Expansion poll - how many of you would drop the eagles / dockers and go for your old wafl clubs if yours were upgraded

[Cuzz09]

I followed the Eagles before I followed a WAFL side and never really adopted one (Sort of liked Sth Freo for a bit coz Sumich was from there)

I follow Norwood in the SANFL but not enough to drop West Coast for them if the Leggies ever were upgraded.

If The Eagles were kicked out the AFL Id either stop following the sport all together (Im a LOT less dedicated than I was when I was younger) or start going to more SANFL



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[Ambrose Burnside]

The first bit of footy merchandise I owned was a Subi beanie from when I was a baby, and I definitely consider them my WAFL club, but I was a month away from turning three when the Eagles played their first game, so Eagles all the way for me.

 

[EdCurnowRules]

Would consider swapping back but ONLY if Andrew Strijk played. Otherwise no

 

[ConcreteWaters]

I am genuinely torn when a Swan Districts player is on the team playing the Eagles - Coniglio, Lobb, Walters, Broad...

A whole team of Swans players? I'd find it hard not to support them.

I'm still hopeful Cogs will come back to WA. That 2010 GF was something else

 

[Eaglespur]

I was born in Kalgoorlie in 92. Who's in the WAFL again?

 

[Ishmael_]

It's interesting, I'm in my late twenties, so really too young to have followed a WAFL club with the passion of the Eagles, but I was brought up on tales of South Fremantle brilliance and I know my extended family still has a bit of a soft spot for Freo because of it.

I reckon if South and East Fremantle didn't sook it up and tried harder to be integrated with Fremantle or even if they merged and became Fremantle, my extended family of Eagles supporters would have swapped over.

They didn't and the connection wasn't that strong at all so they didn't swap, but oh what a calamity that would have been. Too young to do anything about it and I would have been stuck with Freo for the rest of my life. The horror!

 

[Scotland]

No way.

There is already a Swans in the AFL and obviously already a team in black and white stripes.

The mighty fighting black and whites would end up as the Darling Scarp Quolls or some s**t and forced to wear brown jumpers with white spots.

 

[ziad]

Used to be a member of Subi since I was at school but time has passed. It will never happen as well so i dont have to worry.

 

[megadeth92]

There is no world where I would support West Perth in the AFL over the Eagles.

The second the Eagles joined the WAFL, they became my team and West Perth were an opposing side I had a soft spot for.

Australia is so unlike Scotland, isn't it, mate? Glasgow Rangers were put in the fourth-tier as a punishment for liquidation and the 50,000 home-game crowds kept attending faithfully.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Australia is so unlike Scotland, isn't it, mate? Glasgow Rangers were put in the fourth-tier as a punishment for liquidation and the 50,000 home-game crowds kept attending faithfully.

Not entirely the same though is it? If there were promotion and relegation, and some WAFL clubs had a chance at the AFL from the get go, i dare say football would have developed very differently.

Would Rangers have had 50k week in, week out, if they were permanently a fourth division club with no way of getting back to the heights of Europe? I don’t think they would.

 

[jesterwester]

Bit late to this thread, but I voted too young.

Not that I was too young for the WAFL, but too young for it to have formed an attachment to any club in particular. Still haven’t, actually.

Might have had more take up if this was an option in say the early to mid 90’s. Which is why I guess a number realigned to our friends down the road. But now, the club has 30 odd years of history and culture. There will be no other club for me.

 

[Beutbrute]

I followed both East Freo and the Eagles. When Fremantle entered the comp I wasn't sure which way to go. If it was a genuine East Fremantle side, not a manufactured brand with a hideous jumper I would have been more tempted. Watched the First season of Fremantle playing with an open mind, but found my heart wasn't in it. Glad I made the right choice

 

[megadeth92]

Not entirely the same though is it? If there were promotion and relegation, and some WAFL clubs had a chance at the AFL from the get go, i dare say football would have developed very differently.

Would Rangers have had 50k week in, week out, if they were permanently a fourth division club with no way of getting back to the heights of Europe? I don’t think they would.

