In Search of Third Places

MCG on a classic Melbourne winter day (photo by TravellingFool.com)

Walking to the exit, after visiting Buckingham Palace, I found myself walking closely to an older man and his wife when one of the employees walked by us and said to the man, "Oh hey! Hawks supporter, huh?" The man replied saying something about the team and then I jumped into the conversation. The three of us spoke for another moment, laughing and enjoying the conversation, then we all continued on our individual ways. My family was bewildered by the interaction and said it sounded like we were talking in a foreign language.

I'm not a sports person. I'll go to a few baseball games in the summer and maybe hockey and basketball in winter but I've never been the person to insist that the television be on to "the game" during family dinners and holidays. Moving to Melbourne changed all of that. When looking for an escape from the dreary, depressing Melbourne winters I found Australian rules football aka footy. It started with the enthusiasm of the Australian classmates in my MBA cohort wanting me to pick a team, which is a serious lifetime commitment, and snowballed to me spending Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in a sports stadium watching every team in town play live.

In the stadiums you can get swept up in the excitement, and sometimes stress, of cheering on the teams. High fiving people and having conversations with strangers sitting beside you about the latest play. On the streets during the week people will look at your team scarf and want to start talking to you even if they support a rival team. Standing in a packed tram car talking about which team is might be the champion that year or what players coming back from injuries will impact the next match. Walking back home late at night after the final siren sounds with a crowd of people.

Footy is a cornerstone of Australian culture, especially in Melbourne, Victoria where the sport originated. While I fell in love with the fast pace, hard hits, and dramatic inter-team rivalries it also gave me something that I don't think I could have gotten anywhere else - an instant connection with the people around me. As a foreigner it can be difficult to get over the initial trepidation that locals have when you try to talk to them. There were conversations that I've had where I was instantly dismissed for being a foreigner or treated differently for it. Bringing up Australian rules football is like entering the cheat codes on those interactions. Suddenly people who would normally be shut off are open and happy to help.

Now that I'm in my second season of Aussie rules, the stadium feels more like home then anywhere else. I know when I'm in there I'll see familiar faces and be welcomed to the collective joy of watching two teams battle it out for the win. It's my favorite way to chase away the winter blues.