What a great afternoon of AFL at Manuka Oval with GWS Giants taking on Geelong Cats! It was so good to see Canberra get behind this event with nearly 15,000 people in attendance breaking previous attendance records for the GWS Giants at Manuka. It goes to show if some good games are held here Canberra will support them, even in the middle of winter.
With so many Canberran’s out for the game it wasn’t surprising to bump into so many people we know. It was also great to see so many Gungahlin Jets families there.
Knowing parking and traffic can be a bit of an issue at Manuka when these events are on, we decided to leave the car in Civic and take advantage of the free Action buses running. We were lucky enough to score a car park right on 12pm when paid parking finished near the interchange. We walked over to Platform 11 straight onto a waiting bus. The Action staff in attendance were very friendly and welcoming. We only waited a couple of minutes before the bus set off to Manuka.
Whilst I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth it would be better I feel if we could catch the normal services from Gungahlin to Civic for free as well to save the drive into Civic. As we drove past a large empty car park on Northbourne avenue next to West Block Government Offices I also thought that would be another ideal pick up location on the way to Manuka.
After being dropped off at Manuka Oval we walked across to Manuka for some lunch before heading back to the main gate. The lines moved quickly through the gate getting our bags checked and tickets scanned. Not long after walking into the grounds we bumped into Prime Possum. Master 2 got in a high 5 and gorgeous photo with Prime Possum.
We made our way through the crowds to the other side of the oval saying hello to people we knew along the way to our seats behind the goals. In this spot we were in the perfect position to see Toby Greene’s opening goal. From that goal things were looking very promising for the Giants….
Towards the end of the second quarter Master 2 informed me he needed a nappy change. I thought I would get in ahead of the crowds before the half time break and make a break for the facilities. So I headed for the grandstand and spied the men’s toilets, another amenities block but no signs for a parents room or baby change room. I walked to the other side of the grand stand. I noticed a baby change sign up next to the women’s toilets in the nearby amenities block. Not ideal for dads…. I approached the customer service desk nearby and asked where a parents room might be. She checked her map and confirmed that the two baby change facilities were in the women’s toilets. Thankfully with her friendly customer service and that of a security guard we were provided somewhere we could do the nappy change. Still not ideal but better than the other options. Hopefully this is something that will be addressed by the Manuka Oval management in the near future.
In all that drama we bumped into Shane Mumford who was not playing due to an injury. He said hello to Master 2 and was very friendly talking about his injury. A lady commented on how tall he was and then said to my son that he must look like a Giant to him. I pointed out to her “well, he actually is a Giant”. Dad joke!
We then weaved our way through the crowds that were on the search for food, drinks and toilets. We bumped into more people we knew and had a quick catch up.
With the sun hiding more and more behind the clouds it got cold pretty quick for the remainder of the second half. Master 2 bored with the game and disappointed with the score line decided to fall asleep in the fourth quarter. Holding him while he slept kept us both nice and warm though!
After the siren sounded we made our way with the crowd to the Action bus to take us back to Civic, once again friendly Action staff to welcome us on board. By the time we made it on the bus it was pretty packed. A very nice lady offered up her seat so I could sit with Master 2 on my lap. Only a couple minutes wait to take on more passengers and we were heading into Civic. As we exited the bus the driver gave Master 2 a farewell high 5.
All in all a great day out and a great day out at the footy, except for the result of course!
Photo used with permission with thanks to Richard Tuffin
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