Aussie Rules Football and Melbourne

So are you wondering where Aussie Rules Footy and 3 sisters abroad are connected? We grew up in Perth Western Australia where Saturdays were spent going to the Football. Well I did, by then Paula was living in England and Muriel was married and haAustralian Rules Football can go back as far as 1858, it was inspired by English public schoolboys football. In 1859, The Melbourne Football Club published the first laws/rules of Australian Footy, making it the oldest of the worlds football codes.

Originally it was called the VFL – Victorian football league. It was played in all states but initially it was only Melbourne clubs that came under the VFL banner. In 1982, the South Melbourne club moved to Sydney, where it became The Sydney Swans. Even today on the top of the players shirts on the back they still have the initials of the SMFC.

In 1987, two more clubs were formed in other states. The West Coast Eagles- Western Australia and Brisbane – Queensland. In those days Queensland and New South Wales were predominantly Rugby.

In 1990 they changed the name from The VFL – Victorian Football League to the Australian Football League. Over the next 10 years 3 more non Victorian teams joined. in 1991 Adelaide Football club (South Australia)Fremantle (WA)in 1995 and Port Adelaide (South Australia) 1997. In 2011, Gold Coast (QLD) and 2012 Greater Western Sydney (NSW). This brings the AFL to 18 teams. They play in all states, even have had games in New Zealand, China. There are many ex pats all over the world who have started up Aussie Rules teams.

Now when the Eagles came on the scene I was living in Victoria. Yes, I supported my home team and even went to the airport when they came in to town for the Grand Final. My daughter and I even got to hold the prestigious cup on their victory back in 1994. We had gone to the airport to meet and greet them after their win.

Then the Fremantle dockers came on board, or Freo or the mighty dockers. I began to realize that this was my team and began to stop supporting the Eagles. They were huge back at home and here in Victoria there was only a sprinkling of us. Oh and their original colors were red, white, green and purple. In recent years they have dropped the red and green. Purple is my favorite color.

So where is this going, and how does it connect 3 sisters? Both Muriel and Paula live in Perth. So of course they will support the two home teams, its only natural. Paula loves Freo first then Eagles, Muriel the other way round. So when they play each other Paula will go for the dockers and Muriel the Eagles. For me its Fremantle all the way. I am a member of the club, I am also in the cheer Squad.

On Saturday, I helped with the banner for our team to run through. That was my first time on the hallowed ground of the MCG – the Melbourne Cricket Ground. To top it off my team won by 2 points. It was a nail biter, but luckily I had my camera with me so I spent most of the game looking through the lens and taking pictures.

Our Captain Nat Fyfe for the Fremantle Dockers #7

Of course going to Melbourne takes it out of me. Its nearly a 3 hour train ride, so that 6 hours of sitting in a cramped train. With Osteoarthritis in the hip can mean being very sore for days after. The fatigue is relentless , that brick wall hit me the next day.

To get down to Melbourne I catch the train at 7am and do not get home until after 9pm. its a long day. When I arrived I went to one of the many laneways that are famous all over the world and had breakfast. As it was the Easter weekend, all the cafes that were opened were packed with locals and tourists. Your jam packed in like sardines in a tin and its eat and get out so the table can be used again. The food was average.

Euraka Tower – has a “shelf that moves out thats all glass for a birds eye view of Melbourne

I then slowly made my way to the G – as the MCG is known. Us Aussies like to shorten everything. I took a few photos of the Yarra River, then jumped (well climbed) onto a tram that would get me to the G. I took a few photos around the G, they have statues of all the famous footballers and cricketers. Yes the MCG also hosts cricket from all around the world. Last month Adele had her concerts there also. Its a great ground, seats over 100,000 people, has 2 train lines on either side and lots of trams plus its a quick picturesque walk into the city along the Yarra River. In 1956 the XVI Olympics were held in Melbourne.