Blue Sombrero wrote:
Kids barrack for winners.
Once upon a time before TV covered every game and families could afford to go to the footy or they huddled together around the radio with dad or mum telling us who was who and then doing the follow up in the Truth (which had a great sport section after the other stuff), Globe or the Age, kids were 'educated' or brainwashed into following their dad''s or mum's club. Collingwood, Sandy Bay, Port Adelaide or East Perth. In those days, teen kids went to the footy by themselves in packs with their mates, all duffle coated up and knowledgeable. It was tribal, suburban and passionate.
Jump twenty, thirty, forty years to a National televised comp, and Carlton, Richmond, Essendon** and Hawthorn and after them, the modern power clubs, Sydney, Geelong and still Hawthorn are winning but the difference is, primary school kids can see who is winning on TV and they go to school and want to be in the gang.
Interesting points there. I, too, grew up with footy on the radio. As the son of UK immigrants I didn't have any family allegiances to uphold, but once I'd chosen Carlton at age 5 (due to love of Papa Gino's on Lygon St., and because my best friend supported them), I was addicted to the mythology that was perhaps enhance by the lack of TV's/the internet's immediate gratification.
I wonder if the modern AFL schedule also plays a part in kids' capriciousness. After all, when all games start at 2pm on a Saturday, you pretty much have to decide who your team is and stick with them. Back in the day, you couldn't watch Carlton get flogged on Saturday afternoon (ha! As if!), then flip over to watch the Eagles play scintillating footy that evening and decide, "hey, I'll get paid out less at school if I run with this lot (by the way, what's that "booooooooo" noise I keep hearing?)". The tools of impatience, inattention and disloyalty are all at our kids' fingertips!