Grand Final Warm-Up
Here’s a warm-up for tomorrow’s Grand Final. Inspiration for this game we live and breathe, on this, it’s Christmas eve.
Take a look At. This. Clip!
The first female Olympic Marathon, LA ’84. The athlete, Gabriela Andersen, is entering the stadium on a 30 degree day, 20 minutes behind the woman who’s already won, coming 37th of 42.
THIRTY-SEVENTH!!
Watching it volume down. Commentators only lessen such honesty.
Bush footy has given me 25 broken bones, ten surgeries, 15 concussions, a ruptured artery, broken back, but also, comradery, adventures, a language shared, communities, across four states, de facto families, stories shared.
Yet, as a kid watching this runner, I thought; “She knows something. She knows…” As an adult, now, I still tear up watching it! The out open kind. Nothing comes close. This Pride!
On Saturday night bodies will clash, players will try with such intensity and force of will and abandon of care, we can only imagine. Courage, pain, flat-knack impacts, time and again, solid arms and limbs everywhere. That’s what makes a Grand Final a Grand Final; heart and soul. Nothing spared!
Right now, on the farm, the wind is howling, rain falls in hard heavy bands. It’s a shitty day. Yet, on my wet-arsed lunch break, all I can feel is the anticipation of a Grand Final. And think of this woman.
It’s all sport, every sport. She was us. Every competitive spirit worth a damn.
Tomorrow will be the best day ever!
Grand Finals always are.
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P.S. I can’t help but think of the Doggie’s one pointer against the Lions. So many teams over the years have just, somehow, squeaked through a final, as if by luck, only to CRUSH it come the big dance. Momentum is a beautiful thing. Both teams, superb, worthy, but hope I’m wrong.
Demons by a stress free 29 points. Fingers crossed.