the game to me. Their enthusiasm was infectious. This was a really close match: the Cats were ahead for the first two quarters, the Hawks pulled ahead in the third. In the final quarter, Geelong clawed their way back to lead 88 to 83 and hung on for the final nail-biting minutes. Sweet victory. I definitely intend to go back and see some more.