So why are you a Cats fan?

[Mr_Bojangles]

I'm sure there's been 1 millions threads about this in the past but whilst passing a brick in my pants about this Saturday (and it being only Wednesday) I thought about how I came to support Geelong in the first place and put myself through such shenadigans when I'm not actually from Corio Bay.

I was 8 years old, it was 1985 and on 'The Winners' they showed Hawthorn V Geelong..the match where Neville Bruns had his jaw broken by lethal. I remember that game for that but also because the man below is the reason I started supporting the cats as a kid...

Haven't regretted the decision since.

 

[True Blue Cat]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

Well with my entire extended family being Geelong supporters at that time i automatically went that way as a young child.

 

[angel_mmkay]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

I cant even remember not supporting geelong, i have been a cats fan since the day i was born i think, there was never a concious decision, its just always been this way. my son will be the same, he is 12 and the most one eyed supporter i know. also he says he will play for the cats when he is a man lol. he is a really good player though

 

[Lilystar]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

was born 5 minutes walk from KP, have blue and white blood in my veins.... no movie star posters on my wall... just the boys of the GFC!

 

[gabstar]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

Myself and my kids are all Geelong supporters GO CATS on saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Turbo911]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

Family has 3 generations of cats supporters (me being gen 3).
With any luck I will make it four generations in the not to distant future.

 

[NEMINI]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

Being an American who moved to Melbourne in April '07, I had no clue what AFL was. Never heard of the game. My father inlaw thought I would like it if I gave it a chance (he loves gridiron almost as much as footy so we had that in common too). So while sitting at home unable to work (my visa at the time didn't allow me to work) and everyone else off at work or at uni I turned on the TV to figure out what this footy game was all about. First game happened to be Cats vs. someone. Next week by chance it was again a Cats replay. Third, fourth, fifth weeks again for some reason I always found the Cats vs. someone being replayed through the week.
They quickly became the first team I could actually identify a player and eventually players on so I began making sure whatever game I watched it was a geelong game at least then I didn't feel so adrift and foreign.
Much to the chagrin of my wife and inlaws (Carlton and St. Kilda supporters) I became a Cats fan (and have since converted my wife who only begrudgingly follows footy).
Initially my wife gave me an ultimatium on which teams I was allowed to barrack for and which I was not (no interstate teams, no collingwood or essendon) and somehow I managed to pick the one team she forgot to put on either list.
After the 07 Grand Final win I became a member and plan to stay one forever. I may seem like I jumped on the bandwagon and while that is debateable, I won't be jumping off ... ever.

 

[Meow]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

Mine's a weird story.
I grew up in Melbourne and the great majority of my family (Including extended family) were (Unfortunately), avid Carlton and Collingwood Supporters. I hazily remember going to Princes Park in 1966 to see a Blues v Cats Match with my Uncle, who was a mad keen Carlton Supporter.
Being five years old and at my first AFL match I can remember, I didn't have a clue what was going on.
But, Geelong flogged the Blues that day, and that's why I began supporting us. My family weren't too happy LOL!
The annoying thing was, I was pretty much forced to go to Carlton matches, as my Uncle was a Carlton Supporter, along with my Year Five and P.E. Teacher, Paul Hirst, who played for Carlton back then and thus gave the entire class Tickets to go to the match. I did the right thing and stuck with my team though.
I grew up going to mostly Carlton and Collingwood matches. That fortunately stopped in the 80's when I moved down the coast here to G-Town and begun attending almost every Cats Match in Victoria.

