You love to hate a certain opposing team or player. You love to rib the supporters of losing teams on Monday mornings. You love to argue the pros and cons of certain umpiring decisions.

While football can cause the great divide, Australia’s own game – AFL – also has the uncanny ability to unite.

Whether you live in a metropolitan area, in a large regional centre or in rural and remote areas, football and netball during the cooler months are often the cement that binds a community together.

Particularly evident in smaller country towns, the local football/netball clubs are often the lifeblood of those communities.

Whether you play for the football/netball teams, are a parent watching the games, club officials and coaches, umpires, those who work in the canteen feeding the crowds or those cheering from the boundary lines, there’s a lot to be said about how AFL football and netball can bring a community together.

Many of these men and women often started off their sporting careers as wide-eyed youngsters taking to the ground/court. They have gradually worked their way through the age groups, forging lasting bonds with their teammates, to reach the upper echelon in the club.

And the camaraderie doesn’t stop when the final siren sounds.

While players in opposing teams for these country leagues are “enemies” on the ground/court, most are mates and friends off the field.

Because these communities are so tight-knit, many of these players find themselves facing off against brothers/sisters/cousins/workmates. For those in country leagues, the “game” continues back at the local watering hole or backyard barbecue, where friendly banter about that day’s match could go on for many hours.

And even outside game-day, these football/netball clubs continue to breath life in their communities, whether it be a barbecue or cake stall to raise funds for the respective clubs, or the annual end-of-year best-and-fairest medal count. Football/netball really has the ability to unify.

So, whether your teams are in the Central Highlands league, which kicked off at the weekend, or any other football/netball league in the region, good luck for the 2017 season.