Every year when the AFL grand final comes around, if your team’s not in it (an experience that, as a North Melbourne fan, I’m entirely familiar with) then you usually wind up picking one side or the other to barrack for on the day.
All the wash-up from the 2017 AFL Grand Final
» Match Report: Tigers are premiers
» BUCKLAND: Richmond go from rabble to flag
» Six talking points from the match
» Richmond Tigers player ratings
» Adelaide Crows player ratings
» Watch video highlights from the match
» Re-live the match with our live blog
That’s a bit hard for me to do this year, because in an 18-team league, if I made a list of my sixteen most favourite teams, neither of these sides would make the cut.
I can’t stand the Tigers. I love beating the Crows. The 2015 elimination final and North’s miracle in Hobart earlier this year are probably close to my two most favourite football games of all time.
The Adelaide Crows. Do I have to explain why a North Melbourne fan hates Adelaide? Start with the 1998 grand final and work your way forward.
Watching Wayne Carey go to play there and suffering through numerous unexpected and heartbreaking losses to them ever since (I mean, Jared Petrenko? Really?) has just rubbed salt in the wound.
It’s hate, but it’s hate-respect. They’ve never done anything to be worthy of hate other than just be really, really, really annoyingly good at beating North Melbourne.
In one of my most popular articles ever written here on The Roar last year, I talked about how much the Crows grind my gears but also admitted my begrudging respect for a team that has been so admirable in recent years.
The Crows have been whacked with more than their fair share of bad luck, but have risen time and again to any challenge.
A team that goes through the tragic death of a senior coach and then loses one of the top five players in the game in the same year would be completely entitled to roll over and give up on football for a bit.
The Crows have done anything but. Two years later they’re going into a grand final as the favourites. You can’t not respect that.
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
As for Richmond, my beef with them has always been the unjustified hype that exists around the club. They get off two effective kicks in a row and it launches a five-page media spread and commemorative mugs.
You might be reading this and thinking ah, classic North fan, chip on the shoulder about media coverage. And you’d be damn right. Hate is always a reflection of the self.
What’s not to hate about a team that has had more spontaneous combustion gym towel fires than premierships in the last 35 years?
And yet I have to be a little uncomfortable and admit that the Richmond hate has faded away this year. For the first time in my history of watching footy, they’re actually delivering on the hype.
Playing good, team-first, fundamentals-based footy is exactly what I’ve wanted to see from them all this time. They’re doing it and it’s paying off. I have to respect that.
(Also, Cam Rose is a top bloke. Damn it mate, you humanised Richmond fans.)
Heck, I’ll admit it – I was even a little happy for them to see them beat Geelong. Is that personal growth? Am I finally becoming mature? I really hope not.
Having a bone to pick with some teams more than others is just part of being a footy fan. But while I may not like Adelaide or Richmond very much, I must applaud what they’ve done this year.
As Wes Mantooth said to Ron Burgundy: “Deep down in my stomach, with every inch of me, I pure, straight, hate you – but God damn it, do I respect you.”
Come tomorrow’s grand final, may the best team win.
Ryan Ranger
Roar Rookie
"A bloke called Goddard" Really mature.
Ryan Ranger
Roar Rookie
"A bloke called Goddard" Really mature.
Al
Guest
That sort of reminds me of a Jethro Tull song. Whay was it called? Oh yeah, Living In The Past.
Chris
Guest
The mediocre also-rans hate these two great Clubs of Clubs. The theme songs, the colours the traditions and the powerful nature of their fan base makes the rest pale into insignificance!
Chris
Guest
Any football purist will tell you that there is no better football contest than a Collingwood-Carlton clash. Now, this is not a coincidence because the supporters truly know their football and love the great things in the game more than any other breed in the AFL!
Cat
Roar Guru
I love 1 team. I hate 17 other teams.
