Moorabbin to the MCG: The magical journey of Wallaby Harry Potter
But a few months ago, Potter secretly attended another Melbourne rugby ground, albeit a much smaller one with equally enthusiastic fans.
In April, the 27-year-old made a surprise visit to Moorabbin Rugby Club – where he played as a junior after moving to Australia from England when he was 10.
Club president Ian Nathan said Potter dropped by one night to help three of Moorabbin's junior teams with their training.
'It's amazing to have guys of that calibre come down,' Nathan said. 'It gives the kids a chance to see that even though Melbourne is supposedly not a rugby place, we've got guys playing for Scotland, Samoa, Japan and Australia, representing all parts of the world.'
Nathan said Potter spent time with the juniors and offered them advice, saying, 'if you work hard, you can make it anywhere'.
'I think that's great for the kids to hear,' Nathan said. 'You don't have to grow up to be six foot four to be able to play ... that's one of the wonderful things about rugby, because it does cater for all shapes and sizes.'
Nathan remembered Potter showing 'signs of being a really good player' in his early days at Moorabbin. The inevitable wizard puns and magic jokes ramped up once he moved back home. (The first J. K. Rowling book was published in 1997, the year the future Wallaby was born, before burgeoning into a literary juggernaut and movie franchise.)
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George Russell, of Mercedes, who crossed the line first in Spa last year but was disqualified due to his car being underweight, was fifth this time and Williams' Alex Albon came home sixth. With agencies Oscar Piastri has been hailed by title rival Lando Norris after taking a major step towards a first world championship title by defying wet conditions to win a rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix. Heading home McLaren teammate Norris, who had started on pole, means Australian driver Piastri's lead has jumped from nine to 16 points. It also halted his English rival's gathering momentum - Norris had won the previous two races to slash Piastri's overall lead to single figures. Norris, who was passed by Piastri on the first racing lap at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday, said: "Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Oscar deserved it." "Oscar just did a good job. Nothing more to say. Committed a bit more through Eau Rouge, and had the slipstream and got the run. "So nothing to complain of. He did a better job in the beginning, and that was it. Nothing more I could do after that point. I would love to be up top, but Oscar deserved it today." The decisive moment of the afternoon came moments after the race finally got underway. Piastri charged through the spray to slipstream Norris through the daunting Eau Rouge and scythed past on the uphill straight, with his overtaken teammate complaining of a possible battery issue. Piastri then proceeded largely untroubled as he powered on to finish 3.415 seconds clear of his arch-rival. Norris reduced Piastri's lead toward the end of the race but the Australian held on with worn tires with his teammate unable to get close enough to challenge. "I knew Lap 1 (after the safety car) would probably be my best chance of winning the race. I got a good exit out of Turn 1, lifted as little as I dared and yeah, we had it mostly under control," Piastri said after his eighth Formula One career win and sixth of this season. 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George Russell, of Mercedes, who crossed the line first in Spa last year but was disqualified due to his car being underweight, was fifth this time and Williams' Alex Albon came home sixth. With agencies
