Meat Pies, A Cold One, and Ballin’ at the ‘G’

Sweet Tackle   Photo: Paul Rovere

On Saturday night I took part in a ritual that every Melbournian man must do at some point in his life. I went to the Dreamtime footy game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, or MCG or simply the ‘G.’ 64,000 strong came to support either Richmond or Essendon under the bright lights at the ‘G.’ I, having very little knowledge or interest in either team, chose to go for Richmond. Richmond ended up getting demolished by Essendon, and the overall quality of the game was rather poor.

Regardless of the game, there are a number of aspects I find interesting at a footy game. Most notably is the price of a ticket. I have grown accustomed to paying $80 for a high-rise seat at a Redskin’s game where I have a better chance of spotting my house than seeing the game. Footy tickets on concession are a mere $13, in comparison, outrageously cheap.

The second aspect is the food and drink. If America is apple pies, then Australia is meat pies. A meat pie is a scrumptious little snack consisting of meat baked in to a pie. What’s more amazing is the fact that you can get a meat pie and cold beer for under $10. And let me tell you this, the more cold brews that go down, the better the meat pies taste.

The last interesting fact of a footy game is the location. Stadiums aren’t team specific like in the NFL. This means that all the fans from both teams are piled in together. However, there weren’t nearly as many belligerent fights as I expected, or hoped to see. People, despite team affiliation, sat side by side. I even heard people speaking outright about how crummy their team was. Again, this is a notion that would be unheard of at a Redskin’s game.

All in all, the night was a great experience. While I have been to a footy game, it was not like this. Prime time at the ‘G’ is one for the ages. When in Melbourne, it is a must.