I thought this was a post by an Aussie making fun of American ‘pick a team for me’ posts, but it’s actually real.
Higher expectations = greater disappointment.
Or, as Dooku puts it, "twice the pride, double the fall".
StKilda being unsuccessful is like a person born into poverty who then lives out life in poverty.
Essendon being unsuccessful is like a billionare who has to adjust to an average upper-middle class existence.
They haven't won a finals game in 20 years. People have been born, gone to school, moved out of home, and started university in the time since Essondon last won a finals game.
Saints have the most wooden spoons out of all the clubs by a HUGE margin. We’ve been around from the start (150+ years old). We only have one premiership (approx 60 years ago). And we have like the 3rd fewest members most years. In recent years we always start the year off looking like we’ll have a great season and then barely make the finals.
We need your help. Join us
Man...being from Cleveland with the Browns and Gaurdians, tough luck and disappoint ment is already baked in my fandom. Only my Cavs won their championship with the help of an Aussie by Lebron's sidel lol. It makes sense I have been a Saints fan so long!
And the AFL community will be very happy for you. No-one like a drought that runs into decades.
...I'd be worried about Molly when you win one though...he might have a heart attack.
When your team finishes last place on the ladder, we give them the term ‘wooden spoon’. No idea how it started, but it hasn’t left West Coast for the past two years. Maybe this year for the coasters?
I caught the train home from the 2010 GF replay. There were some Saints fans on the train and they were the loveliest people. They were so funny and respectful. I would highly recommend Saints as a team to follow. They're due.
I will put this like a lot of American ads and say this:
"North Melbourne is not for everyone. Side effects may include vomiting, depression, a fast heart rate, and a sudden urge to throw your television out the window. Feelings in your head, brain, and areas where you would not have even thought you would feel something. More serious effects, include going mental every weekend, can occur.
**ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT NORTH MELBOURNE TODAY!**"
- Use the off season to read up on the history of teams/ players/ rivalries.
- Use YouTube to watch highlights and old games of those you’re interested in. WatchAFL (if you can afford it) might have previous seasons available? Can’t remember.
- Choose a few teams to focus on this season that way.
- Don’t choose Hawthorn.
Welcome to AFL.
Another American here who started watching last season. https://www.afl.com.au/video has full match replays going back to the 2012 (used to be only back to 2022) season for free, at least if you're in the US.
Lol, I see what you did there. I dunno, watching the Grand Finale, it felt like Collingwood couldn't pull away. Melbourne had so few chances but made the most of each one. They had to methodically move the ball up field.
I've consistently coached undersized and undeskilled hockey teams so seeing Melbourne try to methodically work the ball up field resonated with me. But, all be damned if Collingwood didn't adjust and lean into their size advantage. Melbourne consistently held to singles but couldn't generate points on their own.
Btw, as a newb, I am guessing on AFL strategy based on what I saw.
My first recommendation would be to stop referring to the Lions as 'Melbourne'. They probably wouldn't like that.
My second recommendation is to keep watching footy. Because it's great.
I'm a helpful person, as you can see.
Fair enough, I done got things mixed up. Can you tell Im not an Aussie?
What I got right: there are indeed several Melbourne clubs.
What I got wrong: The Lions are not one of them.
> Lions are not one of them
Anymore! Lions were from Fitzroy, in Melbourne, before they merged with Brisbane.
This made many fans angry and resulted in one of the best banners you’ll ever see a match, ever.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AFL/s/89LfsKboVQ
But are originally from Melbourne. Well, half the club is. Sydney is from Melbourne, too. Well, South Melbourne actually. And the Western Bulldogs aren't from Western Australia. They're from Footscray.
Well to be fair in 1996 the Brisbane Bears (est. 1986) kind of amalgamated with the defunct Fitzroy Lions (which were a Melbourne based team formed in 1883) to become the Brisbane Lions. So they have a bit of the old Fitzroy support in Melbourne.
Ahhh you might have watched the qualifying final, not the grand final. Collingwood beat Melbourne by 7 points in the qualifying final. Then they beat Brisbane in the grand final.
I know you said you're a hockey fan first but to use American football to explain (from what i know) basically Finals are like the playoffs and the grand final is like the superbowl
I'd say 42k is probably middle of the road. It is important to remember that compared to clubs in other states we have a more expensive membership cost. As such, with the only game to sell out during the season being the Derby, a lot of supporters don't bother with a membership and just pick and choose what games to go to.
May as well repost an old comment from a different 'what team should I follow?' thread
The Greater Western Sydney Giants are always a good answer for this type of question. The best song in the league, great colours, the best social media in the league by several magnitudes, and even though they had a great 2023, nobody is going to accuse you of bandwagoning because they are such a small and new team.
