Round 8 – Carlton v Adelaide: Mothers’ Day Becomes Daughter’s Day At Docklands

 

 

I met the woman who was to become my wife in August 1996. She’s from Adelaide. I am a lifelong Carlton supporter. Shortly after we met, Carlton finished fifth in the Home and Away season then went out in straight sets in the finals. By early 1997, we were engaged, and we agreed to always try to get to the Carlton v Adelaide game. It came in Round 3 at Princes Park and Carlton played in powder blue to promote the new blue M&Ms. Despite this handicap, they managed to win but come the return meeting in Adelaide in Round 18, the Crows won by 41. (We didn’t get to the game…) A loss to Richmond by 2pts in Round 22 saw Carlton finish 11^th, half a game outside the final 8. This enabled me to jump on the Adelaide bandwagon. They came from 4^th to win the premiership over St Kilda. A month later, we were married in Adelaide. My father-in-law revealed that he was a former Victorian and there was much good-natured joshing. I was able to reflect on Carlton’s many fine South Aussies – Bradley and Kernahan for example.

 

The following year I attended Adelaide v Carlton at Football Park and experienced the rabid Adelaide crowd first hand. Carlton beat Adelaide twice that year, though the game I remember most was an 89 point loss to Port Adelaide at Princes Park the day before what would be my wife’s first Mothers’ Day with the baby due in October. I had bought her some presents which I had with me at the game and it is one of the few times I have left before the end.

 

I got along to the Preliminary Final to cheer on Adelaide over the Bulldogs. A week after the Grand Final, Adelaide’s second premiership in a row, our son was born.

 

We have managed to get to some games over the years, even one with a pram. We are coming up to our 25^th anniversary this year and Carlton were playing the Crows at Docklands on Mothers’ Day. I had hoped to go with my wife but she had just got back from family business in Adelaide so preferred to stay warm at home.

 

I persuaded our daughter to come. Born in 2001, she is yet to experience a Carlton premiership in her lifetime. She is more into dance and theatre than sport – indeed, I had to leave that first AFLW match between Carlton and Collingwood at half time to pick her up from ballet. I had tried to indoctrinate her into the navy blue from a young age and at 5 she requested that her room be painted entirely navy blue! We compromised on a navy feature wall which remains to this day even after she has moved out! She was born in Carlton at the Royal Women’s and is now in student accommodation in Carlton, so there seems to be good prospects of her support.

 

We took a tram to Docklands and were slightly late getting in. The roof was closed. Adelaide looked like harlequins in a red based jumper with the blue and yellow stripes to Carlton’s all dark navy blue. The lights shone right into our eyes. The Blues were slightly behind when we got in, but it was one way traffic after that with the Blues up by 7 at quarter time, 26 at half time, and after kicking 6 unanswered goals, by 66 at ¾ time. It looked like Party Time but after two behinds at the start of q4, the Blues let Adelaide get three straight plus a poster to Tex. I remembered that I had backed the Blues to win by 1-24 and started hoping that Adelaide would get even closer, but after McAdam, wearing McLeod’s old number 23, took a screamer and goaled, Harry McKay got his second and my dough was definitely done, but the game was in the bag!

 

We ended up winning by 48 with Charlie Curnow kicking 6 and Harry McKay 3. My daughter has identified Paddy Cripps as the most handsome of the Blues. She was also taken by the ads for Grandmother Ham after every Carlton goal. After 17 iterations, I was gasping for some salad!

 

Starting at 4.40, the game was too late for lunch, too early for tea, but we grabbed a burger at half time. Not an ideal Mothers’ Day fixture but turned into a delightful Dad’s and Daughter’s Day. I gave her my scarf and hope we can do it again soon

 

 

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