An all round win from afar

I have lived a very privileged supporter’s life. Over the past four AFL seasons I’ve only watched my team from behind the wall of a LCD on two occasions. The second of which was last Saturday night.

Ever since I met a very nice boy from Ballarat last September my heart has had to make room for this blossoming romance resulting in the Crows falling slightly to the wayside.

Last weekend with a match up against the Swans in Sydney I decided to spend some valuable time with my own boy instead of following my others to the harbour city.

There was just one small problem. Ballarat boy’s Saints were tackling the Hawks at the exact same time.

What’s a girl to do?

Thankfully a trip to the MCG was early removed from the equation due to St Kilda’s ineptness at winning games. Phew! My next challenge was to find an adequate place to view each game simultaneously.

In the end we settled on the tried and tested Mail Exchange hotel on the corner of Spencer and Bourke St.

When we arrived on what was a damp Melbourne night we found, to no real surprise, that the St Kilda and Hawthorn match would be dominating the TV screens come 7:30pm. The Crows game, on the other hand, was to be shown on a TV sandwiched between the pokies, the TAB and another plasma on the NRL. That’s not to mention the plethora of intoxicated Bombers’ fans that were hanging around like a bad smell after their victory earlier in the day across the road.

These were hardly ideal viewing conditions. Luckily I’ve been blessed with a very understanding boyfriend who was more than happy to find a seat with me on the Crows side of the pub. That or he has really developed a soft spot for Adelaide.

As the Crows sprinted out onto the SCG for a moment my mind wandered and I longed to be in the stands side by side my fellow supporters ready to cheer and clap for my team. I was brought back to reality at the Mail Exchange from a gentle and reassuring touch on my arm from the handsome man on my left. One gaze into his bright blue eyes and I knew I was in the right place.

Over the following few hours we watched an enthralling tug-of-war between the AFL’s undefeated and the new kids on the block. Sando’s Crows were switched on from the start and looked up to the challenge of toppling Sydney. With the scoreboard continually switching back and forth between the home side and the visitors this was anyone’s game.

Adam Goodes seemingly decided it was his game in the third term and proceeded in giving the Crows’ defenders a right royal bath. It was much to my relief, and probably Ricky Henderson’s too, that the man dubbed a koala bear by the Crows bloke to my right was subbed out of the game early in the fourth. I must admit that was a well-timed quad strain Adam.

With our nemesis on the bench we shook off Sydney’s shackles and sowed up the match. Brilliant efforts from Brent Reilly, Taylor Walker, Rory Sloane and Patrick Dangerfield in particular saw us sneak over the line with a five-point victory.

When the siren sounded myself and the two other diehard Adelaide supporters in the pub threw our hands into the air in elation matching the joyous scenes of our team on the TV screen. I even think I saw Mr St Kilda let out a yelp in excitement.

Watching the footy from afar isn’t such a bad thing after all.

Comments

  1. Ben Footner says

    Was an Adelaide win for the ages that one! I haven’t felt like that after an Adelaide win for a few years now, nothing like an unexpected victory! In fact I think I’ve only just got rid of the stupid grin on my face.

  2. The boyfriend has developed a soft spot for you, Annefed, not for the Adelaide Crows.

    Your task is to convert that genuine affection for you into a paid up season-ticket for the Crows. You have about seven and a half years to achieve this task.

    Good luck! Buy him a set of Crows flannel pyjamas for Christmas this year and then some Crows stubby holders for Christmas 2013. After that, I’ve run out of suggestions.

    Maybe a premiership or two will help.

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