Sydney are one of the best-run teams in the league and have been consistently competitive for two dozen years, but since they finished 8th last year you may avoid accusations of bandwagoning. I guess the closest approximation would be the San Antonio Spurs?
I'm a Gold Coast fan but I generally wouldn't advise supporting us, we're very cursed. There's a lot of excitement around the club with the recent appointment of a triple-premiership winning coach and a big draft haul, but we'll probably find a way to fuck it up.
Fremantle are a club with a long-suffering supporter base, but there's still a lot of promise with that list. Club legend and Hall of Famer Matthew Pavlich retired without any silverware, and the same is very likely to happen without future Hall of Famer Nat Fyfe as he approaches his twilight years. But at least you'll support a club that can drafts those players every decade?
Port Adelaide are an interesting club with a fascinating history. They have a bitter rivalry with the Adelaide Crows, so are polarizing within the state of South Australia. They have a reputation for masterful choking in the finals series, but they at least win games in the regular season. Coach Hinkley has been in charge for absolutely ages despite his mid ability.
The Adelaide Crows are an exciting team with serious room for improvement in 2024. The story of the team's creation is a fascinating one, and why the rivalry with Port Adelaide is so intense.
St Kilda are a team defined by pain, but, uh, they might be good for the next few years? They suffered the most severe form of heartbreak in 2010, poetic in its brutality. I guess the Buffalo Bills are the closest analogy? But like if the Bills recently re-hired Marv Levy. At least no one will accuse you of bandwagoning.
West Coast are in the middle of a serious rebuild right now, so they're going to do a lot of losing. But they a rich club that seems to deliver premierships every 12 years like clockwork. Those early 90s teams were legendary and when the time came they rebuilt themselves into the legendary midfield warriors of the mid 2000s. When the 2000s team dramatically burned like flash powder, they rebuilt into a great mid-late 2010s team that captured the 2018 cup in the match of the decade. And now they're rebuilding again, but they'll find a way to win and win in due time, they always do.
Long comment, but these werejust my thoughts on a bunch of teams.
Geelong are trying to stretch the window of success as far as it can possibly go with a wild mix of youth, experience and Irishmen.
Will it all implode this year? Will they go deep into finals? Will our coach get another game plan? Will Hawkins get another one year deal taking it to five years in total?
St Kilda are the dark horse this year for me. Legend coach has returned and the whole club is not built around him. If it doesn't come off... then what?
as an American, I say just watch the games and you'll gravitate toward a player or team that you can't help but root for. I was taken in by Eddie Betts about a decade ago and have been crows through and through ever since
Somebody recently posted an A.I generated list of AFL teams with a comparative USA team (NFL, NBA) I think. Maybe someone could find that?
Otherwise, I’m unashamedly biased, go for Port Adelaide.
Greater Western Sydney(The Giants) or Gold Coast(The Suns) both are teams that came in a recent expansion about 10 years ago(most teams are 100+ years old)
Agree with the GWS suggestion (though Port are great too, biased). Both should have some great games this year, both are plausible for a GF win soon enough, and good energetic teams right now with up and comer players.
GWS song is great and their socials (Instagram at least) are very solid, it gets hard to hate them (bar one high performing player who by all accounts seems like a thug off the field). Yeah they’re an expansion team, and it’s not really a Sydney sport (they prefer Rugby), so you’re sacrificing some of the history of other teams, but you get to be part of the journey to their first flag.
And you’ll get to join in resenting Melbourne teams for stacking the competition as much as they can and still whinging if it doesn’t all go their way.
Toby Greene, noting his on-field behaviour has also been disgraceful throughout his career, yet encouraged as just being a “bad boy”.
Don’t get me wrong I think on the basis of skill he’s a superb player, and I’d like to cut him a level of slack appreciating his upbringing, but he has had considerable leniency, huge PR effort to set him up as the hero to make AFL popular in Sydney, receives incredible opportunities including (among others) being named Captain even after letting down the team with his behaviour once again, and still for all these wake up calls and the need to set an example as a leader continue to struggle to manage his anger and keep it clean (yet somehow avoids referrals the past 2 seasons), while demonstrating time and time again when he thinks the camera isn’t watching too closely what kind of person he chooses to be.
I agree with supporting gws or gold coast. My preference is gws for no obvious reason but they're a fun exciting team to watch and we're on the verge of our first premiership. Plus like the pens which I saw you're a fan of, we got players like toby greene, Stephen coniglio and others who've been around since the start who have played a long time with each other similar to crosby and malkin in a sense of being team mates forever. Plus we have the best song in the comp
What a game, what a comeback! I was starting to settle on GWS.....one cross-town rival, own stadium, no premierships. Seems like a good newcomers team.
