At exactly what moment the transformation into my father occurred is difficult to pinpoint.

Perhaps the premature grey hair was the start of it 30 years ago. But the metamorphosis is absolutely complete and has been for some years.

Older relatives for years have spoken of the physical likeness, but it extends beyond that now.

The world was a better place a couple of decades ago; it was simpler, it was more fun, life was free and easy. Without a mobile phone you could go and have a beer … and a conversation … without scrolling through various aps.

A day at the footy was similar. Watch the game, support your team, offer words of encouragement for those wearing the colours of your tribe and impart vast wisdom to those misguided opposition fans who somehow lost their way and find themselves supporting an inferior outfit.

The banter was part of the attraction; albeit infinitely more fun when winning.

With a group of mates, the ritual of the post mortem was also ingrained. Dissect the game within an inch of its life, move on.

Those things probably still happen in small groups in suburbia, but in most cases the circle is wider. Much wider.

It’s called social media. Fascinating terminology that, ‘social media.’ It seems to be more anti-social than anything.

It would be interesting to sit down and chat with Mark Zuckerberg, founder and the remarkable mind behind Facebook, as to whether the platform he created has followed his vision of connecting people.

It has been a useful tool for staying in touch with family and for hooking up with childhood friends in specific groups. 

As a kid the anticipation and thrill of receiving a personal letter, delivered by a 'postie' on a red pushbike, was something really special. Unfortunately, that has gone the way of the Tasmanian Tiger. Every communication is electronic.

Just about everyone over the age of 10 has a mobile device these days. But the irony is making calls on it is not its primary function. It’s more like a nimble computer than a telecommunications tool in the traditional sense.

People use it as a short message service (sms) or to post photos of anything from their evening meal to their local sunset.

They also use it to post their opinions on anything happening on the planet and in my world their views on the AFL. Sometimes those insights are constructive and thought provoking, some are creative and clever. But many are vitriolic and personal. Often racist.

Sometimes people hit the keyboard without giving it a lot of thought and those musings are shared with massive audiences.

The things that once were discussed in a group of five or six people sitting on bar stools can now be viewed by many thousands.

And it seems to be competitive. The next person to post must be more outraged than the last. Vindication comes from shares and likes. It’s almost like everyone is channelling their inner Donald Trump.

This phenomonen is not isolated to views around their favourite football team. It covers every aspect of life; the pros and cons of COVID vaccinations, State lockdowns, myriad conspiracy theories. Nothing is off limits.

While these ‘social’ platforms have their pitfalls, from a club perspective they are a valuable asset. They do serve their original purpose of connecting and communicating with like-minded people.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like provide the opportunity to share content with the mass Eagles audience. It has been a revolution.