Sophie’s big day

Sophie Deane at Marvel Stadium.

Big weekend.

Down Syndrome Victoria runs an incredible program with the AFL Umpires Association.

The program -- the Fiona McBurney Match Day Experience -- gives adults with Down syndrome the opportunity to spend a match day working with the AFL umpires.

Sophie, in case you weren't aware, is an AFL super fan. She goes to the footy most weeks, watches most games, reads all the news she can find about the footy, and is an AFL member and Carlton supporter (no one's perfect).

All of which is a long way of saying that Soph was rapt to be selected to be a participant in the Fiona McBurney experience. She attended training with the AFL umpires in February, practiced running backwards, was kitted out with umpires gear, and literally counted down the days to her match.

That match was Saturday at Marvel Stadium -- the Blues versus the Giants. For Sophie, the experience of being part of the big game was amazing.

She watched the Welcome to Country on the boundary, ran laps and did the warm up drills with the umpires, helped with the coin toss, sat in the player's enclosure during the game, met multiple players (including her favourite, Patrick Cripps), was presented with a certificate by the umpires after the game, and gave a long impromptu speech in reply. Sophie even buttonholed former AFL player Tom Hawkins for a chat and a picture after the game.

It was such an incredible day for Sophie that it didn't seem to matter that the Blues lost. As for me, I couldn't stop smiling. Words cannot describe what the day meant to my family.

I want to thank everyone who made the day possible -- especially the amazing umpires. Sophie is now you're biggest fan.

Here she is waving to the crowd.