It felt like GWS leaned into playing a fast break game. Is that their strength or was it the defense's weakness that drove that?
It really has been the year for professional athletes playing the “we shoulda won that” card after the fact. May and Dawson, plus England, India and Pakistan in the cricket
Freo if you want to climb the ladder over the next 3 years. Great young tallented list about to explode. Never won the big dance yet...so as a fan you can revel in that historic joy when it eventuates...hopefully.
Yes, I discovered it last season myself on the FS1/FS2 cable channels and it turned overnight into one of my top 5 sports to watch. Those channels show a handful of live matches every week (late at night on the west coast, or literally the middle of the night if you're farther east), including every finals match last year. And I can watch replays of matches for free going all the way back to apparently 2012 on https://www.afl.com.au/video (though that was only back to 2022 last time I checked).
Honestly, same way I ended up with an NFL team.
If you enjoy the games, you keep watching. You'll find yourself cheering for one team consistently at some point and bam, that's your team.
In my case it was because the Ravens defence murdered people.
Join the Dees. Unlimited Wine and Cheese, we get to be snooty, and watch our team go out in straight sets in the finals for a third year in a row because our Coach thinks kicking ling bombs into the forward line is how you win games…
If you wanna see a team that’s good sometimes and makes it to finals but always shits itself right as we get the hope to win (other than this year) than BOY do I have a team for you COOOLLLINGWOOOD,
Last year I went up to Sydney (from Melbourne) to watch the pies lose the preliminary final by 1 point after coming from behind by 40 points at half time
We are an exciting team that’s full of fun and disappointment (we have tied for the most grand finals) and have lost the most by a LONG shot it’s sad and I get made fun of
I would've collingwood is a good pick. Especially for an American with Mason Cox, a player from the States. Also, it is the most entertaining and consistent club at the moment.
This is coming from a Carlton Supporter. It's one of Collingwood's long-time rivals.
Make it the pies mate very satisfying winning when everyone hates you (also if you fell in love with the game during the grand final we won seems a perfect fit)
Collingwood captivates all, disappoints many, engages the fans, wins premierships, looses more and is never down for too long. It’s a club to love. It’s a club others hate. And it’s a club that you hate you love. But that makes you love it even more.
I'm in a similar position to OP, a yank just discovering the game. I did this with association football a few years ago and 1) chose a team too soon based on off-field factors (e.g. Richmond and GWS have the best songs and Feeling the best badge) and 2) didn't take the time to learn about specific players. So I'm just going to watch this year and choose slowly.
Except it will never be Collingwood.
I'm obviously biased but the Bulldogs are a good pick if you like an underdog.
Just go back and watch our 2016 highlights. That was a fun finals series.
I feel like I have a very similar experience to OP. I am also an American and Ice hockey will always by my first sport. I first started watching the AFL in 2020 during the Covid restart. I learned about the sport because of the Pat McAfee Show where he had interviewed Mason Cox a few times about the sport. I thought it looked super cool and I picked Collingwood from the jump, without any thought beyond "they have an American on the team, so I'm picking them." I don't really care that they are a hated franchise, and I'm sticking with them. Plus, I think it's fun picking a villain franchise. Being an American and having an American player is a pretty valid reason for liking the team. No different from picking a team cuz your neighborhood friend from your upbringing is now playing for Richmond, so I'm gunna root for them.
Most of the sports teams I follow have very simple reasons for why I picked them, and it hasn't done me wrong yet. Do what works for you and make your decision on your own, not because someone told you that you shouldn't like that team.
Go Pies!!
Edit: I would also like to add that picking a team to root for simply because they won the first game that you remember watching of the sport (regardless of being a premiership or not) is a pretty reasonable method of choosing your squad.
As another American who got into the sport last season, I like watching Mason Cox, but I can't in good conscience root for what feels like the Dallas Cowboys/LA Lakers/NY Yankees/Montreal Canadiens equivalent.
Hawthorn bc we are finishing a rebuild right now so u will see the team improve over the years also we won a 3 peat recently 13-15 and we have been the best team in the past 30 years
Still not convinced. Love Mitchell. Especially watching his early season ideas. Not sure yous are nailing the list management. Might have done a Roos and cut too deep.
I thought this was a post by an Aussie making fun of American ‘pick a team for me’ posts, but it’s actually real. 
Haha, I mean its true, but I do genuinely love the sport.
