Collingwood Football Club

I was raised in a non sporting family. My parents played no competitive sport that I am aware of, and we didn’t watch any sport on the television as I was growing up.

I was very close with my Gran, who lived a good deal of her adult life in Belgrave, and whilst she wasn’t sport mad, my uncle Dan was involved at Belgrave Football Club. So as a kid I’d occasionally get the opportunity to go and see him play. So my first real exposure to AFL was through watching Belgrave, who wear black and white stripes, and are known as the Magpies.

So when anyone asked me who I barracked for, I always said Collingwood, because they too are the Magpies.

The first Grand Final I can clearly remember was in 1977, when Collingwood drew with North Melbourne and then lost the replay a week later. From there came a brutal run of heartbreak: the 1979 loss to Carlton, the 1980 loss to Richmond, and then 1981… another loss to Carlton. Four chances at glory, four defeats. Supporting Collingwood meant learning about disappointment early.

The rest of the eighties weren’t much kinder, but then came 1990. Facing Essendon in the Grand Final, the Pies finally broke through. To watch the team I’d followed since childhood win that flag is a memory that will never fade.

Since then it’s been the full rollercoaster: four more Grand Final losses (2002 and 2003 to Brisbane, 2011 to Geelong, and 2018 to West Coast), another draw in 2010 against St Kilda, and two glorious wins—2010 and 2023.

Through all the ups and downs, Collingwood has given me immense enjoyment. And I count myself lucky that Eleisha, Hayley, and Oliver all barrack for the Pies too. It makes for a harmonious household on game day—well, unless the umpiring goes against us.