Changing teams you support

[MC Extra Dollop]

Isn't there a bit of a Freo/West Coast thing, where West Coast supporters can't get memberships (and therefore seats), so they sign up as Dockers members, yet it's still implicitly known that they are actually Eagles fans? I know a family who has done this and have heard that it's widespread (I was told the term is 'Freagles'), but it doesn't seem that way this year. The Dockers home crowd is rabid. Maybe a few have switched sides?

 

[BACCS]

3/4 of that is true.

No, it is all true.

 

[Thommo 42]

I was a Lions/Bears member for 10 years, despite following Collingwood because I liked going to the footy and it was the most cost effective way.

I gave up the membership when I started working full-time for a club sponsor and now know enough people to be able to get tickets whenever I like. If that changed, I would become a member again, simply because I like watching AFL football live.

 

[_Christoh_]

I was/am a North Adelaide supporter in the SANFL and tried to follow the crows in 91 but after going to 5 or 6 games in their first year I came to the conclusion that they werent representative of all SA teams and were very glenelg orientated. I despised Glenelg and Norwood more than any other teams. I saw 91 as a try before you buy and I chose to leave my wallet in my pocket.

I didnt like their jumper, cheer squad nor their innaugral squad or coach. So I stopped following AFL and went back to North.

Being the only North supporters amongst my mates who were all Port supporters when Port were granted the second SA licence it was an easy option and have never looked back. It also helped ease the barrage of crap I got for North only kicking 1 goal in the 89 GF against Port. Proud to be a Port supporter, always will be and my daughters is a mad fan too.

I still follow North in the SANFL

 

[Papa G]

No, it is all true.

Go Bays, I mean Crows

 

[Roobs321]

For some unknown reason, I started to support WCE in 1995 when I was 6. I had considered Richmond, Sydney and especially Carlton, but it was a loss against geelong where I remember deciding WCE was it.
Throughout the 90's, the continual finals appearances helped foster that passion. It was around 1998 that I found out WCE had actually won in 1992 and 1994, and that fuelled the passion(and pride) even more.

The first game I saw was a 71pt loss to the swans in 2000, paul kelly and jackovich's 200th. Come 2001, WCE sucked and appeared a little fraudulent to me, and I lost some passion, from 2001-2004, I was more of an AFL fan. I like the Demons from 1998, but when Jeff Farmer left them I did too. I also liked Freo from 1999. I cheered on the Lions and Crows premierships, and even liked Collingwood. And I became within a whisker of being a Swans or Dockers fan. Swans are and have always been my 2nd team, because my parents always went for them and I also largely grew up in NSW.
However in this time I still liked WCE and cheered for them, just half-heartedly.
However Judd winning the 2004 brownlow and the 2005 Wizard Cup really rediscovered my passion for WCE. It was around when I turned 16, an age where footy tends to become more of a social activity. Now, in the dark days of 2008-10, unlike 2001, I am a die-hard eagle through and through.

So basically, I started with WCE, and for a while in my teens, honestly just loved the AFL. But in my borderline bandwagoning leading into 2005, I eventually became more of a die-hard who can still ride out the darker times. I also keenly follow Sydney whenever I can, my eternal 2nd team. Melbourne have always been my favourite vic club, and respect the crows. Dont consistently have a soft spot for any other clubs.
Unlike my youthful WCE support in the 90's, where the aura of annual finals was excellent, I am now more of a true and mature WCE supporter, who thinks the spoon might now actully be a good thing for the future..

 

[raskolnikov]

I grew up in Sydney and chose Essendon as my team a year before the Swans moved to Sydney. I chose Essendon because they were the same colours as my team in then NRL. I chose to stay with the Bombers but went to a lot of Swans games and cheered them on. I have a very soft spot for them and will be barracking hard for them on Saturday night and however long they stay in the finals race. I was as happy as anyone when they won in 2005 but the Bombers will always be number 1.

