How did you get to be supporting your team?

[The Dutchman!]

Matt that's pretty impressive loyalty.
My dad, who is over 80 BTW, has always been a bomber fanatic and starting taking me and my sister when we were little kids in the mid-late 70's - always the same spot - standing room dry areas on the outer wing at Windy Hill. Funny given that I'm just short of 6'3"now but we were so little we used to bring fold out step/seats to stand on to try to see anything. Went for years and years with Dad who used to go on about Billy Hutchinson, Clarke, Fraser, Leek and of course JC. My family was also on the Essendon Board apparently back in the 1920s but my Dad is a bit vague about it (and most things really...)

Used to go to training nights pretty regularly with Dad as a kid too - can still remember what a useless layabout of a slackarse Vander was at training - hard to believe what a genius he was on the field - that's why he's my all time favourite player and explains my log in name here...

Great topic Golions.

Dutch

 

[sainter]

My mum grew up in Yarraville and did not miss a bulldog game at the Whitten Oval while my Dad grew up in South Australia as a Port Adelaide supporter (oh well, no one is perfect). When he settled in Victoria he chose the saints because of the same colours/nickname of the team he played for in SA.

For the first three years of my life I was subjected to intense lobbying. (In the form of bulldog/saint bibs, t-shirts, badges, jumpers, etc).

To my Mum's horror I went with my Dad and my brother followed suit two years later. My mind was made up when I was 4 after going with my Dad to my first match at Moorabbin. Apparently we were thrashed by twenty goals but that was nothing new in the 1980's.

Everyone has regrets in their life but I can happily say that barracking for St Kilda is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

 

[Shinboners]

Sainter

Was your first match St. Kilda vs North Melbourne at Moorabbin when North won by 114 points? If so, then that was my first match too.

 

[dons_r_tops]

I was born in preston, my parents lived in moonee ponds at the time. I went to strathmore kindergarten, and have lived and breathed Essendon ever since (probably about 1979). My dad used to go for collingwood but when he was ten he got pecked by a magpie and changed to the bombers two of his brothers barrack for the blues and the other one and his sister barrack for essendon so this week is a real big one for our family. by the way my mum goes for the bombers and her parents are roos fans so their is plenty on the line.

 

[ArdenSt]

In 1970 Barry Cable went to North to play one season, and that is when I started following them at 7 years of age. Coming from Perth I was restricted to seeing the odd snippet of the Roos on the news, or the winners on a Sunday night, but I was hooked. I think they only won about half a dozen games or so in the first three years I followed them, but good times were only just around the corner.

 

[Sydneyfan]

I was born in Sydney and neither of my parents were really keen on sport. I followed the North Sydney Bears in Rugby League until I was about 9 when I visited my aunt and uncle in Melbourne. It was in 1985 and the Swans had been in Sydney for about 3 years at that stage so they decided to take me to a match at the MCG and it was a Swans vs. Tigers match. My aunt bought me a Swans scarf and beanie and from then on I've been a Swans fan. For the next ten years I followed the Swans but was more keen on the Rugby League until 1995 when I moved to Melbourne for a year and became a diehard Swans fan and have been one ever since. Nowdays I have little interest in Rugby League, particularly since the North Sydney Bears no longer exist!

 

[Gonzo]

Was bought up in Tassie and my father and uncle played for Sandy Bay ( a now defunct TFL side) - they wore North colours so I had a soft spot for North in the VFL. This was during the mid to late 70's when footy cards became popular again and I always ended up with a Malcolm Blight card in my pack

So I just put 2 and 2 together - North in the finals during that time, Blighty in my back pocket all the time and the Sandy Bay colours - had little choice really!!!

 

[Eagle_Fan]

Well, I went to my first Swan Districts premiership at age 2, Mum & Dad having rushed back from an around Australia trip to be there, so from an early age I was a Swans devotee (much to the approval of my Nan who's been a member much of her 90 years

).
Spent a year in England in '87, so missed the whole 'Birth of the Eagles', and wasn't really interested straight away.
Then Bluey McKenna debuted in '88. At the time my primary school teacher was also called Mr McKenna, and hearing Blue's name on the radio, was convinced my teacher had a double life. I was telling anyone who listened that my teacher player for the Eagles.... embarrassing really

Anyway, finally my dad MADE me sit down and watch an Eagles game just to prove I was wrong, and I've been hooked ever since.
Bit hard to have a long history when neither I nor my club have!

Het docker_babe- you said you changed to Freo when you came to Perth, were you in the country or interstate?

 

[Rooboy 96]

Family Ties are very strong...

My grandfather barracked for the Shinboners in the 1920's, as he lived around the corner form Arden St.

The Family followed his lead.

The first time I knew anything about aussie rules or The Mighty Kangaroos was September 1974. Richmond had just beaten us in only our second grand final appearance. We lived in Perth, Swanbourne (armybrat too) at the time. I was 9 and my mother took me up the street to this house she knocked on the door and started crying as soon as some stranger answered the door, the bloke had a North Sticker on his car.

We returned to Melbourne in August of 1975, just in time to see our first Premiership,
was too young too fully appreciate it, as in 1977 (all I can remember is Stan Alve's leap and the players on the back of a truck in the old betting shed at Arden St.), but boy did I enjoy 1996. I have been a member of North since 1975 and have only missed 3 game played in Victoria since August 1975.

My grandfather is no longer with us, but his strong Kangaroo heritage continues today, as my two daughters are both members of the club, and love going to the games with my grandmother, mother, uncle, aunty, cousins and me.

