Returning to the Football
Okay so this post is a little later than what I had originally anticipated, but better late than never!
How good is it to have the rugby league back, and with that have our teams playing their games at home and no restrictions on crowds?
As I write this we are halfway through Round 4, with my mighty Panthers sitting on top of the table as the only undefeated team, and having just come off a good victory over the rabbits in a grand final replay.
On the hill at Panthers vs Knights in Bathurst
What is it I have missed most about the footy in the off season? That weekly tribalism and ritual of going to the game, getting your colours on and showing your support for your team regardless of where they play. For us so far that’s been 3 home games and one away game which unfortunately I didn’t get to.
Already this year we have had our home away from home game which was held in Bathurst for the second year running. I have really enjoyed the matches held in Bathurst, it’s a good size venue, its not too far away to get to in that you can drive home afterwards and you can see that the locals genuinely enjoy having the football there.
Over the past two seasons as a family we have tried to go to all the away matches as well, and if my memory serves me correctly it means so far we have been to Brisbane, Central Coast, CommBank Stadium, ANZ (or whatever it’s called now), Netsrata Jubilee, Dubbo, Bathurst, Manly, Leichardt and of course plenty at home. As a family we’ve enjoyed the away matches, the atmosphere is always different, the crowd is always different but above that it gives us a variety of things to do, different places to stay, different places to eat, and plenty to see along the way.
So what do I make of our chances for this season? Well I'm hoping we give it a real crack at going back to back, we have a solid squad, they have big game experience now, they gel well and so I think they will at least go deep into the finals. If there is one thing I hope to see this season it’s that crowds get to stay, and that Origin doesn’t have an impact on our form or add injuries to the team.
But for now, it’s great to have the football back, its good to be getting to games and it’s even better to be winnings
Michael