In 2014, after more than 100 years of AFL football, there are many who claim they are the game’s true rivals.
Some fans claim it is Geelong and Hawthorn, others will say it is West Coast and Fremantle, you could choose Collingwood and Carlton or even Adelaide and Port Adelaide.
All seemingly great rivalries but they pale in comparison to the biggest rivalry in the AFL. It is a lasting rivalry of over a century and a rivalry that is as big today as it has ever been.
Victoria versus the nation.
While the AFL has branded itself as a national competition since 1990, the notion of being a national competition has never really caught with football fans. Some argue the lack of a team from Tasmania prevents it from being a national competition, but the wider argument – especially from beyond the Victorian borders – is that how can a national competition be claimed when the origins were from a state league and over half the teams in the league remain from that state league?
It was over the past fortnight where the realisation came to me that the east versus west and indeed Victoria versus the rest rivalry still existed as strongly as ever before.
On one evening I had the fortune of sitting with a predominately Victorian group in a match against an interstate club. The next evening I was with a group of West Australians watching a match against a Victorian club. Topping off the weekend was then hearing both West Australians and South Australians summarise the weekend on Sunday.
Despite seeing it from different perspectives, the overwhelming emotions were the same – regardless where the fan came from. A mix of contempt, loathe, disbelief and frankly downright hatred. Football fans are passionate and the Victoria versus interstate debate brings out the best or worst of that passion.
Perhaps the ironic part of this debate is that the arguments that both sides make are exactly the same. They complain about umpiring bias in home matches. They loathe the bias commentary of a local commentary team. They find disgust in the way the media operate in local markets. They create conspiracies against their state or team. They truly believe that the competition is not national.
The arguments are the same, but the football upbringing means that most fans seem unable to take an unbiased or national view of the game. Despite all the AFL’s attempts to claim a national competition, this is still a game based upon region.
Perhaps it always will be. The upbringing that most football fans have is in one state. It is impossible to get away from the popular belief that it is not just team versus team, but state against state.
Outside of Victoria the AFL is always going to be perceived as a Victorian competition while inside Victoria there is belief that any successful interstate team is threatening the fabric the game stood for.
Then again, maybe it is why the game has continued to be successful for over 150 years. That passion for state against state might override clubs and players. Perhaps the legend of AFL is in the notion of it being Victoria against the rest. Geelong and Hawthorn may captivate the football public for this week and weekend.
But by next week that rivalry will be replaced by this rivalry that is always bubbling and likely never will die. Victoria versus interstate.
Don Freo
Guest
WA boys hate no one. It's Harmony Haven over here.
Don Freo
Guest
Eddie would be funding the show.
Don Freo
Guest
Never got the hype about that mark. We weren't going to score then and the time was out. Barry changed nothing.
Gecko
Guest
Interesting that SA and WA fans hate Vic fans but Vic fans don't hate SA and WA fans. Some Vic fans have feelings of disdain and wonder why WA and SA fans are so defensive and attention-seeking, but we don't hate them.
conchie
Roar Rookie
Yes, ok, i stand corrected.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
I can actually easily see Australian Rules and Rugby League swapping places - the Swans folding, Hawthorn and Melbourne having an acrimonious 'merge', and the ARL eyeballing Super League into submission and ending up with a viable national 22 team competition.
dave
Guest
They were Freo. If Subiaco/West/East perth/claremont filled your squad at the time your trophy cabinet would to still be bare. The Vic teams that woulda gained them Freo players would have gone on to massive dynasties. Just face the fact Freo won 2 flags but were called Westcoast back then.
Balthazar
Guest
And I wouldn't have to put up with the real tiresome riposte on here that Freo's trophy cabinet is bare
Peter Baudinette
Roar Guru
True Balt. Although I was referring to as it stands right now. If you took all of these teams out and left the ladder as it is, Richmond are stranded in 5th :-) The old 9th. I love looking at hypotheticals. If you wind the clock back 32 years and take expansion out of it. What happens in the next 32 years. Do South ever move to Sydney? As Steve J states, South Melbourne and Fitzroy might still be there. Would South have won a flag by now? Tony Lockett would have been a great of St Kilda only. No triple premiership at the Lions, let alone a double at the Crows. Where would Modra have ended up? Would Jonno Brown have just retired as a champion club captain? Paul Roos, certainly never ends up as the Swans coach. Where would he have ended up, 300+ at Fitzroy? Chris Judd wins Brownlows for who, the Demons? Gary Ablett Jnr wins another flag and brownlow at Geelong. Who is Adam Goodes? Does Paul Kelly ever win a Brownlow? Or Akermanis? COLA is nothing more than a soft drink full of sugar and the entire Victorian population gains 10 more years to their life. Interesting.
Balthazar
Guest
Nah, a lot of fans call him that, due to his speed (or Elvis as he is also a musician). His team mates call him Woosha cos he's studying pharmacy but I think that's a bit lame
Dalgety Carrington
Guest
You're a silly man Axle. All that from a guy who doesn't commit to any side in the AFL.
Dalgety Carrington
Guest
Queensland.
Steve J
Roar Guru
Fitzroy would be top and due to play South Melbourne in the GF - all Vic clubs flat broke. Etihad never built, games still being played at Morrabin, The Bulldogs would be called Footscray, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Footscray would still not have had an indigenous player on their lists and most of the SANFL and WAFL guys would have stayed back in WA and SA and be playing for the increasingly rich and popular leagues.
conchie
Roar Rookie
Spurr is originally from NSW, but hopefully Bosk gets you point, we can hope !!
conchie
Roar Rookie
thinking the same thing .
Balthazar
Guest
Nah, your ladder prediction would upset the cosmos. Surely Richmond would be ninth, presumably St K in 8th due to better draft picks the last few years.
Peter Baudinette
Roar Guru
What would the competition look like without Sydney, GWS, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Port, Adelaide, West Coast and Freo? There would be 10 teams. Hawthorn and Geelong would be top two. St Kilda and Melbourne would be battling for the Wooden Spoon. North and Essendon would be knocking on the door of a flag but so far from it. Carlton and Collingwood would be also rans. Richmond would be knocking on the door of the (top 4). The Bulldogs would be battling to stay off the bottom. What a rivoting spectacle. Eddie McGuire wouldn't have much to complain about though. Except his sides poor performance.
Peter Baudinette
Roar Guru
Was McPharlap a typo? If not, that's BRILLIANT!!
Axle an the guru
Guest
West Coast sides of 92/94 absolute great champion sides. They were the first side given a licence from Western Australia, offcause they had the pick of the crop,and they represented the whole of WA,would you Focker fans prefer that those players not have played in premiership sides at the highest level at all? Sheo were not in the comp back then so stop sooking about WCs inaugural premier sides and just embrace them for being YOUR representitve from WA at the time. At the end of the day they are the WA pioneer in the AFL,not you,and that fact will forever be the case,and another fact for you to mul over,the VFL at the time obviously thought Shemantle was not good enough to compete at such a high grade of football,and your trophy cupboard is still emty,which shows they made the right decision.
Cat
Roar Guru
Nothing like hand selecting the worst Vics from your list, how about Crowley, Crozier, Mundy and Barlow, I'm sure you'd be better off without them right? /sarcasm