c'mon!!!

Today my football team, the Collingwood Magpies, won!!!

Okay, so this might not have a lick to do with writing romance, but it makes me happy. Happiness creates endorphins, which then in turn makes one feel romantic...? Am I stretching the friendship here?

Well tough luck, because today my football team won

In one of my first ever interviews I was asked what makes my home town of Melbourne a romantic town, and one of the first purely Melbourne images that came to mind was snuggling with my hubby at the football - sitting on the same rug, wearing matching black and white scarves and beanies, and keeping each other warm.

That was a few years ago when I had first moved here. I loved football plenty back then, but now that I've been here on five years, footy has become more to me than a fun day out and a chance to colour co-ordinate.

At this time of year, the air in Melbourne cools, people's weekly moods swing from delirium to tragedy depending on the weekend's results, and the sports sections of the newspaper and the TV news suddenly take up twice as much space as anything else. Because Australian Rules Football in Melbourne isn't just a sport. Or a past-time. Or history. It is a way of life.

Come April 25th, when our city's biggest stadium is set-up again for football for the first time since the Commonwealth Games, picture me in jeans, team jersey with the captain's number 5 on the back, member's cap, black and white scarf and lucky red boots - and lucky g-string with the team emblem on the front if you must know! - walking down the wide gravel path towards the MCG alongside thousands just like me.

Over 100,000 people will be at the annual Anzac Day clash against long time foes the Essendon Bombers. 100,000. Can you imagine it? The noise, the adrenalin, the romance? Okay! Well I think it's romantic. Handsome young men, putting everything on the line for the game they love. An entire city mobilising to cheer on their beloved gladiators. Age old rivalries. Kids rebelling and wearing brown and gold when the rest of their family wears blue and white. It's enthusing, heartwarming, and makes this girl's spirits soar.

And did I mention that today my football team won?