Have You Ever Switched Teams?

[Demonic Ascent]

Don’t want nonVic teams supporters, don’t invite nonVic teams.

Who said we don't want nonVic teams supporters? You're all welcome, just stop with the sooking/conspiracy garbage, it's not gonna get you anywhere.

 

[Engimal v3]

I'd rather discover my mate is a nonce than a turncoat. Club switching is despicable.

 

[Freomaniac]

I'd rather discover my mate is a nonce than a turncoat. Club switching is despicable.

I was a Carlton fan before I was a dockers fan lol

 

[terrybull]

I find hard to believe anyone would actually switch teams in less your team became defunct like Fitzroy, of course when going through bad times & long premiership drought you might jokingly entertain but you would never switch, I think most fans would be like that.

I think Tassie might make some people switch especially if there from there & are very passionate about where they grew up.

As I said earlier… it’s not that easy.

It’s like the person you are with and love, but you also fallen for somebody else. Some stay, some can’t resist the new fling. Attraction isn’t a choice.

In my case I was fanatic Tigers supporter with a soft spot for the Lions.

But in 1981 when my dad and I went to the Junction Oval for the first time, resulted in that I secretly supported Fitzroy while still supporting Richmond (like a secret love affair).

I said during the game to my dad it must be a pain to support Fitzroy. But he said not really they got a nice ground and more down to earth support.

That’s when all the atmosphere of the ground hit me, I always liked the jumper, logo and name. So with all this I stated right there and then quietly cheering on the Lions to win despite the Tigers probably missing out on the Finals if they lost (they did).

My dad noticing I was unusually quiet asked me what’s going on??? I murmured… don’t know, kinda like Fitzroy…..
He replied Don’t be stupid.
And when they won he said wipe that smile from your face. We never talked about it again.
Until 1983 when I cried when Fitzroy was cheated in the Qualifying Final. My dad asked me why I was so upset? And I replied I will never forget this and I will be just as irrated over this 30 years from now (which I still am).

In 1982 we moved to Sydney and at that time that’s all the Footy I got and just supported the Swans (and also Richmond and Fitzroy). But Swans were at the time my no 1. Until I again secretly cheered for Fitzroy to win over Sydney in the semi final.

As soon as I moved to Sweden early 1989 my love for Swans was gone (like a rebound lover). Footy was basically gone as well and I had to buy expensive English newspapers to see the AFL ladder from the week before to see how Richmond and Fitzroy was doing.

1996 felt a dagger in the heart. And despite trying to convince myself that Brisbane Lions is a continuation of Fitzroy…. I can’t feel it… thanks RoyLion

So I’m back with my first love Richmond 100% (we never really split), and it feels good despite longing and hoping that Fitzroy might return one day as the Canberra-Fitzroy Maroons.

 

[demondavey]

Yep, follow their tradional clubs with all the history that encompassed or support a new franchise in an expanded VFL then whinge about it for the rest of eternity.

It’s not whinging about it. It’s the reality of the current competition. It’s still geared to favouring Victorian clubs. We just need a decent stadium out of Victoria to play the GF so we have a neutral GF.

 

[demondavey]

Followed WC up until I was 12. Peer pressure got me as nobody followed non Victorian teams. Even though WC were a great side everyone followed Vic clubs. Family is Melbourne or Geelong, chose Melbourne so I could enjoy going with my mates to Waverley or paying $2 at the old Ponsford.

Always have a soft spot for the Eagles, and enjoy watching them. Same with Geelong.

 

[demondavey]

Almost as bad as parents who let their kids "pick their own team".

Why? It’s just football, who cares. My daughter goes for Geelong. I’ll take her to her first game this year and wear a cats scarf with her.

No *s given.

 

[Cyclops]

Why? It’s just football, who cares. My daughter goes for Geelong. I’ll take her to her first game this year and wear a cats scarf with her.

No *s given.

You're a parent, you decide how your kid is raised and anyone else can GAGF.

My view is footy is sort a family religion and I want to share that with my son. i engaged in what amounts to conditioning. I don't treat Cyclops Jnr like a dog, but every time the Pies get mentioned its laughter and the chocolates get passed around.

The one or two times he has mentioned supporting another side I get very quiet and serious, and tell it is fine and he can do whatever he wants, and everything goes very still and I am not smiling.

Its a free choice.

 

[demondavey]

You're a parent, you decide how your kid is raised and anyone else can GAGF.

My view is footy is sort a family religion and I want to share that with my son. i engaged in what amounts to conditioning. I don't treat Cyclops Jnr like a dog, but every time the Pies get mentioned its laughter and the chocolates get passed around.

The one or two times he has mentioned supporting another side I get very quiet and serious, and tell it is fine and he can do whatever he wants, and everything goes very still and I am not smiling.

Its a free choice.

