By Leigh O’Connor.
As we prepare for the start of the 2023 AFL season on Thursday night, this year’s competition will look slightly different, with 18 teams to play the home and away season over 24 weeks culminating in the Grand Final in September.
In a return to tradition, long-time rivals Richmond and Carlton will open the season, followed by former Premiers Geelong hosting Collingwood in a Friday night blockbuster and seven more games spread over the weekend.
Once again this year, teams will travel interstate to host home games in Tasmania and the NT – the Gold Coast Suns will play two games in Darwin, while North Melbourne and Hawthorn both front up in Tassie for four matches apiece.
All that footy is bound to make you hungry…do we have the game recipes for you? In keeping with the teams’ nicknames, we’ve come up with the ultimate footy food to appease hunger pangs and support your team:
A sell-out long before kick-off, Thursday’s match-up between the Tigers and the Blues had opened every season between 2015 and 2021 until a Grand Final rematch between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs took centre stage last year.
You may not be able to eat a tiger for this clash, but you can sure dish up a serve of blue with Curtis Stone’s sliders with red onion marmalade and blue cheese – take a beef burger and make it special with this recipe, topped with spicy arugula and sharp blue cheese.
The red onion marmalade is likely to become a staple in your household; put it on sausages, pork chops, steak…you name it, this jammy condiment belongs on anything – maybe even a tiger!
It’s the turn of the Cats and the Pies on Friday night as Collingwood and Geelong take to the hallowed turf of the MCG to do battle. Pies are the ultimate footy fodder, but we bet you’ve never tried this one Aunty Dale Chapman’s Coat of Arms pie with bunya nuts.
"Emu and kangaroo are on the coat of arms of Australia because both animals can only move forward, which represents a progressive country. Incidentally, Australians also like to dine on their emblems,” Aunty Dale explains.
This is one pie that is sure to have Eddie McGuire licking his lips!
North Melbourne hosts West Coast at Marvel Stadium on Saturday, March 18, to start the weekend’s seven-match fiesta and what better to feed the crew than these kangaroo ragu jaffles.
This recipe combines kangaroo tails with tomato and garlic ragu and béchamel sauce, for an unusual take on the humble toasted sandwich – watch out an eagle doesn’t swoop in and steal your dinner when you head to the fridge for a bevvy.
Whatever you feed them, come footy time…it’s game on!
