Welcome to the City of Greater Joelong

WELL, that is what it has felt like since the Cats won the grand final last Saturday and Joel Selwood, our beloved captain, held up the 2022 premiership cup in his hands.

I was born and have lived in Geelong my whole life and at 52 years of age have barracked and been a member of the Geelong Cats since I was five.

We are so privileged in Geelong to be a one-team AFL town.

Yes, many people in Geelong don’t barrack for the Cats, but nothing brings more joy to the Geelong community than a Cats premiership.

That joy was witnessed in many ways since Saturday and Joel contributed multiple times to that.

The lead up to a grand final is all about the dream.

Like many other Cat fans, a public holiday meant I was able to travel with my mum, aunty and wife Sue to Melbourne on Friday and see the dream on full display with the boys in a River Parade and then a more up close and personal version in the traditional parade.

We decided Friday’s event would be a test run for Saturday and caught the train from North Geelong at 8.56am to see what time we would get to Melbourne.

On Friday night, the plan was to get to bed early as we were successful in obtaining tickets to the MCG. But those plans went astray when two balloons ready for our celebrations burst and spooked our dog.

I spent the next hour or so calming her down while watching replays of old grand finals, but to be honest my own adrenaline was still high in anticipation of what would be if we won on Saturday so I probably wouldn’t have slept anyway.

I didn’t realise how emotional the dream unfolding in front of me would be on Saturday.

My first tear was when Robbie Williams dedicated two songs in his pre-match performance to the late Shane Warne and to John Farnham.

I joined in with 100,023 others and sang and shed a few tears of joy.

Like all Cats supporters we had heard the incredible news that Joel would carry Gary and Jordan Ablett’s son, Levi, on to the ground on Saturday and through the banner.

I made a personal commitment to myself I would not cry, but how could you not after witnessing that beautiful moment and Joel giving a loving kiss of affection on Levi’s head?

But Joel and the tears were not over.

I didn’t cry again during the actual game but loved how Geelong entertained themselves and the fans during the final quarter and celebrated the victory which was so many years in the making.

Brandan Parfitt coming on as a sub and kicking a goal was so special, and Sam De Koning kicking his first goal ever was amazing. Patty Dangerfield ruled the field like a gladiator and there were so many moments and memories that will last forever.

But the tears did flow again.

I live with a hearing disability and chair Council’s Disability Portfolio.

I was in the crowd just near Sam ‘The Best WaterBoy in Footy’ Moorfoot.

Having given his boots away to an Auskicker, delaying his own celebrations to thank all the Auskickers, Joel then provided one of the most inclusive experiences I have seen in mainstream sport.

He saw Sammy in the crowd and, well, the rest is history, as Sammy became another beautiful story and inspired another tear.

Thank you Joel, and thank you Geelong Football Club.

We are really The City of Greater Joelong.

Cr Anthony Aitken

Windermere Ward, City of Greater Geelong