With her beloved Sydney Swans trailing by 63 points in the final moments of the 2014 AFL grand final, Orange resident Michelle Wood vowed to never again attend a decider.
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Fast-forward eight years though and Ms Wood couldn't resist snapping up tickets for Saturday's game against Geelong for a very special reason.
"This will actually be my third," she explained.
"My first one was the 2012 grand final and that was just amazing to be there. We went back for the 2014 which wasn't very good.
"I actually vowed to never go to another grand final because I had already felt the elation and devastation.
"But this one will be extra special because I'll be able to take my son to the game, he was only two when they won their last grand final."
Like so many, Ms Wood started following the Bloods after attending a game featuring superstar Tony Lockett in the 90s.
Although now living in rugby league-mad Orange, she said she can always spy a fellow aussie rules aficionado around town.
"You can spot them," she laughed.
"It's funny I walked into the Reject Shop on Sunday and there was an older guy there with a Swans top and I said "great win last night!
"My daughter was embarrassed but I could have talked to him forever about the game. When you find people who like AFL you can always have a conversation with them."
That feeling is shared by fellow Swans fan and Orange resident Karen McMurray who quickly found like-minded friends after moving to the city.
"We met through our mutual love of the Swans," she said.
"I was wearing my Swans vest one day walking my dogs and we struck up a conversation."
While not heading down to Melbourne on Saturday, Ms McMurray was in the crowd during the Swans' thrilling one-point victory over Collingwood in the preliminary final.
She said the grand final would be too hard to pick but that Sydney needed to play for all four quarters if they wanted to bring the premiership cup back up the Hume Highway.
"I went to the prelim and that was just amazing," she said.
"It sprung up on us quickly that last quarter. It was nail biting.
"Anything can happen. Geelong really want it, they've been close the past few years. But when Sydney's on fire and give it all they can definitely do it.
"They just need to do it for four quarters."
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