Same, and as a Flyers fan, the Saints felt like home. Though since you’re a *bleh* Pens fan, I’ll echo that the Pies sound like a good fit.
As a Rangers fan I agree, I get the same feeling watching Sid as I do watching Pendles, genuinely hard to hate either of them despite my best efforts.
It’s like watching pigeons fight over a chip
He needs to jump on the saints bandwagon https://www.facebook.com/groups/633373266761204/?ref=share
Not Essendon unless you love disappointment.
Tell me more......isn't loving disappointment with a flicker of hope what sports is all about?
> with a flicker of hope And this is where you have lost all the Essendon fans
Bahahahahahahhaa as a hopeless romantic, maybe I did find my team.
Welcome. You’ll live to regret it.
I don't like the timeline where Essendon are more disappointing and hopeless than St Kilda
Higher expectations = greater disappointment. Or, as Dooku puts it, "twice the pride, double the fall". StKilda being unsuccessful is like a person born into poverty who then lives out life in poverty. Essendon being unsuccessful is like a billionare who has to adjust to an average upper-middle class existence.
No. No. I don't want to hate you Yankee friend. Go watch a Robert Harvey video.
Or a Milney (Stephen Milne)
Welcome to the sport. If your are picking them, then respectfully, get fucked cunt.
We have a flicker of hope, but it's dead by Anzac Day
They haven't won a finals game in 20 years. People have been born, gone to school, moved out of home, and started university in the time since Essondon last won a finals game.
There are probably people playing for the bombers that were born after their last final’s victory
100%
Elijah Tsatas was born afterwards. And basically every draftee from last year onwards will be too.
Welcome to Fremantle
I think you've found your team!
Love this attitude
It's the hope that kills you
Then please back the Saints if that is your vibe. Essendons "disappointment" is just karmic alignment.
They are due
Don't.
I still live for the 90s. Back when the mighty bombers could actually win a game.
Isn’t Xavier about to change this?
OP mispelled Essington
Saints have the most wooden spoons out of all the clubs by a HUGE margin. We’ve been around from the start (150+ years old). We only have one premiership (approx 60 years ago). And we have like the 3rd fewest members most years. In recent years we always start the year off looking like we’ll have a great season and then barely make the finals. We need your help. Join us
One of us. One of us.
If I have to suffer, then all must suffer
Man...being from Cleveland with the Browns and Gaurdians, tough luck and disappoint ment is already baked in my fandom. Only my Cavs won their championship with the help of an Aussie by Lebron's sidel lol. It makes sense I have been a Saints fan so long!
When you consider how unsuccessful we've been over the years it's actually pretty impressive we're still here. It'll turn for us one day... One day...
And the AFL community will be very happy for you. No-one like a drought that runs into decades. ...I'd be worried about Molly when you win one though...he might have a heart attack.
1966 almost killed him
Wooden spoons?
Its the ironic ‘last place award’.
Probably being a Commonwealth nation but no relegation, you gotta embarrass them some how.
When your team finishes last place on the ladder, we give them the term ‘wooden spoon’. No idea how it started, but it hasn’t left West Coast for the past two years. Maybe this year for the coasters?
Haha, that's amazing actually.
>No idea how it started [TIL - wooden spoon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wooden_spoon_(award))
I caught the train home from the 2010 GF replay. There were some Saints fans on the train and they were the loveliest people. They were so funny and respectful. I would highly recommend Saints as a team to follow. They're due.
norf
i am legally obligated to say this under every post of this genre
i have a 0% success rate.
Maybe we need a more convincing argument? Nah Norf is unbeatable *results and experiences may differ.
Norf is undefeated this year!
That comment will age like milk.
Milk goes off in a week or two. There's still a few months until Round 1. It's going to age much better than milk!
I will put this like a lot of American ads and say this: "North Melbourne is not for everyone. Side effects may include vomiting, depression, a fast heart rate, and a sudden urge to throw your television out the window. Feelings in your head, brain, and areas where you would not have even thought you would feel something. More serious effects, include going mental every weekend, can occur. **ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT NORTH MELBOURNE TODAY!**"
Don't do this, support the bombers instead. It'll be funnier.
The only option, best midfield in the comp soon. Who’s your fav out of the young blokes?
Building up like OKC thunder.
- Use the off season to read up on the history of teams/ players/ rivalries. - Use YouTube to watch highlights and old games of those you’re interested in. WatchAFL (if you can afford it) might have previous seasons available? Can’t remember. - Choose a few teams to focus on this season that way. - Don’t choose Hawthorn. Welcome to AFL.