 

[Pie 4 Life]

I have never supported another team other than the Pies. When I was born in 1990, my parents decided whoever won the Grand Final I would support (Dad is a Pies fan, Mum a Bombers fan) so when the Pies won, I was given a Pies jumper by the end of the year and have been a loyal fan the whole two decades. Really would like to see a premiership that I can remember though rather than just being born in time for haha

 

[Convocation]

I moved to Sydney from Perth and actually went to the '92 GF and cheered wildly for the Eagles.

Used to go to Swans games coz I loved my footy. After a while, I realised I had much more emotional attachment to Kelly, Plugger and the Swans than I did to the Eagles (which was basically a team created in the late 80s in a laboratory anyway), and so in order to pass the Lamont Test started officially following the Swans.

Now the Eagles are probably my most hated team.

The Claremont Tigers are, and will always remain, my #1 team however.

No excuses here. Changing states does not excuse changing clubs. Had you been a true supporter of the eagles you would have continued to feel an ‘emotional attachment’ to players and the club by reading papers (not the daily telegraph or SMH) on the internet (or the Australian if you wanted to read print), visiting the AFL website and/or the West coast eagles website, stayed (if you ever were) a member, by buying a substantially reduced interstate membership that has guaranteed my access to the GF’s I have seen us win and loose, as well as provided newsletters etc. Instead due to moving to the eastern states and it all being a little too hard to follow the eagles and keep an ‘emotional attachment’, but still ‘loving your footy’, you lost interest in a team you watched and cheered at a GF. A place that a person who continues to be a true supporter (some not even living in perth) for the past 23 years, and true lover of football would have given their left nut for.
I have not lived in Perth for 11 years, 6 of which are now in Sydney, yet I still feel an ‘emotional attachment’ to the eagles and players, not to the swans and theirs. If I was a swans supporter I’d be worried how much of a swans fan you really were, as although I don't doubt your love your footy, I doubt your ability to support a club!

 

[Scrads]

I was 7 when I jumped ship from the Bombers to the Hawks (one of the main reasons was me actually finding out the Hawks won it in 91, the year I was born ). This was in 1999 so when Essendon won it the next year I hated them more than anything, not even realising the rivalry between the two clubs.

Years on, I'm still a die hard Hawks fan. And I LOVE the rivalry we have with Essendon (the first Hawks-Ess game Ive ever been at was this year in round 13 )

I find it hard thinking about turncoating, there would have to be an extenuating circumstance.

 

[krisholio14]

Still don't like it. I told my older brother I wanted to switch teams when I was a kid because Geelong never won the premiership and copped a barrage of cut lunches by way of reply. As I should have.

I think when you are that young you have grace to change from the team your parents/relatives/friends have forced upon you and make your own choice. I changed from Carlton (my dad) to Geelong when I was 7 (and then they won 3 flags in the next 6 years) and my brother changed from Essendon (my uncles) to St Kilda when he was 9.

totally agree!!!!!!!!!!! My husband goes for catters and our kids are split, it makes the games more enjoyable with a bit of family betting going on.

That's why my brother follows St Kilda. When he decided he wanted to follow a team he'd chosen and not the ones my uncles had forced on him, he wanted to follow Geelong like me. I said no way, lets have something we can shit stir each other about, so he decided on the Saints. The payoff on that decision comes in games like last years GF and last week.

 

[StFly]

Sometimes young people pick a team without really having a strong passion or emotional connection with that team. Maybe a lot of kids at school support that team or their father has pressured them to pick his team. There could be other reasons.

Ultimately this, as a young boy my father being an Essendon supporter attempted to get me into them, so of course me being the impressionable sort, had no idea what anyone was talking about while I was being paraded around in beanies and scarves and such. This was a rather common theme in the friends I had as a young tacker and of course as people do when they grow they inherently make their own decisions on likes and dislikes without the shoving in a single direction from a parent.

If I was going to jump, it'd probably have happened in '97 since not only did we lose to Adelaide of all teams but in decorating my house at the time I pissed off a swarm of bees and promptly packed my pants and ran. So if that wasn't a sign to switch and I'm still a Sainter at heart today, then I dunno what is.