Sounds like you need to get your priorities right

 

[Cyclops]

Sounds like you need to get your priorities right

...I'm agreeing your approach is legit and I support it.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

All WA & SA fans had to make a choice when the national comp became a reality in the 80s & 90s.

Not me.

Once Port, always Port. No choice to be made.

On SM-G975F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[CarnTheScray]

Swapping teams due to your state finally getting representation or because your former club merged/folded I think everyone agrees is pretty well accepted.

If you swapped for any reasons other than those, unless you did it when you were 5 years old I probably wouldn’t take your footy opinions seriously.

 

[rapidfire7]

I was barracking for Essendon in the 1990 GF as a six year old, as I thought they were cool and my whole family were Pies supporters. If they had won, I reckon I probably would have stayed with them, rather than moving onto the Cats for good by the end of the year/early 1991.

 

[rapidfire7]

I remember the late Patrick Smith publicly swapped from Essendon to Richmond after the the supplements saga. I think it was partly just to be controversial however.

 

[fake tyrone]

In around 2003 or 2004 I was in Bright with family and the Lions were playing the Tigers on Channel 10 on a Saturday night. We were watching it in the motel and the Tigers got thumped. Being 8 or 9 years old, I cracked the s**** and traded all my TeamCoach Richmond footy cards to my brother in return for all his Port Adelaide cards, because I was deadset done with Richmond and decided Port was the team for me. This lasted maybe a week and when the Tigers were next on telly I asked my brother for all my Richmond cards back. I didn't feel anything for Port when they eventually won the premiership but they were my second team for a while until they changed their guernsey.

I've been steadfast with the Tigers ever since, but I have a soft spot for the Lions because my brother and my best mate barrack for them. I was genuinely shattered for the Lions when they lost the granny last year. I also have a distant soft spot for the Hawks because my grandparents barracked for them, although they do get on my nerves sometimes.

I've been pretty solid with most other teams I've picked with the exception of American sports. My brother loves NFL and it's a running joke that I keep switching teams even though I've been a casual follower since 2012. I was behind the Raiders until they moved to Vegas and just haven't felt anything for any of the teams since. There's something so commercial and fickle about these NFL franchises and I think that's what puts me off. Same thing happened with the NHL but I lost interest in ice hockey altogether while I still keep a bit of an interest in NFL.

 

[Shane Heard]

Anytime before high school…under 12 years old? …only that is excepted.

Otherwise you’re labeled as a turncoat , fickle bandwagoner who deserves scorn and ridicule for the rest of your days.

 

[Shane Heard]

I remember the late Patrick Smith publicly swapped from Essendon to Richmond after the the supplements saga. I think it was partly just to be controversial however.

Yeah but he’s a c-head.
C-heads do ridiculous things.

 

[Shane Heard]

I was a Carlton fan before I was a dockers fan lol

You’re a disgrace…seriously

 

[Tandy]

When I was about 6 years old I switched to Richmond for 1 day. I seen a pair of white socks with the Richmond logo on them in target in the mid 90s and got them.

 

[terrybull]

In the SANFL I really liked the name Sturt Double Blues with their light sandy colored jumpers on my black n white TV.

But the utter shock too see them on colour TV with two shades of blue jumper nearly made me support Port Adelaide Magpies.

But I stuck with Sturt hoping they return to those cool beige jumpers they hade before colour TV.

 

[mick500]

I used to barrack for Collingwood in the AFL/VFL and Port Adelaide in the SANFL. The year before Port came into the AFL I contemplated switching to them and thought that technically it wouldn't make me a turncoat because I'd barracked for them in the SANFL.

Funny you should mention port coming in. My whole family barracked for port in the SANFL and the crows in the AFL. But when port came in they ditched the crows and now hate us.

Personally I was 7 or 8 years old for the first crows game and we went to it when we beat the Hawks and Brereton broke McDermotts jaw. After being in that crowd at such a young age there was no switching to port for me. I was young enough before that that I had no allegiance to port in the SANFL and can say I hate them as much as my turncoat family hate the crows. But I'm sure it was a confusing time for a lot of South Australians when port came in.

 

[M Malice]

I have always batted for the same team, I wont be switching to the other team.

 

[PerthBoy86]

No, despite growing up not far from Freo and 'supporting' the South Fremantle Bulldogs, I was already too dyed in the wool Eagles in 95 when the Dockers entered the league.

Plenty of Dockers and Port fans above a certain age were Crows and Eagles fans before of course, so not that unusual. Most my age and younger didn't really follow the WAFL closely either.

 

[mikey127]

Not a switch but in a previous job dealt with the Giants and they were so good to deal with took out a Giants membership at that time. If I ever lived in Sydney I would take out a Giants membership and attend there home
Ganes and cheer for them against any other team (unless it was the last round or 2 and we needed them to lose) way I would switch