Enjoy Mackay’s winter sports finals season while other states enter lockdown

Sports tragic Matthew Forrest spent most of last year locked in a two-bed apartment in the Melbourne lockdowns. Now he has front row seats to high-calibre matches in Covid-free regional Qld.

As major cities across the country plunge into lockdowns and continued restrictions, life continues to be somewhat normal in Mackay.

It is a massive difference from the life I was living 12 months ago.

I spent the majority of last year locked in a two-bedroom apartment in Melbourne, unable to leave more than 5km from my home.

Having made the move to Mackay at the end of April, I have now avoided three lockdowns in Victoria.

I have spent the better part of the past four months watching the Meteors, Cutters and Magpies Crusaders up close, as well as travelling around the region watching local junior sport.

What has surprised me most is the quality of competitive sport across all age groups, and the community adoration for our local teams.

The Crater is sold out nearly every week, the soccer fields car parks in Glenella are packed every Saturday morning, and the region’s first NRL game since 2013 reached its Covid-safe capacity in an hour as tickets for the blockbuster sold out.

I did not expect to see so many Parramatta Eels or Sydney Roosters jerseys in the crowd at BB Print Stadium, and the interest in a second, and potentially third, NRL game is huge.

Junior Paulo of the Eels is tackled during the round 20 NRL match between the Sydney Roosters and the Parramatta Eels at BB Print Stadium in Mackay on July 29. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty Images

As the local winter leagues begin finals series over the coming few weeks, expected crowd numbers will continue to swell around Mackay.

Coming from Melbourne, where there was no local sport for almost 12 months, I am extremely excited to immerse myself in local stories of agony and ecstasy.

Finals are the pinnacle of sports, and it’s every kid’s dream to score a winning try or kick a goal after the siren to win a premiership.

I hope the community can enjoy the spectacle of local sport the same way I am.