That one day in September

I'm not really into football. Never have been. I grew up following a team but went to maybe one game a year and only knew what was going on because I had brothers who liked the game. It's a long time since I've been in Melbourne for a football season. This year has been a good reminder to me that even though it's not that important to me, football is very important to some people. Before each big Collingwood match over the past month, regular as clockwork, I have received call from the Mulga Bore mob. They just want to include me in the excitement that surrounds the game for them. Then today, as I watched the Grand Final from Federation Square (hosting a Swiss friend who hadn't seen a Grand Final before) I was struck by all the people who had obviously comeover from Adelaide especially for the game. I was delighted to watch a former student of mine from Alice Springs score a Grand Final Goal, whihc I know for a fact is literally a dream come true for him. As I caught the tram home during the fourth quarter (my friend and I gave up and went for cofee at half time!) I noticed Port supporters in groups of twos and threes shuffling away from the MCG, disappointed that their team had not been able to do more on the day and I felt for them. Their hopes had been so high. But then watching images from the streets of Geelong where there was literally not a soul on the streets becasue in unison the whole town was inside watching the match, hoping to break a 44 year drought.
And the game prompted me to get in touch with a couple of friends, Cats supporters, who I had not spoken tofor a long time, and I realised how much i miss them. And then, as I walked from the tram stop to my house, the MCG behind me, I heard the cheer of 100,000 people go up as the final siren sounded and it made me smile. That was enough football for me for one year, but I do understand why it means so much to so many others and that's where the enjoyment of football exists for me.