Day 229 | Derby on AFL Grand Final Day: a big day for those in Melbourne but not so much here
Rest Day
Derby’s number one (and only?) tourist attraction is the massive tides you can go and see down at the wharf.
At over 11 m they are the second biggest in the world, after Nova Scotia’s 15 m monsters.
You might note, however, that a tide is a somewhat cerebral attraction.
The tide is out: gee, it’s a long way down to the water.
The tide is in: umm, great.
Unfortunately it’s Neap Tide time of the month with only a 6 m difference. After a visit to the wharf, (it’s now 10 am), what else is there to do?
Lucky it’s AFL Grand Final day.
I chugged off to the Spinifex Hotel and the big screen.
I favour the blue and white hoops of Geelong. I’ve never liked St Kilda for some reason and just to list the other sides I have no affinity for: the sash wearers, (how embarrassing) Essendon or Richmond, Hawthorn with its ghastly brown and gold colour scheme, the toffs at Melbourne, nah. My support is for the hardworking and penniless western suburb team of North Melbourne, (go the Roos), with decreasing interest for Footscray, a decent set of colours, Geelong, Brissy (ex-Fitzroy who before their demise had the best colours) and with some prompting, now John Elliot has got the boot, Carlton.
It was an arm wrestle of a game with the lead fluctuating on a dismal wet day in Melbourne, (this is rare for a Grand Final where you can usually tell who will win in the first quarter). With 15 minutes to go the scores were locked up before Geelong finally booted the last 2 goals when the Saints ran out of puff.
The pub crowd were behind the sentimental favourites St Kilda but with the full continent’s distance and lack of a rabid complement of supporters there was no joy in watching the Saints shattered dreams.