Good craic, banter and beer – oh, and rugby – draw Lions fans to Melbourne game

5 days ago

For many fans, the Lions' first Australian tour in 12 years is the catalyst to sight-see and reunite with relatives.
Joining Watkins at the MCG will be his uncle Kevin Adams, cousin Kevin Lloyd and godson Morgan Lloyd, 15, who are visiting from Wales.
It will be the first holiday since Christmas for Watkins, who, as a publican, works seven days a week.
The quartet will reserve extra cheers for the Lions' only Welsh player, Jac Morgan.
They won't need much persuasion to gather with fellow spectators and sing the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of My Fathers).
'Crowd singing is part of our Welsh heritage,' said Watkins, who pointed to a YouTube clip of a stirring mass rendition of the anthem before a 2013 Wales versus England match in Cardiff.
Saturday's MCG match against the Wallabies and this Tuesday's game against a First Nations and Pasifika team at Marvel Stadium are the Lions' first matches in Melbourne since 2013. Lions matches during this tour are being aired live on Channel 9 (Nine is the owner of this masthead).
The Lions team, which was first formed in 1888, includes top players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
In 2001, its name was changed from the British Lions to the British and Irish Lions. It 'doesn't roll off the tongue' says Irish-born fan Dave Dillon, but he says the team is usually just called 'Lions'.
Dillon, from Wellington in New Zealand, will go to the MCG match with three of his brothers — Barry, from Kildare in Ireland, and Liam and Neil, now of Cape Cod, in the US.
'The games are great, but I'm looking forward to going for a pint with my brothers, and hanging out,' Dave said.
Dillon says there's nothing like watching the best players, in an electric atmosphere at a big match.
'The craic and the banter is brilliant,' he said.
'Everybody's having a laugh, you're singing songs, you're making fun of each other,' Dillon says. 'It's always good-humoured.'
Rebecca Grice, a Lions fan visiting from Lincolnshire, England, is going to the MCG test with her friend Georgia King, a Wallabies supporter from Sydney.
They've been close since being pen pals as 11 years olds, 20 years ago.
Grice, who played rugby union for nine years, and who supports Leicester Tigers, recently converted King, and King's four-year-old son, to the sport.
'Her enthusiasm is very contagious,' King said. 'Rebecca knows every player. She can answer every question.'
Grice is a big fan of Lions player Ollie Chessum, who is from Lincolnshire, like her.
On July 5, Grice, King and King's nan, Jill Wilkinson, watched the NSW Waratahs rugby union team play the Lions at Sydney's Allianz Stadium.
'The atmosphere was so great. I loved it,' said King.
Earlier that day, in Sydney's George Street, Grice spotted Chessum and four other Lions players, and rushed up to take a selfie with them. 'It was very exciting,' Grice says.
'But I was so nervous and all I could think to say to them was: 'Are you having a good day off?' And they were playing that night! I'm mortified by that!
'One day I hope I'll meet them again and actually have a conversation with them.'
While Grice has travelled to Paris, Wales, Ireland and Twickenham in England to watch England play, she will watch her first live Lions match at the MCG.
King and Grice along with King's husband and father-in-law will drive to Melbourne from Sydney, and stay with King's relatives.
On Saturday, they will get to the MCG early to 'soak in the atmosphere', Grice said. 'I'm so excited.'
Lions games are held every four years in different countries.
'And that's what makes this so special. It's an occasion that brings everyone together, to experience something that you might never get to experience again.'
King says Grice has been raving about the event for years.

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Ryan Daniels: Inside Harley Reid's contract talks and the multi-million dollar offers on the table

West Australian

5 hours ago

West Australian

Ryan Daniels: Inside Harley Reid's contract talks and the multi-million dollar offers on the table

It wasn't quite high-powered Wall Street execs in Armani suits, marching in to close a billion-dollar deal — but the stakes, in a footy sense, were just as high. Harley's Melbourne-based manager Nick Geischen rolled into town, and while he didn't utter the words 'Show Me the Money', he didn't need to. The phrase was emanating from his $24 million smile. It's been a hectic week in Harley-world, with a somewhat surprising shift in the situation. Earlier this year, the Eagles put forward multiple contract options to Harley's team. Three, five, seven-year deals — a pick-your-own-adventure approach. Nothing came of it. which had people thinking — he's gone. Even before the Eagles drafted him, there was talk Harley would bail. That the Eagles would be better off trading the pick. Victorian journalist Sam McLure now famously declared 'they won't pick him, Mitch (Cleary)' — suggesting West Coast would be better off passing on one of the most prodigious talents the draft has seen in years — just to avoid the inevitable messy exit. It's always been perceived as a matter of when Harley will leave, not if . Then, the twist. Geischen had come bearing gifts — a proposal for West Coast. An 11-year deal. $2.2 million per year, on average. $24 million all up. The largest deal in AFL history. More money per year than Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins. Unprecedented numbers across the board. While it sounds like monopoly money, in 11 years, $2.2 million won't be as crazy as it sounds right now. By then, Harley will be 32 and potentially edging out of his prime — but with the growth of the AFL's salary cap, he might end up a bargain at some stage. Remember, back in 1994 Alastair Lynch signed a ten-year deal for $1 million — at $100,000 per season, people lost their minds at the money. By the time Lynch retired, he was woefully underpaid. As part of this proposed deal, Harley would have the option to leave after two years. If not, he'd be here until the end of 2037. Let that sink in. In 2037 we might actually have flying cars and robot slaves. Or we'll be slaves to the robots. I'll be 54 years old. Bring me a pair of warm slippers, a glass of prune juice, and cap it off with a few episodes of Murder She Wrote. Maybe my idea of what it's like to be 54 is a little dated — but you get the point — 2037 is an eternity away. Harley's people bringing this to the table signals his intention to stay — if terms can be agreed. So, what's changed? Nothing, really. All along we've heard Harley, the Eagles, even his management declare the young midfielder was taking his time, happy in Perth. In recent weeks Reid's form has elevated, he's exhibiting an edge, leadership around the club. He's forming strong bonds with teammates. My understanding is he's told Andrew McQualter he wants to stay. At 20, he's living on his own, cooking, cleaning, he's got a dog. He's handling the media/fan pressure superbly. Some 20-year-olds can barely remember to flush the toilet. This kid is settled. Credit to the Eagles for an environment where a country kid from the other side of Australia feels comfortable, happy. Saying that, nothing is guaranteed here. The new proposal isn't quite a gun to the head, an ultimatum — but it's not miles off it. This is how keeping Harley Reid looks. If that's too rich, there will be other suitors. It's a fairly simple situation — other than the overwhelming commitment. That's the holdup, if there is one. No one saw this coming. Not even the Eagles. The deal, or at least the sheer enormity of it, has blindsided West Coast. They've taken a pause. In the month following the contract proposal landing in their inbox, there's been no response. Some meals take a lot longer to digest, and this is like going to a steak joint and being served an entire cow. Don't panic Eagles fans, they know what they have in Harley. They love him. If they believe they've found the sun which all other planets can rotate around, that he could be their Dustin Martin, their Patrick Dangerfield, then they need to do it. Maybe it's a slight variation of this proposed deal, a happy compromise, but they can't get too cute here. Harley could be the AFL's best player within a few years. Yes, a deal that long, with that kind of financial commitment comes with risk. In my opinion, it's a risk worth taking. This kid is special. He wants to be here and he's box office. After a disastrous four years at the West Coast Eagles, the signature of Harley Reid would be a significant victory and a sign that things might finally be turning around. Years of endless chat about a move back to Victoria for Harley, now the Eagles have a chance to keep their man. They just need to sign on the dotted line.