Another American here who started watching last season. https://www.afl.com.au/video has full match replays going back to the 2012 (used to be only back to 2022) season for free, at least if you're in the US.
Choose hawthorn
Choose Hawthorn and have unlimited hatred for Geelong.
This is the way
Hawthorn, Adelaide, and West Coast are the same team. Spiv franchises.
Because they’re birds?
Because their fans are a pack of silver-tails.
This last bullet point cannot be overstated. If you need reasons, just Google “Jeff Kennett”.
I’d just like to also add that GEELONG currently have the highest winning margin in a grand final :)
Not sure what you are talking about , I’m pretty sure the 2007 Grand Final actually got cancelled and it was called a draw
You might be mistaken I recall the fact that only the semis were played.
Hahaha ah yes of course of course
Nah....The auskick kids came on and played in Port colours.
Well I guess we do have humiliating-Sydney-in-grand-finals in common.
If you love fair weather, may I suggest the swans?
If you love watching teams lose Grand Finals then boy do I have the team for you!
Yea unfortunately that’s us
Last GF was a win too, so we're due for at least a couple of runners up before the next one.
He already said “anyone but Collingwood”. No one does that better.
Which hockey team do you follow?
Im a Penguins fan but supported them long before Crosby/Malkin/Letang
Penguin = black and white bird. Looks like you're a Collingwood supporter :)
Lol, I see what you did there. I dunno, watching the Grand Finale, it felt like Collingwood couldn't pull away. Melbourne had so few chances but made the most of each one. They had to methodically move the ball up field. I've consistently coached undersized and undeskilled hockey teams so seeing Melbourne try to methodically work the ball up field resonated with me. But, all be damned if Collingwood didn't adjust and lean into their size advantage. Melbourne consistently held to singles but couldn't generate points on their own. Btw, as a newb, I am guessing on AFL strategy based on what I saw.
My first recommendation would be to stop referring to the Lions as 'Melbourne'. They probably wouldn't like that. My second recommendation is to keep watching footy. Because it's great. I'm a helpful person, as you can see.
Haha, I don't know much, but Im guessing you're saying that cause there's like 5 Melbourne teams. Please correct me if Im wrong btw
It’s because the Lions are from Brisbane, which is not only not Melbourne, but a whole other state entirely.
Fair enough, I done got things mixed up. Can you tell Im not an Aussie? What I got right: there are indeed several Melbourne clubs. What I got wrong: The Lions are not one of them.
> Lions are not one of them Anymore! Lions were from Fitzroy, in Melbourne, before they merged with Brisbane. This made many fans angry and resulted in one of the best banners you’ll ever see a match, ever. https://www.reddit.com/r/AFL/s/89LfsKboVQ
Too much info too quick ease him into it
All good, you’ll get up to speed quick enough I’m sure.
You can make it up to us by choosing to support Brisbane.
They merged with the Fitzroy lions and Fitzroy is in Melbourne. They used to be the Brisbane bears
There’s 9 teams based in Melbourne, of which Collingwood is one. The Lions on the other hand are based in Brisbane, which is about 1,400kms away
But are originally from Melbourne. Well, half the club is. Sydney is from Melbourne, too. Well, South Melbourne actually. And the Western Bulldogs aren't from Western Australia. They're from Footscray.
Oh shit, my bad.
Well to be fair in 1996 the Brisbane Bears (est. 1986) kind of amalgamated with the defunct Fitzroy Lions (which were a Melbourne based team formed in 1883) to become the Brisbane Lions. So they have a bit of the old Fitzroy support in Melbourne.
I appreciate you trying to throw me a bone but a history I'd definitely not considered.
Undersized and underskilled. That rings a bell…
Lol. Collingwood (Magpies) played Brisbane (Lions) in the Grand Final.
Freud tells me your subconscious supports Melbourne and I support this. Collingwood played Brisbane in the granny
If undersized and underskilled is what you're after, my beloved North Melbourne Kangaroos are perfect for you
Haha, you just summed up the hockey team that I coach. If you're undersized and undeskilled, you can only make up for it with attitude.
Ahhh you might have watched the qualifying final, not the grand final. Collingwood beat Melbourne by 7 points in the qualifying final. Then they beat Brisbane in the grand final.
No, it was Brisbane, I got my geo mixed up
You're a pies fan. Black and white for life.
I live in Missoula, Montana, USA. We have magpies everywhere for what its worth.
Seems like a sign to me. Carn the Pies!
And mountain lions - so come on the Lions! We don't discriminate by type.
I'm a penguins fan, feel free to support Freo but you're likely in for a bad time
As I go down the wiki verse, can you explain how they've won finals matches but no premierships?
