Some days it’s purely about the game - it’s about possessions and the contest and coming away with the points.
But other days, it’s about something bigger… something that reminds us that these players are more than just footballers.
Saturday was one of those days for Adelaide forward Lachlan Murphy, as he stepped out onto the Gabba.
Earlier in the week, Lachie's grandfather passed away in the young Crow's hometown of Melbourne.
As other players boarded the flight to Brisbane for the Lions clash, Lachie was granted a detour via the Victorian capital to be with his family.
You can imagine just how much it meant for the 20-year-old to find out his side would wear black armbands in his grandfather’s honour.
“Having Pykey come up before the game and say we’ll all wear black armbands meant a lot to me,” he said.
“It was a tough week leading up but the support Pykey gave me and the Club gave me was amazing.
“They gave me a choice of how to deal with it, to make sure I was feeling okay.”
As he slotted a goal late in the second quarter, it was clear how much it meant to Lachie.
“To be able to kick a goal for him [his grandfather] was pretty special - it was quite an emotional goal for me,” he said.
“The support from the players has been extraordinary - all the messages and having them coming up and giving me a hug.
“At the end of the day, we’re all human and have families and we go through stuff too so we’re all mates and their support allowed me to get out there and play.”
Crows ultimately went down by one point against Brisbane in a game Lachie described as an “arm-wrestle”.
“We were just a little off in a lot of areas and Brisbane capitalised on that,” he said.
“There were a lot of niggles and chatter between players so it was definitely a feisty game.
“Being out there, it can be hard to understand who’s playing really well and where the game’s at.”
As he worked his way through the chaos, Murphy said the strength of his leaders was paramount.
“Being a young player, it can be a bit daunting at times when there’s 36 players yelling and screaming and pointing but that’s why we have such good leaders at this Club.”
