Football, Politics and Upsets

I wrote about my visit to the MCG to see my team the Brisbane Lions play in a recent post titled -
Shamanism and Footy?
and outside the stadium were people from the Herald Sun newspapers handing out free papers to footy fans as they entered the stadium. 

The piles of free Herald Sun newspapers
 outside the MCG, June 25th, 2016

Being from Brisbane I don't think I've ever read a Melbourne paper before, so I took one into the stadium with me to read while waiting for the game to begin.

An election campaign sign I saw when
walking to the MCG

I had just cast my vote in the Australian Federal Election in Devonport, Tasmania on the day I left Tasmania for Melbourne, as I wasn't going to make it back to Brisbane on voting day in a week's time.
And that election result ended up being a debacle that took a long time to sort out which party actually won, with no party really having much power to do anything with an almost drawn result.
Going With the Flow in Devonport on My Last Day in Tasmania

The Red Lion on the Tasmanian state flag;-)

I thought it was ironic that the Australian state I cast my vote in had a lion and the Union Jack on its flag and I was going to see my team from Queensland (Brisbane Lions) play at the MCG and was handed a paper with a Union Jack on the front, pretty much saying that the British Lion was leaving the EU and the PM had quit. 

England leaving the European Cup in 2016

But three days later England would be out of the European Cup beaten by Iceland in a massive football upset. 
Euro 2016: England loses to Iceland
Australia had lost to England by the same score a few months before in a friendly game in Australia, so I couldn't gloat at England's loss as much as I would like to unfortunately.

The final placings for the 2016 table

Update: My team the Brisbane Lions would not only lose this game at the MCG today but would eventually finish second last on the table having one of their worst seasons ever and the coach being sacked, so it hasn't been a good year for the Lions anywhere this year by the looks.

Richmond station SWAN street tram stop?!
A minor premiership omen?

Ironically, the Sydney Swans finished on top of the AFL ladder, but last week got giant killed by the other Sydney team who finished 4th, the Greater Western Sydney Giants, so the upsets continue with the Giants one win away from a first grand final berth for the club. 

Can the G win the final at the G?

The G?-)

I think the Swans finishing on top with all the football and political upsets has heralded a black swan year more like it.
And since there are no team of black swans, I'd have to put my money on the Adelaide Crows winning the AFL grand final this year, especially with all of the crows I have seen this year on my road-trips across Australia. 

"Everything on the Crows to win the grand final, please";-)

 And if Trump ends up winning the Presidency in the USA this year, that will be more than a black swan event, that will be a very black day indeed. 
But not by much, I fear.

HILARY CLINTON

I guess it's not all black and white which team will win at the "G" come grand final day;-)
To be honest the only team I couldn't bear to see win is Hawthorn for obvious reasons (if you follow the AFL) with me being a Brisbane Lions supporter.

"Horus, the hawk-headed lord of magic and war, was arguably the most important god in the Egyptian pantheon.

He is closely identified with the sun and is the avenger of his father Osiris's murder by his brother Set.
Horus is the central deity worshiped in the rite of modern magicians, as the sun who does not die, and the falcon whose eyes are the sun and moon"
The above passage is from, 'The Book of Secrets', by Daniel Pineda.  

UPDATE: 17th September, 2016
I don't have to worry about the hawk-headed lord of magic (Hawthorn) pulling a fourth premiership in a row out of his hat, as the underdogs ... or should that be undergods(?) ... ended Hawthorn's season with a 23-point win last night -

Western Bulldogs celebrate their win over Hawthorn

Western Bulldogs end Hawthorn Hawks' AFL reign, winning semi-final by 23 points
"The Western Bulldogs have ended Hawthorn's quest for four straight AFL premierships with a 23-point semi-final triumph.
The Bulldogs mauled the Hawks in the second half on Friday night at the MCG, kicking 10 goals to five and winning 16.11 (107) to 12.12 (84)."

Bulldogs and underdogs?!