Up There Cazaly singer Mike Brady almost missed AFL grand final

Legendary singer-songwriter Mike Brady has spoken about nearly missing the performance of his football ballad Up There Cazaly at this year's AFL grand final. The 78-year-old suffered a severe fall in January while taking a routine evening walk near his Great Ocean Road home. Brady expressed his desire to perform the unofficial football anthem at the next two grand finals, marking its 50th anniversary and his 80th birthday.

He is well-known for his association with the AFL grand final. While the performers and rules change over time, Brady's performance of Up There Cazaly has been a consistent feature of the big day for decades. The grand final he performed at in September was no exception, but the situation was not always guaranteed. In January, the 78-year-old suffered a fall during a routine evening walk near his Great Ocean Road home.

He described the incident, twisting his ankle back into place and dragging himself to a nearby fire station with a trail of blood and mud. It was later discovered that he had fractured his leg, ankle, and foot in 12 places. His doctor warned him not to push himself, and it seemed unlikely he would be able to walk again. Despite the odds, Brady vowed to perform at the grand final.

As an outdoors person who enjoys being active, he admitted doubts about making it through his nine-month recovery journey. He spent five months in the hospital and later recovered using crutches and a walking stick. However, Brady defied all expectations by walking out on stage at the grand final on September 26, with the crowd giving him the strength not only to walk but also to excel.

At the beginning of the song, Brady sang normally, but then realized he could sing it with more power. The 100,000-strong crowd's reaction strengthened him, and he felt vindicated for pushing himself so hard. Brady, an English immigrant who moved to Melbourne at the age of 11, had no experience of a full AFL game before being asked to create a tune for the Victorian Football League.

His song Up There Cazaly became a footy phenomenon, and performing it at the 1979 VFL grand final was the first time he truly felt at home in Australia. Even 48 years later, the emotion remains every time he sings the words "up there cazaly." He often says that the smile on his face while singing is a chuckle at the irony of how the song has been embraced by many Australian people.

While other performers have taken the song to their hearts over the years, Brady wants to continue performing it for the next two years, celebrating its 50th anniversary and his 80th birthday.