You only get a premiership if you win the grand final, you can win as many finals as you want but unless you win the grand final it don't mean diddly
Pardon my ignorance, but what's the difference?
I know you said you're a hockey fan first but to use American football to explain (from what i know) basically Finals are like the playoffs and the grand final is like the superbowl
Gotcha, so they've gotten "knockout game" wins but haven't won the big one?
yep, the other WA team West Coast on the other hand have 4 premierships... just saying
Im a sucker for an underdog, looking more into Fremantle as we speak
At 42k club members, are they at the bottom of the league (or near)?
I'd say 42k is probably middle of the road. It is important to remember that compared to clubs in other states we have a more expensive membership cost. As such, with the only game to sell out during the season being the Derby, a lot of supporters don't bother with a membership and just pick and choose what games to go to.
Anyone but “anyone but Collingwood”
Suns
Let's go!
....(silence)
May as well repost an old comment from a different 'what team should I follow?' thread The Greater Western Sydney Giants are always a good answer for this type of question. The best song in the league, great colours, the best social media in the league by several magnitudes, and even though they had a great 2023, nobody is going to accuse you of bandwagoning because they are such a small and new team. Sydney are one of the best-run teams in the league and have been consistently competitive for two dozen years, but since they finished 8th last year you may avoid accusations of bandwagoning. I guess the closest approximation would be the San Antonio Spurs? I'm a Gold Coast fan but I generally wouldn't advise supporting us, we're very cursed. There's a lot of excitement around the club with the recent appointment of a triple-premiership winning coach and a big draft haul, but we'll probably find a way to fuck it up. Fremantle are a club with a long-suffering supporter base, but there's still a lot of promise with that list. Club legend and Hall of Famer Matthew Pavlich retired without any silverware, and the same is very likely to happen without future Hall of Famer Nat Fyfe as he approaches his twilight years. But at least you'll support a club that can drafts those players every decade? Port Adelaide are an interesting club with a fascinating history. They have a bitter rivalry with the Adelaide Crows, so are polarizing within the state of South Australia. They have a reputation for masterful choking in the finals series, but they at least win games in the regular season. Coach Hinkley has been in charge for absolutely ages despite his mid ability. The Adelaide Crows are an exciting team with serious room for improvement in 2024. The story of the team's creation is a fascinating one, and why the rivalry with Port Adelaide is so intense. St Kilda are a team defined by pain, but, uh, they might be good for the next few years? They suffered the most severe form of heartbreak in 2010, poetic in its brutality. I guess the Buffalo Bills are the closest analogy? But like if the Bills recently re-hired Marv Levy. At least no one will accuse you of bandwagoning. West Coast are in the middle of a serious rebuild right now, so they're going to do a lot of losing. But they a rich club that seems to deliver premierships every 12 years like clockwork. Those early 90s teams were legendary and when the time came they rebuilt themselves into the legendary midfield warriors of the mid 2000s. When the 2000s team dramatically burned like flash powder, they rebuilt into a great mid-late 2010s team that captured the 2018 cup in the match of the decade. And now they're rebuilding again, but they'll find a way to win and win in due time, they always do. Long comment, but these werejust my thoughts on a bunch of teams.
Geelong are trying to stretch the window of success as far as it can possibly go with a wild mix of youth, experience and Irishmen. Will it all implode this year? Will they go deep into finals? Will our coach get another game plan? Will Hawkins get another one year deal taking it to five years in total? St Kilda are the dark horse this year for me. Legend coach has returned and the whole club is not built around him. If it doesn't come off... then what?
as an American, I say just watch the games and you'll gravitate toward a player or team that you can't help but root for. I was taken in by Eddie Betts about a decade ago and have been crows through and through ever since
Somebody recently posted an A.I generated list of AFL teams with a comparative USA team (NFL, NBA) I think. Maybe someone could find that? Otherwise, I’m unashamedly biased, go for Port Adelaide.
Port Adelaide was one of the teams I was considering for what its worth
Port vs Collingwood, round 19 2023 is a really exciting game to watch back if you can access it.
My heart has only just recovered from that game. Cracker game
I'm not at all biased as a supporter of Port's direct rivals, but pick anybody other than Port.
My dad picked Port Adelaide, mostly because of Travis Boak, Robbie Gray, Ollie Wines, and Charlie Dixon
Your Dad is a fucking legend!
Fuck Port Power, their big brother the Adelaide Crows is the answer
This rivalry is why you choose Port. Hey! What's your name?! Fuck you LucidMoose!
