Two of the biggest domestic sports leagues in the world meet in Melbourne this Friday. The NFL is in town, with the opening game played between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams on the 11th of September. Now, I’m the first to admit I don’t know a whole lot about the NFL, but what better time and place to learn than the present?

To be honest, I initially planned to compare the most popular American sport to the most popular Australian sport, but there isn’t any point to doing that. You see, sports are a lot more similar than they are different, so let’s talk about it. 

This year, I’ve embraced Australia’s deep-rooted sporting culture and followed along through the highs and lows. Last year, Brisbane had a pretty good run in the AFL and NRL, with the Lions and Broncos taking home the premierships, The Bronco’s women were also premiers, while the Lions women fell short in the Grand Final to North Melbourne, maybe one of the best AFLW teams to ever do it. My teams have had varying degrees of success this year, and while the Broncos have had a tough season, the Lions are still in it with a chance to win a second three-peat. To be honest, I’m not getting my hopes up too high yet, but I know that if there was ever a team who could turn it on and get it done, it’s these Brisbane Lions. 

Over the last week, Melbourne has been almost taken over by the NFL, with the 49ers landing early to get accustomed to the time zone and the place. It’s been heartwarming to see them embrace Australia so much and be embraced back. From attending the Geelong vs Carlton Elimination Final to helping out at Bunnings with a sausage sizzle, these guys seem to be having a lot of fun. 

In Australia, we tend to return the love people give us pretty well, and this is no different. The 49ers have made a huge impact and won over heaps of fans before the Rams even touched down. 

Isn’t that what makes a sport what it is? The fans, supporters, and people who make it all happen? 

AFL may not be as well-known globally as NFL, but it’s pretty much religion in the southern states. Your team is yours for life, whether they are great or terrible (spare a thought for the poor Essendon fans this year, and remember, there’s always next year!). You ride the highs and lows, cheering them through the good and the bad. You cop the teasing when you lose and rub it in just a bit when you win. Isn’t that the same for American sports fans, who stand loyally by their team for life?

Sports are all about giving people a tribe and belonging. We join with other fans to wear the gear, scarves, shirts or hats to identify ourselves as part of the crowd. We learn the songs and the chants to intimidate the opposition and drown out any opposing cheers. We know the history and the storylines of the team, club, or players, and we feel the sting of every betrayal and slight in our hearts, even years later (oh Fitzroy…). We love the players through their ups and downs, while some ‘fans’ treat them a little unfairly when they have their bad days. You can’t be up all the time. Fortunately, people tend to forget the bad as soon as they get back to their best, and then it was never in doubt. These unite us, giving us a common enemy (Collingwood) and ‘second teams’ to barrack for when the first is struggling. 

However it’s not always roses and sunshine. Losing can be tough, and if we’re not so good at regulating ourselves, we can get angry, and even lash out against others.

Honestly, I knew people got upset about their team losing, but it wasn’t until this year that I understood how crushing it could feel. I’ve been very fortunate to follow the Lions, who have had very few bad losses. But my God the losses this year… I couldn’t watch the end of the GWS game in Round 11 because I had family over, but getting the score update every so often was grim. Fourteen unanswered goals?! I’m sick just thinking about it.

We all thought that was over, and we wouldn’t have a loss like that again, until Round 21 hit. I’m not even going to talk about this one, because it sucked. I watched it until the last quarter, and realised there was no coming back from that. The Qualifying Final was much the same.

These losses stung, mostly because I and other fans expect so much from the team. Sports reminds you that nothing is ever guaranteed. You must learn to ride the waves of success and failure, and learn to stay calm while your team is getting thrashed. Its great practise for regulating yourself and your emotions, come to think of it.

Enough about that, we know sports are great, otherwise we wouldn’t watch them! Teams know they wouldn’t be what they are without their fans, and it’s always great to see the love returned.

As for the game this Friday, I hope it’s a close one. The drama of it all is going to be fantastic, and I’d love a see-saw type of game where you don’t know who is going to take it until the very end. I hope the fans can also remember that it’s a game at the end of the day. As much as we love these teams, and we want to see them do well, it’s important not to lose ourselves and hurt those closest to us.

So, all the best to the Rams and 49ers, I hope it’s a cracking game! It’s been awesome to see the attention on Australia for a little while, as people come to love this country as much as we do. Whatever the result, its been a great week, and I’m sure it won’t be the last time NFL comes to Australia.

Until next time x