BY DAN

As the sun sets on another year here at Sportress HQ, and we can’t help but be grateful for the opportunity to let it shine on our backs. 2025 has taught us in too many ways that we need to be thankful for the brief moments it does, because the rays can disappear too quickly behind clouds, leaving us grasping at happiness lost like an English cricketer hoping that the ball will somehow fall back into their hands.

Each year the Christmas spirit brings with it mixed feelings. Watching my young boys embrace the objectively pointless Christmas traditions that bring meaning to existence has been wonderful. There might be nothing better on this good earth than their enthusiasm for the magic of the season. Nothing heals like the way a four-year-old cackles at the child-on-adult violence of Home Alone. My own chance for a break, a moment to rest a weary body that fights too many battles with itself and capitalism and never wins. A moment to pause, recoup, and remember who I am and why I do the insane things I do.

But the moments of happiness and quiet reflection can only be juxtaposed by the fact that people are doing it tough. So much more tough than me. In the every day, and in the real ramifications of Bondi Beach. I can only wish the people affected the solace that our nation weeps with them. That we do not accept that this is inevitable, and that we do everything we can to make sure it never happens again. Hate, whatever its form, has no place here. Every Australian is of value, and if we fail to look after one group we are failing all. Helping takes a million small moments. I just hope we can bundle up enough to make people realise that when we look after everyone we are so much stronger.

Given the state of the world it almost feels trite to talk about the Raiders, but there’s meaning in the mundane. Our team is the thing that binds this community. It gives our lives shape, a language to talk to people we’ve never met. I have made so many friends because of the public therapy I go through in these pages, and I am so grateful for every one of you. This year I got to meet many I feel like I’ve known for the best part of a decade. I hope to meet more.

This year has been a weird year for the blog. The death of Facebook, and social media more generally has made connecting with people harder, driving our ‘clicks’ down (slightly) and our email subscriptions way, way up. I like the email format, but I can’t correct my mistakes before I send things out. Well, I guess if the typos were going to matter y’all would have left by now. But it does mean that I have to be better at replying to emails, to comments when they come through. Because I do value your thoughts, just sometimes I read them at 10.30 at night, and all the promises of the morning vanish when a small child is demanding toast from you like a drill sergeant.

Our Sportress community is small, driven by yourselves, and graciously enhanced by Rob and Viv. I’m extremely lucky to have them in my life. Rob doesn’t get a choice. I’ve known him so long I don’t remember not knowing him, and even if he tried to run away I’d still turn up at his metaphorical door, as I’ve done for forty plus years. Viv is so kind and patient with me, and we’re so proud to space for her and Rob’s coverage of the NRLW team. They (both Viv and Rob, and the Milk) are going to be even better in 2026. Get on board now.

Of course, we are part of a bigger community. The Raiders online community is well established, and we’ll always be grateful for Mike, Matt and Lobby over at the Green Machine Podcast for giving us another home to hang out in. One of the cool things about those boys is how they like to pick people up, collect them and find ways to include everyone. That community is a wonderful space to be. As always, many thanks have to go to JB for all the things he does for them, for me, and frankly, for anyone that he can help. If we’re all out here trying to bundle up little things, he’s slinging help like Florence Nightingale.

The gents over at Sydney Milk Syndicate have been a huge resource for us too, and more than once the quotes they highlight in their posts have driven our brains into writing. We’ve again been blessed with the work of Blake, Tim and Matt over at the Raiders Review with Blake and the Pork (and Matt) – still Rob’s favourite podcast. We will always appreciate the O.G.’s over at the Greenhouse. We particularly admire their principled stand to pause their Facebook community in the face of a barrage of outside infiltration. And a special shout out for the club’s digital media team. I have zero idea how any of that works, but I’m always struck at their ability to develop fun and interesting material, presumably without the resources of bigger corporate entities.

I am glad each and every one of these outlets exist. The broader Canberra Raiders community is not large, at least not in comparison to other teams and markets. These entities exist because they need to, because apart from them and Polky over at the Times, no one else cares. We do, and they do, and you do. And when we pile those bits together it makes us matter a little bit more.

And maybe that’s the lesson for this year. From what was an incredible, and incredibly heartbreaking experience, we learned that the good longship we’re all on together is hardy and can go far. It was an exhilarating ride, a worthy step towards one day finding heaven together. Piling the little things is the only way we can ever hope to get where we’re going. And 2025 was another step in the right direction.

So here’s to an experience of a year. We got through it together, just as we will in 2026. I hope your Christmas is filled with the warmth and love the season can bring. Eat the food. Drink the drink. Sleep well. But more importantly hug the people that need it, love the people who make the days worthwhile, and make sure they know it, because these days we get together are limited and precious. Maybe this time next year we’ll be dancing in the rain together, having finally found utopia.

Maybe we won’t, and in the meantime we’ll just have to keep lifting each other up. Little by little. Bit by bit.

Up the Milk and Merry Christmas.

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