Chris Mayne has just snapped a miraculous match-sealer into an open goal from 13 metres out, 21 seconds from full-time to beat Essendon – at least that’s what my purple-hazed mind processes as I watch, live on my laptop.
But a second later, I harshly land on the cold hardness of my living floor – and reality. Mayne’s shot hits the post. My cheer quickly turns into a guttural, teeth-gnashing, “Nooooo!”
My wife is now up and none too pleased, the dog is agitated and barking, and the neighbours are probably calling the security patrol. While the sun has figuratively set on the hope of a Friday Night Footy Dockers’ victory, it literally is rising on Friday morning in Los Angeles, California, where each week I fervently fly the Freo flag in the wee hours, living and dying with every kick.
Coach Ross Lyon touts the club as an “anywhere, anytime” team and I’m an “anywhere, anytime” fan. No game replays for me. I’m hardcore. I’m American-born and bred, but I’m a die-hard Dockers member.
Isn’t willingly adopting a nocturnal lifestyle and becoming a habitual insomniac how any true fan follows his or her club? Especially when it’s based on the other side of the planet?
It takes great effort, but the rewards of barracking for Freo from a world away, at all hours – even for excruciating four-point losses like this one – are well worth it.
I first became a Freo fanatic 10 years ago after watching Paul Medhurst dramatically seal a Derby win and the club’s first finals berth, however it wasn’t until last season when live AFL games became fully available online and on TV in the U.S. that I started an unorthodox – and admittedly “obsessive” – weekly routine.
With my passion for the purple transcending the 15,000km and 15-hour time difference between Freo and L.A., I subscribed to internet and cable TV packages to watch the games – and downloaded a world time zone clock on my iPad to avoid temporal displacement.
Looking at the fixture, the only time the boys play at “reasonable” hours are the 2pm Saturday arvo away games against Victorian sides, when it’s 9pm Friday night here. Otherwise, most Freo opening bounces are Fridays and Saturdays at 2.40am.
No worries.
I’ve come up with a “regular” routine:
Sleep from 7.30pm to 11.30pm, work out at the gym from midnight to 1.30am, shower and change into my Freo gear – purple media cap and purple No. 19 jumper (signifying the “19th man”) for home games; and white No. 14 jumper (for future star Josh Simpson) for away games.
At 2am, my ear buds go in so I can tap my 6PR app and listen to the pre-game show.
Half time, just after 4am, is perfect for migrating to the kitchen and cooking an omelette.
By the fourth quarter, anticipating a victory, I cue up the club anthem on my iTunes library to play when the final siren sounds. If I’m not too tired, I call in to chat on the 6PR post-game show. Then – believe it or not – it’s off to work.
After the Essendon heartbreaker, I watched the Richmond redeemer from Washington, D.C.
With the morning sun brightly shining outside, Hayden Ballantyne healed my heart, crumbing home a goal with a minute left and clinching a thrilling one-point win. Mayne, the would-be hero from two weeks before, was the first to embrace him.
Instead of a screaming leap this time, I smiled and exhaled audible relief. It was enough excitement and sleeplessness for one morning… at least until next week.
Bring on the Pies this Saturday at 2.40am!!
