What an amazing year so far. Plenty of exciting times and a few bumps along the way. There’s been highs and lows, heartbreaks and tears. Moments of pure and utter joy and others tense with stress and disappointment. All culminating in the most anticipated and stressful 2 hours of our journey together so far.
I’m not talking about Indy. I’m talking about…
The 2012 AFL Grand Final
And the tremendous journey of our beloved, Sydney Swans!!
And what a journey it has been this year. I won’t bore you with the details (too late), but after spending a majority of weeks on top of the AFL ladder, it seems only right that after knocking off Adelaide in the first final, we got to face off against our arch nemeses, Collingwood (see: Mamma’s team), for a shot at the Grand Final. After suffering 10 straight losses to Collingwood (see: wash my mouth out with soap), to finally get up and defeat them by 26 points in the Swans’ Jude Bolton’s 300th Career Game, to give us a shot at the Grand Final in the same year that my son was born (take a breath before I explode)…is the stuff that dreams and Hollywood Movies are made of.
Made more so by the fact that I now get to share my love and support of the Swans, with my boy. A privilege that until now, was something that I only shared with my Grandfather. And with him, no doubt, watching the Grand Final with eager anticipation from on high, I’m sure he will be just as proud to see the tradition shared with me and my son, down here.
And the reason my son is a Swans supporter is this. The simple fact of the matter is, Mamma can live with Indy being a Swans supporter, but there’s NO WAY ON EARTH can I live with him being a Collingwood supporter. Case closed.
And it’s been simply marvellous to share our triumphant journey together each week. Watching the games together and drilling the Club song into his little mind (and subconsciously penetrating Mamma’s mind as well: rubs diabolical hands together…hee, hee, hee, all part of my cunning plan).
But the best part is, in the past, the Collingwood/Swans rivalry has always divided us as a family. My brother, his wife and of course my wife, all barrack for Collingwood. And even though the Swans finally got up to beat them for a shot at the Grand Final, The Hatfield and McCoy’s have saluted a truce and offer their allegiance and support for ONE GAME ONLY…
The 2012 Grand Final against Hawthorn on Saturday.
And it’s ONLY because of Indy. (There’s some great pics of Indy’s Uncle supporting his nephew’s Premiership campaign below).
But where one rivalry ends (temporarily), another begins…
My cousin is a Hawks supporter and he too, has a new son, and you guessed it…he’s a hereditary Hawthorn supporter.
So, this weekend, it’s definitely on…for YOUNG and OLD.
And nothing would be more glorious, the icing on my cake, than to have a Premiership Win AND the birth of my son, all in the same year.
So, if not for me, at least…think of the children.
Do it for Indy.
GO SWANS!!!
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