Being a Bulldogs supporter is not for the faint-hearted. Year after year, I ride the rollercoaster of hope, frustration, and joy that comes with following my club.
So when we bowed out of the finals last weekend, I felt that familiar sting. As a passionate footy fan, it was devastating to see the season end for my team.
But as the disappointment lingered, I caught myself thinking: Why does this cut so deep? And more importantly: Should it?
In Australia, sport often feels like a religion of its own.
Our weekends revolve around it. Our identities are wrapped up in our teams. Whole communities unite or divide over the colours we wear.
The stadiums are secular cathedrals, the players our ‘saints’, the commentators, preachers.
And yet, as much as I love rugby league, I have to remind myself that it is not my faith. It is not ultimate. It cannot give my life meaning in the way the Catholic faith does.
The danger with sport becoming ‘religion’ is that it takes something good and elevates it beyond its purpose.
Sport is a gift. It builds community, teaches discipline, brings joy. But it was never meant to bear the weight of our souls.
When we let sport carry that weight, we set ourselves up for disappointment, because no team, no player, no premiership can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart.
We were made for more. The catechism reminds us that “the desire for God is written in the human heart” (CCC 27).
That desire can’t be fulfilled by a victory or trophy. It can only be met in Christ, who gives us a hope that doesn’t fade when the season ends.
When my team loses, I sometimes feel like the world is crashing down, until I remember that the true victory has already been won by Christ on the cross.
St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians speaks of running the race to win an imperishable crown.
Athletes strive for trophies that fade, premierships that are forgotten, and careers that end. As fans, we chase the emotional high of winning seasons, but sooner or later, even dynasties fall apart.
In contrast, the crown Christ offers never fades. Our faith is not seasonal or finite; it is eternal.
That doesn’t mean sport is meaningless. Far from it. The highs and lows of footy can actually point us toward deeper truths.
The perseverance of a team fighting back from behind reflects the virtues of hope and fortitude. The sacrifice of players giving their all for their teammates shows the beauty of self-sacrificial love.
Even the pain of a loss can remind us that our hearts are made for something greater — a joy that can’t be taken away by a scoreboard.
So yes, as a Bulldogs supporter, I hurt when the final whistle blew.
But the loss also nudged me back to a reality I need to keep before me: my life is not defined by a team’s results. My faith anchors me in something far deeper, far surer.
The footy season comes and goes. Premierships are won and lost. But Christ remains, and in him we find the victory that will never be taken away.
