Posted by: @courtenay

... Originally the South Melbourne Swans, that is, before Sydney poached them in the early 1980s. Brisbane, which already had its own team, the Brisbane Bears, did the same with the Fitzroy (suburb of Melbourne) Lions some years later. I was torn between outrage for the fact that another Melbourne-based team had been nicked, and relief for the fact that the now Brisbane Lions had stopped calling themselves the Bears while using a koala (i.e. not a bear) for their mascot...

Yes the teams in both AFL & NRL have all changed since the 1980's even. The original structure of the NRL was mainly Sydney-centric. Parramatta & Manly were both introduced into present competition in 1947, when I wasn't even born. Penrith & Cronulla weren't added until after I left school in 1966.  Two early teams which have gone by the board include the Newtown Jets & the North Sydney Bears. The original West Sydney Magpies merged with the Balmain Tigers, & are now the West Sydney Tigers. I remember as a child on a visit to Taronga zoo asking my Dad where the Balmain Tigers were kept there. St George, the top team in 1964, merged with the Illawarra Steelers, based in Wollongong, whilst the Newcastle Knights are in-law family favourites, since most live in the Hunter district. 

The Warriors, a New Zealand team, have had it particularly tough this year since they had to stay permanently in Queensland because of the COVID-19. None of the three Queensland teams got to the finals this year, either. I don't watch any football teams much, though sometimes I have been listening to them on radio to see how Penrith is going. It was different when I used to go out to the footy with my Dad to barrack for St George (Dragons) on his access visits. 

Thanks for your lists of the Western Australian, South Australian & Queensland teams. Isn't it a little strange that Tasmania & Northern Territory don't field any football teams when I have heard that AFL is very popular there? 

Ah yes, but that's all just chopping and changing of rugby teams within NSW. It was specifically Melbourne Aussie Rules teams being bought out by Sydney and Brisbane that got Melburnians a bit hot under the collar.  

@courtenay

So how did Melbourne Storm in Rugby League come to be? Weren't they Melbourne's revenge for the Swans?  

Nah, couldn't be, because they weren't a Sydney team that was nicked by Melbourne. I gather it was mainly to do with rugby league becoming increasingly popular in Victoria in the 1990s and so it was officially decided to add a Melbourne team to the national competition. But if I recall rightly, the Storm's performance was terrible for at least their first few years, so I don't think they were much of a "revenge" for anything.  

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

Thanks for your lists of the Western Australian, South Australian & Queensland teams. Isn't it a little strange that Tasmania & Northern Territory don't field any football teams when I have heard that AFL is very popular there? 

Just saw this part — I remember Hawthorn (the Hawks) had a deal with Tasmania some years ago to be their "official" team on the AFL and the players had a badge reading TASMANIA on their gurnseys, but I don't know if that's still going. Tasmania and the NT certainly have local league teams playing Aussie Rules football, but I don't know why they haven't (yet) had at least one team of their own join the AFL. It possibly will happen in time, unless the powers that be decide the league is big enough already — I know there was a bit of controversy about that when GWS and the Gold Coast joined. (Oops, I forgot about the Gold Coast Suns when I was listing the non-Victorian teams.)

We also have plenty of non-AFL teams in Victoria as well, playing in local leagues, including in my home town — the Inverloch Sea Eagles. I don't follow any of them myself, but I do have a family connection to one team, the Sandringham Zebras (based in another Melbourne suburb but not an AFL member), as my late grandfather played for them.  

@courtenay

Interesting names they all have & how they move around. I didn't know your local team at Inverloch was the Sea Eagles. The Sea Eagles in Sydney are Manly, which joined the NRL just after World War II, along with Parramatta. Manly was always the team we opposed on principle because it was considered the Silvertail club, & the popular one with the Sydney Press. Neighbours of ours who moved first to near Maitland, then down to the North Shore, when their mother needed specialist medical treatment, were less than impressed that their Penrith origins were looked down upon. My father & his lady friend were great supporters of the Manly Rugby Union side, & wanted their ashes thrown over the goal posts at their local field. Unfortunately by the time he died, he'd forgotten to let me know.  

You were saying about the Gold Coast Suns, in the AFL. I suppose a second AFL team from Queensland might have been a bit much to digest. I know I thought so when the Gold Coast Giants joined the NRL comp. Now the Giants are Greater Western Sydney's AFL team. Both Gold Coast & Greater Western Sydney are now cities in their own right, especially when the Gold Coast hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

The Gold Coast Giants are the Titans now. For a long time in the NRL the Queenslanders had their own separate Rugby League system with a bit of interstate rivalry with NSW, I think. But first we had the Broncos who from the start were a fantastic team, to represent Brisbane. This year they got the wooden spoon for the first time since they joined. The other two teams weren't much good either. The third team is the Cowboys, based at Townsville & with champions like Jonathan Thurston they were really good, but not this year.

After next weekend's grand final, the State of Origin is about to be held, probably a better time for it, instead of concurrently as has been for the past 30 years. It is usually played on Wednesday nights, it is always NSW & Queensland & the losing state has to fly the winning state's flag in its Capital. On top of Sydney's Harbour Bridge no less. Mostly Queensland wins, but maybe not this year.

