A dilemma about loyalty to AFL football teams...?

Question

I've never really followed football until recently (I'm 26). When I was a kid (about 10) I kind of half-heartedly barracked for collingwood, mostly because a couple of my friends did. Years passed where I never cared much about footy, but I really got to dislike collingwood, I dont know why.

Now I'm into footy and I feel like barracking for someone, and Richmond has been my favourite team for a while. I want to barrack for Richmond officially but its such a crime to swap teams, so I feel a bit dirty. Is it OK for me to be a Richmond supporter now that I follow footy seriously for the first time in my life, and I only really followed Collingwood because of peer pressure?

Answer 1

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!  Loyalty to a football team.... that's hillarious.  HAHAHA.....  Funny.

Answer 2

go 4 it i was a nth melb member for many years growing up now i support the blues its not about jumping on the bandwagon only swans ooops i should say (sth melb)supporters do that i watch the blues every week on foxtel every week they loose but if u like a team u enjoy watching them play win or loose so yes support the tigers or whoever gives u enjoyment just dont become a swans fan who say they have always supported them when they won the flag but the years leading up to that the SCG only had 2 people in the crowd and 1 of those come up on the overnight train the day before!!!

Answer 3

why barrack for Collingwood and feel like a hypocrite?

Go for Richmond if they are the ones you go for.  If your friends have a problem with it just turn it into banter.  Maybe put a couple of beers on the next game they play etc?

At least you will follow and enjoy the game more.

Answer 4

Go with your heart; you'll enjoy the game more.

Answer 5

i was an eagles supporter until the dockers came out...i was a kid then, but still go for freo... i think freo supporters are one of the most loyal - i mean they still havent got far yet.

i dont feel disloyal to the eagles, i was a kid who only went for them coz of my parents. its how you feel now as an adult - you can make the correct choice now. richmond are pretty a good team (although u guys are fighting us for 8th spot). go with what you know now and what you feel is right, dont feel bad. enjoy your games.

Answer 6

You have not listed criteria for a decision, just your tendencies. Give them a think through. If there are good reasons you like Richmond (cant think of any myself) go on and barrack for them. h**l, they could use your help.

I have watched Australian Football on and off from America for several years, without barracking for a team. I moved to Australia in January and went about the process to pick a team. I first decided I would watch last season highlights, read through statistics rather than opinions, and see every game of the NAB Cup pre-season to give me good and current data.

I decided next on my criteria;

1. Who appeared to be exciting to watch, and appeared to have a magical touch; an intuitive, progressive style of play that stimulated great momentum

2. Due to footy being a highly injury prone game, Superstars dont win matches and seasons, but teams do. I decided to look at the entire lineup and pick the team Whom had the best observable teamwork on the field.

3. Many choose a team because they are close in proximity to where they play, relatives, neighbors, friends, etc. As you observed, these are not always the best criteria. As I am based on Melbourne where a good percentage of games are played, and travel frequently around Australia, I chose to deliberately avoid selection of a team for geographic reasons. As I did not know anybody upon arrival, I had nobody to pressure me in any particualr direction. I decided I would therefore choose the team that looked the most prepared for a succesful season, one with all the indications that they were ready for a Premiership season.

This criteria was what led me to my selection.... The Mighty Adelaide Crows.... and they are going just beautifully at the moment.

They must be doing somethign right as Adelaide now has the biggest membership base in AFL history (just ovr 50,000!)

Adelaide has a great club here in Melbourne, really good people, and we watch the lMelbourn games at the MCG and TelstraDome, home games at Bells Hotel in South Melbourne together, and do a fantastic series of events pre-and post match throughout the year. The group is awesome, not like thousands of thugs from Collingwood, nor brusiers from Western suburbs... a good mix of greta people from Adelaide, Melbourne, and many other places.

WANT MORE INFO?

Contact Di McKenzie

Adelaide Football Club

Suite 5, 2 Claremont St

South Yarra Vic 3141

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Answer 7

Because you only half heartedly barracked for Collingwood when you were a kid, and now hate them, you should go for the Tigers. It would be crazy to go for a team that you hate!

I am a life long Tigers fan, and although they havent been the most succesful lately (well, 20 years) there is a good culture with a large loyal fan base. You wont have to worry about the threat of exctinction either, like the Roos.

Answer 8

Go for who you want.  I've supported the swans for my whole life (I'm 23, born in Sydney and then lived in melbourne where every kid has to have a team) and I always get accused of being a 'bandwagon' supporter when I mention that.  Don't let others get in your way of enjoying the game.