I attended the Australian Rules Football Grand final at The Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday. It’s the biggest day in sport in Australia with 100,000 fans packing into the stands to see the two best teams fight till the end.

No one expected the Western Bulldogs to come this far having finished in 7th position on the ladder. And though the entire state of Victoria was behind them against the interstate Sydney team, no one genuinely thought they really could match them in the Grand Final. But on the big day, the Bulldogs played with the same spirit that won them “unwinnable” matches in the earlier finals games. It was a fairytale ending. It was simply amazing how everything went into place.

But in the same way as there is no such thing as “an overnight success”, the reality is that there is a well ordered, structured plan behind every fairytale ending. Clear planning, hard work, and unyielding belief. And what humility the coach displayed by handing his grand final medal to injured Bulldog hero Bob Murphy. Great coaches get the best out of their players by earning their respect. It is easy to see why Luke Beveridge is so respected by his loyal team.

Congratulations Doggys!

Great win.