Our new life in the suburbs was looking bleak – then came the Saturday morning that changed everything

‘We began noticing other ovals around the suburbs packed with people. There were Australian rules footy games, soccer games, children running around, parents standing along the boundary and, almost inevitably, sizzling barbecues doing their part to feed the crowds.’ Photograph: Scott Barbour/AFL Media/Getty Images

When my family moved into our first suburban house in Melbourne’s south-east, the biggest attraction, at least for me, was the public school directly across the road. With younger kids to think about, it seemed like a sensible choice.

Beyond that, though, our new neighbourhood appeared to have very little going on.