How many of you are ex-Eagles supporters?

[PerthBoy86]

I'm seriously interested, how many here were formerly Eagles fans? Like those who supported West Coast, because they were the only WA AFL (and indeed VFL club for a few years) club, so they sort of represented WA.

And why did you make the switch? You identified more with Fremantle? You supported one of the Freo WAFL sides? You wanted an alternative?

I have more of an affinity with Fremantle and grew up south of the river, but I think I had too much of a sentimental attachment to the Eagles to switch when the Dockers came around.

 

[Ripper]

A lot of us used to take an interest in a team of fremantle players until we got our own team.

 

[Tonga Bob]

I'm seriously interested, how many here were formerly Eagles fans? Like those who supported West Coast, because they were the only WA AFL (and indeed VFL club for a few years) club, so they sort of represented WA.

And why did you make the switch? You identified more with Fremantle? You supported one of the Freo WAFL sides? You wanted an alternative?

I have more of an affinity with Fremantle and grew up south of the river, but I think I had too much of a sentimental attachment to the Eagles to switch when the Dockers came around.

I've supported two teams in my life... South Freo & Freo. When the Eagles entered the VFL & took a whole bunch of South Freo players with them, I supported the players but not the club. Kind of like when Brad Hardie went to Footscray, Nicky Winmar went to St Kilda or Mark Bairstow went to Geelong. Never followed those teams, just the ex-Souths players. Similar situation now when Freo players go and play for other AFL teams... I'll still follow them but not their new clubs. There was still State of Origin then as well so my WA needs were being met.

 

[simpsonwillo]

I barracked for the Eagles in the 92 premiership, but was overseas in 94 and didn't really care at that time. When I returned from overseas I actually liked both teams. I started going to a few games in the late 90's to see the dockers as they were easy games to get tickets to...15 to 20k max. I became a member in around 2000 and haven't looked back since. I've been a one eyed supporter of the dockers since then.

 

[Scham]

Im assuming by your user name that you were born in 86?

In the early days of the Eagles there was a very strong WA v Vic sentiment so to most born and bred WA football followers it was hard not to get caught up in that. All of my mates at the time switched to support the WC and whilst I stayed true to my VFL club I went to all of the Eagles home games and I admit I enjoyed seeing them win against most of the Vic teams as my state pride came out.

I enjoyed going to the games less and less as more and more western suburbs non football followers jumped on the bandwagon (what became the Chardonnay set) and then when a bit of success came then even people that had clearly never followed football in their life became "supporters". That ruined it for me and so I stopped going and vowed that if there was ever another team from WA, I'd change from my VFL club to the new WA club.

 

[Taylor]

I didn't know what footy was until I finished school.

Football in our home had a round ball.

I've been playing catch up ever since.

 

[electricfeel]

Not me. Too young at the time so I've only ever barracked for Freo

 

[raffrox]

Used to suit and watch the footy with my mum during the late 80s/ early, 90s. She was a big Peter Matera fan. I was always more of a Wildcats fan growing up though but I went for the Eagles I guess. I went to my first Eagles or Dockers game in the first derby in 1997 with an Eagles scarf on. By the end of the game the Dockers had lost and I'd given my scarf to a little kid.

 

[Freoforever86]

Was only Eagles supporter when I was a kid and couldn't think for myself with my parents putting a jersey on my back.

 

[Steinfreo]

Didnt care, then andrew wills came and taught us footy in primary school and I went Freo.

 

[Harry Reems]

I was a mad, passionate Eagles supporter until Thursday night. I left at 3/4 time to come home and change my preferences and avatar on Big Footy. Thanks for having me guys.

 

[Okinakashi]

I wasn't a supporter, but I followed the eagles. My mum taught Chris Lewis and we pretty much followed him and by default, the Eagles. I wasn't ever a passionate supporter, North Melbourne were my VFL team of choice, but it was great going to Subi and stading on the grass banks that used to be in the North Eastern corner.

Truth be told, I went to a lot more WAFL footy and was a mad Black Ducks fan.

I lived in Freo when the Dockers were announced and went to Uni with Peter Bell and Clinton Wolf - It didn't take long for me to think - "Yep, these are my people!"

 

[StingBitten]

My family emigrated to Australia in '90 and supported the Eagles until '95.

We switched to Freo because my Dad's boss and colleagues were major Wet Toast supporters and they gave him a heap of shit for not being Aussie over the years.

After that we just got shit for supporting Freo - but at least the hate had been rechanneled!

 

[JimDocker]

I came to Australia in 1975 as an 8 year old. Supported East Perth in the WAFL and used to go home and away with my big brother for years.

In the VFL, my favourite player was Bernie Quinlan, but I never supported Fitzroy. I just loved watching footy and never had a team as such. (Not strange for me. Never supported a team in the old 1st division or the current EPL either). When the Eagles came in, I just never felt anything for them. I was a mad WA supporter in the State of Origin, but there was something about West Coast that never sat right with me. When Fremantle came in, I started barracking for them, but not in a mad way until about 15 years ago and I decided to go all the way, became a member then and have never looked back.

