I HAD ALWAYS watched the footy on the telly and played a bit, very badly, never following a particular team, just enjoyed the game.

 

My lovely partner had shown little interest, her interest only lifting when one of the game’s greats made a faux pas and was on the front pages of the newspapers,

 

We only live 10 minutes from the MCG and had never been inside the place.

 

So there we were, strolling back from the Botanical Gardens on a pleasant wintry Sunday afternoon.

 

We skirted around the ‘G, there was a game on, and as it was nearing the end of the game, the doors were open.

 

So ...

 

We watched the last five minutes of a Hawks and Swans match and then got swept up with the crowd after the siren; it was a different stroll up through East Melbourne.

 

Fast forward a few months, the new season about to start, and to my surprise a question came “do you want to go to a game at the G? I’ll go if you want to”

 

So off we went to Round 1 2008, Hawthorn and Melbourne, a game that will linger in the memory of many Demons supporters.

 

We sat in the top deck of the Ponsford Stand, so she could see the whole game unfold, with me offering to explain anything she didn’t understand.

 

Two hours later, strolling home through East Melbourne, she was still asking questions. Me with a stress headache!

 

“What is a disposal? What’s holding the ball? Why do they keep running on and off?” she said.

 

“I enjoyed that, do you want to go again?”

 

I suggested that we pick a team to support if we were going to make it a regular thing, and she asked me to tell her about Melbourne, the Dees.

 

I explained they were the oldest club, their heritage and their past successes and exactly where they were at in 2008.

 

So Melbourne supporters - and at the suggestion of a friend - members we became.

 

Third year in we’ve been to Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin (a great win on the weekend of her birthday), Launceston and even Etihad Stadium to watch the Dees.

 

We’ve been nearly drowned at Casey watching a pre-season game! We’ve watched the Scorpions to have a look at the young guys coming through, we even watched Tom Scully play for the Stingrays to see who we were going to get in the draft!

 

We’ve attended AGMs, enjoyed a Demon Ball, loved the family days, walked to the ‘G on Queen’s Birthday and had a fabulous night at the best and fairest.

 

Somebody mentioned the club was always looking for volunteers, so we’ve sold raffle tickets, handed out scarves and rung up lapsed members.

 

She won’t have a bad word said about Mathew Bate, abuses umpires, sings the song with gusto when the Demons win and I watch with amusement as she discusses footy with my male work colleagues.

 

And to think I used to try and avoid the ‘G on match days.