This year I had plenty of new goals to work towards, most importantly to enjoy all the amazing experiences my home has to offer. Despite living in Brisbane, Australia for almost my whole life, I feel like I’ve seen such a small part of this city.

I’ve decided to try exploring more, getting out and giving new things a go, especially sport. We’re big on it down under, and even though I’ve watched it on TV forever, I’ve never actually been to the games before.

As a girl, I occasionally went to the Brisbane International Tennis tournament in January, and we went to the Australian Open once when I was twelve or thirteen, but other than that I couldn’t say I’d been out to see much sport. NRL is big here, and with four Queensland teams its bigger than ever. State of Origin is on now too, so the Maroons-Blues rivalry is back in full force. AFL has been getting bigger in the last few years, especially now that the Lions have gone back-to-back (and have the chance to complete a second three-peat!). With the Ashes on late last year, cricket was also having a big moment, and Australia’s dominant 4-1 win was the cherry on top.

It got me thinking about why it’s taken me so long to enjoy these sports. When I was younger, I all but swore them off.

Part of the reason had to be my father’s influence in my life, and his enjoyment of these same sports. We didn’t have a good relationship, and I turned my nose up at these things because he liked them so much.

Now, I have been able to come back to them with fresh eyes and find my own satisfaction with it.

Truth be told, it was an interesting journey back to them. Early in 2025 was probably when it all started. My mental health was declining and I was really grasping at straws for something to help keep me afloat. January is tennis-month in Australia, and I watched all of it. We’d flick over to the Big Bash every now and then, but I got super invested. I learned who all the players were, and what the major storylines were.

We fell in love with it again, and rallied around Jannik Sinner, who played tennis unlike anything we’d seen before—so clean, so precise, so consistent. We saw the epic match where Djokovic took out Carlitos, and watched the final where Jannik was unstoppable. The women’s side was equally exciting, with so many big matches, gritty comebacks and more. The final was unbelievable, and such a rollercoaster which ended with Madison Keys triumphing for her first Grand Slam win.

We kept up with it throughout the year, and I had two very late nights watching the Roland Garros and Wimbledon Finals. Heartbreak then redemption for Jannik, while Carlos went from the inevitable to the dominated. Watching them over the next few years is going to be epic.

Around half-way through the year my little brother started getting me into Formula 1 too. Oscar Piastri was doing his thing, leading the World Championship for most of the year before a very unfortunate slump. Between the two I had more things to discuss with people, things to look forward to each week, and a new way to ride the highs and lows that sports bring.

In September I went to Italy for almost a month, and while travelling around by myself, I became homesick. At the time, the NRL finals series was on, so I got to watch from a distance as the Broncos pulled off some of the craziest wins to reach the finals. Back at home for the Grand Final, we saw them defeat the Storm 26-22. It was epic, and sucked me right in.

On that same trip, I went on a tour with a couple of other Aussies, most of whom were from country Victoria. Naturally, they were big Geelong Cats supporters, so we had a bit of banter while on the trip together. Being from Brisbane, I knew about the Lions and their dominant win in 2024, but I didn’t actively follow it. I was actually flying home while the Grand Final was on, so I didn’t see much while on the fourteen-hour haul back to Australia, but when I landed and saw that score, I was a convert. When your home team does that well, they deserve some respect.

This year, I watched my first full game of AFL at home by chance. I was bored and flicked on the TV, only to see the Lions set to play Saint Kilda—my Pop’s beloved team. I gave it a go and it was…an interesting match. Probably not the tidiest footy ever, but the Lions got their first win and that’s what mattered. Nonetheless, it was fun, and I’ve since been to a couple of games which I really enjoyed. Proof? Here’s a pic from the very back row of the Gabba lol.

Since then, this year has been a rollercoaster for all my teams and players. Some good moments, some bad (don’t even mention the Australian Grand Prix). But that’s sport and that’s life. Most importantly, I’m having fun.

I’ve been to a few games and matches so far this year, and enjoyed my time, win or lose. Here’s a few I got to see in person:

• Elena Rybakina VS Shuai Zhang — tight match at times, and some incredible ball striking. Interesting to look back on, knowing that Rybakina won the AO!

• Brisbane Heat VS Sydney Sixers (Loss) — Such a fun match though, because all the Test players were back. Watching Mitchell Starc firing bullets in real time was crazy.

• Australian Open full day: (This was stacked, and we had heaps of fun!)

• Brisbane Lions VS Carlton Blues (Win! Barely…)

• Brisbane Lions VS Fremantle Dockers (Loss, sadly but with the same number of shots on goal I wasn’t too disappointed. If we could figure out where the big sticks are, this might have gone very differently)

• Brisbane Broncos VS Gold Coast Titans (5th straight loss for the Bronx…sigh)

As you can see, I’m writing this the day after, but the vibe is still good. The boys did well to get the Premiership last year, and you can’t fault them for their efforts, even if its not always paying off, especially with so many injuries.

Anyway, it’s been a decent year so far, and we’re not even at halfway! I’m keen to see how things change and if there is still enough in the tanks for some resurgences. Fingers crossed!