‘Stricter than you’d imagine’: AFL WAG Kellie Finlayson shares game day routine

Aussie WAG Kellie Finlayson takes us inside her family home and all the way to the oval as she shares the kooky customs that play out on game day.

The boys are back. A weird topic for me to address, but football will consume the next eight months of our lives, so it feels fitting to share our excitement here.

First game of the season has the most exciting lead-up. Everyone’s fresh, I’m not yet sick of the footy being on the TV every evening, nor listening to Jezz complain about each niggle he brings home from training – trust me, I remind him each time that it could be worse, which he agrees.

It’s just excitement.

We get to spend each weekend watching the man of the house do what he loves to do, something not many people can say about their jobs.

We truly are lucky to love what we do.

Let me paint a picture of Round 1, for those that haven’t already seen the snippets on my social media.

It’s a home game, we’ve gone to the local for coffee and eggs, Sophia’s been singing ‘stop, stop, stop, top, top, top,’ every five minutes since she woke up at 7am, Jezz is fresh after an uninterrupted sleep the night prior, everything is good.

Kellie Finlayson column. Daughter Sophia with dad, Jeremy Finlayson before the game. Picture: Supplied

Sophia clings on to dad, Jeremy Finlayson's legs after the game. Picture: Supplied

Now game day routine is a little bit stricter than you’d imagine.

I’m not sure if you’d call it superstitious or just professional but each morning before a game without a doubt, you’ll find Jezz strolling, at a speed that Soph can well and truly maintain, with no hurry to be anywhere, just strolling.

Once we’re home it’s feet up, some sort of sport on the TV – usually AFL if there’s a game on, otherwise NBA comes on a bit too, he’s zoned – which is completely boring for Soph and I so you won’t find us anywhere near him for the next little while.

If you’ve seen our little girl, you’ll know she’s not lacking in any confidence and will have a dance battle with herself in the mirror no matter what music is playing. She may or may not be a mini version of me.

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So while I get ready – because yes I too have to get ready for a game – she will just dance away in the background in her ‘daddy top’ – PAFC guernsey.

Another wild concept for most to grasp is how an athlete can be so completely zoned in, to the point that when Jezz says ‘it’s time to go’, no matter how ready we are, it is indeed time to go. Keeping this in mind, I always aim to be ready half an hour before the time he tells me we need to be ready.

This week Soph’s shoes didn’t make it on until we got in the car, so close!

The drive there is just filled with some slightly questionable music choices, and Sophia in the back singing the PAFC theme song to the best of her ability.

The stadium is empty when we arrive, but not long after the gates open and the fans flood in.

It seems like the perfect day for footy, until I realise the entire game we’ll be sat in the sun.

Not a big deal for most, but when the first thing that comes out of the mouths of the other partners is ‘Kell are you going to be OK in this sun?’, I’m quickly reminded that my once reasonably sun-resistant skin is now sensitive to UVs much lower, and not even the excessive SPF that I’d lathered all over my body would suffice.

Jeremy Finlayson of the Power celebrates a goal during the round two AFL match between Richmond Tigers and Port Adelaide Power at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

The collateral damage of treatment always finds a way to make even the simplest of tasks, such as sitting in the stands watching my husband work, a mission.

It’s times like this that I was extremely grateful for the space that we are able to access as family members, which is indoors, because even though I would have probably braved the UV rays, Sophia’s not slightly interested in the footy when she’s uncomfortable, the little princess.

The siren sounds and we’ve won round 1.

Soph waits patiently at the bottom of the race to have her daddy run down, give her a cuddle and take her in for the team song.

The Gatorade shower is now Sophia’s least favourite part of the celebration – “too sticky, Mummy”.

But she quickly changes her mind when the boys disperse to the showers and there’s a big puddle to splash in.

Game day is our favourite day of the week.

It reminds me why we love the season. All the sacrifices we make are worth it for seeing the way Sophia’s eyes light up when she sees her daddy on the field. His number one fan, forever.

Originally published as ‘Stricter than you’d imagine’: AFL WAG Kellie Finlayson shares game day routine