As they become harder and harder to come by, Grand Final tickets really are the hottest ticket in town. And in this climate, if you happen to get your hands on one, it becomes almost as exciting a story as actually attending the event itself.
This has definitely been the case for a long-suffering Melbourne fan, Brett Sampson, who has spent the majority of the week telling anyone who’ll listen about that time he got Grand Final tickets from a radio station competition in 2000. An incredibly diverse range of people have endured the long story this week, from Brett’s local barista, to the bloke at the petrol station, to the woman sitting next to him on the train, to Sharon from accounts, to Big Issue vendor on the corner of Bourke and Swanston Streets, to Brett’s 4-year-old daughter, and to his wife who estimates she’s heard the story at least 378 times.
Even Sharon from accounts reckons she’s heard it about 10 or 11 times. She told The Watsonia Bugle, “he doesn’t even need a decent segue into this story, so you can imagine how often he tells it during Grand Final week. I’ve directly heard it at least 10 times, and maybe indirectly about seven or eight times – you know, walking past the tea room, eavesdropping in a crowded lift – and I’ve only known Brett for 18 months!”
The Watsonia Bugle 