Why do you barrack for the team you do?

[cleveland]

Why do you barrack for the team you do?

Most of the time its passed down from your mum or dad or another member of your family. My daughter barracks for the dogs because i take her to games.

I barrack for the dogs for a unknown reason. My dad followed Carlton when he was younger but goes for the dogs more now. My mum was a south melbourne supporter as was my older sister. There are photos of me when i was a toddler dressed in bloods gear. One brother barracks for Carlton one for the pies.

I guess as a 3-4 year old i just liked dogs and have loved the mighty red white and blue ever since.

So why do you barrack for the team you do?

 

[policegetthatman]

A million threads like this have been made. Try the search function next time.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

In 1987 my club was demoted to a second tier comp. i had no choice but to find a new club in the expanded VFL. West Coast was the obvious choice.

 

[TheKanga]

Started barracking for North when i was about 10 in the late 90's.
Not sure why but i haven't looked back, i really love North.

 

[Bluelegs]

Family. Pretty much everyone in my family is a Melbourne supporter. Mum, Dad, Sister, Cousins, Uncles, Aunties, etc.

 

[30YearsOfPain]

Dad, Grandad, other relatives passed it on.

But hey, its a no brainer....Best Club, Best guernsey, BEST song and rabid supporters.

 

[Bluelegs]

Dad, Grandad, other relatives passed it on.

But hey, its a no brainer....Best Club,

Debatable

Best guernsey,

Debatable

BEST song

Close... but debatable

and rabid supporters.

 

[The Swert]

Back when footballers used to regularly appear in shopping centres, my parents took to me to see some players as i was obsessed with football in the early 90s.

A blonde Paul Hudson was there handing out merchandise and gave me a Hawks beanie.

Hudson ran off to the Dogs but I kept the beanie and kept supporting the Hawks.

 

[Zahara]

Why does one barrack for ANY team? What is the point? In the past, it made a lot more sense. One may have supported, for instance, Geelong because they were brought up in Geelong, as were many of there players. But now Geelong is a random composition of men from around the country, with no central connection besides the colours they wear on game day.

I support Port Adelaide because my uncles do, and they support Port because that's where they grew up, and because the players from Port used to actually reside there. Now, once again, it's a random composition of men from all around the country. So what am I supporting now? Just a few colours? Two of which aren't even a part of the reason I barrack for them in the first place?

It confuses me sometimes, and I hope it didn't do to you.

 

[Mountain Giant]

I follow my team due to all the free tickets and wads of cash demetriou gives me to do so.

 

[froars]

My first game at "Princess" Park - Tiges v Blues. Dad a mad Tiger supporter and me not much of anything at that stage. I said to him "I like the Blues". I can still remember that look of hatred come across his face as I said it lol
Quickly changed my mind and glad I did. Was right at the beginning of the great Tiger era!

 

[Mr Magic]

best song

best colours

best mascot


successful team that plays the right way., hard and fair

best passionate fans

WTF? why ask the question , isn't it obvious

 

[Phenotype]

I had come from China at the age of 4. I really liked tigers (the animal).

Stepdad and family are mad Geelong supporters. All in the lineage of the great Carji Greeves. I got to touch the first Brownlow medal too, family had Carji's medal locked up somewhere until they sold it to the museum.

But it wasn't enough to convince me. Stuck with the Tigers even though I didn't know any better at such a young age.

I was born a Tiger. To stick with them in times of hardship.

 

[chiwigi]

Because I live here. I hate it when people support interstate teams. What the frigging point? How can you care?

 

[Xtreme]

Born into it, my grandfather worked for the club, my uncle played for them.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I loved watching Peter Hudson play, and he played for Hawthorn. Simple as that.

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

I think just because they were the Tigers. Tigers were my favourite animal when I was little so it was a no brainer

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Because I live here. I hate it when people support interstate teams. What the frigging point? How can you care?

So if you moved interstate through business, Port Adelaide are tossed into the bin?

 

[Dewy006]

Because I live here. I hate it when people support interstate teams. What the frigging point? How can you care?

I dont subscribe to that theory, I was born and bred in Perth but have supported the Crows for 19 years now (Im 29), I would argue I am just as passionate a supporter as anyone born in Adelaide, the team lose and you best not talk to me for at least the next 2 hours I go to Adelaide once a year for a game along with at least a once yearly trip to Melbourne to watch them play, and of course i go everytime they play at Subi, in fact just right now Im in my #32 DangerRoo jumper about to crack my first beverage, If we lose to Freo, god help me

And re the op, why do I follow the Crows? 2 words, Tony Modra

 

[d33my]

Because I have a chemical imbalance.

 

[DVD Player]

My Dad supports Carlton so it is interesting as you'd think I'd go for them too. Apparently not the case. Been a Dons fan since i was about 3.

ok i say 3 but it was probably more like 4 or 5

 

[estibador]

Despite being from WA I only ever followed cricket when I was a kid. Heard a new team was coming in and thought it would be cool to follow a club from scratch. Watched a few games, realised what a great sport it was and got hooked.

That's why it make me laugh when people* say the new teams in Qld and Sydney are a waste of time.


*Actually only two people - Bluemarq and that pathologically sensitive, overly defensive Melbourne supporter, Wonnahoweveryouspellit.

 

[chiwigi]

So if you moved interstate through business, Port Adelaide are tossed into the bin?

Obviously not because changing teams is a greater sin than glory hunting for teams that are 800km away.

 

[Roobs321]

Atleast more than 50% of supporters would go for teams their family go for or the local team(no source). Others dont. It's just the way it is.

Possibly for some of those that dont go for the obvious choices are those that have a wide range of random hobbies that arent exactly fashionable. They seek out the team they really like, instead of supporting the mainstream team always being shoved down their throat. This isnt meant to be read in a snobby, pretensious way. But maybe some personalities are more prone to exploring what is out there than others. Ofcourse there are those other annoying types who just bandwagon on the latest flavour of the month team.

The TV age also means random clubs can be seen almost weekly, making it different to attending at the local ground. Unless you live interstate, there is no real emphasis on a specific club. Kids that grow up with AFL on TV will probably pick any team. You might become interested in AFL when a certain team happens to have 3 friday night games in a row, and would be more likely to choose a team that is playing finals. Colours, mascots and distinctive star players are also factors. You could just imagine someone in 10 years responding to this question by saying "there was this big black dude with long hair leaping high over his opponents, and they made the Grand Final!"

A final factor is that you often start choosing a team by say the age of 7yo. At that age, partly due to a lack of comprehension skills, you might not have even picked up who your parents actually go for, unless they are diehards. For instance, my dad loved the swans but I got to know AFL during the tail end of their 1992-94 nadir, so he wasnt very vocal about it, and by the time 1996 came along, I was already going for the eagles.