Chris
Guest
Loyal Collingwood fans have the following Hate Menu:- 1, Carlton; 2, Melbourne; 3. Richmond; 4. Essendon; 5. St. Kilda. Carlton for all the poor umpiring that has cost us three flags in my lifetime; Melbourne for the same reasons and preferential treatment without due cause.; Richmond for the thuggery and pure ignorance; Essendon for the same reasons coupled with low class supporters; St. Kilda for the John Greening incident and many other off the ball acts of thuggery in the Alan Jeans era. I can't for the life of me understand why Tony Shaw is backing the Tigers. He was on the receiving end of a real thrashing in 1980 and he would be best served remaining neutral and silent. I haven't liked the attitude displayed by Richmond over the years. Besides, Kevin Sheedy was the most dirty player I have ever seen......I would like the Crows to win because they play the most attractive and innocent football. It is uncontrived and free-flowing. The game will revolve around one player on each side: Betts or Martin. If Eddie turns it on everyone will fire.....Goals aplenty...If not, the Tigers will get up!
republican
Guest
.......St Kilda is where my immediate loyalty lies but I have strong family heritage ties to North & Carlton, while I am conflicted when it comes to Essendon. A mixed bag really........
republican
Guest
.......concur, language is a powerful tool in communicating such distinctions.......
republican
Guest
......ta for sharing and I hope in hope the Dons can impact on the premiership next season despite its history and dare I say, I am a fan of James Hird, a Canberra son and a wonderful Footy player in his day.............
Pat Clarey
Guest
Hate is such a strong, emotive word. I choose "dislike intensely" or "loathe". Having said that North were the team I disliked intensely as they beat the Swans in '96 GF and tried to poach Sydney members when the push was on to move to Sydney. Adelaide were next when they beat the Swans in a semi at the SCG, we had Crow supporters in front of us who were the most obnoxious I had encountered. Probably Essendon next as Hirdy was a protected species with the umps. Next up WCE, 2005-2006, need I say more. And finally the Hawks for obvious reasons. Go Tigers, first team I followed from Sydney, I also have a soft spot for Saints.
fractalpixie
Guest
Essendon was a protestant club. It was a mixture of different protestant faiths. North were very much an Irish Catholic working-class club. Melbourne were the club of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (Anglican) ruling-class. Melbourne drew support from wealthy suburbs to the south and east of the city, except for Hawthorn and Kew, which despite their wealth, were Catholic, hence they were not part of the Camberwell-Box Hill dry zone, which was a Presbyterian concept. The ruling elite never warmed to the Hawthorn football club when they were welcomed into the VFL. Hawthorn became the club of the middle-class.
Red and Black
Guest
There are a number of AFL clubs with savage flag droughts...St Kilda 1966 (1 flag in over 100 years...lots of wooden spoons, good old St Kilda), Melbourne 1964 (the team of the 50s and for a while one of the top premiership winning clubs...hard to imagine that ever happened!!! ), and my boys, who last won in 2000, and I think that's too long !!! As for Richmond and Adelaide, I am very comfortable watching this, because I like both these clubs and I like their playing styles. For me, it's the Crows, because I think they are more polished and less inclined to buckle under pressure.
Internal Fixation
Guest
Glad you can own the label. Actually thought you had some smarts until your comment about Walsh. Always enjoyed reading your work up until then. Was going to go lower but don't think can I can win that race with you.
republican
Guest
......that said, I dont hate Essendon while there were some very tribal influences that explain 'hate' these days when Melbourne and indeed Australia was anything but secular. Melbourne were definitely representative of the establishment and their footy club epitomised that. My 'hate' is more directed at any entity of commercial illusion i.e. GWS today, because this devolution of sport compromises the very real tribal passions that once evolve organically...........
republican
Guest
........my Grand da on my fathers side grew up in Essendon, playing footy for his school and beyond while he supported them until moving to Elwood as an adult when he decided to follow the 'local' side which was St Kilda. Much of the family on his side chose to support North Melbourne because there was a long period historically, where the Dons were run by the Presbyterians or Methodists, can't recall which exactly and as such were extremely anti Catholic. If you were Catholic or of Irish heritage you wouldn't be selected, it was that blatant. All the 'Micks' went across to the Shinboner's as a result since North Melbourne was populated predominately by Irish Catholics, together with Richmond and Collingwood of course........
republican
Guest
........I will be going for the Tigers most definitely but not a hater of the Crows either. I hope its a game worthy of the title. There is a strong Canberra connection to the Crows as both their coaches, the men and women are from here, Pyke playing footy for Belconnen in his junior days (and representing the ACT in Cricket), before getting snapped up by Claremont in Perth. I believe a bloke called Goddard is their womens coach who hails from Canberra, while their CEO Andrew Fagan, is an ex Brumbies administrator............
fractalpixie
Guest
Because there are Hawthorn, Melbourne, Richmond, Adelaide, West Coast, Port Adelaide, and Fremantle.
Al
Guest
How can you hate any team more than Collingwood or Carlton?
Mark
Guest
1. Richmond 2. Hawthorn 3. Collingwood 4. Bulldogs 5. Giants