AND then there were two.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Well, three really if you count tomorrow’s crunch match for the Wallabies when they take on the old foe, England.
This weekend is surely the biggest one on the Australian sporting calendar, with the NRL and the AFL showcasing their premiership deciders.
And there will be at least a fleeting interest from supporters in what happens in the code that is not their main passion.
Which is a pretty good indicator as to how the Australian sporting menu has changed over the past 30 years.
When I first arrived on the Border the only football code that received media coverage was Aussie Rules.
But how times have changed, with the followers of one code now going along to watch or at least read about codes they once regarded as their mortal enemy.
And our region is all the better for this “multi-culturalism” in our sporting environment.
So there will be plenty of people on the Border spending today watching the clash between the Hawks and the Eagles on the tube and then backing up tomorrow to watch the Cowboys try to lower the Broncos’ colours.
The NRL grand final is something of a nightmare for the league because it will be two Queensland teams fighting it out for premiership glory – but in Sydney.
So surely the crowd must be smaller than normal.
Hopefully those Sydney people who do go along will be cheering for the Cowboys, chasing their first premiership.
And only just to take the smug look off the Bronco supporters, who are only a little bit behind Manly when it comes to being the most hated in the league.
The AFL only just avoided a situation where their big day was ruined by having two non-Melbourne teams running around the MCG today.
And how wonderful that would have been for the rest of us who do not hail from Bleak City, enabling us to take malicious joy at the Victorians loudly bleating about Aussie Rules being “their game” and teams outside Melbourne had no right to be in the premiership decider.
Unfortunately I have no choice except to support the Hawks.
The Lioness is a Hawthorn tragic and she is already miffed that one of her best friends will be watching the game live, albeit supporting the same team.
A couple of months ago I accompanied her and The Princess Legend – also a Hawthorn supporter – and the love of her life, The Auctioneer, to watch the Tigers take on the Hawks.
Now myself and The Auctioneer both follow Richmond and when our team scored a shock victory we should have been delighted. But we knew better than to show our elation, because the trip back up the highway would have been frosty.
So today, although my heart might be cheering on the West Australian team my brain and my mouth will be working overtime to make sure The Lioness is assured of my loyalty to her mob. My life would not be worth living otherwise.
One thing is certain – both codes will put on impressive shows as part of the grand final celebrations.
But while I will watch both games with some interest, it will be what happens in the Rugby World Cup clash between Australia and England that will be my main focus. At least I know I will be honestly cheering the same team as The Lioness.