Oh dear.
Suspended AFL player Stewart Crameri and his soon-to-be bride Jess clearly weren’t expecting his team, the Western Bulldogs, to make the grand final this year.
Scheduling their wedding on Friday evening – the night before the year’s biggest game – the pair were seemingly confident the doggies, who finished seventh after the home and away season, would be knocked out in the first few weeks of finals.
Stewart and Jess were terribly mistaken.
Having beaten the GWS Giants on the weekend, the Bulldogs are the first AFL team in the league’s 120-year history to make it to the grand final from seventh spot.
Which means five of Stewart’s teammates who were invited now face a tough predicament: go to the wedding and risk putting the coach offside, or stay home for a quiet night in and miss out on your mate’s big day?
WATCH: What’s your biggest wedding regret? (Post continues after video.)
The 28-year-old’s calendar mishap has been labeled as “un-Australian” by members of the football world, with popular personalities slamming the mistake as “ridiculous”.
The wife of Stewart’s ex-teammate Adam Cooney, Haylea, spoke to EON Sports Radio on Monday about the wedding disaster.
“Stewy, what were you thinking?” she laughed with the hosts.
“We plan babies around this and I’m not kidding. Inductions and C-sections are literally planned around footy games.
“In their defence, Jess, she’s a beautiful girl, she’s from Ireland. I think they definitely had to work around her family coming over from Ireland. But, yeah, I’m not sure what he was thinking.”
I’m going to back up Stewart here too and point out that he is a bit rusty after serving a year-long ban with 34 other current and former Essendon players for doping offences in 2012.
That said, there is this thing called “a calendar” and a saying that goes “better to be safe than sorry” and what is now basically a commandment that “THOU MUST NOT HAVE A WEDDING ON GRAND FINAL WEEKEND”.
Do you have one big regret from your wedding? Let us know in the comments below…
Top Comments
My grandparents were married on Grand final day, over 50 years ago. Apparently a lot of people were distracted at the reception!
It's also possible they just didn't think the Grand Final would be this weekend, being 1 October. It is traditionally on the last Saturday in September. Though they probably could have checked!
Oh but it's shifted between late September & early October over the last few years though. I don't follow AFL, but I thought pretty much everyone knew that it had shifted?
There are also end of season celebrations, so I'd have allowed a clear 2 to 3 week window after the GF before booking in the wedding. Just common sense. 22 October wedding would have been a smart bet. Plus no chance your bridal party and guests will be out in the foyer watching the GF unfold on the big screen!
I was at a wedding in NZ during the rugby world cup several years ago. The wedding just happened to fall on the night when Australia played NZ in the semi final. The wedding itself was completed, no dramas, but they stopped the reception part way through, wheeled in a big TV and everyone watched the game!
Kept the bar open of course :)
It's only shifted once in the last few years to October and that was something to do with MCG availability early in the season for Cricket or Soccer or something. This year I think it's October because the last weekend in September was so early.
Regardless, the fixture was out late last year and they could have checked!! And yes as you say, ESPECIALLY being part of the football community you would think they'd opt for a later wedding. Myself, my family and my partner and his family are all big followers of the AFL and no way would I schedule a wedding before November or after the middle of March!