Jesus is Coming

This is a story about a man
A man obsessed with the Geelong Football club

I first met Paul Boddington in ‘99 at university. With our mutual loves of writing, beer and AFL football we instantly clicked and become close friends. Paul was in many ways my hero, he was funny, daggy, a terrible dresser, an even worst joke teller, and the gentlest, kindest man I had ever met. Every Monday morning we would dissect the weekend’s games, each ribbing the other about our opposing teams. See Paul was a Cats man and his dream was to see Geelong win a premiership. Paul was 2 years old when Geelong won their last cup in 1963 and every year he blindly believed that this was the year. I advised him ever so politely that he would be a very old man before he would ever see this happen. Which he would always quip “but Jesus is coming” Now Paul had talked about this Jesus character since the day I met him, all Geelong supporters did. Even before Jesus was out of school Cat fans around Australia were waiting for the day that he would be old enough to strap on a pair of footy boots like his father.

Gary (God) Ablett was a freak of nature, and arguably the greatest player in AFL history until Jesus that is. In 2002 Gary (Jesus) Ablett Jr debut for Geelong. Despite some promising signs he hadn’t quite reached the expectation of his great father but by 2006 every AFL fan knew they were watching something special and 2 premierships and a Brownlow Medal later Jesus had arrived. Gary Ablett Jr confirmed that he was just as fabulous, fast and freakish as his father and Geelong had finally broken their 44 year drought.

Now back to Paul as this is really about him and his devotion for this team. It is sometimes difficult to explain to Queenslanders the passion people hold for their AFL team. Rugby League may be splashed all over Queensland newspapers but it is really small fries compare to the religion of Australian Rules Football. Paul used to always say that the day you were born your football team was tattooed onto your armpit and you followed them, through thick and thin, until the day you died. Turncoats or deservers were a form of blasphemy and his world was seen through one eye in nothing but two colours – navy and white. Everyone that knew Paul seemed to discover a different side to this incredible multi faceted man but every single one, from ever area of his life, knew he loved the Geelong Cats with a passion only Melbournites can muster.

His passion for football was so fierce that I along with 1800 others sang the Cats team song at his memorial service. See Paul took his own life in 2005.

Not once in our thousands of conversations over hundreds of coffees and beer did he tell me he was depressed. He told me many stories about his sister who was battling depression …… stories I now stupidly realise was about him. He protected me until his death and his last words to me where about Jesus and his stupid football club.

I remember sitting in my living room two years later watching Jesus take Geelong to their first premiership in 44 years. Watching them again in 2009 take the cup and watching Jesus do something his father never did, winning the Brownlow for best and fairest player in 2009.

I remember sitting there with a beer in hand thinking of nothing of Paul and how long two years could be. Because he was right … Jesus was coming….coming for them both.

This is a story about a man that was obsessed with a football team.
About a prodigy called Jesus
About a new era in AFL
It seems such a silly thing to live for
But I know he would’ve done anything to see it…..