Alex Gow and The Basics

Grand Final week would be a little lost without a random gig thrown into the mix, and this year was no exception!

I spied a random announcement from Oh Mercy's Alex Gow that he was home for the week, and would do an impromptu and intimate gig at Red Hummingbird. Coming back into the city from the GF Training, I met Nicole and Mary there, to check it out.

Just like sitting in his lounge room, a small gathering sat pretty close in this small space, and listened as Alex played a set of stripped back songs, with a couple of new ones - to justify his four months away thus far.

We got to hear Rebel Beats, Drums and My Man, as well as Keith Street, before he ended with a cover of The Waterboy's Fisherman's Blues and then Deep Heat.

After a huge day in the city the next day, taking in the GF Parade and a lunch and many drinks at the pub, I trekked up to the Northcote Social Club just in time to catch Hoy playing, with Tim Heath on bass, and join Nicole and Mary. Claire joined us towards the front for The Basics.

I spotted Wally on the stairs before the show, and took the opportunity to grab a photo with him then, as I had to make a dash after the gig to get some sleep for the big day the next day! My quest of a photo with all 3 Basics will need to wait for another time - although every other person at these The Basics gigs seemed to have gotten one!

After seeing our favourite Melbourne trio in a couple of warm-up gigs we had had a taster about what to expect, but this gig was meant to be the main event. And I think it's been one of my most loved shows of theirs for a very long time!

Starting with a punchy Hard For You, and then giving us our much loved The No 1 Cause Of Death Amongst Youth Today, we could tell it was going to be a great show! Many favourites were rolled out, with She's Gonna B Late, and Just Hold On. Rattle My Chain, and Have Love, Will Travel was in there. Kris gave us a couple of news songs, which were pretty awesome and exciting to hear tested out to the full house at NSC. Hey Rain was stunning, and the more obscure Feels Like Love was in there too.

A handful of covers filled the encore, including Proud Mary, before the night ended with Call It Rhythm and Blues.

A ridiculously large week, full of footy glory and favourite bands! New songs, and much loved tracks played live. Nothing beats Melbourne during Grand Final week!

The Theatre Of The Closing Of The India-Pakistan Border

Watching the pomp and ceremony of the closing of the border gates between India and Pakistan at Wagah, 30kms west of the town of Amristar, is easily one of the most bizarre and surreal experiences on my travels I have witnessed. So much carry on between two nations who have much troubles between them - and yet this harmony of process happens every day at sunset to lower the flags, and shut the gate between them.

We arrived and rushed through the security posts showing our passports for access, before being shown to the Foreigner section of the crowd, and settled in to enjoy the show. We had just made it in time for the action to begin!

Because show is surely the only adequate description - the stadium-style seating on the Indian side was filled with people by the time we got to our spots, and the noise of cheers and singing, was electric.

As far as I could gather, the run down of the half-hour ceremony started with dancing from the crowd, at least on the India side, all cajoled by a very encouraging and flamboyant MC, miked up and full of energy. Once this had reached fever pitch, the Border Security Force started their marching towards the gate. In pairs, with flair and pomp!

The girls in the top picture were first, all stern and assertive, before the blokes got involved, two by two. The final group of five come out in formation, with stomping, high kicks, and an unbelievable military-style...well, dance off, really!

This final five managed to perform their final maneouvers right in front of us, before matching straight for the gates of the border.

I imagine the same was going on on the Pakistani side, although there was less of a crowd, and therefore less noise punctuating each pair of marchers.

Once all officers were gathered in place around the gates, there were exchanges including a hand shake, before both country's flags are lowered in unison at the formal gates behind the crowds, and then a further pair above the gates themselves.

Next, after more stomping and marching, the gates of the border are ceremoniously closed, thereby officially closing the crossing between these two countries for the evening.

The crowd could then spill onto the road where all this marching had happened, our foreign section first, to have a look through the gates, and get a little closer to the officers in uniform. You can see some more of my photos here, and Luke's snaps here on the Waving The Flag Facebook page.
 

What an incredible, surreal, and frankly unbelievable experience! We were all buzzing once we got back to our bus for the journey back to Chandigarh, almost unsure of what exactly we had just witnessed.

Red, Yellow, Blue, Green and White: Capture The Colour 2013

I'll take just about any excuse to flick through my travel photos from earlier this year, so being nominated by Karin and Keiran on K and K Adventures to submit a post for this year's TravelSupermarket Capture The Colour competition was all the encouragement I needed! For last year's entry, I sifted through my whole collection of photos to pick one for each of the nominated colours - but this year I have featured snaps from India, Burma and Nepal from my trip in February and March.

This little guy in his red apprentice monk robes captured my attention in Old Bagan, in Burma.

