3 minute read
Brisbane Lions and Sydney Swans fans have made pilgrimages to their clubs' old homes in Fitzroy and South Melbourne throughout AFL grand final week.
A curious piece of memorabilia hangs on the wall at the Royal Derby Hotel.
Just about everything inside the famous watering hole is tinged with maroon.
The exception is a WEG poster commemorating Port Adelaide's grand-final win over the Brisbane Lions in 2004.
Otherwise, there's little doubt about where loyalties lie in this Fitzroy institution.
If the huge mural of Lions legends Jonathan Brown, Kevin Murray and Chris Johnson isn't a dead giveaway outside, then the old jumpers and photos of club heroes adorning the interior should be.
Hundreds of Brisbane fans packed out the venue on Thursday for a live recording of 'The Roar Deal' podcast, revelling in the experience of their team being in a second successive grand final.
Chris Fagan's men, who suffered a heartbreaking four-point defeat to Collingwood last year, get another shot at the flag when they take on minor premiers Sydney at the MCG on Saturday.
And the Royal Derby will be heaving again when Lions fans, who missed out on tickets, descend on their club's Victorian heartland to celebrate - or commiserate - together.
The connection between the Lions and 'Old Fitzroy' still runs deep.
"It means a heap," club legend Alastair Lynch told AAP.
"There was a time for the Brisbane Bears coming to Melbourne with not much support at all.
"The merger was tough for a lot of people, but now we've got that passionate support wherever the club goes.
"We see it around the streets now and there is a lot of Lions support."
Across town there might be fewer hipsters and far less of a grunge-factor in the leafy surrounds of South Melbourne, but football passion still runs high.
A few kicks from the old Lake Oval - the Swans' base for more than a century before the club's 1982 relocation to Sydney - lies the Rising Sun Hotel.
It's the self-appointed "Home of the Swans" in Melbourne and has been a gathering point for 'Bloods' fans for years.
It was high on the list of sacred sites to visit for Sydney diehard Daniel Connane, 34, during the build-up to the grand final after driving from interstate to support his team.
Connane also paused for a moment at South Melbourne Market and the redeveloped Lakeside Stadium as he pondered his connection to the club and suburb.
"Dad got me into the Swannies as a young kid and ever since then I've been a 'Bloods' fan through and through," Connane told AAP.
"My old man's side of the family are all old South Melbourne fans.
"It leads to coming here to the spiritual home of the football club, just to soak it in and feel what it's like.
"Red and white runs in the veins."
The Swans' Victorian roots aren't lost on former club captain Stuart Maxfield, who will present the premiership cup to coach John Longmire and stand-in skipper Dane Rampe if Sydney are successful.
"Over the years, the connection that we've maintained with our Victorian supporter base, it really is a one-club approach," Maxfield said.
"In all the grand finals that we've played in, we've had huge support and expect the same thing on Saturday.
"In terms of neutral supporters, I hope they jump on board as well."
Another capacity crowd is guaranteed at the MCG, which has held more than 100,000 fans for each of the two grand finals staged at the traditional venue since the end of the pandemic.
Despite this year's match-up being the first without a Victorian-based club since 2006, AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon insists Melburnians are embracing the grand final as strongly as ever.
"I know if you're a fan of Geelong or Carlton or Collingwood or the teams that didn't make it, you'll be disappointed," Dillon said.
"But I think we've got two great teams, there are some amazing stories behind that and everyone is really excited for the game on Saturday.
"The fact that we've got a team represented from New South Wales, a team represented from Queensland and also the historic links back to Victoria is really important."
Maxfield puts it more succinctly: "Just get on board."