Australia Divided

Every country has one.  Today is Australia's.  It is the Grand Final day of the AFL.  Sport brings people together and every country has its own sport where supporters stop to watch, to barrack and to celebrate.  It is a day where states, families and friends are divided by the team they support.
Aussie footy begins with the pre-season game, the NAB cup in March.  In April the fight for the cup begins.  16 teams from five states of Australia play each other.  The teams play half the games at their home ground and the other half at the other team's home ground.  That accounts for many hours of flying to and fro. 
Our team, The West Coast Eagles didn't reach the finals this year.  The club has been going for 26 years and we have won three Grand Finals and played in five Grand Finals altogether.  We don't talk about the ones we lost!
Nineteen years ago a new club in WA was formed, called the Fremantle Dockers.  We didn't barrack for them and we didn't talk about them.  They beat the Eagles at home games but they still didn't make the Grand Final.  At least that was true until this year.  With the Eagles eliminated, the Dockers rose to glory and battled through to win a place in the Grand Final today.  
An extra 40 planes flew out of Perth this week as an exodus to Melbourne began. Supporters of the Dockers (their colours are purple and white) have became affectionately known as the 'Purple Haze!'
Even we have converted for the Grand Final!  If our beloved Eagles aren't there to represent WA we will support the Dockers on their journey.  I pulled out the balloon blower and decorated the lounge in purple and white balloons; displaying them in jugs and tying them to our hat rack.
We cooked a special football lunch while 100,000 supporters crammed into the MCG in Melbourne and 40,000 purple wearing supporters sat side by side in the cappuccino strip in Fremantle.  The opposing team, Hawthorn was in front all the way through the game.  With every goal from the Dockers the cheering from both the MCG and the cappuccino strip was explosive.  Unfortunately the Dockers lost by 15 points.  More than one supporter said, 'I was so pleased the Dockers finally made it into the Grand Final!'  Go the Dockers!  Hopefully victory next year.