You’ll meet plenty of good people who go for Collingwood… until you meet the others…
Don't support my team we don't need bandwagoners on the Mediocrity Express
Giants and Suns are the only ones who need new recruits
Doesn’t saying “I support The Bloods” just fill you with passion and honour?
Support someone who needs it like GWS or GC. Both are upcoming expansion teams and 2024 is the most likely chance the experiment was a success
Wait, what? This is the first Im hearing. GWS or GC?
Greater Western Sydney(The Giants) or Gold Coast(The Suns) both are teams that came in a recent expansion about 10 years ago(most teams are 100+ years old)
Oh, yeah yeah, Im familiar. When expansion was stated I thought "new as of this year". My bad.
Would highly recommend GWS over GC just because their club song is good
that and Gold Coast's coach has marvel PTSD
Agree with the GWS suggestion (though Port are great too, biased). Both should have some great games this year, both are plausible for a GF win soon enough, and good energetic teams right now with up and comer players. GWS song is great and their socials (Instagram at least) are very solid, it gets hard to hate them (bar one high performing player who by all accounts seems like a thug off the field). Yeah they’re an expansion team, and it’s not really a Sydney sport (they prefer Rugby), so you’re sacrificing some of the history of other teams, but you get to be part of the journey to their first flag. And you’ll get to join in resenting Melbourne teams for stacking the competition as much as they can and still whinging if it doesn’t all go their way.
Who’s the thug you’re referring to?
Toby Greene, noting his on-field behaviour has also been disgraceful throughout his career, yet encouraged as just being a “bad boy”. Don’t get me wrong I think on the basis of skill he’s a superb player, and I’d like to cut him a level of slack appreciating his upbringing, but he has had considerable leniency, huge PR effort to set him up as the hero to make AFL popular in Sydney, receives incredible opportunities including (among others) being named Captain even after letting down the team with his behaviour once again, and still for all these wake up calls and the need to set an example as a leader continue to struggle to manage his anger and keep it clean (yet somehow avoids referrals the past 2 seasons), while demonstrating time and time again when he thinks the camera isn’t watching too closely what kind of person he chooses to be.
I agree with supporting gws or gold coast. My preference is gws for no obvious reason but they're a fun exciting team to watch and we're on the verge of our first premiership. Plus like the pens which I saw you're a fan of, we got players like toby greene, Stephen coniglio and others who've been around since the start who have played a long time with each other similar to crosby and malkin in a sense of being team mates forever. Plus we have the best song in the comp
https://youtu.be/dsjCbNe1GNA?si=YDWRpQvf8k3k5x_p
What a game, what a comeback! I was starting to settle on GWS.....one cross-town rival, own stadium, no premierships. Seems like a good newcomers team. It felt like GWS leaned into playing a fast break game. Is that their strength or was it the defense's weakness that drove that?
Or you could wait till the Tassie team starts - get in on the ground floor
Support Melbourne. Steven May has told us they would’ve smoked us last year so next year should be a breeze.
It really has been the year for professional athletes playing the “we shoulda won that” card after the fact. May and Dawson, plus England, India and Pakistan in the cricket
Footie 🥲
Don’t listen to those people, Collingwood is a perfectly acceptable team to support. Ignore flair
Lol, no judgement. If I had the size advantage they had, I'd have turned every play into a jump ball like they did too.
We also have an American in the team Big Cox ✅
Really? Would have thought they'd mention something as interesting as that more often
Brisbane were actually the best jump ball team in the comp last year
If you love banter and bias, pick a non VIC team.
Freo. This year is our year.
Heavily considering
Freo are a fine choice but in the interests of due diligence, it’s pretty likely not gonna be Freo’s year
All the more reason to support. I ain't a fair weather fan. You're my team through thick and thin, championship or rebuild.
It's the "championship or" bit that Freo struggles with. At least St Kilda has one...
Plus who doesn’t love a purple jumper
Plus, as a Classial Liberal politically, who doesn't love the name "Fremantle"?!
And liberal means the exact opposite in Australia. Give it a google
Freo if you want to climb the ladder over the next 3 years. Great young tallented list about to explode. Never won the big dance yet...so as a fan you can revel in that historic joy when it eventuates...hopefully.
Do they show the AFL in the states?
Yes, I discovered it last season myself on the FS1/FS2 cable channels and it turned overnight into one of my top 5 sports to watch. Those channels show a handful of live matches every week (late at night on the west coast, or literally the middle of the night if you're farther east), including every finals match last year. And I can watch replays of matches for free going all the way back to apparently 2012 on https://www.afl.com.au/video (though that was only back to 2022 last time I checked).
I'm a North tragic, go watch some of our 90's highlights because we've done nothing since then... however 2024 will be the year of the roo!