In our prime our family had 27 North members, so North do have more the 5 members.

Great Thread.

 

[brissy_lionsgal]

My father is an ex-Victorian, and he introduced be to the game at a very young age. Living in Brisbane, the natural choice of team was the Bears, but I had my favorite team in melbourne too, Hawthorn (probably because of the premierships they one in the 80's). When the Bears to the Gabba, I became a true Bear supporter, only barracked for the Bears, and had a real soft spot for Fitzory, because of their underdog tag.

Then in 1996, when Fitzroy and the Bears merged I became a Brisbane Lions. I live and breath the Brisbane Lions now, and I will until I die.

 

[chez]

My paternal grandparents owned a Fish & Chip shop in Errol Street in the 1920's. So I was destined to follow the Roos.

 

[sisterka]

my dad lived in fitzroy & is named hayden after the hero of the time hayden bunton.
my mum was born in queensland but hated rugby.they met in the army, married & produced 6 daughters. my mother became an absolutely rabid Fitzroy supporter who dragged all of us to every game that she could.we had no choice but to barrack for fitzroy or find somewhere else to live.
i was very sad when fitzroy slowly died & decided to follow the Brisbane bears as i liked to watch the blokes who would sit behind the goals doing their bear impersonations when brisbane kicked a goal & because of my mothers history.
so it was fantastic when the bears stepped in at the last moment & stopped fitzroy from going to nm.
i am now a rabid brisbane lions supporter!
i think its a genetic thing!

 

[Bluey]

I'd like to say, but as moderator I don't know whether I should

I'll post under a pseudonym later hehe

 

[jod23]

I grew up on the Mighty West Coast Eagles cos i was seven when they came about so thats why. Eagles rock!!

 

[sandie]

Come on Bluey come clean, I'm sure everyone wants to hear your story.

------------------
Mantis

 

[Homer]

Was born in Melbourne, moved to Cairns at age 2 decided to go for the Bears. Back to Melbourne till 11, was mascot against Footscray. Became a Lion and now in Queensland at age 13.

 

[sandie]

Bluey would I be right in assuming that you either barrack for Brissie or the Blues?

------------------
Mantis

 

[lionspride]

I grew up in Adelaide and was a devoted one eyed Port Magpies supporter from the age of 6.In 1987 my husband and I with our daughters moved to the Gold Coast and boy did I miss my footy. Tried to get used to thugby but couldn't,and used to watch the afl on Saturdays on tv but still mourned my team.The Bears were born and even though it was like country footy at Cararra and we got flogged every week it was still ok.
They grew on me and bit by bit I became a disciple and when they made the finals in 95 it was so good. Then the merger came and they were the LIONS but I loved them heart and soul. I can't see myself changing ever again. The bad times made the good times even better and we still have so much to achieve.I have a daughter who is a Carlton supporter and her partner is a Kanga but I got my own back..... their 3 year old daughter is a LIONS girl and she sings the club song and says NO ROOBOY DADDY AND YUKKY BLUES MUMMY. I think Grandma has had the last laugh!!

 

[tiger0012]

.,..

 

[Drakey]

I've been a North Adelaide supporter my whole life. I lived in their recruiting area when I was a kid & some of my mates played for them.

I didn't follow any VFL team in particular, I just wanted the south aussies to do well.

When the crows joined the comp in 91 I supported them because they were the local boys & a new club, so I had now previous feelings about them or alegence to any other AFL club.

 

[Pessimistic]

I went for Hawthorn because of the colours.
Brown and Gold were big in the seventies.
When I moved to Oz in 89 I decided not to adopt a team with the Newcastle colours (Magpies) but go for one which win now and a gain)

Since '93 It's been more now than again.

Although We didn't realise it '96 made quite a few look at ourselves as well as the AFL in a different light. I'll bet a few more people 'bonded' with the Brown and Gold than in all the premierships. So much so that the more they treat us bad, the stronger our resolve.

Notice how on yesterday's critical report about the 'Dodgyness' of the AFL Comish, Channel 9 superimposed the start and finishing graphics on Hawthorn supporters in the waving banners etc in the crowd. I'd like to think that we represent the 'resistance' to the AFL, and Channel 9 saw that tooo

 

[Kingpin]

Here's a blast from the past.......

I followed Richmond because they wore the same colours, uniform and nickname as the team I followed all my life in the old TFL, Hobart.
My family had an association with the Black & Gold since 1913, firstly with Cananore (which folded in 1941), and then with Hobart from 1945 up until they changed colours, nickname and strip at the end of 2004.
My first memory of VFL/AFL was the 1980 Grand Final when our loungeroom was decked out with Black & Gold streamers and balloons and there was food and grog everywhere for the day.....and the Tiges won.

 

[leonmagic]

Hey it's my job to dig up old threads when everyone's asleep!!

FWIW (as with most maggie fans no doubt) I was forced into it from Dad, who was forced into it from his Dad, who was....etc. etc.

Best thing Dad ever did for me.

 

[Bestbird]

Was a Swan Districts supporter when i was a kid but the WAFL league was struggling with a loss of players to the VFL and thus a lower profile by the late eighties.

When the Eagles started i was rapt.

Was in my early twenties and just loved getting on the ******** with my mates on the hill behind the goals each fortnight surrounded by a huge crowd.

 

[smasha]

My old man made me a Tiger.
Most of my mum's side are Collingwood and most of my dad's side(he was born and raised in Kyabram)are Richmond.

Go Deledio and Pettifer!