Overseas Dees - How are you watching the finals?

[loges 6,767]

I have one of the most highly rated VPNs, Express VPN, supposed to get through Geo blocking, so arrived in Phuket last night and logged in to Kayo this morning. Did the job okay, you have to pay for it but like I said usually works 

[bush demon 2,062]

Will be watching in Ho Chi Minh, my GF access? (if we get there) Haven't decided who gets it yet.

[Diamond_Jim 12,627]

11 minutes ago, loges said:

I have one of the most highly rated VPNs, Express VPN, supposed to get through Geo blocking, so arrived in Phuket last night and logged in to Kayo this morning. Did the job okay, you have to pay for it but like I said usually works 

Amazed that it works. These days places like Kayo subscribe to a third party service that tracks VPN's. 

Most people report losing Kayo this year.

Even ABC IView now has a VPN tracker.

Suspect that content providers demand it as places like kayo are happy to sell a subscription to anyone

[nedleg 177]

13 hours ago, waverleyheartbreak said:

Would love that but will have to wait for the PF or Granny, tested positive for Corona today, ugh!

You might test out by next Friday...

[Longsufferingnomore 1,637]

14 hours ago, waverleyheartbreak said:

Hi again, corona positive today, ! So i am locked in the loungeroom! Bugger  

You will be let out by next Friday. All will be well.

Edited August 25, 2022 by Longsufferingnomore

[Longsufferingnomore 1,637]

For the last game, my son was in Florence with his girlfriend. Said girlfriend decided she needed to go shopping. No problems. Every minute or so I would get a text - Kozzie, Bayley, Trac, Kozzie. He said he was getting plenty of strange looks outside the leather market and he has never been so pleased that the girlfriend took so long. Is currently in Berlin but organised that he would be home for first PF.  All my hard work has come to fruition. He is as mad a MFC supporter as I am.

[waverleyheartbreak 86]

1 hour ago, nedleg said:

You might test out by next Friday...

counting on it

[binman 43,747]

1 hour ago, Longsufferingnomore said:

For the last game, my son was in Florence with his girlfriend. Said girlfriend decided she needed to go shopping. No problems. Every minute or so I would get a text - Kozzie, Bayley, Trac, Kozzie. He said he was getting plenty of strange looks outside the leather market and he has never been so pleased that the girlfriend took so long. Is currently in Berlin but organised that he would be home for first PF.  All my hard work has come to fruition. He is as mad a MFC supporter as I am.

All roads lead to Berlin. 

My second favourite city behind Melbourne.

[bing181 9,328]

In Paris, it's traditionally only been the GF at Belushi's, near Gare du Nord. But one of the local Australian Football teams, the Antony Blues, have set up shop just south of Paris in Antony and have a tie up with a bar/cafe there called ... wait for it ... Le Café des Sports. That seems to have been the main viewing point last year. No news yet if they're repeating it this year.

I went to Belushi's a couple of times in years past, but found it a fairly soulless experience, so prefer to do it my way with WatchAFL.

Edited August 25, 2022 by bing181

[nedleg 177]

7 hours ago, binman said:

All roads lead to Berlin. 

My second favourite city behind Melbourne.

Funny, a few years back on his post-season trip Angus Brayshaw posted a pic of himself by the Berlin wall a few minutes from my place. I wasn't actually in town that week but have often wondered how it might have played out had I run into him. Reckon I could have shown him a fun time, especially in retrospect having gotten to "know him" him a bit through Gus n Gawny... At least could have set him up with some vegemite.

I agree @bing181, the only time I went to Belushi's was the year I moved here, for the Saints/Pies GF rematch. There's something uniquely soul destroying about 5am in a dank, underground, expat sportsbar (not that being surrounded by travelling Collingwood fans had anything to do with it...)  I had no idea they had multiple European outposts. I also much prefer to keep it quiet. Managed to coax a good pal (WC but pre-AFL Dees fan) with some others out to middle of nowhere Sicily last year for moral support. It only occurred to me afterwards how dire the last weekend of the holiday could have become... must've been confident.

[speed demon 818]

Thx for starting this thread @deanox, nice to hear of other's experiences. I'll be in Dublin for the QF. Deciding between finding somewhere to watch the game and investing in WatchAFL depending on what my internet speed is like. 

[deanox 9,989]

40 minutes ago, speed demon said:

Thx for starting this thread @deanox, nice to hear of other's experiences. I'll be in Dublin for the QF. Deciding between finding somewhere to watch the game and investing in WatchAFL depending on what my internet speed is like. 

While it is exciting to hear about everyone's adventures and how widely supported the MFC is, honestly there was a pretty selfish reason as to why I started the thread: my current existential crisis about not being there after missing out last year and having attended almost every game since about 1998!

But if this thread can help arrange even one local meet up, it will have been worthwhile. Supporting the dees over the last 50 years hasn't been easy and sometimes I think we need more emotional support during the good times than we do during the bad times.

[deanox 9,989]

10 hours ago, binman said:

All roads lead to Berlin. 

My second favourite city behind Melbourne.

I like Berlin but have always had a soft spot for Copenhagen. However based on my current travels Tallin has quickly earned a place right at the top. If you haven't been to Estonia (or Latvia) please do. Amazing place, great people, top shelf beer.

