After we were married he continued this ritual - closing the hardware shop in Church Street, West Hawthorn - which he ran with his two brothers at noon, home for a hurried lunch then off in his ute to the game.
I was not a football fan and resented losing his company every Saturday in the footy season.
Our son Peter arrived on the scene and as he grew I decided that ‘If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.’ I knitted a small brown and gold footy jumper and beanie to match and Peter and I accompanied ‘Daddy’ to the matches… I was soon converted, enjoying the physicality of the players (especially Brendan Edwards) and had great amusement watching my small son aghast at the roaring, raving lunatic his normally quiet father became each Saturday afternoon.
Then 1961 arrived and our first Premiership. We had a small gathering at our house after the game with my husband’s friends who had waited so long for the “Mayblooms” to become the “Hawks”.
The joy of multiple premierships in the Kennedy / Jeans/ Joyce era buried the idea that Hawthorn was an easy mark.
My husband died in 1980 at the ‘too young’ age of fifty eight. I no longer attended matches but spent my time in domestic pursuits caring for my house and garden alone.
Then came the call for more members as the threat of amalgamation with the Melbourne Football Club loomed. For the sake of my dead husband and his lifetime love of Hawthorn - I sent my application for membership and have been a Happy Hawk for twelve years. At eighty-two years of age I do not attend matches, but follow the brown and gold with great affection, rejoicing in the 2008 Premiership and in the firm belief that the team will reign supreme again…… CARN HAWKS!!!!
