"Just stay a kick behind the play like Ken Hinkley," Dad said as I proudly ran out with my Drysdale Hawks Under 11’s teammates to take on Modewarre.

 I took my position at Centre Half Back alongside a kid with fluffy blond hair who could run like the wind and kicked two goals on me in the first five minutes.  

 It wasn’t until half-time that dad mentioned, “You’re playing on Gary Ablett’s son."

 Little did I know he’d later become my favourite player and a two-time Brownlow medallist. 

After the match we all rushed over and got autographs with Gary Senior who was there to watch his Son.  But he couldn’t hang around for long, he had a match to play at Kardinia Park.

As Dad and I drove into the Scouts' carpark at the South Geelong train station, I pulled on my Cats long sleeve jumper (this was before Jimmy Bartel made them cool).

All I ever wanted was a sleeveless one for my birthday, but when I finally got one, Mum made me wear a skivvy under it.

Rugged up in my Cats scarf, beanie and jumper with the No. 5 on my back, we marched into the outer, which is now the Gary Ablett Terrace. 

Having grown too heavy to sit on Dad’s shoulders, we set up my stacked milk crates so I could watch the match alongside Dad’s mates Harry and Tom.

 Gazza kicked a miraculous snap over his shoulder to boot the first goal of the game and we all roared “YAAAAAABBBLEEEEETTTTT!!”

Packed in like sardines, I pulled out my Cats flag to celebrate, almost poking out the Kangaroos’ supporter’s eye behind me as he gave Dad a dirty look.

I loved my flag but I always dreamt of making a Cats banner to take the footy. So one day Mum helped me make one and asked me what I wanted it to say on it.

I chose the phrase "Up the Pussies!" because that’s what Dad’s mate Harry called out whenever we kicked a goal. At the time, I didn’t quite understand why Mum subtly changed it to "GO CATS" instead.

Quarter-time was lunchtime. Dad unwrapped our vegemite and cheese sandwiches and poured the hot soup from our thermos flask as we sat on the ground. Like all of the other kids I entertained myself by filling up empty cans with crushed rocks.

One of my friends from Primary School was Neville Bruns’ son Dale, so we’d always cheer extra hard for the nuggety redhead.

One year, my VicKick team got chosen to play at half-time at Kardinia Park during a Geelong vs West Coast game. It was such a thrill.

Unfortunately I was forced to wear an Eagles jumper with the No. 4 (Peter Sumich) on the back.

I was lucky enough to kick a goal, and the fans in the outer started calling me Sumich! So I yelled back at them saying, "No I’m Ablett!"

But my fondest memories are high-fiving after every Cats goal and belting out "We are Geelong" after a thrilling win at the Cattery. 

Win or lose, we’d always have a kick on the oval after watching the bigger kids sprint out to the centre circle after the second siren.

Sean Sowerby and his father at the 2009 AFL Grand Final

Twenty years on, our family footy tradition is still going strong.

We loved the clever colourful banter between opposing fans in the outer, but with standing room now becoming a thing of the past we’ve moved to seats in the Premiership Stand.

I’ve got so many great childhood memories barracking for the Cats that I’m now looking forward to taking my 13 month-old son to his first footy match. 

He’s already a Kitty Cat member and I want his first experience to be at Kardinia Park/Simonds Stadium just like mine.

Sean Sowerby

Channel 7 News Weekend Sports Presenter/Reporter

Proud Geelong FC Member