The stunning Golden Temple at Amritsar in India is hard to pass up for yellow - I love this photo!

The bluest sky over Kathmandu in Nepal made the prayer flags of the Boudhanath Temple really pop on my morning visit there.

This little one, dressed in green, is almost fully camouflaged by the growth under the U Bein Bridge in Outer Mandalay in Burma.

It's impossible not to include one of the whiter than white shots of the Taj Mahal in India. The marble gives many hues across the day, and at this time, when the sun is high in the late morning, it is at it's more brilliant.

The TravelSupermarket Capture The Colour competition encourages you to nominate 5 more bloggers to put together an entry, so I would like to see a post from Bianca over on Day Jaunts, one from Chrystal on Chrystal Clear, another from Megan from Mapping Megan, one from Karis on Karis Abroad, and Emily on Innocent Nomad.

Project 52: Friday Evening

This was the Friday night of the First Qualifying Final, between Hawthorn and Sydney, at the MCG. The nerves were very high at this point, the moment when both teams line up for the National Anthem. Go Hawks!

We won this game by a whopping 52 points....needn't have been nervous at all! Ha!

(And I cannot believe the matching photo is the TV in Sydney. What AFL Footy Finals!?!?)

This post is part of Project 52 with Jess from FuShMuSh.

The 2013 AFL Grand Final Premiership Win

A day to remember forever on Saturday, as Hawthorn became the 2013 AFL Premiers. What a day!

Our day started just as it did the year before, and also in the winning 2008 year, with a breakfast gathering at The Mess Hall in the city. Jenny and I joined Mum, Melissa, Jessica and Heath, and Jordon, before Flash and Cass, Gluv, and Axe filled the table. Those of us with standing room ate fairly quickly, before making the dash across Fitzroy Gardens to the gates of the MCG.

Joining the forming queue, we had learnt from the last couple of times, and had a strategy. The moment they let us in, at 11am, we made a run for our allocated section, and were rewarded with the front row of our standing bay.

The sprint happened on the ground, and then Birds Of Tokyo played as the pre-match band (not that we could really hear them in our bay under the stand), and then Mike Brady let a stadium-sing-a-long for his iconic footy songs of Up There Cazaly and One Day In September.

After both teams come out onto the ground for their final warm up, the Great Southern Stand displayed the names of both teams, Hawthorn and Fremantle, which was pretty impressive!

All too quickly, the teams both ran out properly through their banners, and the roar and colour of each team become apparent. A sea of yellow and purple!

The nerves and excitement heightened as the teams lined up for the National Anthem, and that all mighty roar of the crowd at the end of it - and then it was game on!

I feel like the first half went by in a blur - a complete arm wrestle, very low scoring, and the Hawks managed to stay on top, and maintain serious pressure. We were up by 4 goals at the big break. Hunters + Collectors played at halftime, and whilst we again couldn't really hear them well, there was a huge crowd sing for Holy Grail. Such an unofficial footy anthem!

The third quarter was what all the nerves were for, as the Dockers piled on goals, and behinds, to come within 3 points of the Hawks at one stage. Fierce stuff! Heroic four goals from Gunston for the match and a brilliant defensive game from the eventual Norm Smith medalist Lake, and the Hawks sealed the win and the premiership at the final siren by 15 points.

Midway through the last quarter the attendance figure was flashed onto the screens, at 100,007 people. Wow! There was a collective noise of awe at that. The bay sitting in front of our section were Freo fans who had travelled across from Perth and had told us that this was their first time at the 'G were stunned.

The song was sung, over and over. The four of us together hugged, and soaked it in, before working our way to the boundary fence. We watched as the medal presentation happened, cheering each and every player. And then the cup was raised, in victory!

A great spot for the players' victory lap, we high-5ed and hugged and cheered with them as they came past and shared it with the fans that were there. They were very happy, and excited boys!


After the lap, and the players singing the song together in the rooms broadcast across the stadium, all the Hawks we knew gathered at a spot to enjoy the Premiership Party, with Birds Of Tokyo and then Hunters + Collectors playing. But really, we were waiting the presentation of the Premiership team again.

Once all this was done, many of us wandered up to Richmond for drinks and the replay at the London Tavern. Later on in the evening, you may have seen us dancing up a storm in a little bar on Church Street. Good times.

Made even more special this time with the three of us sisters together for it, after Jessie being on the other side of the world for 2008. It was also one I could fully celebrate too, given the sober experience of 2008! All is right in the world again!

We're a very happy team at Hawthorn!

GF Training and Parade

As our voices returned from the celebrations on the weekend prior, and we exhaled a grateful and lucky sigh of relief at the news of our successful Members ballot ticket allocation for the third time since 2008, Grand Final week began. Fremantle were confirmed as our opponents for the biggest game of the year, and the throng of Purple clad supporters made their presence felt in Melbourne across the week.

