Found: the real Julia Gillard, in a column she has written today for the Herald Sun about why she loves the Western Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs full-forwards

You can sense the PM’s emotional investment in it. “The Herald Sun has asked me why I love the Dogs, but that is a near-impossible task within the word limit I’ve been set,” she writes. “Our club’s enduring heritage as sons of the ‘scray is unmistakable - the colours, the song, the mascot and the initials FFC on the jumper at the nape of the neck remind us of our club’s proud past as Footscray.” Alongside there’s the Victorian Premier, John Brumby, talking about why he loves Collingwood (insert your witty choking comment here).

There are only two weeks of September remaining before we reach the sporting tundra of October. Last year on The Punch Luke Mcilveen wrote about the devastation this barren month can bring. I recommend reading the whole piece as a spur to enjoying the climactic weeks of sporting action ahead before we all wake up on a Monday and realise the next thing on the domestic calendar is the racing, which isn’t so much about sport as it is about tie colours and the latest trends in hats.

With the PM having led the way on penning tributes to a favourite sporting team this morning, this is an invitation to Punch readers to write their own. Make it funny, make it historical, make it argumentative, short, long, interesting or even about an A-League side.

But chip in and celebrate your team. See if you can do better than the PM.

Most commented

23 comments

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    • Marina Go says:

      12:12pm | 17/09/10

      Don’t forget the Commonwealth Games in October. That should fill in the gap before Melbourne Cup.

      Go the mighty and world-champion Australian netball team: the Diamonds!

    • Matt Holden says:

      01:39pm | 17/09/10

      Err—the Mighty Diamonds?

    • Macca says:

      12:36pm | 17/09/10

      hmm, I’m going to battle with this.

      Sydney FC are dead last without a win, despite being defending champions, and amongst the most succesful clubs in the A-league’s short history

      Swannies are celebrating a legacy / mourning a significant loss with the depature of Roos and Kirk from their particular positions. Silverware still appears a few years off at least.

      The Waratahs are amongst the most boring teams in the Super Rugby competition, although consistently performing in the top few teams, fliriting with the opportunities of glory, and yet they consistently fail to produce in the finals, making them seem like the best of the second-rate clubs, rather potential provincial champions

      The Wallabies, barely managing a 20% winning record and have the uncanny ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The team looks promising for the future, but I’ve heard that being said ever since Gregan retired.

      North Sydney Bears…. never won the ARL and unlikely to ever get the chance to even walk on the park in the NRL

      NSW Blues, 5 years. pathetic

      The Australian cricket team, despite almost 15 years as the premier team in all forms of the game, they are struggling to win tests away from home and look far from confident heading into an Ashes campaign where victory is required to win back the the Urn.

      Finally, Aston Villa, having had their manager resign 5 days before the season started and last season’s Young Player of the year sold to the club that bought our club captain last year and beat us in the league by a mere 4 points, the Villans finally look to be getting back into gear. Well sort of, the new manager is still sorting things out with his old employer, the FFF, and should be onboard soon ... hopefully. Still, The Lions celebrate 100 years in English top flight football this season, sharing the honour with Tim Cahill’s Everton. Being one of 4 UK teams to win the Champions League (almost 30 years ago), success is in our history, we just need to rediscover it.

      This paints a somewhat negative picture for the teams I barack for every single week, and I wouldn’t change a thing (although a few nice results this weekend couldn’t hurt)

    • Macca says:

      02:16pm | 17/09/10

      and to continue to spirit of my contribution, can anyone think of a sporting team with the worst history? The Chicago Cubs come to mind, 102 years since they won anything.

      Can anyone top that? (Sorry Colgo, I know this is drifting from the topic a bit)

    • Robbo says:

      08:47pm | 17/09/10

      Crewe Alexandra F.C who play in England’s Football League Two come to mind, Macca. Founded in 1877, they have not won a major piece of silverware since then.

    • Eric says:

      12:37pm | 17/09/10

      Cool, I had no idea she was a Canterbury-Bankstown fan!

      smile

    • TimB says:

      01:10pm | 17/09/10

      Don’t even joke about that Eric. As a born and bred Canterbury fan I don’t think I could take it.

    • Sven Gali says:

      03:23pm | 17/09/10

      Good to see you’ve finally regained your sense of humour, TimB. Do you think you could help Nicole out ?

    • Eric says:

      04:01pm | 17/09/10

      You too, TimB? I guess we are constrained by our geographical origins.

    • TimB says:

      04:34pm | 17/09/10

      Always had my sense of humor Sven. I also know that there’s certain things you have to take seriously, and some things you don’t.

      Appalling behaviour by various members of the Government fall into the former category.

      Posts written by you though tend to fall into the latter.

    • Nicole says:

      06:45pm | 17/09/10

      There is nothing wrong with my sense of humour Sven. It’s just a little, er, odd.  tongue laugh

    • Sven Gali says:

      07:28pm | 17/09/10

      Thanks, TimB. That’s the spirit.

    • Nicole says:

      12:41pm | 17/09/10

      I hope they lose. For Jooolya’s sake.

    • Paul says:

      01:10pm | 17/09/10

      Its been a long time between drinks for the Dogs but maybe this year will be our year since none of the so called experts give us a hope.  1954 is a long time in waiting.

    • Liam says:

      01:15pm | 17/09/10

      Dear Lions,
      Next year, try not to suck so hard.

      Liam

    • Jane says:

      01:27pm | 17/09/10

      Julia’s talking football and the news is about Kevin overseas looking like the PM and offering aid to Pakistan. Will the “real” PM please stand up.

    • PaulT says:

      01:44pm | 17/09/10

      Someone should tell Gillard the election campaign is over and it’s time to start acting like the Prime Minister and get Rudd off the news headlines. Acting like a giggling footy fanatic just doesn’t cut it while Rudd has much more serious issues he’s dealing with and he’s being plastered over our TV screens everyday looking and sounding like he’s the PM.

    • The Badger says:

      02:15pm | 17/09/10

      I’m sorry, you forgot to mention which team you supported.

      I’ve been a life long NYY supporter.

    • maria says:

      02:34pm | 17/09/10

      As a Broncos fan I am in no way ready to talk about it.

      Except now I’m even MORE looking forward to 2011, so this summer is going to be particularly horrible.

      Can I just say that I am like “O God! The season’s almost over! NO WAIT! FOUR NATIONS! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.”

      It really is a case of taking it one week at a time. Thinking too far ahead is painful

    • Doug Rhodes says:

      03:16pm | 17/09/10

      Be very afraid Aker may want to go into politics as an Independent

    • Amy says:

      05:10pm | 17/09/10

      As a Sharks fan, I can’t help but feel like I’m cursed.  Naturally I have to have a couple of backups to make the finals watchable every season.  Unfortunately, I chose my dad’s team, the Bulldogs, and my best mate’s team, the Rabbitohs.  Sorry guys.  My bad.  The only team I’m left to support now is my Mum’s team, the Tigers.  This can’t end well.

    • Dash says:

      08:58am | 20/09/10

      I thought she was meant to be playing full forward? Or was that just another ALP lie?

    • Essence says:

      09:49am | 17/10/11

      God help me, I put aside a whole afteronon to figure this out.

 

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