Opinion Question for Victorians - Does it bother you not having a Vic team in the GF?

[Prancer]

No, I think it's fantastic!

 

[tiger_tough]

Not at all.

 

[windyhill]

Are you kidding ?
I’m still celebrating this….

 

[kickazz]

I liked it in 2004 - 2006, and I like it now.

There may have been a novelty factor back then perhaps? Would Melbourne still embrace the day? Would it still have a great atmosphere?

Well the answers were Yes and Yes.

What makes it really good I think is that we get to enjoy the MCG, the best ground for the Grand Final in Australia, as a genuine neutral venue.

It is exciting in a way that these two teams have never played at the MCG before.


I don't want to start a shitfight about it, but grand finals like Adel v Rich and WCE v Haw just had that tinge of unfairness about them I guess - the higher finishing non-Vic side having to play at the other team's home ground.

I'm open to the idea of rotating the GF venue like the Superbowl - but at the same time I totally believe the MCG is the best venue. If we did rotate it, the MCG grannies would be extra special in a way.

From a Victorian parochialism perspective - I think the excitement of the week proves that we really are a sporting capital of sorts too. We don't need a horse in the race to really enjoy it.


Also, by definition, an all non-Vic grand final means Hawthorn or Carlton cannot win it, which is always excellent.

 

[kickazz]

There were some Herald Sun front page covers from the start of the finals series in years past that would show supporters wearing colours of Vic clubs in the finals and getting behind their team.

This seems to be the compelling "evidence" that some grip to of Vic centricism

Please don't use the words "Herald Sun" and "evidence" in the same post........

 

[kickazz]

There are times when Victorians prefer the local team over the non-Vic team I'd recon.

I think 2007 and 2016 were good examples - teams starved of success.

I went for Hawthorn in 2013 because I didn't like Ross Lyon and thought the Hawks deserved it that year. Not sure how I feel about that now!

Other rivalries - Hawthorn seem to hate the Swans so if it was Swans vs vic team then the Vic team might get some of their support.

 

[iameviljez]

No.

Victorians don't really have a lot of state patriotism, to be honest - it's a very 20th century kind of thing. I hypothesise that this is one reason why we lost interest in State of Origin - we don't really care all that much for Victoria.

Most people from Victoria will identify much more strongly with the city/town where they live, rather than the state. Even then, they could not give a shit for rival Melbourne teams.

I've noticed a difference upon moving up north to a smaller (population wise) state - there's that chip on the shoulder that really drives a strong "Queenslander" identity.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

There are times when Victorians prefer the local team over the non-Vic team I'd recon.

I think 2007 and 2016 were good examples - teams starved of success.

I went for Hawthorn in 2013 because I didn't like Ross Lyon and thought the Hawks deserved it that year. Not sure how I feel about that now!

Other rivalries - Hawthorn seem to hate the Swans so if it was Swans vs vic team then the Vic team might get some of their support.

No would still go for Sydney but there the least prefered interstate team I'd want to win in general. Port are now another team would hate to see win but that's been self inflicted on their behalf the past couple of weeks. I think if an interstate team went through an era of dominance than this conversation would change and most Victorian fans would want someone else to win it.

 

[Dr Tigris]

Ex-Vic.

I barrack for my team, against most other Victorian teams, and don't care much about the interstate teams.

Reckon most are similar. Vic bias is not a club thing.

Structurally that is different. But then different non-Vic clubs have very different situations so making any overall statement is likely wrong.

 

[Obeanie1]

 

[RAPPA]

Could t give a $hit that it’s an all interstate affair. And I can enjoy the game after a Friday public holiday

 

[GoRoos2023]

The more Vic teams in the GF feels like better the atmosphere, that’s the only reason I would care.

Other than that prefer interstate, probably good for the economy as well.

 

[GoRoos2023]

I don't want to start a shitfight about it, but grand finals like Adel v Rich and WCE v Haw just had that tinge of unfairness about them I guess - the higher finishing non-Vic side having to play at the other team's home ground.

I'm open to the idea of rotating the GF venue like the Superbowl - but at the same time I totally believe the MCG is the best venue. If we did rotate it, the MCG grannies would be extra special in a way.

I used to agree with this, that we should rotate GFs as its not fair on interstate teams. Then I saw the Covid GFs; it just wasn't the same. GF has to stay at the G, I suspect the interstate players would prefer it stay at the G so they can experience it as well.

 

[iameviljez]

In the 2002 (in the shadows of 9/11, war in Iraq etc. ) it was the Brisbane v Collingwood Grand Final.