Thursday saw a roadtrip our to Hawthorn's training ground, and former home ground, Waverley Park. A windy and wet and cold day, we battled the elements to get to the portion of the old stands that now sits in the middle of a housing development - the old VFL mosaic still looks impressive!

Huddling into a spot semi-sheltered from the elements, we awaited the arrival of the team onto the ground to go through their paces, and watched as many people gathered, all adorned in their brown and yellow colours.

Former players and club legends were interviewed and talked they about the big game and occasion ahead, to keep the crowd warmed and pumped, as we waited for signs of the team.

The team came out in groups, before coming together for the full ground training drills and mock play.

I haven't been to a training session for the Hawks since the same time last year, but it was pretty exciting to be part of it.

The event that makes the Grand Final feel very real is the ceremony of the Parade through the city on the Friday. Blocking off traffic and trams from the Arts Centre and all the way along Collins Street, both teams get to soak in the atmosphere of the hype in Melbourne city.

I met Melissa and Mum, Adam and Courtney at a good position along the path, after spotting Jessie up on the balcony of the Old Treasury Building again this year. Lucky girl, with an amazing view!

One of the first things to reach our position was the Premiership Cup, being looked after by our own Hawk hero Shane Crawford.

A brass marching band with Freo scarves on, playing the Freo song, got the West Australian fans in Melbourne into voice - and wow, there was a lot of them!

The Hawks were the second team along, riding past, taking it all in, and sharing it with their own kids.

Here we have the boys in the cars as they travelled along past us at the top of Collins Street - Gibbo and Buddy, Rough and Taz, Lake and Stratts, Gunstall and Sheils, Hill on babysitting duties with a baby Mitch, and the Cyril and Spangher (clockwise from the top left).

Once all the cars made it to the top of Collins Street, both teams are presented to the loud and massive crowd. Both coaches too, and then the Cup is held up by the opposing Captains. The crowd cheers, and sings their respective song....and then disperses back to work or off to the pub, like a bizarre flash mob!

There really is nothing quite like Melbourne during Grand Final week!

The Qualifying and Preliminary Finals 2013

Hawthorn finished on top of the AFL Ladder again this year, and September looked exciting. Nerves and jitters of excitement mixed, as all other plan making ability for the month was on hold, total focus was on the Finals Football schedule!

Our first match was a repeat of last year’s Grand Final, and of the final match of the AFL season for 2013. Playing on the Friday night, at the MCG, the Hawks set about to play Sydney . Tickets purchased, and pre-match plans set, we gathered at Riverland for some settling ciders, before making the walk along the Yarra to the biggest stage in Australia.

Such a blockbuster lived up to the hype and anticipation for the first half, with the Hawks up by just one point at the first change, and then scores were level at the Halftime break. But the second half saw Hawthorn in full flight, and blow the team from Sydney away – ending up with a crushing win of 54 points. Wow!

Drinks and some replay watching at the Duke followed, with much footy talk, and a lot of contented smiles!

This massive win afforded us the following weekend off. A treat – a rest for our bank accounts and nerves, and for the team to be fresh and ready for the next hurdle. Watching both games was a must, in anticipation of the competition and our next opponent.

Arch rivals Geelong won their way to meet the Hawks in the Preliminary Final. The siblings and I set out on our preparation for the week by watching the past two mammoth Grand Finals wins against our most feared and respected football opponent, the 1989 and the 2008 wins against them. This made for such an intense and footy-filled week, with much discussions, banter and reminiscing. Watching that fierce 1989 clash had our blood pumping, and boiling, and then there was a screening of a documentary of the same match, from players' perspectives, which only solidified that game as the greatest ever in our view!

Again, sticking to our successful routine to date, we gathered at Riverland for a few drinks, and then made the walk to the MCG. Taking our seats along from the goals, the nerves were high, anticipation at fever pitch!

This game lived up to our fears and anticipation and excitement - an epic battle. Heart-stopping stuff. Such a rollercoaster of emotions.

And when the siren sounded (not that we could hear it over the roar of the crowd!), the Hawks were 5 points in front. WE WERE INTO THE 2013 GRAND FINAL!!! The stronghold that the Cats have had on our team since that 2008 GF was broken. At last.

Drinks and some serious debriefing was done at the Duke once we left the stands of the MCG, before we allowed ourselves to start thinking ahead. Plus, having played on the Friday, we needed to await for our opponent on the biggest footy weekend of the year to be decided.

These games were all the more amazing by being there and experiencing it with two of my sisters, Heath and Mum. Such a family affair, our football passion!