The Canadian belted out “Can’t stop this thing we started” as the third and final song of his set as part of the AFL grand final pre-game entertainment.

Not only was it is a popular choice to sing-along to, it was also a fitting title when it comes to football and its place in Australian life.

Even for those who do not follow the game closely, it is impossible to not see the correlation between our country and our sport.

Of all the unique things we have created as Australians, few can match the impact the game of football has had. Like our population, made up of people from all over the globe, our national game mirrors this integration and inclusion in many ways.

The game itself was constructed by throwing together a mix of sports, the settlers took bits and pieces of Gaelic football, rugby and soccer from their mother lands and mixed them with the indigenous game of Marngrook to come up with an exciting hybrid that is Aussie rules.

Now, more than 150 years since the game was first played, it has grown into a national phenomenon, an obsession for many of those who play and watch it.

As Adams said, we can’t stop this thing we started, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

On Saturday, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to attend my very first AFL grand final. I grew up as part of a football family, my father Pat was a legend of the Tower Hill Football Club. He played over 300 games, was club president and did all those jobs that keep a club going. Our Saturdays were spent down at the old ground near the Killarney beach, watching blokes like Brendan Moloney and Mick Quigley giving their all for ‘The Hill’ in what was grassroots footy at its best.

My other great football memory growing up was following Carlton. Dad was a passionate Blues supporter, I followed in his footsteps, and what a time it was to be part of the Carlton faithful.

I can remember the Blues winning the 1979, ‘81, ‘82, ‘87, ‘95 premierships. We watched on and celebrated from our lounge room, looking at the magic of the grand final, dreaming of what it would be like to be there on the biggest day of the season.

As my own modest football career came to an end and family and work became my main focus, I became a casual football follower. I still enjoy the game but I don’t love it like I was once did.

But when the opportunity came to go along to this season’s grand final, it was a chance I was not going to miss.

All those years growing up, wondering what it would be like, I was now going to find out. I headed off to Melbourne on Friday with a great mate of mine, Jason Noonan. 

Jase had grown up a Richmond fan with Jimmy Jess’ number on his back. But when the West Coast Eagles came along in 1987 he jumped on board the new kids on the block.

He copped a ribbing from all for jumping ship but looking back it wasn’t about him chasing success with the shiny new model, it was that Australian pioneer spirit, backing something new and exciting and being part of it.

One of our aims was to get on TV, something neither of us had managed, and we were able to do so on Friday evening, doing it in style. We went to the outside broadcast of the Fox Footy AFL360 show at the MCG. Mike Brady was there, sitting in the batmobile, made famous on grand final day many years ago by Angry Anderson. This time it was Brady sitting in it singing “One day in September” with the crowd encouraged to get around him, which we excitedly did, getting close enough to achieve our goal of being stars of the screen.

On Saturday we headed off early, stopping off at Federation Square along the way to camera bomb the Sunrise broadcast and then off to the ‘G.

It was early but already the crowd was buzzing, a party atmosphere around the great stadium, as people from all walks of life mingled happily, thrilled to be part of something special.

Grand final day has always been about more than just the footy and one of the great traditions has been the pre-game entertainment. The two things people debate most in the hours after the final siren is the winner of the Norm Smith Medal and the pre-game entertainment. For some reason the one that sticks in my mind is from early in my childhood, Barry Crocker singing “The Impossible Dream”. 

The 2015 version had something for everyone, Chris Isaak started the ball rolling with a solid performance, Ellie Goulding was next with her tune “Burn” setting the place alight. Adams then hit the stage, the highlight of his stay was the belting out of “Summer of 69”. But the big moment came from an old faithful with Mike Brady and his evergreen “Up there Cazaly”. Brady performed not on the main stage but out on the fence line, the perfect spot as he was as one with the masses. If there is a song in this state, perhaps even this country, that can get everyone joining as one to sing along with more than this famous tune then I haven’t heard it.

With all the pre-game done and dusted it was time for the players to shine. The one thing I have always heard about the grand final is the roar of the crowd when the teams come onto the arena. As I looked around the stadium I couldn’t see one empty seat, I was prepared for the roar. But when it happened it threw me back in my seat, it was like no noise I had heard before, it was pure joy and exhilaration from 98,633 voices all at once, it was the highlight of an incredible day.

The game itself was over as a contest early, the ruthless Hawthorn team too good for a West Coast Eagles line-up that just had one of those days. It may not have been a close game but the skills of the players meant you couldn’t look away for too long, if you did you missed a special Cyril Rioli or Luke Hodge or Sam Mitchell or Jordan Lewis moment. This was perhaps the greatest team of all on the biggest stage in the country doing what it does best. It was the perfect performance on a day that is about so much more than just football.