When the final siren sounds on the AFL grand final on Saturday afternoon, there will be at least one group of footy fans still left wondering about the result.
The diehard Tigers fans among Melbourne’s Orthodox Jewish community will be strictly observing the Sabbath, which prohibits them from attending the match or watching on TV.
Checking the score via a phone or radio is also forbidden from sundown Friday until Saturday evening.
But that’s not to say they won’t be enjoying the drama of the grand final with the game still in the balance.
David Werdiger, an Orthodox Jew and mad Richmond fan, calls it “lockdown”.
On Saturday afternoon, he will host 15 or so people at his house in Caulfield to shut out the world so they can watch the match without knowing the result when Sabbath is over at 7pm.
Not being allowed to use technology means maintaining a media blackout is relatively straightforward.
Some lockdowns will also have rules that prevent people from leaving and coming back, to avoid an inadvertent leaking of the score.
“Some people are really, really strict about it. They’ll say you have to get into the house by the start of the match and you must stay until the end,” Mr Werdiger said.
“In this situation, you want some additional safeguards to make sure that you can maximise your enjoyment of the match, watching it a few hours after it’s finished.”
Read the article by Tom Cowle in The Age.