Football is very important in Melbourne, we were told by multiple people when we first moved here that we needed to choose a team. So without much forethought we choose a team based in the neighborhood we live in. Our adopted team, the St. Kilda Saints, are best known as perennial losers. Their first, last and only Grand Final victory came in 1967. But this year, out of the blue, they had the best record in the regular season, got the top seed in the playoffs and made it to the Grand Final. Grand Final week was really fun, there were lots of activities all around the city and everyone was talking about the big game.
The pillars of City Hall were draped in St. Kilda colours.
St. Kilda cupcakes for Colin's Birthday
The most popular show in Australia is "The Footy Show". It's a mix of a traditional pre-game show and Saturday Night Live. Sounds like a strange mix, but it really works. John and I became fans during the season and I was able to get tickets to the Grand Final show. It was Awesome.
The kids and I went downtown for the Grand Final parade.
We had expected to enjoy a Saturday afternoon barby and watch the game at home. But an extremely generous friend of ours got a couple of extra tickets and offered them to John and Colin. Getting tickets for the Grand Final is like getting tickets for the Super Bowl. It's nearly impossible to get tickets unless you are willing to pay a ton of money.
MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) seating compacity 100,000.
The game was incredible, very intense. The Saints led for almost the whole game, but in the end fell just short. 
Picture with our fiend's daughters taken about 3o minutes after the game. Colin was devastated by the loss, but did his best to try and look happy for the picture.
Following the game our friend somberly told John that Melbourne has two seasons, footy and boring. We have now entered boring, which has proven to be true.
2 comments:
Where there is football, of any kind, the Norton's will become fans! Of course they did so well this year because you guys picked them as your team. How awesome to get tickets! Looks like a ton of fun!
Thats so awesome they got to go to the grand final. I was sad we had to leave a week before the game. I like that sport better than American Football. Its much more exciting. We did get to watch the highlights, but that wasn't as cool.
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