Also, I agree on the enjoyable viewing and discussion coming from a multi team family, we have Bombers, Pies, Cats, Tigers and me as a Saint and my older sister is engaged to a Doggie, so it gets hilarious at times the stuff that comes out when one "1ups" another, then you have instances like last years GF where it's just painful and you damn kitties wanted to gloat. RAGE!

 

[Charlotte]

That's why my brother follows St Kilda. When he decided he wanted to follow a team he'd chosen and not the ones my uncles had forced on him, he wanted to follow Geelong like me. I said no way, lets have something we can shit stir each other about, so he decided on the Saints. The payoff on that decision comes in games like last years GF and last week.

It only gets hard when your first child is about to be born, and everyone goes for saints (both sides of the family) but the father of the child goes for Geelong (grew up there) what is the child meant to go for. We decieded that a girl = saints and a boy = geelong and the next one would be the other side. So far all the kids have not swapped but if they do I suppose we will just have to sit back

 

[Thommo 42]

if your son follows a different club to you, you have failed as a parent.

It's really that simple

 

[Tas]

My sisters were older than my brother and I and we were hoodwinked into supporting Richmond at a very young age.

Like a scene from the Matrix we chose to take the blue and white pill and we have enjoyed decades of bliss and success. We switched in the early 70s and ever since we have tried to free the minds of poor Richmond supporting relatives but they have been happy to be plugged into the machine of delusion.

We were young, still early in primary school. I think once your balls drop you shouldn't switch teams, it is pretty soft if you do.

 

[Charlotte]

if your son follows a different club to you, you have failed as a parent.

It's really that simple

If your children go for collingwood you have failed us a parent

 

[DonDraper]

Born in WA and the family moved to Adelaide when I was 5...Dad supports WCE, and I did too when I didn't really know much, then when I really got into footy Port came along so I supported them. Couldn't imagine any other way now. Still like the Eagles, and my family has adopted Port too (Dad also worked there for a year). I sometimes wish I supported an interstate team though, not that I would ever EVER stop supporting Port, but just that it seems like fun going into 'enemy territory' and our fans shit me sometimes, but then again so do most I suppose haha...girlfriend is a Saints member too which makes things interesting

 

[Majinbuu]

bandwagoners, i hate em

 

[hawka187]

I supported collingwood early on cause my other did but when i was about 8, one day i got swooped by a magpie and that stupid bird got me...

Then i changed to hawthorn cause my father barracked for them.

And that was the best decision ever..now i have been supporting the hawks for 15 years, member for 11. and yes i still hate the birds.evil things

 

[Marklar_33]

My Ex was a Collingwod supporter when i met her ..she changed to Carlton on her own volition with no prompting from me..she still follows Carlton.

WHAT!?! I had no idea

Someone's gonna cop some stick when I see them next!

 

[Marklar_33]

totally agree!!!!!!!!!!! My husband goes for catters and our kids are split, it makes the games more enjoyable with a bit of family betting going on.

Wow...Grand Final day must have been a bundle of laughs at your place!

 

[Marklar_33]

You cant change clubs. Stuff circumstances (other than folding...), if you are a real supporter, you always will be

Should Tassie get a side, I will be a member, not a supporter

 

[eld246]

When I was a kid I used to support the team that lost the grand final.

Started out with Carlton (same as my old man) but changed to Hawthorn in 87 (dont know why as Carlton won the flag).Then changed to Geelong in 89 (dont know why again as Hawthorn won the flag).

Changed again in 1990 when Essendon lost the GF and stuck with them. I thank god everyday Collingwood won that flag because if Essendon won I may have been a Pies supporter.

 

[Blues_Man]

WHAT!?! I had no idea

Someone's gonna cop some stick when I see them next!

She was bad enough without being a Pies supporter to boot .

I know a bloke who is a mad Blues supporter ..but his wayward son follows the Pies ..poor kid hasn't see his team win a flag, which serves him right !

 

[peejay]

Where's celtic_pride when you need him?

He disappeard in April. Probably changed names and posts under someone else.

For those out there that don't know him he was a Geelong supporter until about 6 - 7 years ago and then changed teams to follow the blues because he got sick of the lack of success at Geelong.