 

[angel_mmkay]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

Being an American who moved to Melbourne in April '07, I had no clue what AFL was. Never heard of the game. My father inlaw thought I would like it if I gave it a chance (he loves gridiron almost as much as footy so we had that in common too). So while sitting at home unable to work (my visa at the time didn't allow me to work) and everyone else off at work or at uni I turned on the TV to figure out what this footy game was all about. First game happened to be Cats vs. someone. Next week by chance it was again a Cats replay. Third, fourth, fifth weeks again for some reason I always found the Cats vs. someone being replayed through the week.
They quickly became the first team I could actually identify a player and eventually players on so I began making sure whatever game I watched it was a geelong game at least then I didn't feel so adrift and foreign.
Much to the chagrin of my wife and inlaws (Carlton and St. Kilda supporters) I became a Cats fan (and have since converted my wife who only begrudgingly follows footy).
Initially my wife gave me an ultimatium on which teams I was allowed to barrack for and which I was not (no interstate teams, no collingwood or essendon) and somehow I managed to pick the one team she forgot to put on either list.
After the 07 Grand Final win I became a member and plan to stay one forever. I may seem like I jumped on the bandwagon and while that is debateable, I won't be jumping off ... ever.

That is an awesome story GO CATS!!!

 

[eliiiiza]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

Moved to Geelong from Singapore as a 15-year old in 2003 (after the season) as my dad got a job at Avalon. Went a public school in Belmont where pretty much everyone went for Geelong, as was told by a schoolmate to check out the game. So I thought 'yeah why not' and watched a match on TV. Can't even remember which game it was, but I don't think I had any idea of what was going on!

Anyway, I started talking with a Geelong supporter online (joolery, for those who have been on here for a while) who she bought me a 2006 membership for my birthday... Have renewed it ever since and attended a winning Grand Final within three years of my supporting the club so I suppose I'm pretty lucky in that regard!

 

[barmy44]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

my dad made me a cats fan...

my favourite cats memory was very recent (other than the GF win). driving home from his parents house, my dad had the cats v eagles on, rd 7, 2007. he was pumped they were up at 3/4 time, eagles still being undefeated. based on early season form, id told him not to get too excited, the eagles were still the eagles, and would no doubt come back hard. they didnt, and the cats didnt lose again for 3 months.

second favourite cats memory was abletts goal to put us in front v port rd 21, 2007. still possibly the best goal ive ever seen.

one of my earliest of all memories, cats or otherwise, is walking through a back alley near our house, on my own, with a football, on my way to crash the party my dad was at for the '92 GF, which i hadn't been allowed to attend. hed told me whoever kicked the first goal would win.

i just have an affinity for the players. i see fev acting like a pissed idiot = hes a knob. milne being milne = knob. riewoldt taking a solid mark and kicking a great goal = knob. theres just something about cats players that elevate them above this. it seems like jimmy himself could steal any girlfriend i ever had, and id still think hes a great guy.

 

[watermelonslice]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

Migrated from China when I was seven. On one of my first days at an Australian Primary School, this girl comes up to me and asks me what team I barrack for. I stood there thinking 'what team? huh?'. She convinced me Geelong was the best team ever. Well, here I am. I must confess it took me a long time to get into footy. I just never seemed to understand what was going on.

 

[alfy!]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

My mother brought me up as a Cat .

 

[barmy44]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

I'm sure there's been 1 millions threads about this in the past but whilst passing a brick in my pants about this Saturday (and it being only Wednesday) I thought about how I came to support Geelong in the first place and put myself through such shenadigans when I'm not actually from Corio Bay.

this, also. my nerves have well and truly kicked in. couldnt sleep past 6am this morning. as soon as i woke up i started thinking about saturday. nothing sucks like grand final week sleep loss. '07 i was up GF morning at 7, despite getting into bed shatteringly drunk at 4 am the night before. i will be tired come saturday morning, but wont notice it until 5:30pm; or 5:30pm monday, depending on how the result goes

 

[i2icho]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

My mum and her family grew up over the road from Kardina Park, all my uncles cousins extended family all go for Geelong i had no choice which team i was to follow, and arn't i glad about that, watching the likes of,
Ablett, Brownless, hocking growing up there was nothing better,

So happy to be a geelong suporter of 25 years,

Bring home another flag

"We are Geelong"

Go CATS!!!

 

[Tomozaurus]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

Well, my mum is a Geelong supporter... but it was more my aunty who had the influence. She's a massive cats supporter and pretty much brainwashed me.

