A Sporting Chance

I’m not on my own when I say how good it is when we move into spring! With the dark days of winter over, one’s negative thoughts move to positive ideas, and a feeling of optimism.

It is also AFL Finals time and people come together to enjoy our great game and move away from issues that divide us. I observed the crowd demonstrating on behalf of the Referendum debate – taking to our city streets in support of a vote that is dividing our nation.

“It is also AFL Finals time and people come together to enjoy our great game and move away from issues that divide us.”

But to witness AFL Finals crowds of 94 – 97,000 on five occasions, and another expected at the Grand Final … one can only marvel at the combined joy of all those spectators in our big arena. Team loyalty abounds for sure but no division, no bitterness between rivals. The atmosphere I’ve witnessed at these ‘big crowd’ games is pure excitement, anticipation of a great game, anxiety, and relief mixed with disappointment at the end of each game.

“The atmosphere I’ve witnessed at these ‘big crowd’ games is pure excitement, anticipation of a great game, anxiety, and relief mixed with disappointment at the end of each game.”

Sport is such a vital part of our community and as a spectator sport, AFL has done more than any other sport (in Melbourne at least) to provide us all with some relief from our work and our woes.

A community’s political and religious differences are not apparent, nor should they be, at an AFL Final – 90,000 people, squashed together, yelling and screaming over the fate of a piece of leather being punched and kicked around a large patch of grass! Every spectator concentrating on what is just a game. Life is not a game but this part of it is with AFL and every sport being vital in bringing some balance to the crazy world we live in.

To quote from the Sports Foundation:

“From players to family to volunteers, sport brings people together. This allows new friendships to form and builds a sense of belonging and pride. The confidence that is built from playing sport helps foster important life skills which benefits individuals through to adulthood”.

The benefits of playing sport, particularly team sports, are well and truly documented and I’ll touch on these later. What I would like to highlight though is this ability of AFL footy in particular to bring such large crowds to view the game and create an enjoyable experience with concentration on the game, not so much the rivalry.

“The benefits of playing sport, particularly team sports, are well and truly documented and I’ll touch on these later.”

I’m writing this article one week out from the Grand Final and all Melburnians know that the week leading up to the Big Game will be dominated by ‘Pre-game’ entertainment and a media frenzy that cannot be ignored.

Throughout our 19 Bowens branches, the talk will be more about the Grand Final than it will be about the price and availability of timber! Our sales will not stop (I hope) but the week will at least be bolstered by some excited banter between staff, our builder customers and suppliers. AFL Grand Final week will match the amazing Women’s World Cup soccer that brought record crowds to so many matches involving our own Matilda’s and their march to the finals.

The focus on a leather ball being belted and kicked around an arena takes away the issues that divide us, albeit in just four or five hours on each occasion.

“The focus on a leather ball being belted and kicked around an arena takes away the issues that divide us, albeit in just four or five hours on each occasion.”

I wrote about ‘Hope’ some time back, relating to a message to all staff about a hope that our business would remain strong but very much about giving hope to all who work at Bowens – that their future was good, that Bowens offered ‘opportunity’.

The social and religious issues that divide communities must not infiltrate this workplace. We all need the chance to just get on with our daily lives and make both our homes and our workplace a ‘nice place to be’.

If 95,000 people can be motivated by a love for a game, and enjoy it as one, surely we can all take that into our daily lives and create a better and more generous world.

“If 95,000 people can be motivated by a love for a game, and enjoy it as one, surely we can all take that into our daily lives and create a better and more generous world.”