Funnily enough, I don't hate West Coast the same way that some of my friends who are former supporters do. I certainly don't like them though

Worth noting that now East Perth have the solid alignment with WC, I do not follow them anymore. My wife's family are all big SF fans and have been members for years. I coach junior footy in the SF district, so I kind of follow them by default, but hard not to want Peel to do well because of the Fremantle alignment.

 

[clivenator26]

Supported WCE as a kid, loved Sumich but in 93-94 I flirted with Essendon (reigning premiers and a brother barracked for them) & North (Carey) and always loved Jason Dunstall too. When Freo started I didn't jump on right away, my dad & brother did but I was still probably a WCE fan. I took my swimming gear to a school camp in a Dockers labelled bag and my teacher told me I shouldn't be going for the new team, I didn't really like my teacher so thought I'll become a Freo fan but it wasn't until the first derby that it was reconfirmed. I can remember going for the Eagles as well as Freo up until that derby then I cried my eyes out but stuck with Freo and have been anti-WCE since. Occasionally during 94 I would cheer against WCE but it was only every now & then, I remember writing GO CATS on the blackboard during the week of the Grand Final but I was still happy WCE won. A game against the Bulldogs that WC played I had an Eagles shirt on under my jumper but was cheering for the dogs, I probably just was trying to be a sh1t stirrer like most 12 year olds.

 

[Andy Brennan]

I didn't have any interest in footy until I moved to Perth in 2007 with my family and started uni. I was never going to support the 'big' club. I'd probably have supported port if I'd moved to Adelaide and the dogs if I'd moved to Melbourne. At the time I wouldn't have had a choice in Sydney or Brisbane!

Became an obsessive in 2011 probably. Although my dad did support the Eagles I've slowly converted him. He was pretty upset at how they handled the whole Ben cousins thing.

Never really followed wafl previously, only the freo players at each club. But since my parents live in mandurah and peel are now our alignment team they're now my favoured wafl team

 

[freo1997]

Didnt care, then andrew wills came and taught us footy in primary school and I went Freo.

Wasn't st jeromes by any chance? Remember him coming around 95 or 96. Dad took me to the first scratch match against essendon when i was 6 so no choice for me.

 

[Tommo]

This again

 

[UFO Tatsu]

Migrated in 1995 and liked purple better

 

[mustlovepurple]

Not from wA...fitzroy..... the freo....good god no!!!!!!...never the eagles

 

[TheMcManusNose]

Yeah Eagles fan as a very young kid but 95 was when i started to be of the age to actually follow football. Lived in Freo so that was that.

 

[Purple Maverick]

Supported Eagles until half way into the first western derby, I was 8 years old. My sweet old innocent mum supported freo as she liked the colours. We were at a bbq and everyone was supporting weagles and they dominated the game. They abused my mum, called her really hurtful things, were racist and she is the sweetest woman alive. She didn't say a thing back and just smiled and said oh well while trying not to cry.

So by half time I had an intense hatred of the weagles, the supporters and everything it stands for. I was then purple for life from that point onwards and stuck up for mum proudly

 

[Dude Features]

Originally and still a Perth Demons fan. Loyal West Aussie and started following the Eagles originally. Moved to Sydney for a few years in the early 90's and loved the premiership wins. Moved back to WA and enjoyed watching Neesham's Dockers and players like Chisholm and Parker. Started supporting both clubs but over time preferred the Dockers up until the last few years. Then a few incidents of arrogance and vitriol from Eagles supporters has seen me start to dislike the Eagles. Preseason game at Mt Barker was the final straw. Sitting next to Eagles supporters who were verbally attacking Dockers players all day was too much for me. I strangely came out of depression from the football season on Thursday night when the Doggies won. Can't see me ever going back to the Eagles.

 

[JimDocker]

Supported Eagles until half way into the first western derby, I was 8 years old. My sweet old innocent mum supported freo as she liked the colours. We were at a bbq and everyone was supporting weagles and they dominated the game. They abused my mum, called her really hurtful things, were racist and she is the sweetest woman alive. She didn't say a thing back and just smiled and said oh well while trying not to cry.

So by half time I had an intense hatred of the weagles, the supporters and everything it stands for. I was then purple for life from that point onwards and stuck up for mum proudly

Jeez !

 

[Big Animal]

Grew up during the basketball boom started by NBA highlights on Sat mornings replacing the cartoons and followed the Wildcats with The Black Pearl, Tiny Pinder etc. and played bball at nearly every level. Not much footy interest but cheered on the Eagles in the 94 GF. Started getting more interested in footy around 2000 when I followed Essendon since they were winning and my family were one of the first families to settle in the suburb. Then was taken to a Western Derby a few years later - I always back an underdog, saw a young guy called Matthew Pavlich already looking like a champion, thought I wanted to follow this guy, said goodbye to my loose Essendon following and the rest is history.

So, in short, not really.