The best day of the footy season has arrived.
No, no, not grand final day. Sure, it’s the culmination of the season, but only two teams make it, while the rest of us watch on with jealousy and ponder another year that could’ve been.
Even out of those two teams, one is going home empty handed while their fans walk away with heads bowed and a six-month sickness.
I’m talking about the other best day. We’ve waited and waited, but it is finally upon us, bringing those familiar, jittery butterflies to the stomachs of footy fans all over the country.
This is the one we all get to be a part of. That one glorious day every year that fills us all with the perfect blend of excitement and optimism. Sounds silly, but I’d make a case that the best day of the entire season is this one – the one when no football is played… apart from in our heads.
It’s Pipe Dream Wednesday!
We all know the drill by now; your team has had its best pre-season this decade, with an increased focus on the exact part of the game that let them down last year. Your favourite player is another year older but somehow feeling better than he has in five years, despite 12 post-season surgeries. There’s no lid on what your club can achieve.
We also all know that this is the same prattle churned out year after year that usually amounts to nothing – but for one more day we get to believe it, and boy, will we ever.
Like a kid on Christmas Eve, whether we admit to it or not, today we will all take a trip to football fantasy land, where our teams do us proud every week, and nobody ever gets injured or injected with Thymosin beta-4.
Our full-forwards top the goalkicking, and our three best mids are sure to take home Charlie in a three-way tie. And how good does that premiership cup look in the captain’s hands?
With the bounce of the ball on Thursday night, these ridiculous scenarios shatter like glass in front of us and we see the season for what it really is; an unrelenting 26-week struggle that rarely delivers on our Pipe Dream Wednesday wish list – but, we can worry about that later. Right now is right now, and things look pretty good.
For one more day, Hawthorn and Carlton stand equal in season 2016.
Melbourne fans still have every reason to believe that they’ll play finals on the back of a gargantuan year from Jesse Hogan. Greater Western Sydney fans are pondering the possibilities of what their team can do if their big men stay healthy.
The Gold Coast Suns, St Kilda Saints and Brisbane Lions are also bound to improve, but are we aware of just how much? Surely the Richmond Tigers can win that final that’s eluded them since 2001?!
Patrick Dangerfield makes the Geelong Cats serious contenders, Harley Bennell does the same for the Fremantle Dockers. There’s no reason why the Western Bulldogs can’t ride their young guns deep into September, and Tex Walker can lead the Adelaide Crows to anything.
The star-studded Collignwood Magpies will surely improve on their disappointing end to 2015, and a refocused Sydney Swans outfit can definitely go all the way.
Will Port Adelaide recapture their glistening form of 2014? Will Essendon’s top-up players show that they have far more in store than anyone realises? Will we see a North Melbourne versus West Coast grand final?
Yes! For one more day, why not?!
Make the most of it. Claim confidently that Andrew Gaff, Gary Ablett or Marcus Bontempelli will win the Brownlow. Bugger it, why not make it big Maxy Gawn. Brag that Eddie Betts is a shoe-in for the Coleman, or that Jacob Weitering will take home the Rising Star. There’s no evidence just yet to prove you wrong!
This excitement has some other off-field benefits too.
Think about it – as it stands right now, nobody is beating you at tipping, and your fantasy team is yet to disappoint. There’s just a wonderful, comforting bunch of zeros everywhere you look. No realising on Saturday morning you forgot to click ‘submit’. No captains getting injured in the first quarter with two measly handballs. Life is bliss.
So enjoy the next day and a half folks, because at 7:45pm Thursday night it all begins and the hopes of at least one fan-base will take a few knocks. By Tuesday, at least half of us will have sore hearts and something to complain about.
There are no unturned leaves to be found and every slate in sight is stainless. The season is upon us, so for one more day we should dream, and we should dream big.
Enjoy Pipe Dream Wednesday, and may your team do you proud.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
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