Why some don't support Australia???

[Blanch]

READ FIRST: This is not a topic to flame others in. It's meant to get some understanding behind what drives others to follow other teams. If you wish to flame then please, for my sake, don't post in this thread.

Now to the topic. I've read some of the posts here and also met some very Australian people who choose to follow other teams in international sport. I'm curious to find out what drives others to follow another country in battle.

I look forward to your replies.

[Donny]

Good stuff, Blanch. I know Anthony, for one, will be pleased to tell us why he loves the Windies.

Also Joe: Windies
I@n: England
JLC: New Zealand, England, anyone playing against the Aussies, really.

Personally, it's the Aussies all the way but I have recently been following the Bangers with great interest. I'd be stoked if they could knock off the Poms.

[Blanch]

I'll help out by saying I love the Aussies in everything. I respect certain individuals from other countries but nothing as a team comes close....it's a bit like saying I respect M.Voss as a player but could NEVER support anyone but the pies.

I'm keen to hear all the points of view.

[JLC]

I used to go for Australia and loved players such as Dean Jones. However i dont like the on field behaviour of the Australians and boring players like Bevan. As players i like most of them but Brett Lee carries on like and idiot as does McGrath.

The same goes for the International Rules series. I am basically going for Ireland because i dont like the bully boy tactics of the Aussies. The irish are amateurs and the aussies are meant to be professionals!!!!! So of course Australia should win. Yet they have to act like school yard bullies.

In the soccer i go for England and Australia because i follow the english premier league and love their passionate supporters

jlc

[commonwombat]

I am another who may come under Blanch's fire.

My reasons are twofold. Firstly I do have dual citizenship of Australia and South Africa. I was born here but was taken to SA by my Sth African mother as a nipper. Much of my upbringing and education was in Sth Africa, except for @3 yrs in teens spent in OZ, where I learnt to speak English, hence little accent. Came here nearly 20 yrs ago after finishing Natl Service.

I still support Sth Africa in cricket and rugby and admit some vibes watching top class Sth Africans compete in other sport and events like Olympics. In these 2 sports, I frankly will barrack for whovever is playing against Aus. Whilst I deeply admire some individuals in each of these sports; the attitudes, behavior and images involved with these sports here have rubbed me up the wrong way and all too frequently appear sore losers.

On the other hand, I proudly profess to being a v strong supporter of Aus womens sports. Yes, and the obvious factor you thought doesn't really come into it. This is on the grounds that they frequently massively outperform their male counterparts whilst receiving much less money, sponsorship and media attention and are far better ambassadors. My cases in point would include Hockey, basketball, netball.

OK, I may be a heretic but at least I've stuck my furry hide on the line.

[Blanch]

Let me state I'm not here to flame anyone, as the start of my thread suggests. I'm just after a little perspective. If we all thought alike the world would be bloody boring!!! This topic is not to change anyones mind, simply for me to try to understand it...."try" being the operative word.

I think I'm too proud being an Aussie not to barrack for us.

[commonwombat]

No offence was taken!!!

Just figured I would be one who would be covered by this topic. May I add that one reason may well be, as I mentioned in my post, that many Aussies have became increasingly repelled by repeated boorish behavior by a minority but prominent sportspeople.

Hopefully this country will never degenerate into another America with their blind jingoistic nationalism. I went to the 84 LA Olympics and it made me sick. An Australian sportsmen should not demand immediate unquestioning support and respect. That should be earned as result of his/her performance and the way they go about their business.

[tazza2000]

I will support anything australian (Bar Lleyton Hewitt) in every sport. I don't have a second preferance but I'm a HUGE fan of the underdog so I often support the minnows.

There are a few teams I really dislike...

[HAL]

Where are they?

[couragous cloke]

Good Question Blanch...

Well i suppose the reason why i started barricking for the windies was because of my Dad, i remember when i was little whenwe talked about cricket, we'd talk about the great west indies side, of course my dad didnt barrick for the windies but he used to tell me how they destroyed everyone with there pace bowlers, i fell inlove with them after that, and after Lara Hit 153 to beat the Aussies in 99 i COMPLETELY fell inlove with the Caribbean and the great man Brian Lara.

Brian Lara is my idol, although im no where NEAR as talented as he is i have the exact same batting stance and action as he does (years of watching him) im a left hander, and they all call me charlie now... lol donny

My brother who also fell in love with the windies stays up with me during the night for Test matches, ODI's ect... If its west indies... We're THERE!

Onto Australia... Well when the westindies arent playing, i go for anyone who's playing australia, for a few reasons

1- they are so bloody good, i wanna see the underdog win
2- Brett Lee (enough said)
3- General Cockyness of the team
4- So many Damb NSW's players in the team... P.S Inness should be playing for australia.

So yeh i hope that explains it for ya Blancho

[Donny]

The Bangers scare the hell out of England in the first Test and in this one, England get to 0/126 and then lose their top 4 for 8 runs in 5 overs.

Then England realise they're supposed to be much better at this game than these little Bangladeshis and Hussain and Clarke nurdle out a stand of 116 in 52 overs (pul-eeease!).

Then they sqeeze out a few more runs before the Bangers take the last 5 wickets for 13 runs !!

Go the Bangers !!

[Newelly]

Courageous Cloke on your criteria Viv Richards was the epitome of arrogance as is Lara.

Do you recall Richie Richardsons comments after Australia won back the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy in the Carribean all those years ago?

Australia are very good and some of their attitude is arrogance but the other part is simply knowing you are good and having the ability and confidence to know you can win no matter who or where you are playing.

Any all-conquering team has that attitude. It's what helps keep them at the top of their game and intimidates opposition players. Nothing is more intimidating than the All Blacks Haka when they are in the midst of a crushing winning streak.

Viv Richards once said "Doesn't matter who you pick or where you play we`ll beat you" - those weren't his exact words but pretty close to it. Is that arrogance or simply knowing you are the best team in the world?

We do have players who engage in sledging, but the South Africans and Kiwis dish out as much. Its also rumoured that the Indian captain, Ganguly is widely disliked in cricketing circles as being petulant, aloof and arrogant.

I`m a West Aussie but we are producing no new good players at present and lets face it NSW has the biggest population in Australia so the law of probability decrees that they are going to field more players in the 1st XI then any other state.

For the record the best team is comprised off:

Hayden QLD
Langer WA
Ponting TAS
Martyn WA
Lehman SA
Waugh NSW
Gilchrist WA
Warne VIC
Lee NSW
Gillespie SA
McGrath NSW


2 SA
3 NSW
1 VIC
1 TAS
1 QLD
3 WA

WA has just as many as NSW.

Sorry for the rant just thought the arguments need some counter balance.

[Joel]

Australia all the way for me.

[Donny]

Good post, Newelly. Can't agree about W.A. though.

They have Hussey and Campbell on the edge of the National team, at least for the ODIs and good young players in spinnner, Beau Casson, batsman, Marcus North and pace bowler, Peter Worthington who took 9/115 and hit 50 against the Redbacks in the opening Pura Cup game.

And don't forget those other youngsters, Jo Angel and Blocker Wilson.

[I_love_Clokey]

I love Australia and everything that goes with it!! I don't even think about supporting another country when Australia is involved, I love the Aussie cricket team, I love the wallabies. I just love everything to do with Australian sport!!!