At half-time on Saturday, I got talking with the people sitting behind me. The bloke immediately behind me was a member of the AFL Umpires Academy. (Interestingly, he had no idea what the umpires were doing on Saturday either.) He and the bloke next to him were Carlton supporters.
The breeze picked up a bit at half-time, and Mum said to me "Why don't you put on your beanie?"
I said "I haven't worn that beanie all year."
The blokes behind me said "DON'T PUT IT ON! DON'T PUT IT ON!" It would appear I'm not the only person with a superstition.
Turns out the Trainee Umpire always takes the same lunch to the footy. At Optus Oval he sits near the corporate boxes in the Elliot Stand. The corporate types sit near him, and then at various stages during the day go in and stuff themselves with food. He said to one lady "Could you bring us back some food?" as a joke, and she bloody well did! Scones and all! Of course Carlton lost that match, because he deviated from the superstition.
He has learned from his mistake.