“I have a dream…” – of the players parade at the AFL Grand Final

 

 

I have had a dream, of a dreamtime event, a celebration.

 

It pictures the 2015 Grand Final parade around the MCG of departing players, Dustin Fletcher, the Geelong premiership luminaries, dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes, Adam Schneider and several others…

 

As the motorcade goes around the G and most people clap a sign goes up on the scoreboard asking for any bad behaviour to be texted to the usual number so action can be taken, including removal from the G before the match.

 

A few people continue to boo Adam Goodes, in the continued pattern of stupidity, racism and bullying which has been happening.

 

Rather like participants in a Mexican wave, but much nastier.

 

Their locations are texted by others who have no tolerance of bullying, racism and mere nastiness and tribal idiocy.

 

The parade stops. All the players clap and suddenly the crowd joins in and loud cheering takes over the ground.

 

A few people who earlier had booed are evicted from the ground, missing the grand final … at some cost to their pockets and their club loyalties.

 

Perhaps it was only a case of “you’re dreaming”…

 

“Yes, I have a dream….”

 

 

* Stephen Alomes has also written about nationalism, populism, footy minorities and margins: women and Australian Football, the success of the AFL campaign against racial vilification, Tasmanian football, the five International Cups of Australian Football and multiculturalism and football. He has also painted portraits of the ‘Peptides’ principals in the Essendon saga.

 

Some things he writes for pleasure, as part of the play, which is our game (not ‘industry’, although it is for those employed in it.) Some things he writes because he feels very deeply. He put an earlier version of this piece to the AFLPA.

 

His history and futurology of the game – Australian Football The People’s Game 1958-2058 – is available from Walla Walla Press.

 

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