For a long time, there were two things AFL fans knew about Canberra. It was home to the nation’s Parliament House, and it had plenty of roundabouts. Both of which are true. But now they know a third thing; it’s the home away from home for the GWS GIANTS.
Now in their third year of a 10-year deal, the GIANTS have committed to playing three games per season in the nation’s capital. Unlike AFL teams who have come and gone in the past, the GIANTS are committed to bringing the Australian game, to the Australian Capital, for a long time to come.
The redevelopment of StarTrack Oval in Manuka has played a big part in this move. The Oval has seen an increase in seating, lighting, and orange since the GIANTS' debut year of 2012.
One of the premier boutique stadiums in the country, the white picket fence at StarTrack has you right in the action. This week, the stands will fill, and the ball will be bounced, as the sixth-placed GIANTS take on the Western Bulldogs.
For those of you who are yet to make the trip down to Canberra, game day at StarTrack Oval is electric. For many, the day starts well before the first bounce.
If you’re travelling down the Hume Highway, the three-hour drive takes you over the Great Dividing Range, through wine country and past the wind farms of Lake George, before arriving into the autumn-kissed streets of the capital.
Personally, I roll out of bed at about 11am, and do something similar, just over a much shorter distance.
I either cook up a breakfast of bacon and eggs, or, if I’m feeling a little lazy, which to be honest is most weekends, I like to head out to breakfast at one of a multitude of cafes in the CBD or Kingston/Manuka area (a stones throw from StarTrack Oval) and have someone else cook it for me.
This is followed by a quick browse at some of the local shops, before heading out to one of the neighbouring bars or outdoor beer gardens of StarTrack Oval, and tapping into either another freshly brewed coffee, or a cold, crisp glass of a locally brewed craft beer.
As I sit with drink in hand and the sun beams cut through the autumn coloured trees above me, the streets slowly fill with orange; and the impact of the GIANTS can be seen.
From the kids wearing orange guernseys that their parents have clearly decided they will grow into, to mature, balding bearded men wearing their outdated (see: retro) North Melbourne, Swans or Bulldogs supporter polos of days gone by, complimented by their GWS members caps and scarves; it is clear that football has come to town.
When ready, it’s a short five-minute stroll across the road before you walk through the cast-iron gates of StarTrack Oval.
The GIANTS in Canberra is more than just a contract made to avoid the Royal Easter Show in Sydney. The club have held community camps and pre-season games and players have made regular contact with locals to ensure that both community and club support each other.
Just like Hawthorn will always be Melbourne, the GIANTS will always be Western Sydney. But like the Hawks, the club seeks to grow this great game in a region that is so often ignored. The Hawks have Tassie, the GIANTS have claimed the ACT.
This Saturday, with the GIANTS chasing three wins from four games, and looking to solidify themselves inside the top eight, I strongly encourage anyone who has yet to make the journey to StarTrack Oval to do so now.
Take your seat behind the picket fence, feel the excitement build, and hold your breath as you hear the thud of the opening bounce; the GIANTS are coming to Canberra. Game on.
Make sure you're at Saturday's twilight clash with the Western Bulldogs - Click here to purchase your ticket now