I agree it's not the same and I wasn't trying to blame you or anyone else for switching clubs. But it is interesting to me how the sporting culture in Australia is to follow the top-league in the given sport whereas in UK it is more about loyalty to your club no matter what. Say if Rangers had been banned from ever entering the top league again, what would have happened? It is hard to say. I think older fans would have stayed loyal but increasingly youngsters would have been drawn to a top-tier club. Scotland is unique too because of how club is tied to religion and politics.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Same

Fess up

wonder if its great white garlic muncher

Bit late to this thread lol. Just voted yes. West Perth will always be my heart and I would support them if they were hypothetically promoted. WAFL was very big for me in my lifetime. I am in my 50's. Love the Eagles but it is a different love to what I have for West Perth.

 

[Ok Boomer]

Maybe a few people over 50 will change but I doubt that this would happen to any substantial degree.

 

[Dazzler9]

I follow the Beagles in the WAFL.

 

[kranky al]

Bit late to this thread lol. Just voted yes. West Perth will always be my heart and I would support them if they were hypothetically promoted. WAFL was very big for me in my lifetime. I am in my 50's. Love the Eagles but it is a different love to what I have for West Perth.

I try to imagine what loving west perth would feel like and the only thing that seems equivalent would be loving undouched anal sex and the subsequent santorum thats produced.

 

[Astro35]

This thread made me think - what if a vic team like Norf was dropped back to the vfl? Would the fans stay or would they move to a AFL team?

 

[FKASC]

Carbine Chaos voted Yes

 

[WCE_phil]

If a third club was introduced I would buy a membership and attend games and they would be my second side. Get to go to the footy almost every weekend at afl level and would make getting derby tickets much easier and a potential opportunity to watch the dockers lose 4 times each year.

I come from a family that moved from NSW in the 70's and were die hard Bulldogs fans in the NRL. All of the family except for my father kept the colours and have supported the sharks in the wafl ever since and my dad followed souths. The chances of East Freo getting promoted are none. There is already a freo side which I despise and don't even like going to fremantle as a part of the city of perth. So not a chance.

The only way i'd even come close to not being a rusted on eagles die hard would be if the Wildcats got the franchise and had both a footy and a basketball team and even then they'd still just be my second side, but it would be close. If this happened and they made Ross Lyon coach of the eagles i'd probably turn or just give up on the game.

 

[Imnotdeadyet]

Bit late to this thread lol. Just voted yes. West Perth will always be my heart and I would support them if they were hypothetically promoted. WAFL was very big for me in my lifetime. I am in my 50's. Love the Eagles but it is a different love to what I have for West Perth.

Same vintage but No for me.
Go the Munchers, but go the Eagles a bit more.
Was always torn when we were aligned with East Perth and it was a Perth Derby.
Felt a bit dirty when hoping West Coast boys got the job done.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

This thread made me think - what if a vic team like Norf was dropped back to the vfl? Would the fans stay or would they move to a AFL team?

I couldn't imagine they'd pick another AFL team. Fitzroy would be a good case study, seeing what sort of numbers they get in the lower grades.

If the Eagles got dropped from the AFL or the equivalent top division, I'd follow the Eagles where they went (WAFL presumably) and move on from the AFL as a comp, just follow whatever tier West Coast were in.

 

[Ochre]

I couldn't imagine they'd pick another AFL team. Fitzroy would be a good case study, seeing what sort of numbers they get in the lower grades.

If the Eagles got dropped from the AFL or the equivalent top division, I'd follow the Eagles where they went (WAFL presumably) and move on from the AFL as a comp, just follow whatever tier West Coast were in.

Lots of Roys' fans jumped to other AFL teams even though they theoretically still existed in the same competition, so I think a lot would jump. If WCE for whatever reason left the league, I would think I'd go to another team, even if I'm sure it'd never be to the same level.

 

[Ochre]

Lots of Roys' fans jumped to other AFL teams even though they theoretically still existed in the same competition, so I think a lot would jump. If WCE for whatever reason left the league, I would think I'd go to another team, even if I'm sure it'd never be to the same level.

Although, Fitzroy didn't exist again as a stand alone team for 13 years. If that'd happened straight away the above probably would've been different

 

[06Premiers]

This thread made me think - what if a vic team like Norf was dropped back to the vfl? Would the fan stay or would they move to a AFL team?

I think the Norf fan would move to a different team.