One Fark Carltoner at grandparent level, a dad who patronisingly said “there’s always next year” at 3/4 time in 1984 (you can make him involuntarily twitch simply by saying “Leon Baker”), and niece bizarrely Norf.
No one else cares/cared (both parents from NSW).
I believe I jumped on board in 1981 when we won 15 in a row.
Grandma’s Team - one was born in England (who peacefully passed away last night aged 104) and didn’t follow footy but had a connection with St Kilda as she spent time there when first in Australia. My other grandmother is where the Essendon link comes from. Story goes her cousin played a few under 19 matches
Dad’s Team - Melbourne
Mum’s Team - Essendon
Siblings Team(s) - all 3 go for Melbourne. The 2000 grand final was so sweet. My only saving grace about last year is they were not able to be there in person
Spouses Team - nominally the Lions - the connection was she went to primary school with the Fitzroy player Garry Wilson’s son. Really she has no interest in footy other than hoping the Bombers win given I will be less likely to be sulking
Dad’s parents Essendon (grandfather’s older brother played a few games)
Mums parents StK (lived in StK after relocating from Qld)
Dad Ess Mum StK
Sister StK
Ms frosty - “stop reading blitz, why do you care?”
Kids - Ess, Ess, WBD (but he doesn’t really care beyond baiting his older siblings)
Dad was a Fitzroy supporter, never met his Mother and only recently tracked down his Father so no idea.
Mothers family back to the Stone Age were North Melbourne supporters. All fanatic, rabid and very nasty at the footy. Even my sweet mother became a monster during a game and worse if Kangas lost. Her oldest brother, my Uncle George married into a Richmond family who were worse. In the 1970’s, their entire house (in Richmond) was painted black and yellow. Every room, and included the roof, with huge tiger face on the front door.
Also I forgot to add my daughters. My 9 year old is passionate about the Bombers yet won’t really watch a game with me. My 7 year currently doesn’t want to have a team as she is worried she will upset either me or her cousins.
I’m taking them both on Saturday night. So a win would do a lot to win them over!
Dad’s side - my grandfather, grew up in Union Rd Ascot Vale, Essendon Supporter
All this side of the family is strong Essendon.
Dad - Essendon
My 1 brother and 2 sisters - Essendon through and through
Mum’s side - grew up in Camberwell, half supported Hawthorn until one of the family married Geoff Williams who played for Geelong. Family then became strong Geelong supporters apart from my Mum who went with Essendon to support her husband!
My wife was Essendon but now doesn’t care and my 3 daughters are Essendon in name only, they don’t follow football at all. The supplements saga killed any chance I had of having family members watch the footy with me.
Dads parents: both staunch Norwood members in Norwood heartland. Sponsors and on board for a while aswell as my Grandfather playing a few reserves games there. Grandfather died before I was born but Nan supported the Crows when they came in.
Mums parents: Immigrated to Australia and settled in NSW so didn’t follow Aussie rules at all until their death.
Dad: Lifelong Norwood member, sponsor, coterie club etc but doesn’t really follow AFL closely but has come with me to Essendon games and has casual support for us.
Mum: Grew up in NSW so didn’t see her first game of Aussie rules until she married Dad and moved to SA. Very passionate Norwood supporter but causal support for Crows and Essendon. She does actually sit down and watch every game of every round though.
Brother 1: Fitzroy member until their demise and couldn’t stomach the Brisbane takeover so converted to the Dees.
In one way I was happy for him that they won last year. Chooks member and goes to nearly every game
Brother 2: Very casual supporter, more interested in snow skiing around the world. Living in NSW now he is more into League as a Chooks member.
Wife: Was a Crows member but I refused to go to games so she drifted away and has now been a Essendon member for 5 years and supports us.
Son: Was Essendon member but deserted us when the Suns come in. I do give him heaps but they will probably see success before we do
Mum was a South Melbourne supporter because she lived just down the road from the Lake Oval, and could get into the ground for free at 3qr time.
Other than that no other footy supporters at all apart from my brother and I who started following Essendon because we lived nearby. That decision didnt break mum’s heart as she had done the same thing.
Once the Swans moved to Sydney she crossed to Essendon…haha.
“They’re not the Sydney Swans as much as they are the Sydney Ducks”, she used to say, “they’ve lost me now”.
What a dear old soul she was. Once my brother and I made the long journey to watch the Bombers play the Swans at the Lake Oval, the Bombers won and after we got home, she told us she was praying for an Essendon win because of the effort two kids made to see the game, so we wouldn’t be coming home disappointed.
I grew up in Strathmore and my Nanna and Poppa on my Mum’s side lived in Nicholson St Essendon, so as kids we spent far more time with Mum’s side of the family than Dads (Ringwood), which contributed to us all going for the Dons.
Plus, Dad was the most neurotic Collingwood supporter possible. Having watched them lose about 10 Grand Finals from the 50’s through to 1990’s I don’t think he even wanted us to support them.
Thanks mate. It was a sensational innings and very peaceful in the end. She cracked the ton for time in Australia after having spent her first 4 years in England.
Dad’s side
Grandfather claimed to have played a couple games for Footscray’s reserves before WWII. Later moved from regional VIC to WA. Supported Claremont but later West Coast. Grandmother died of TB in the late 40’s, so have no idea.
Mum’s side
Grandfather farmer from Lancefield, Essendon all the way, mostly Essendon in the family. Few Geelong in there.
My Nan supported Melbourne but also fond of the Borough. Her brother was President there for a few years in the 50’s and has a street named after him near North Port Oval.
Dad
Been an Essendon member for decades, still goes. Didn’t have a VFL team when he moved to Melbourne in the 70’s, followed Subiaco in the days when many interstate didn’t have a VFL team, started following EFC after meeting Mum. Has a half brother based in WA who became an Essendon tragic independent of him.
Mum
Essendon
Sister
Essendon. Two of her three boys don’t mind Essendon but still yet to show much enthusiasm for footy or sport in general being half Euro, their primary school has a red and black uniform. The youngest will receive the xmas present footy jumper.
Ms S
Doesn’t care for sport or the All Blacks one bit but reckons footy is heaps better as a code, loves watching Tippa. Being Cantabrian, red and black are their rugby colours, so via me Essendon.