Meanwhile we have the Storm to oppose on Sunday. No they weren't much when they started, like you say. But they are now the most feared team in the NRL competition with all of Melbourne behind them, no doubt. For once, the Sydney Press is Penrith all the way.  

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

I didn't know your local team at Inverloch was the Sea Eagles.

Well, that's just a small local league - West Gippsland (and to be exact, they're the Inverloch-Kongwak Sea Eagles, Kongwak being a smaller town further inland that obviously isn't big enough to have a football team of its own). I don't actually follow them at all, I'm just aware that's what they're called!  

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

After next weekend's grand final, the State of Origin is about to be held, probably a better time for it, instead of concurrently as has been for the past 30 years. It is usually played on Wednesday nights, it is always NSW & Queensland & the losing state has to fly the winning state's flag in its Capital. On top of Sydney's Harbour Bridge no less. Mostly Queensland wins, but maybe not this year.

Oh, I know. I lived for a year in one of the halls of residence at Griffith University, which is right next to Brisbane's main rugby stadium. Getting woken between 2 and 3 am by a bunch of sloshed students roaring "QUEENSLANDERRRRR!!!" right under my window wasn't that much fun.  

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

Meanwhile we have the Storm to oppose on Sunday. No they weren't much when they started, like you say. But they are now the most feared team in the NRL competition with all of Melbourne behind them, no doubt.

Nice to know... as I said, I don't follow rugby at all, and it's nearly 10 years since I was living in Melbourne. I knew the Storm had got better, but didn't know they'd reached the top. Well, may the best team win...  

That quote of yours below suggests you are talking about Suncorp Stadium, the main Brisbane 

Well, this weekend is definitely one to watch out for. The AFL Grand Final is today, with Richmond Tigers up against Geelong Cats. The Penrith Panthers vs The Melbourne Storm  will be not until tomorrow evening. The weather will be stormy for both matches, with rain predicted from Queensland to Victoria. Maybe I don't want to see....  I hope it will be the Felidae all the way, but the Weather might say otherwise. As you say, may the best team win. 

 

Posted by: @courtenay

Oh, I know. I lived for a year in one of the halls of residence at Griffith University, which is right next to Brisbane's main rugby stadium. Getting woken between 2 and 3 am by a bunch of sloshed students roaring "QUEENSLANDERRRRR!!!" right under my window wasn't that much fun.    

 

@waggawerewolf27 No, it was ANZ Stadium (may have since changed its name) in Mount Gravatt, just opposite Griffith University. As for the AFL Grand Final, I'll support Geelong out of family tradition (I have relatives who barrack for Geelong), but Richmond are a good team too and I really don't mind who wins. Over here, anyway, it's late Friday night and I'm going to bed!  

Well, that is very good that you don't mind either way. Because the Storm won. On a bitterly cold & stormy Sunday night they held the Panthers 22-0 at half time, & though the Panthers put in a vastly improved effort in the second half, they ran out of time, at 26-20.   Down south of the border, the Richmond Tigers won the AFL premiership over the Geelong Cats. By the way, we now have a parallel Rugby League Women's competition, with the Broncos  (Brisbane) winning their Grand Final, over the Sydney Roosters. It is Melbourne's week to crow a little, especially if the powers that be down there finally open their borders to the rest of Australia, promised for November 1st at the latest. 

What a year of dashed hopes! The best year of Panther's existence with 17 straight wins, plus a draw, only to lose at the end. Well, there is always next year. We were lucky to have had the competition at all, this year, due to lockdowns etc.

No, I don't think that ANZ stadium has changed its name, because Suncorp Stadium did get mentioned all along right through the season. I thought ANZ statium was the latest name for the main Olympic stadium at Olympic Park at Homebush, another main venue. There are five million people apiece in Melbourne & Sydney, & I suspect that Brisbane is not far behind them, so they probably have quite a few major stadiums. The name changes seem to have more to do with changeing sponsorships, which is confusing. 

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

Well, that is very good that you don't mind either way. Because the Storm won.

Hmmm. You're lucky I have zero interest in rugby, or I wouldn't be letting you forget this.  

@courtenay 

If you were a Rugby League fan yes you might "rub it in" a bit. Melbourne has won four premierships so far, whilst Penrith has battled to win even two. They have been in Grand Finals before without winning as well, notably in 1990. That time it was against Canberra, but the following year, when again both teams faced off in the Grand Final, Penrith learned from their mistakes, & won it. It gave the area so much of a boost in confidence that year, in the "recession we had to have". 

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

If you were a Rugby League fan yes you might "rub it in" a bit. Melbourne has won four premierships so far, whilst Penrith has battled to win even two.

All right, just hand me even more ammo while you're at it...  

Oh well, I think I will just have a quiet cry in a nice quiet corner.   See you later.  

@waggawerewolf27 You do know I was only kidding, don't you? I wouldn't truly want to reduce you (or anyone) to crying in the corner, honestly.