KEITH T. DENNETT | New South | CONTACT
The city of Melbourne is bracing for a flood of boat shoes and linen shirts this weekend as Sydneysiders descend on the southern capital.
With both the Roosters and the “Swannies” playing big finals games in Melbourne, the city is welcoming a wave of footy mad tourists from NSW, who are just as keen to watch the games as they are to order a cocktail after 10pm, or a full-strength beer after midnight.
And whilst Saturday’s AFL Grand Final will no doubt be the jewel of the weekend, The Advocate can report that a number of Roosters fans will be tacking on some Rugby League too, and are bravely planning to actually attend a game.
Speaking to one Double Bay man who’s made the trip south, it’s believed a chance to watch his beloved “Easts” is the cherry on top for what will be a great weekend.
“Yeah I haven’t been to a Chooks game all year to be honest, it’s nice to finally get to one,” Hugo Chiswick (28) told The Advocate, as he settled in for his first pre-game glass of rosé at a farm-to-table wine bar in Collingwood.
“Getting to Allianz from New South Head Road is just a bit of a headache, but this weekend gave me a good excuse to use up some Qantas points!”
Having spent the first 27 rounds of the NRL season sidestepping any of his team’s regular season games, it appears Hugo is just another fly-in fly-out Roosters fan who’s only turning up to a match when he can make it part of an excuse to flaunt a weekend away.
Asked about his chances of taking both wins back to Sydney, Hugo says he’s backing his side’s chances.
“Would be so good to beat those salary cap cheats here in Melbourne, I just can’t stand the Stormies! And then tomorrow I’d love to silence these Victorians who say we don’t know anything about AFL…”
“We just need Buddy to play a really good game! Go Swannies!”
