An ode to local footy: It’s been great to have you back

Footy is the lifeblood of suburbia and the regions in Victoria. And photographer Valeriu Campan has captured the essence of our great game. SEE THE PHOTOS

Scorers Bernie Ohlsen and Tom Watson are two of many forming the lifeblood of local footy. Picture: Valeriu Campan

THE adage tells us that a week is a long time in football.

So a year in our great game must be an eternity.

Twelve months ago, football grounds across the state were abandoned shells of their former, pulsating selves.

Seasons had been interrupted despite the best efforts of leagues, and finals were wiped.

Fast-forward to April this year and the heartbeat had returned to the suburbs and the regions.

Track to the present day and the buzz of grassroots finals has well and truly swept the state.

The smell of freshly cut grass amid the feeling of anticipation among the crowd, hot pies and cold beer in hand, under the glistening spring sun.

It’s a ritual Herald Sun photographer Valeriu Campan has observed for some 30 years.

From behind the lens, he has captured the essence of local football and what it means to communities.

The essence of local football has returned in spades. Picture: Valeriu Campan

From the coach’s rousing address to the volunteer perched in the old wooden scoreboard, to spectators, young, old – or even four-legged – how does a keen, lightning-quick eye describe the eclectic mix?

“A suburban football ground is like a family – a big one,” Campan says.

“There are parents with young babies, and great grandparents … what better representation of what we call a ‘comfort zone’?

“This says a lot about the intimate connection between football and the community.”

Premiership flags have been flown for the first time in three years.

For some, it’s been a redemption story in waiting. For others, long droughts have been buried. And let’s not forget to raise a glass to those who’ve fallen short.

There’s a fine line between agony and ecstasy in Australian rules. In finals, that line is minuscule.

Just as numbers on a scoreboard can send half the crowd into raptures and the other into despair, it’s no different on film, with moments captured in time stirring the emotions differently.

“The same image can mean different things to different people – in the end it’s in the eye of the beholder,” Campan says.

“The moment frozen in time must be more than just the peak of the action, there are also elements of energy and emotion that carry the picture to another level and should stay with the reader long after turning the page.”

Regardless of a cup lifted or a wooden spoon collected this season, the essence of local football has returned in spades.

Community and family.

To borrow another adage – ‘It’s more than a game’.

Scroll down for more of the best local footy photos from Valeriu Campan ...

A stroll at the local oval during the 2020 shutdown.

Three generations at the football.

A player waits for his call-up.

Ecstatic scenes after the match.

Utes as makeshift grandstands are commonplace at local footy.

A young fan takes in the action.

A dog joins the half-time team talk.

A staple of a day at the footy: the record

A quick peep from the scoreboard.

Goal!: An umpire waves the flags.

A footy fan keeps warm on a winter day.

An umpire readies for the first bounce.

A coach calling the shots.

Players in a huddle.

Footballer or mummy? There’s no shortage of bandages on this combatant.

Prime position for this young spectator.

Another age-old tradition in our game: banners.

A rainbow lines the sky over a suburban ground.

Numbers aplenty among the scoreboard and keen observer.

A budding football star sharpens his skills at the half-time break.

Lest we forget: A wreath laid at a suburban football ground.

Keen scorers watch on.

Australian rules has the power to bring people together.

A coach’s rousing address.