Picture this.
Your side has just played out of their skin to cause an almighty upset, with a goal after the siren, sealing the deal.
You hug your mates, let out a raucous cheer, spill a bit of beer and prepare to unleash the most tone-deaf rendition of your club's song, as your players mob their match-winner.
As the opening notes ring out around your home ground, are you happy with the tune you're about to sing? Is it catchy, free of cringe and classic?
Some clubs boast anthems that hit the mark. Others don't. Here's my ranking, from ear sore to elite.
11Brisbane
Similarly, the Lions tune holds bitter memories of childhood and adolescent bullying for me, but I will admit, the French were truly in their bag when putting together this melody, likely knowing a football club playing a suburban sport in another hemisphere was going to steal it for their own personal gain.
Growing up in the River City in the shadow cast by successive Grand Final losses for my beloved Magpies at the hands of the Lions meant this song was weaponised as an instrument of torment against me for a long time.
2023 is little consolation, given the Lions are in the middle of yet another dynasty, and I'm still outnumbered in my group chat.
I can vividly remember Bernie 'Gabba' Vegas strutting his stuff to this track at the conclusion of the first Collingwood game I'd seen in the flesh. Jonathan Brown yanked on Heritier Lumumba's dreads in a fiery encounter. Fun times.
