Last night was nothing short of ridiculous!
Here's how my night went down.
I had booked going to this game from late last year so nothing was topping me an I'd teed my brother to go with me an my 6 year old son Archie who might remember from the Collingwood/Bulldogs practice game from Australia Day.
Anytime we go to anything footy it's his full Swans gear on regardless of who's there!
I decided to take the tam thinking the 72 tram went all the way through to the ground but upon a second look it it didn't seem to go as close as I wanted it to and with a potential sub-tired 6 year old who just had his first week back at school, I wanted to minimise energy output for the game (parenting - nailed it).
So my next plan was to get the 72 tram to Flinders then walk down to Elizabeth St for the 19 which will take right to the front door of the ground - can't fail.
Earlier in the day I was talking to a PT client and I mentioned that they will get over 12,000 people to the game as it seemed to picking up a fair bit of stream on all things media but still that will leave plenty of seats and ease of congestion getting there and such.
As I jump on the tram a few stops later about 3 other people decked out in Carlton/Collingwood came aboard.
OK so I won't be the only one there.
As the 72 made it's way down St Kilda Rd, more an more footy fans were jumping on and I thought I'll check Twitter to see what's happening.
I was greeted with this:
OK things are heating up here.Crowd. Game still an hour away. If you weren't planning on it, just stand up and come here now. #AFLWBluesPies pic.twitter.com/zvsIYbFKxu— Joe (@joehuddler) February 3, 2017
We get off the 72 tram and make our way towards the 19.
We make it to the very busy Elisabeth and Flinders St corner and come to 5 person wide, 100 person long line up from the very front of the tram barrier all the way to the intersection pretty much.
We're not making that tram so lets go to the next stop.
Come on brain If I can't get the tram at that stop then how can I get it at the 2nd stop?
Work harder and work faster because it's 30mins until game time!
OK I got it, let's wait for the 19 tram on the way back down to Elisabeth/Flinders corner, get a seat before everyone else does and win life!
So on we jump to an almost empty tram pretty happy with my brain wave.
We get to the corner and the tram literally fills up in 1 stop!
Check out the video from my tweet:
Off we go up Elisabeth St stopping only because of traffic lights and traffic, we do not even open the doors at even the 2nd stop as no-one else can literally get in.Better move it to the G! #AFLWBluesPies pic.twitter.com/qvFPFN4f0q— AFL Training (@AFLTraining) February 3, 2017
The tram rolls up and the entire stop has "WTF" expressions on their faces because 1, we can't get on and 2; how else am I gonna make the footy?
One bloke tries to out run the tram to a number of stops which was an exercise in futility as people weren't getting off to go the footy 3kms away.
He trailed off pretty quickly.
We get up to just where the city ends and now the traffic and walking traffic is building but the game is only 15mins away.
Are we gonna make it?
We get to tram stop 16 right at the front of agate 6 where my brother has said he's already inside on the grass.
I thought shit hot, we can lye on the grass and casually watch this history making game with maybe room to do some snow angles or something.
Wrong again.
We pile in and make it around the corner to where the National Anthem has just started,
This place is full.
I'm texting one of the females I;m training and apparently they aid on the TV that it is a lockout. Archie must have almost been the very last let in!
The crowd all goes up just like the Grand Final at the completion of the anthem.
I quickly get a panoramic shot of the ground:
In the frst 5 - 7mins there were a few behinds kicked and the crowd were pleading for that first goal and it was Collingwood's Jasmine Garner who will be a trivia question answer for years to come who slotted through the first sausage:
It was all down hill from there for the Pies who were just outworked by the Blues from what I could see.First Goal Ever! #AFLWBluesPies pic.twitter.com/c4nJQ9QgCL— AFL Training (@AFLTraining) February 3, 2017
The Blues always had spares back in Collingwood's forward line giving Moana no Hope (see what I did there?) but up attack they'd make it through the middle and often somehow have a spare up forward!
I'm sure the Collingwood coaching staff will be hitting that on the head at training this week.
Brianna Davey was best on for mine, she was a beast all over the ground. Darcy Vescio did kick a bag but she could have kicked 2 goals and the Blues still win, but if Davey doesn't do what she did, then they might not.
At one point Brianna was playing in the back line and worked up field to mick a goal which epitomised the game really.
I'm still buzzing from last night basking in all the social media glory that's doing the rounds today an Archie and myself are off to watch the Bulldogs/Freo game tonight which is potentially a Grand Final preview in 8 weeks time.
Texting my footballers I'm training today they were simply blown away from what happened last night an even more keen now to train the house down an see how far they can go.
Wanna join them? Fill out this application form and I'll be in touch!
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