2008: Footy at the G (Melbourne, Australia)

Written by LizzieT

Carlton vs Essendon, April 2008

Despite not having a clue what was happening, I really enjoyed and my new favourite team of Essendon were victorious!

If you come to Melbourne, you have to go to see Footy at the G – that’s Australian Rules Football at the MCG for the rest of us… everyone told me this so tonight I went to see footy at the G – the game was Essendon V Carlton – two local Melbourne teams, so the game had an extra edge to it.

I arrived at the G quite early so I could get a good seat – the bus driver from my coach trip on Friday said I needed to sit as close to the pitch as possible so I could smell the game as well as watch it! In the end, I sat about 20 rows back in the Southern Stand. I decided to support Essendon as they play in red (with black) and Carlton play in blue – I can’t support a team that plays in blue.

I found a seat next to Essendon supporters – two grandmas who have been watching the games for years and years (but not been able to persuade the rest of their families to get involved). They were excellent tutors in the AFL and also pointed out the most popular (or cute) players on each team – current favourite is full-forward Matthew Lloyd for Essendon!

There were nearly 65,000 at the G for the game – more than most football matches in the UK on a weekly basis and the atmosphere was fantastic. This being my first game, I don’t have much to compare it with… however, I was told I was watching ‘a real beauty’ – high scoring, lots of incident, refereeing controversy. The final score was 150 – 134 in favour of my new team Essendon – I promised the women who explained the game to me that I would be an Essendon girl from now on! however, I’m not sure whether they’ll be particularly successful. I may not know much about the game but neither side looked like they knew much about defending.

Later on this trip, I also watched baseball at the Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles… nothing like joining the locals for a big sporting clash on your travels.

Watching sporting events whilst travelling is definitely a common theme:

Switching allegiance in the Aussie Rules – watching the Adelaide Crows in 2015
2011 – American Football in Atlanta. That was a big game against the Carolina Panthers
NZ’s national sport… Friday night at the rugby in Dunedin in 2015 – Otago Highlanders vs Queensland Reds

Match report 1: Waikato Chiefs vs NS Wales Warratahs, Rugby Park, Hamilton, NZ, 9th April 2000.

Final Score: 37-30 win for the Warratahs.

Rained non-stop, slippery conditions, lost count of the number of knock-ons after spiralling kicks. Chiefs were leading with a few minutes to go but the Aussies scored two tries in four minutes to take the game. Only player I’d heard of was Matt Burke – tidy game at full-back for NSW – but nothing spectacular.

A journal entry from 2000 trip to New Zealand

And then of course, there is the cricket… but that’s for another post.

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