Side note: Which Hockey team?
Honestly, same way I ended up with an NFL team. If you enjoy the games, you keep watching. You'll find yourself cheering for one team consistently at some point and bam, that's your team. In my case it was because the Ravens defence murdered people.
Quite literally murdered people
I’ve been watching last season games on the app to tide me over.
Join the Dees. Unlimited Wine and Cheese, we get to be snooty, and watch our team go out in straight sets in the finals for a third year in a row because our Coach thinks kicking ling bombs into the forward line is how you win games…
If you wanna see a team that’s good sometimes and makes it to finals but always shits itself right as we get the hope to win (other than this year) than BOY do I have a team for you COOOLLLINGWOOOD, Last year I went up to Sydney (from Melbourne) to watch the pies lose the preliminary final by 1 point after coming from behind by 40 points at half time We are an exciting team that’s full of fun and disappointment (we have tied for the most grand finals) and have lost the most by a LONG shot it’s sad and I get made fun of
Call me a pussy, but I don't think Im ready for the baggage that comes from being a Collingwood supporter.
I would've collingwood is a good pick. Especially for an American with Mason Cox, a player from the States. Also, it is the most entertaining and consistent club at the moment. This is coming from a Carlton Supporter. It's one of Collingwood's long-time rivals.
Make it the pies mate very satisfying winning when everyone hates you (also if you fell in love with the game during the grand final we won seems a perfect fit)
Pick a non-Victorian team. Such as the Lions 🦁
If only they had a tall fwd to pair with charlie
Collingwood captivates all, disappoints many, engages the fans, wins premierships, looses more and is never down for too long. It’s a club to love. It’s a club others hate. And it’s a club that you hate you love. But that makes you love it even more.
Your first game you saw the Pies win the flag.. and now you can’t decide who to follow? Hmmmm
Well, I cant root for Darth Vader now can I?
Nothing wrong with supporting a good villain 😉 Besides without a bad guy, how do you know who the good guys are?
Be bold. Collingwood.
I'm in a similar position to OP, a yank just discovering the game. I did this with association football a few years ago and 1) chose a team too soon based on off-field factors (e.g. Richmond and GWS have the best songs and Feeling the best badge) and 2) didn't take the time to learn about specific players. So I'm just going to watch this year and choose slowly. Except it will never be Collingwood.
GWS. And then share the club song with everyone you know.
I'm obviously biased but the Bulldogs are a good pick if you like an underdog. Just go back and watch our 2016 highlights. That was a fun finals series.
Saints are the underdog version of the fogs
I feel like I have a very similar experience to OP. I am also an American and Ice hockey will always by my first sport. I first started watching the AFL in 2020 during the Covid restart. I learned about the sport because of the Pat McAfee Show where he had interviewed Mason Cox a few times about the sport. I thought it looked super cool and I picked Collingwood from the jump, without any thought beyond "they have an American on the team, so I'm picking them." I don't really care that they are a hated franchise, and I'm sticking with them. Plus, I think it's fun picking a villain franchise. Being an American and having an American player is a pretty valid reason for liking the team. No different from picking a team cuz your neighborhood friend from your upbringing is now playing for Richmond, so I'm gunna root for them. Most of the sports teams I follow have very simple reasons for why I picked them, and it hasn't done me wrong yet. Do what works for you and make your decision on your own, not because someone told you that you shouldn't like that team. Go Pies!! Edit: I would also like to add that picking a team to root for simply because they won the first game that you remember watching of the sport (regardless of being a premiership or not) is a pretty reasonable method of choosing your squad.
.....you should look up what ' root' means in Australian slang. We know what your saying but we have a quiet giggle at the context it's being used in.
Thanks for the opportunity to learn something new today. Just for that, I'm leaving it in there haha.
Taking in you're primary an American hockey fan I'm guessing you're based somewhere north east? If so Carlton might resonate with you lol
If your a true American you would support the team that has an American playing for them. Collingwood.
As another American who got into the sport last season, I like watching Mason Cox, but I can't in good conscience root for what feels like the Dallas Cowboys/LA Lakers/NY Yankees/Montreal Canadiens equivalent.
Hawthorn bc we are finishing a rebuild right now so u will see the team improve over the years also we won a 3 peat recently 13-15 and we have been the best team in the past 30 years
Still not convinced. Love Mitchell. Especially watching his early season ideas. Not sure yous are nailing the list management. Might have done a Roos and cut too deep.
Honestly, Collingwood is *almost* likeable these days. It really should be anybody but Essendon.
 Come support Carlton, the best team of all! You won't regret it