By Joe De Petro
Morning has just broken in the city of wolves and centurions, of Popes and pagan gods.
I stand in the crucible of the greatest empire of the ancient world, the superpower that conquered and ruled the known world under Pax Romana. When Caesars “brought the peace” it was quick, violent and cruel - just like a Tiger.
Outside, the unmistakable sounds of well-dressed Romans commencing their day have begun. Coffee brews in the bars, filling the air with its sweet bitterness. The jam-filled pastries of Italian breakfasts have been prepared and sit on counters in platters.
My body is here but my spirit has already soared halfway across the world to the MCG, ready to watch my mighty Tigers play in the Grand Final. They have the opportunity to become a superpower, just like the Romans did before them. Can they too “bring the peace?”
Our fans have jostled for tickets all week and are present in impressive numbers, the natural result of playing against an expansion team with limited support. Even via an app, the noise is deafening! It is Vesuvius erupting again!
In a few hours I will attend my cousin’s wedding in a magnificent Roman church. All the churches are beautiful here. They are open windows into our past.
My parents left their loved ones behind in Sicily nearly 70 years ago, choosing a new life. I know how difficult it was for my mother to leave her sister behind. It is thrilling to still be so close to that sister’s family that we are able to share in this wonderful day, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention. The butterflies of two years ago are back again, in number and on cue, fluttering around inside me. It is a mystery how they have travelled all this way just so they could be injected into my croissant. I’m sure I asked for pistachio! Go figure!
The opening of the game is contested but unremarkable, as it is in most grand finals. Normally sure footed and clean by hand, some of the best players in the competition make unexpected errors, overwhelmed by the occasion and the noise of an unruly Richmond crowd. Are the stands as out of control as the streets of Rome?
Each early foray forward results in a miss, until the Coleman medallist, Jeremy Cameron, snags the opening goal of the game for the Giants. The tension is released and the Tigers spring into action with two quick goals, the second of which is a Daniel Rioli special, beating the siren by seconds.
Soon, we will need to make our way to the bustling centre of Rome where the wedding will be consecrated in a glorious 12th century church. The late goals have settled my nerves.
The Tigers exert their influence in the second quarter, bringing the partisan crowd to life with an unbroken sequence of goals. Tiger stars Jack Riewoldt and his tattooed offsider, the Patron Saint of Swan Street Barbers, flex their muscles, to the delight of the faithful.
Soon, the bride will be preceded by her entourage of fashionably chic bridesmaids and young cousins in gorgeous tiny suits. Escorted by her father, she will stroll casually along the glittering marble aisle. She will look as happy as any Richmond supporter making the march towards Richmond Town Hall.
The game is decided quickly in the second half, which is just as well. Dare I say it? I have other things on my mind.
By the third quarter we are dressed in our finery. By the fourth we await the bus outside our hotel. One spectacle is ending, another is just beginning. My tablet has been left behind, replaced by my phone. As we make our way, to the bemusement of my Sicilian family, I watch the medal presentations and the thrilling handover of the Premiership Cup.
I am proud to write that there is now a small village in Southern Sicily full of Tiger fans. Over the next two days we will take to the streets to see the sights of Rome, bringing our own special kind of craziness, much as the rest of the faithful did in the streets of Richmond.
As the festivities in Melbourne move into full swing, we will accompany the happy couple to the cardinal’s hunting lodge on Lake Albano, where the reception will be held.
The view will be stunning, popes and cardinals have always known where to build their holiday cabins and this one is surely the jewel in their fabled crown. Is cabin the right word to use here? Palace, perhaps? Is there such a thing as a hunting palace?
The colour of this remarkable lake changes with the nuances of the sun, reflections of light in perfect harmony with the languid greens and blues of the rippling water. It is an idyllic counterpoint to the chaos unfolding across two continents.
All around us will be ridiculously good-looking Italians. Women and young girls will be dressed in dazzling gowns, accessorised by their men in meticulously tailored suits and well-starched, crisp white shirts. Their hairspray alone is enough to tear a new hole in the ozone layer, much as the Tigers did to their hapless opponents hours earlier.
Looking back, I felt like I was an extra in a Fellini movie.
It is so good to be in Rome, sharing this wonderful day with family. It is also so good to be The Superpower! Long live the rule of Pax Tigris!
May it last a hundred years. A Cent’ Anni.
Joe De Petro is a Financial Planner and life-long Tiger tragic who has raised his three adult children as diehard Tiger fans. In some circles, the last of these things is considered an act of cruelty.
RICHMOND 2.3 7.5 12.9 17.12 (114)
GWS GIANTS 1.2 1.6 2.7 3.7 (25)
GOALS
RICHMOND: Riewoldt 5, Martin 4, Lynch 2, Rioli, Soldo, Pickett, Lambert, Bolton, Cotchin
GWS GIANTS: Cameron, Hopper, Himmelberg
Official crowd: 100,014 at the MCG