As a Melbournian, I know that there is nothing like the feeling of walking up to the MCG for Friday night footy under the light of the moon and with a freezing-cold winter's wind blasting in your face. Having left for Sydney 14 years ago, it’s a feeling that I haven’t felt in a very long time. Nowadays, it’s a possible every two-year occasion that I see the Baggers up in Sydney. The last time they were here (apart from the NAB Cup), I was unable to attend the game, so this year I wasn’t going to let it come and go without a fuss. 

Thankfully, I was given the opportunity by the Club to attend their Sydney training session the night before the big clash against the Swans at the SCG. Having lived in Sydney for a while now, I have come to understand and respect the aura surrounding the SCG – though obviously nothing like its Melbourne counterpart. There was a similar scene to the one set above happening as we arrived at Carlton training. It was early but dark already, Sydney having spent the few days prior soaking in rain and there was a Melbournesque chill in the air.  

We entered through the Members quarters of the SCG which - for you out-of-towners - takes you through the various cricketing facilities and monuments set up around the ground. I was walking through with my partner, just the two of us and not a person around, when a tall shiny figure appeared in the distance, coming out of the darkness in front of us.

“Ummm…is that Juddy?” I asked of my boyfriend quietly out of the side of my mouth so as not to startle the legend and alarm him that he was heading into the path of a Blues fan.

“Yep… yep it is,” my boyfriend replied, keeping his cool as a Swannies supporter.

Next second, Chris Judd walks straight passed us, bouncing a yellow Sherrin and into one of the complex buildings.

“Did that just happen?”

“Yeah… it did.”

Wide-eyed and already in awe, we walked into the SCG to get a glimpse of the rest. 

You know in American baseball movies when the young aspiring child gets taken to an empty Yankee Stadium at night and they walk up a slight incline between two stands, the stadium lights hit them and a look of wonderment covers their face? Well, picture that as we walked into the SCG, except I’m 25 – though still a kid in a candy store.

There were a fair few Carlton supporters sitting in the fabled Members Stand watching the Blues train, however I was lucky enough to be lead onto the ground by Luca Gonano, the club’s Digital Manager and was introduced to some of the staff observing on the sidelines, including Andrew McKay – number 5 in the 1995 Premiership winning side. Luca said, “You’ll know him,” and I certainly did – the day we won that flag was the day I became a Carlton fan. 

There is a tendency for us fans to forget how difficult a footballer’s job is out there. We yell and scream at them when they miss a mark or a goal, but it isn’t until you get up as close as I was, that you realise how skillful these players are, and that we really have no right to tell them how to play from the sidelines whatsoever – we’d have no chance if it were us. Clean as a whistle kicks off the boot and strong marks out in front as though they could do it in their sleep. It’s funny when you see people in real life after watching them for years on television, how all-of-a-sudden massive they are. Waite, Casboult, Kreuzer – giants. Having said that, it’s funny how you can expect someone to be a certain way and when you observe them in in the flesh, they are exactly what you had imagined – Mick. 

A few contested ball drills, some kick-to-kick (no one would kick it to Robbo) and some goal shots later, the boys were heading off the field and into the change rooms. Standing beside the exit gate, they all started flocking towards me – sweaty and dirty from the wet field. I was able to get a photo with Eddie – always my favourite long shorts wearing goal sneak – and the others went off to sign autographs for the waiting fans. Last off the field was the skipper, who trained despite not playing the proceeding game, and I was able to get a photo with him too – straight to the pool room. 

A short but sweet training session from the Blues but a night that I will remember for quite some time. It was unfortunate that we were unable to come away with the win on the Friday night after, but swans do adapt to water better by nature – it was a pond out there.

Thanks again to Luca and the club for having me. I speak for every Sydney based Carlton supporter when I say that we love having you north of the border and that there is always a couch to sleep on if you’re ever in our neck of the woods. 

C’arn the Blues!

Caitlin Arnold.