I think it was Sheedy who said Victorians should be barracking for Collingwood. The reply from a Carlton or Essendon supporter was 'I'd barrack for Iraq before I barrack for Collingwood'.

I'm surprised it wasn't Eddie.

 

[Cyclops]

Not worried at all.

Quite like Brisbane. They kicked our arses in a couple if GFs but they have had it tough.

Don't like Sydney because the AFL has force fed success, bit that's not the Swans fault I guess.

VFL invented SOO for some exhibition games. The Vic players rarely took them seriously, and while the Vic public enjoyed them we weren't passionate. I went to a few and they had a Royal Show feel to them.

In Victoria it's always been about the clubs. I like Port, not so much the Crows. I like Brisbane, the rest are a bit meh. Same in Victoria, Pies hate Carlton, we dislike Melbourne, we have rivalries with the sash clubs.

It's never been Vics vs Tassie or some made up nonsense.

 

[iameviljez]

I used to agree with this, that we should rotate GFs as its not fair on interstate teams. Then I saw the Covid GFs; it just wasn't the same. GF has to stay at the G, I suspect the interstate players would prefer it stay at the G so they can experience it as well.

I've been to the Gabba COVID GF, and four of the MCG GFs, and I have to say, the Gabba GF atmosphere was every bit as good, for one reason:

It's absolutely clear that the G is full of neutrals on GF Day.

Prelims and Qualifiers at the G are ****ing electric if it's a great game. Packed full of fans, it goes off. GF day is a bit muted.

 

[Roobs321]

As someone who has Vic roots and lived in Vic for 7-8 years, I coincidentally have never gone for a Vic side against a nonVic in a GF.

Closest cases to a 50/50 were 2002-03 when I didn’t mind Mick’s Pies and 2007 when I despised both. Otherwise been strongly biased over the years to the nonVic side.

The 3 nonVic grannies have also coincidentally been my most hyped ever.

It is mostly down to fondness for certain clubs over the years and the kinds of matchups the GF has tended to provide us. Looking at finals more broadly there have definitely been cases where I was cheering the Vic side. e.g. I was very into Neale’s demons, especially when Farmer was there.

 

[00VicWard001]

It's fine - two best teams are playing which is super exciting.

My thought is - supporters of teams that don't regularly end up in the finals, do you have a team you default go for? Or just switch off? Back in the day when Geelong were not playing (early 2000's), I used to go for Brisbane as my finals team.

 

[Freddy Swift]

Doesn’t bother me in the slightest, in fact I’m looking forward to watching a stress free grand final.

Both sides deserve their spot and I hope they have a great match. I don’t mind who wins.

Best of luck to both teams.

 

[Philth]

For those Victorians old enough to remember - how did you feel when the Eagles joined the VFL in the late 80s?

And in 1992 and 94 when they won flags?

I'm not sure so many neutrals would have been barracking for them back then. Maybe that's where this myth has come from.

 

[Back One Out]

I reject the premise of the thread. There are 2 Victorian teams playing on Saturday: old rivals South Melbourne Bloods versus the Royboys

Suck on that you salty Sandgropers and crybaby Croweaters

 

[hawkman]

There are times when Victorians prefer the local team over the non-Vic team I'd recon.

I think 2007 and 2016 were good examples - teams starved of success.

I went for Hawthorn in 2013 because I didn't like Ross Lyon and thought the Hawks deserved it that year. Not sure how I feel about that now!

Other rivalries - Hawthorn seem to hate the Swans so if it was Swans vs vic team then the Vic team might get some of their support.

Depends which team. 2022 a nuclear bomb on the MCG would have been the best option

 

[kickazz]

Depends which team. 2022 a nuclear bomb on the MCG would have been the best option

Oi! I was there!

 

[Whiskers]

For those Victorians old enough to remember - how did you feel when the Eagles joined the VFL in the late 80s?

And in 1992 and 94 when they won flags?

I'm not sure so many neutrals would have been barracking for them back then. Maybe that's where this myth has come from.

Yeah I hate the Eagles and back in those days I seem to remember we had a bit of support.
Maybe that’s because we had not won anything for so long. Now we have been consistently good everyone hates us. Much better the way it is now.

I never want that feeling of ‘92 or ‘94 again where everyone supported us because they felt bad.
Leave that to the saints, roos, dees even the bulldogs.
I think if those teams played an interstate side they would get a fair bit of support.

 

[T2B_]

I'm surprised this trope still exists. It's like the #VICBIAS meme has spilled over into interstaters assuming that Vics will only barrack for each other.