On Friday night at the SCG, Tania and Jamie Serong and their family will gather in the Fremantle rooms for a presentation in recognition of their son Caleb’s 150th game for the Dockers.
asserted
Serong → gather → Dockers
They’ll then head in separate directions.
asserted
They → head → directions
While Tania takes her seat in the stands among the Fremantle friends and families’ section, her husband will make his way onto the hallowed turf of the SCG to be part of a guard of honour for Sydney’s players as they run onto the field.
asserted
they → take → field
If you think Matthew Pavlich, the Fremantle great turned Sydney chief executive, was conflicted, spare a thought for the Serongs, whose sons Caleb and Jai go head-to-head for a grand final berth.
asserted
sons → think → berth
Unlike just about everyone else in the sold-out crowd on Friday night, the Serongs can’t lose, no matter what the result is.
asserted
result → sell → night
But they can’t win either.
asserted
they → win → ?
“I’m really torn,” Jamie told this masthead this week.
asserted
Jamie → ’m → ?
“No matter how you look at it, you’ll have one extremely happy young boy, and one devastated young boy.
asserted
you → look → boy
It’s going to be a challenge on that front.”
asserted
It → go → front
The Hill brothers, Brad and Stephen for Hawthorn and Fremantle respectively – squared off in the 2013 grand final.
asserted
brothers → square → final
Brothers Reid (Sam and Ben) and Shaw (Rhyce and Shaw) met in the preliminary final the year earlier, as did the Selwoods (Joel for Geelong, and Scott and the late Adam for West Coast) in 2011.
asserted
Selwoods → meet → 2011
This will be the third time Caleb and Jai will play against each other at AFL level, but never have the stakes been so high.
asserted
stakes → play → level
Almost 20 of them will be there, including the boys’ grandfather and aunt from Mum’s side, Caleb’s wife Chloe and her parents, and Jai’s girlfriend and her sister.
asserted
20 → include → side
The brothers have dismissed the occasion as just another game, and they’ll treat each other as just another opponent, but it’s not as straightforward for their parents.
asserted
it → dismiss → parents
For Tania, there has been an underlying nervousness since it became apparent a fortnight ago the two clubs could meet in a preliminary final.
“It’s a wonderful problem to have, but it’s still intense,” Tania said.
uncertain
Tania → underlie → final
When their boys play, the Serongs have a foot in each camp.
asserted
Serongs → play → camp
Mum will sit with one club, Dad the other.
asserted
Dad → sit → club
When Fremantle hosted Sydney in July, Jamie watched the game with the Dockers families as he had not seen them for a while, and Tania was with the Swans.
asserted
Tania → host → Swans
They decided then they would swap for the next match-up.
asserted
they → decide → up
While most mothers sit on the fence, Tania’s allegiances are firmly with the Dockers.
asserted
allegiances → sit → Dockers
No, she does not have a favourite son, but as neutrality is difficult for her, she has decided she would be all-in behind the team she is sitting with.
asserted
she → have → team
The next day, she’ll swap colours and watch the replay from the point of view of the other team, to appreciate the other perspective.
asserted
she → swap → perspective
“I’ve tried to watch games as a neutral – you don’t watch anything, you’re off in fairy land, [and] you can’t ground into the game,” Tania said.
asserted
Tania → try → game
“It’s really important to watch the game on one side or the other.
asserted
It → ’ → side
“You can’t actually barrack for two teams at once.
asserted
You → barrack → teams
This week, I’m purple.”
asserted
I → ’m → ?
The exception will be if Jai is lining up for the winning goal after the siren.
asserted
Jai → line → siren
“I would be with the one kicking – that’s a special moment,” Tania said.
asserted
Tania → ’ → one
“If you have the opportunity, take it.”
asserted
you → have → it
Tania, though, won’t be wearing the Fremantle colours, nor will the couple be putting on split scarves.
asserted
couple → wear → scarves
That drew too many weird looks, she said.
asserted
she → draw → looks
Instead, she will wear a badge for both sons, one on each side, as her show of support.
asserted
she → wear → support
Usually, when only one son is playing, Tania takes her eye off the ball to keep watch on him.
asserted
Tania → play → him
When the two clubs last met – and she was sitting with the Swans – she did not know where Caleb was until he had the ball.
asserted
he → meet → ball
“A couple of times I checked what his stats were like to keep an eye on how he was going,” Tania said.
asserted
Tania → check → eye
‘You can’t actually barrack for two teams at once.
asserted
You → barrack → teams
This week, I’m purple.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
Jamie has a different approach.
asserted
Jamie → have → approach
Earlier this year, he found himself applauding Fremantle more, only because they scored more in a come-from-behind victory.
asserted
they → find → victory
“I do have a real weird feeling, it’s not how much I support but how much I don’t get angry,” Jamie said.
asserted
Jamie → have → feeling
…and 53 more, not listed.
The Aporia
