I love to watch all sports from rugby union, tennis and the Olympics (all types) but there is one type of sport that affects my mental, physical and health well being... to the point where I have had to stop watching to let my blood pressure drop and too be honest before last Sunday I hadn't watched a game since my teams significant loss in round 5 to Port Adelaide and that sport is AFL (Australia Football League).
This game is the only game where you are on your seat to the very last second. The game where your team could be winning by 50 points at half time, even 3/4 time and still lose and alas, I have seen it go wrong, oh so many times.
My team I support are the West Coast Eagles. I have been a passionate supporter since inauguration in 1986. During that time I have seen the team through 5 grand finals, witnessing them win 3 of those games. Whilst sharing these experience of the finals alongside with some very dear family & friends.
Last Sunday I attended the WCE match against St Kilda at Etihad stadium. It was the first game football match in Melbourne that I had seen at Etihad as the other games had only ever been at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). This game was dismal from the start, with the Saints were the better team from the first quarter. Its like my team didn't want to be involved. There were some shocking plays including one where Scooter (Scott Selwood) caught the ball after hand ball pass from Cox and then he hand balled it to one of the Saints players.. I was in shock, I honestly I had my head in my hood covering my eyes the entire game my heart was pumping very fast but then I had conceded a defeat so I calmed down, that is until the last quarter more in particularly the last 10 minutes, that's when it got interesting.
At the 3/4 break we were down by 13 points and I noticed Cox went up to Woosha and put his hand on his shoulder and I immediately thought maybe he has said "Please don't get angry", I later read in an article he actually said to him at this time "Don't worry we have got this". After that moment you could feel the team was back, you could see it in their pace and stance, their team work and positioning through out the ground. Then Cox got 1 goal, Darling got 2, then with 9 minute & 30 secs left Priddis managed 2 goals and the Eagles were in front for the first time the entire game. By this time all the Eagles fans around me were out of their seats screaming, as we still had a chance to win, (I had goose bumps and even as I write this the goose bumps are making an appearance again) whereas the Saints supporters were abusing the umpires for their "apparent" poor decisions.
Then again, it was a draw then a goal, then another draw, then the saints kicked 2 behinds (1 point each) and then Hurn (who has the best kick in the league) booted that goal up midfield to McKenzie, he had (Maister) chasing him who ended up tripping over his own feet and McKenzie kicked the winning goal with 1 minute & 40 secs left, it was in our hands Embley had marked it, Nic Nat marked it with 20 secs left.
Then the siren went and we won, we had bloody one! All Eagles fans around me who were complete strangers were hugging each other, and then we started to sing the club song when it was being played through Etihad. Then I felt the nausea kicked in... I felt like I wanted to vomit... This is how the game makes me react... I don't know any other way to handle the adrenalin rush that AFL brings.. but my god this is why I love it.
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| My family and one of our neighbour's kid Nick watching the 1994 Grand final West Coast Eagles vs Geelong |
Last Sunday I attended the WCE match against St Kilda at Etihad stadium. It was the first game football match in Melbourne that I had seen at Etihad as the other games had only ever been at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). This game was dismal from the start, with the Saints were the better team from the first quarter. Its like my team didn't want to be involved. There were some shocking plays including one where Scooter (Scott Selwood) caught the ball after hand ball pass from Cox and then he hand balled it to one of the Saints players.. I was in shock, I honestly I had my head in my hood covering my eyes the entire game my heart was pumping very fast but then I had conceded a defeat so I calmed down, that is until the last quarter more in particularly the last 10 minutes, that's when it got interesting.
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| View from my seats at Etihad Stadium |
Then again, it was a draw then a goal, then another draw, then the saints kicked 2 behinds (1 point each) and then Hurn (who has the best kick in the league) booted that goal up midfield to McKenzie, he had (Maister) chasing him who ended up tripping over his own feet and McKenzie kicked the winning goal with 1 minute & 40 secs left, it was in our hands Embley had marked it, Nic Nat marked it with 20 secs left.
Then the siren went and we won, we had bloody one! All Eagles fans around me who were complete strangers were hugging each other, and then we started to sing the club song when it was being played through Etihad. Then I felt the nausea kicked in... I felt like I wanted to vomit... This is how the game makes me react... I don't know any other way to handle the adrenalin rush that AFL brings.. but my god this is why I love it.
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