A lot has happened to my beloved Roar in my absence. The loss of Reinaldo and future Socceroo Luke Devere. The flooding of Suncorp stadium and the subsequent move to Skilled Stadium for two home games. Brisbane collected a few records, the highest profile of which was the longest undefeated streak in football history in Australia.
It has been a bumpy ride of late, as the Roar players travelled down to Gosford to play Central Coast Mariners in a pivotal encounter, the flood waters were encroaching around Brisbane putting lives and livelihoods at risk. However Roar managed to sneak a draw with the help of another emerging talent off the Roar assembly line James Meyer. We then handled rescheduled games and playing on the atrocious Skilled Park surface and came out the other side with our unbeaten streak still intact. Our play was not as shiny and glittering as it once was, but hey you try playing a possession and passing game on a surface that has the consistency of a cow paddock.
All that has faded into the back ground after Saturday night after an emotional homecoming that united Brisbane and inspired our team to restore their playing style to the heights it had reached previously. It truly was a magical night stemming from the parade of football clubs before kick off that came from flood affected regions, and the red tape on the goal posts showing where the water level was.
If I was to sit in my seat one month ago with Suncorp inundated by the murky muddy water I would be waste deep in the water. It's a sobering thought of how far the ground has come in a short time. The curator should be applauded (although he was still not happy with the surface on Saturday). Disregarding EPL allegiances I still though the playing of "you'll never walk alone" was a great touch (PS I will not tell you who my EPL team is), it was apt, and heart warming, and filled with images of Queenslanders doing it tough during the floods.
If anything can galvanise a community and bring it closer together it's a tragedy. I have to say that the atmosphere at Suncorp that night is the best I have seen it since the Sydney semi-final with Reinaldo's famous goal. The place was buzzing, the Den was packed and it was Trophy Day. The day Brisbane received its first piece of silver wear in the history of the league (Despite the Roar women's team having won the W League title twice).
The game itself was befitting of such an occasion. If I had a checklist of what I wanted Brisbane to accomplish this year (in my perfect Orange coloured world) on that list would be to beat Gold Coast United, and with the final game of the regular season we ticked that box and it was a relief.
We have finished top, we have a spot in the ACL, we have a record unbeaten streak and we have beaten GCU and we did it the best way possible with class, with style and cleanly. I couldn't be prouder of my team. The icing on the cake would be a win at a home final.
After the final whistle a good 10 to 15,000 people still remained to watch Roar receive the big shiny Premiers Plate, and clapped as it was paraded around the ground. A night six years in the making but will be remember for a long time.
