When you're told to sit down...

I made a huge error on Sunday. When I'd put on my #12 guernsey on, taken the train into Adelaide, and walked down to the Oval, somehow I'd made the mistake of thinking I was going to a football game.

Even more confusing were the football players in front of me, including the excitement machines of Lord Walker and Eddie Betts.

See, having been to the Collingwood game, to the North Melbourne game, I thought that screaming your head off and jumping up and down was the whole point of going to the footy, the free expression of those emotion-charged, high-pressure situations, and to put your heart into your voice, and will the boys over the line.

Being on the front row, I feel that effect all the more, because I know the players are close enough to hear what we say. Like when Jaenschy pushed on when he had taken a huge hit to the rib. I hoped he could hear us cheer him on.

And then of course there was sirengate, where everyone was screaming so loud that it has been disputed whether Jenkins goal was kicked before or after the siren. Tens of thousands of people on their feet screaming drowned out the Adelaide Oval siren.

But despite all these experiences indicating otherwise, someone had the kindness to point out to me that I was not, in fact, at the biggest game in South Australia for the season, but instead had somehow stumbled into an orchestra. "Can you please sit down? We can't see!"

Ah yes, that mortal crime of standing up at the footy. Imagine being so callous and careless as to block the view of adults who are capable of standing up, but want you to sit down so they don't have to partake in the emotion of the game.

It really is awful to create an atmosphere that Eddit Betts (who has played more games at the 'G than he could count) to say it is the best place he has ever played. And I will tell you, you won't hear him say that he loves it because all of the fans sit down.

Matty Wright goes for an amazing smother, and I am up and screaming for him because of that courage and execution at such a critical moment. Lyons then picks up the spill and kicks it on to Danger. Screaming on my feet, Danger doesn't quite get it on the chest, but has the cleanest pickup, and hands it off to Crouchy who is streaming forward, and kicks it into the goal. And I jumped up as I screamed. What an immense goal, just as Port were surging. On the television replays of that moment, you can hear an immense roar.

Then later Eddie takes the mark in his pocket, and everyone is screaming his name and bowing to him. And he close off the game by kicking that goal. These are the moments you come to the footy for.

It is why you keep coming after losses to Melbourne, to Carlton, to Essendon. You keep coming, because you believe. And what better way than to stand with your boys?

There will be people around the ground who ask you to sit down. Please Adelaide, ignore them. Please, Adelaide, stand the fuck up.

Swearing

Hey, I know a lot of people who read my blog are offended by swearing, so just thought I'd give a heads up, that I am going to just write what I want from now on. I've been on a non-swearing thing, but that has been a year without me writing something, so if you don't want to see swearing, I'd suggest unfollowing my blog.