Month completed: December 2007

In 2004, I was part of a team that wrote a case study on what it would take for a Melbourne team to be successful in the soon-to-be-launched A-League in Australia (A-League is the premier soccer league in Australia).

Quite a few of the thoughts we had were matched by the team that was eventually created, known as Melbourne Victory. The name was one thing they didn’t match though - we had decided on the name Victoria Colonials. Victoria to make the whole of Victoria feel as though the team was playing for them, and Colonials to help separate the team from the ethnic connotations that were partly to blame for the dissolution of the National Soccer League (the previous premier soccer competition in Australia).

All of this back story is to explain why seeing a Melbourne Victory match was on my list of goals. Ever since they launched, I have been keen to go along, but never have.

During the week I was offered free tickets to go along to the upcoming Victory match. Never one to pass up free stuff, I took two tickets, and Nat and I went along to see Melbourne play Adelaide. And what a game it was.

2-nil down with ten minutes to go, a penalty and an own goal brought the score back to 2-all, which was the final score. There was many highs and lows, and it was overall a great atmosphere. Nat even wants to go and see another match, which has shocked me!

Anyone who hasn’t gone yet, I totally recommend it - Go Victory!