[speed demon 818]

19 minutes ago, deanox said:

I like Berlin but have always had a soft spot for Copenhagen. However based on my current travels Tallin has quickly earned a place right at the top. If you haven't been to Estonia (or Latvia) please do. Amazing place, great people, top shelf beer.

I'm in Copenhagen currently. Great place to visit or live. Punching well above their weight in many industries while maintaining a great work life balance. Agree about the Baltic states; thoroughly underrated. 

[speed demon 818]

27 minutes ago, deanox said:

While it is exciting to hear about everyone's adventures and how widely supported the MFC is, honestly there was a pretty selfish reason as to why I started the thread: my current existential crisis about not being there after missing out last year and having attended almost every game since about 1998!

I know what you mean. The way I look at it is that this is one of those good problems to have and Demonland has made not being there in person easier to bear.

[loges 6,767]

14 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Amazed that it works. These days places like Kayo subscribe to a third party service that tracks VPN's. 

Most people report losing Kayo this year.

Even ABC IView now has a VPN tracker.

Suspect that content providers demand it as places like kayo are happy to sell a subscription to anyone

All I know it is supposed to have features that others don't no IP leakage, its always sending through updates just hope it keeps working till I get back to Australia

[nedleg 177]

12 hours ago, deanox said:

While it is exciting to hear about everyone's adventures and how widely supported the MFC is, honestly there was a pretty selfish reason as to why I started the thread: my current existential crisis about not being there after missing out last year and having attended almost every game since about 1998!

But if this thread can help arrange even one local meet up, it will have been worthwhile. Supporting the dees over the last 50 years hasn't been easy and sometimes I think we need more emotional support during the good times than we do during the bad times.

I gotta be honest and say from a purely selfish perspective though it must have been awful to be stuck in Melbourne for the GF last year, it probably helped a lot of the o/s fans that their mates back home were writing things like "don't worry, we can't go either!"

[Fanatique Demon 2,653]

I used to tell you I’d be watching from France, but after a four month trip taking in Spain, Italy, Singapore, Malaysia and Bali, I’m actually in Australia! Phillip Island to be exact. Unfortunately I don’t have a ticket to the game so I’ll watch on TV. Enjoy, everyone. Go Demons!

[Clayton van Oliver 1,823]

13 hours ago, deanox said:

I like Berlin but have always had a soft spot for Copenhagen. However based on my current travels Tallin has quickly earned a place right at the top. If you haven't been to Estonia (or Latvia) please do. Amazing place, great people, top shelf beer.

As an Estonian passport holder this makes me very happy. Get to Tartu if you can!

[Fritta and Turner 4,522]

1 hour ago, Fanatique Demon said:

I used to tell you I’d be watching from France, but after a four month trip taking in Spain, Italy, Singapore, Malaysia and Bali, I’m actually in Australia! Phillip Island to be exact. Unfortunately I don’t have a ticket to the game so I’ll watch on TV. Enjoy, everyone. Go Demons!

What have you done to deserve this?  Bali vs The island.

Are you freezing your baguettes off?

[Fanatique Demon 2,653]

1 minute ago, Jontee said:

What have you done to deserve this?

Can’t be sure, but my wife will think of something.

[deanox 9,989]

27 minutes ago, AmDamDemon said:

As an Estonian passport holder this makes me very happy. Get to Tartu if you can!

Unfortunately I didn't get to Tartu, but after a few days in Tallinn we did get down the coast to Haapsulu, Kuressaare (on Saaremaa, with visits to Muhu) and Parnu!

I would definitely recommend a visit to Estonia to be on anyone's European adventure list!

[Antioch 232]

Be careful when you sign up to the watch AFL app for one month because they keep on rolling it over until you cancel it and they don’t notify you until after they’ve rolled it over and charged you again for another month’s subscription.

[Clayton van Oliver 1,823]

32 minutes ago, deanox said:

Unfortunately I didn't get to Tartu, but after a few days in Tallinn we did get down the coast to Haapsulu, Kuressaare (on Saaremaa, with visits to Muhu) and Parnu!

I would definitely recommend a visit to Estonia to be on anyone's European adventure list!

Beautiful. Estonia in late summer with the sun doing what it does and the harvest imminent, bliss. Sounds like a great trip

[Big Col 1,347]

I'm loving this thread  - even though I'm safely within Melbourne suburbs with my tickets booked for next week and hopefully more if needed!

In 2000, I was teaching English language in a school in Valencia, Venezuela. I managed to reserve a 'spot' at an internet cafe (in the middle of a busy bar/nightclub area) to listen to the game late at night Valencia time.  When I left the cafe I was swearing and kicking things over after our loss to the Bombers but failed to notice that I was alone in a what is normally a busy street.
Unbeknownst to me,  there had been a shooting close by and the police had 'cleared' the area. 

I still wonder to this day what those people nearby thought as I cried and screamed out in anger (f..king Bombers etc) as I walked along this street. Did they think I knew (one of) the victim(s)?

It's a lot easier today to watch the game than it was back then,  but I'm feeling for you and sending out all my ex-pat tourist luv stuff. 

Go Dees.