Grand Final days

The month of September was grand final month!

The first was youngest daughter's soccer grand final. She plays in the all-age women's team for our local soccer club. The women's division is played in Canberra and this was our first year in the competition.


Youngest daughter in goals!

They only had one loss during the year and it was that team they played in the grand final. Family and friends travelled to watch them play each week and grand final day was no different. They didn't win but gained the respect of the other teams in the competition and the administrators of Capital Football. The game was a cracker and we all yelled ourselves hoarse.

Last weekend my husband and I travelled to Melbourne to watch the Fremantle Dockers in their first AFL Grand Final!

It was a fabulous experience. Everyone we came across was in a good mood and regardless what team they followed, wished each other good luck.

My husband and cousins had tickets to the game but I didn’t so I spent the afternoon at Federation Square with thousands of fans. I even came across some people from our town which is a long way from Melbourne and has more rugby fans than AFL ones!

Just before three quarter time I was wet and cold and went for a walk and discovered the Ian Potter Centre in the National Gallery of Victoria was full of people watching the game on a big screen. I found a spot to sit and with a warming coffee settled in to watch the rest of the game.

After the game we ended up at a bar next to the NGV with Dockers and Hawks supporters enjoying themselves and dissecting every moment of the game. As we wandered around the city afterwards supporters of both teams were offering congratulations or commiserations to passers-by.

Bought a new purse in Melbourne to match my scarf

We didn’t get the result we wanted but Fremantle played their first grand final, the fans turned Melbourne purple, we met a lot of friendly, happy people and caught up with cousins we haven’t seen for a while and can’t wait to do it all again next year! Go Freo in 2014!

Not Without You by Harriet Evans is on top of the reading pile, still crocheting and the first story for my great-niece has been posted to her!