 

[The Riddler]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

As a youngster my mother & sister tried to sway me over to Melbourne, but two things made me a Cats man for life: My Dad being a Geelong supporter & Gary Snr. Can't remember what year, but I do remember being absolutely shattered after the 94 GF so it was some time before then.

'07 healed the wound, hopefully '09 can erase the scar for good.

 

[Cooee Cobber]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

I met my dad earlier this year after not seeing him for 10 years and he got me into the footy by taking me to some Geelong matches. I'm now obsessed.

 

[deadfish]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

born in geelong, live in geelong, family all support geelong.

There was no other option.

 

[Evan #29]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

My earliest memory is supporting the cats is 1989. I was 6 years old and think that maybe I picked them in the grand final to barrack for and havent changed my mind since.
The funny thing is no one in my family really followed a football side other than my mum who went for collingwood. Through my obsessive supporting of Geelong over the years my mum decided it was easier to just support Geelong as well to keep me happy and has since converted to a Geelong suppporter many years ago and now is a massive cats fan who buys a membership each year!
Now my dad,sister and brother are also massive cats fan so i feel like i have brought over 3 extra cats fans over the years!!

 

[vinum coupe]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

My mum and Dad came from England in 69. Dad was a ford employee in the UK and after a stint at broady moved to geelong because some friends were.

(thank f&^k for that)

In 75 he had finally copped enough harassment from the other guys at Ford, took us all to the footy and that was that.

We went to every game every week.

We even went to finals where only the under 19's were playing.

I remember going to a Nth v Blues semi once at waverley. Was a bloody good game.





That's why I have always said that we are all stuffed.
The pies built their membership up early.
Every time you have a kid they just become a pies supporter.

So what does the government do? Bring in a baby bonus.
So all these dole bludging pies supporters are thinking "you little ripper, that's my plasma right there'

Have to face facts. In 20 years there will be a ton of toothless people walking around.

 

[CF]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

My Dad & Bros all barracked for the swans while my mum & sister both barracked for Fitzroy. My extended family (Grandparents, uncles etc) all barracked for either the Swans or Collingwood.

When I was a very young tacker there were some close friends of the Family who I adored. They barracked for the Cats, and so I followed suit. I even have a picture of me in kindergarden wearing a Cats tshirt. So I look back on that as an old fart now and think it was always meant to be.

Most people barrack for their teams because of their parents infuence. But I went completely against the grain of my family as a toddler and chose a different team.

 

[catswhiskers2007]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

The Cats have been in my family since I can remember. Generations of Cats fans litter my family and I have brainwashed my own kids. I can remember my first game that my dad took me to stand in the outer at KP, where I spent the day filling up beer cans with rocks- boy those cans were great. I could stand on them to watch the footy. Following the cats in those days was really hit and miss, I can't remember playing finals and held on to stories from mum and dad about going to the '63 GF and how packed the train was on the way home. During the 90s I had some awesome times as a cat fan, met my bet mate lining up for tickets in 89 and now have hte pleasure of taking my own kids to the footy. My second eldest son told me last night that he liked the bombers too (loves planes!) and my eldest daughter told him it was time to leave home then (he's only 4). That's the story in my Cats house- bring on the big one, not long to go...

 

[NitroFan]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

I grew up in when Snr was dominating and guess I got caught up in the hype. Me and my brother are the only Cats supporters in our family.

 

[mac_cat]

Re: So why are you actually a cats fan?

I was born in Geelong into a family of Geelong supporters, so it was in my blood.

But it could have been very different. My father moved to Aus from Scotland as a young teacher, started working at Eltham High, and people suggested he barrack for Collingwood, as this was the "local" club, on the same train line. So he started as a Pies supporter.

Luckily he didn't stay there long, and by the time I was born my family had been living in Geelong for a few years, and had converted to the Cats. Although I was only nine months old when we left Geelong, by that time the whole family were dyed in the wool Cats fans, and we have been ever since.

So thanks to the education department for giving my father a job at Belmont High, or otherwise I might've ended up as a collingwood feral!