Opinion Saints' rivalries and views of other supporters

[MUFKilda]

Being new to the forum, just a question about the views of Saints fans about other clubs and fans. Reading a bit about AFL rivalries, there's plenty of coverage about the fierce competition between Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton and Richmond, but the rest of the Melbourne clubs don't get much of a mention. Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place.

Which club do most Saints fans love to hate and why? And what about other fans - is there a set of supporters who you particularly dislike? I know Collingwood are the team traditionally hated by all others; though perhaps they've now been displaced by Essendon, since the drug scandal?

If you could beat any club in a Grand Final, which would it be?

Let me know who I need to especially dislike

 

[The Punter]

As far as the next 48 hours go... your kind.

 

[MUFKilda]

As far as the next 48 hours go... your kind.

The English?

 

[Saintbloke]

The old rivalry thing has always been a bit of a media beat-up to some extent. Going way back as I do, the strongest so called rivalry games were between Collingwood and Carlton..maybe still are. Back in the 60s and 70s after the Saints won their first flag the Saints v Collingwood games were a big ones, as were the Saints and Hawks.
All club supporters are passionate and some can be very annoying in their support, but sadly, the worst experience I had was down at Kardinia Park Geelong back in the 80s when two pissed Saints supporters started fighting each other- wasn't a good look. I have actually found Geelong supporters to be the most arrogant bunch.

 

[Murraj1966]

Carlton
Fremantle
Dogs
Geelong
Essendon

In no particular order these are my hates. The other teams i feel a bit meh about

 

[Kildonan]

I admit to hating Carlton. I live in Brisbane which is further away from Melbourne than London is from Moscow AFL frans are thin on the ground here and yet if I meet a fellow AFL fan who admits to following Carlton, then that is about it for me - it indicates to me that this person is willing to cheat to win, that they want to be on the side of arrogance - using other people's wealth to buy success and feeling smug and superior about doing so.

I dislike Essendon for much the same reason. They are cheats and their fan base suffer from such cognitive dissonance that they have concocted an alternative history which paints them as being the victims rather than the cheats. While the fans didn't cheat, they would have turned a blind eye while wallowing in their team's success. But they were caught. In all likelihood, several of the players who were given these performance enhancing drugs will develop aggressive cancers and will require painful or debilitating treatments. These, and their families are the victims. Essendon fans are just dirt.

 

[Sab22]

This won't go down well with you guys. But Collingwood is my second team, purely because of Scott Pendlebury. But yeah I hate GWS and our biggest rivalry as to be Essendon aside the scandal. They the only team from memory that beat us and we beat them instead one winning it consistently.

This is just my opinion.

 

[sverik25]

Hawthorn. Unlike some successful teams which I could stomach (e.g. Geelong) I especially hated the Hawks' threepeat and the associated media love fest. Nothing they could do would be criticised by the media, hence Hodge being such a "great bloke", despite being a dirty player and drink driving. If Hawthorn enter into mediocrity then my hate will probably wane somewhat.

Essendon is also right up there at the moment because of the supplements scandal.

Collingwood is always fairly hated. It's kind of expected living in Melbourne that if you don't support Collingwood, you hate them. I couldn't stomach their fans when they were last at the top circa 2010.

 

[Joffaboy]

Carlton first and foremost. They are scum sucking mutants.

Essendon are s**t but funny in their delusions. Havent been top 4 in 16 years but still think they are a big club.

All the others equally worthless.

Just remember, Carlton are arseholes and I want nothing but bad for them, their supporters and their cheersquad in the media like flog Maher

 

[The Punter]

I grew up with a bunch of obnoxious Essendon supporters. We didn't beat them until I was in high school.

They're entitlement monsters.

I understand why so many older supporters (40-65 years old) hate Carlton.

 

[Keg on legs]

Methendon

A corrupt, soul less, disgusting cesspit of filth. A sense of entitlement that makes their fans believe that systematic cheating is somehow ok because it was them.

Despite all this, they still have the gall to walk around with their heads up high when they should be full of shame for what they did to our game

* em

 

[MUFKilda]

So far it's Carlton and Essendon who seem to be most loathed. I read that Carlton and Melbourne have traditionally been regarded as dominated by middle class supporters, whereas Bulldogs and Collingwood were archetypal working class clubs. Does this still hold?

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

really in this day and age rivalrys are just manufactured as really the teams treat each game the same with the same focus and same effort .. for us fans i think there will always be the resentment towards Carlton for the exploits of the 80's but with Carlton being out bunnies pretty much the entire 2000's i reckon the younger fans dont hold as much hate for them now days

the fact Geelong and St Kilda during the early 2000's were talked up as the best young lists build a bit of rivaly and the 2004 pre-season final was built on what team had the better list we ended up winning that game but it was Geelong who got their first flag in 07 ... it wasnt until 2009 that the rivalry hit fever pitch with both St KIlda and Geelong making it to round 14 unbeaten in the most anticipated face off between two clubs in season in pretty much history.. again we won the game but Geelong won the war by ripping our heart out in the 09 grand final.. the fact we have gone up and down and they have stayed around the mark means we are less rivals now day though

as far as rivalys go the Bulldogs prob have a fair claim to hate us previous to last years flag the Saints have twice been the road block to them reaching the grand final.. Nick Riewoldt being their nemisis totaly destroying them in prelim finals .. the fact that they got their flag and we havent played finals for some time has really diluted that now days

Fremantle and St Kilda have one of the more quirky relationships be it the game that the umpire took a mark , the game the umpires didnt hear the siren and the AFL overturnned the result of the game, the game Freo won after the siren that they declare as one of their best ever forgetting the absolute pantsing the umpires gave us that game (google whispers in the sky).. we have also had our fair share of swapping players with names like Roberton, Dawson, Peake, Black, Calaghan, Delany, Kickett, Fletcher, Carr, Mitchell .. all playing for the Saints and the Dockers at one stage in their carreer. But i think the way that Ross Lyon walked out on St Kilda to coach Freo is the main thing most recently (although looking back perhaps it was a blessing Ross moving on)..

Melbourne - much like the Geelong rivaly much has been spoken about our list vs their list (going through list rebuilds at the same time tends to do this). The whole picking Paddy over Pettracca thing and the fact for over a decade the Dee's could not beat us built up a rivalry that i think we are only just seeing the begining of.. if as expected both our teams continue to rise up the ladder together the rivalry will grow more intense just hopefully we come out on top in this version unlike the Geelong version ..

Collingwood & Essendon i think everyone hates and therefore loves to beat them when we play the rest of the comp i think we just take it as another game

 

[theprospect]

Essendon by the length of the Flemington straight for mine, after that you could throw a blanket over Carlton, North Melbourne, Melbourne and Geelong. Most other teams I don't particularly care about.

 

[gringo2011]

So far it's Carlton and Essendon who seem to be most loathed. I read that Carlton and Melbourne have traditionally been regarded as dominated by middle class supporters, whereas Bulldogs and Collingwood were archetypal working class clubs. Does this still hold?

It is more a stereo type than anything. The myth that Melbourne are a bunch of snow bunnies stems from the MCG members not buying memberships.....but in reality Melbourne fans are just tight arses. The reality is they have some of the most low rent supporters you will find anywhere. I know plenty of ridiculously rich people who follow the Bulldogs and Pies. St Kilda were always a lower middle class/ upper working class catholic team but in reality all supporter bases probably started out as tribal suburban entities with inter suburban rivalries. These days it's like any world sport where the supporters are all over the place and it's a mystery as to how they are chosen.

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

It is more a stereo type than anything. The myth that Melbourne are a bunch of snow bunnies stems from the MCG members not buying memberships.....but in reality Melbourne fans are just tight arses. The reality is they have some of the most low rent supporters you will find anywhere. I know plenty of ridiculously rich people who follow the Bulldogs and Pies. St Kilda were always a lower middle class/ upper working class catholic team but in reality all supporter bases probably started out as tribal suburban entities with inter suburban rivalries. These days it's like any world sport where the supporters are all over the place and it's a mystery as to how they are chosen.

if you get the chance check out the book by Yvette Wrobby The Sirens Call... its a great read about how/why some suppporters have chosen the Saints..
Yvette spent a year folowing the team around Australia talking to as many fans getting their "Saints Story"
http://cartoonswork.com.au/sirenscall.html

 

[PoppedCorn]

Essendon and collingwood

 

[JG22]

Essendon

 

[MUFKilda]

Lots of votes for Essendon. I can feel my antipathy towards them growing

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

Lots of votes for Essendon. I can feel my antipathy towards them growing

im not sure Essendon is a rivaly as such , more there is a lot of dislike for them as a club due to their arrogance and the whole injection saga.. we also developed a fresh hate on them during the Jake Carslie trade .. the fact that them cheating gets turned around into some sort of fairy tail come back story aslo makes us want to spew especially when the indescretions of our club have us hung out to dry ... but from a playing perspective i dont really see them as great rivals

 

[sverik25]

The closest thing we have to a reciprocated rivalry would be with the Bulldogs but that has diminished since the Dogs won their second flag last year.

 

[gringo2011]

if you get the chance check out the book by Yvette Wrobby The Sirens Call... its a great read about how/why some suppporters have chosen the Saints..
Yvette spent a year folowing the team around Australia talking to as many fans getting their "Saints Story"
http://cartoonswork.com.au/sirenscall.html

I heard her talking to Francis Leach on SEN, sounds good.

 

[StCicatriz]

freo, dogs and the pies

melb and saints starting to develop some rivalry though

 

[Diehard Saint]

if you get the chance check out the book by Yvette Wrobby The Sirens Call... its a great read about how/why some suppporters have chosen the Saints..
Yvette spent a year folowing the team around Australia talking to as many fans getting their "Saints Story"
http://cartoonswork.com.au/sirenscall.html

*Wroby

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

*Wroby

much like our team ... always room for another B