Region of origin

[BeeEmmAre]

After driving there 3 days in a row from the city, I'd classify it as West.
1/2 hr drive is not "inner" in my books!!

When you're driving an hour east to get to the "west", I consider anything from Parramatta in to be "Sydney City"

[desredandwhite]

When you're driving an hour east to get to the "west", I consider anything from Parramatta in to be "Sydney City"

I concur!!

[ScottH]

When you're driving an hour east to get to the "west", I consider anything from Parramatta in to be "Sydney City"

I concur!!

Maybe you guys live in the outer outer west??

[snajik]

After driving there 3 days in a row from the city, I'd classify it as West.
1/2 hr drive is not "inner" in my books!!

Sounds like you were running red lights to get there in half an hour.

[ScottH]

Sounds like you were running red lights to get there in half an hour.

Haha. No, no, just doing the average 10kmph. (Esp around Concord)

[AnnieH]

Yeah, but it can take that long from Newtown to the city too.

Exactly!!!

[sharp9]

So how many genuine Non-Australians are there here? My mother in Law is, frankly horrified...not to mention mystified that I don't even bother to tape a late replay of an All Blacks match, these days. It's my cultural heritage, but I couldn't give a rats now to be honest. Nowadays I can just about bring myself to go "rats we lost," when reading the result...but that's it.

Love to hear SEN and the Scottish, English, Irish, Canadian, Kiwi accents all ringing up to ping their favourite whipping boy and using the "correct" terminology never used in any other sport; "up-forward" and "goals" for instance.

Played Soccer to a high level...bedroom covered with Kenny Dalgliesh and Kevin Keegan.....these days I only watch soccer if it's the World Cup and then only on tape...so I can fast forward through the boring bits....which is nearly the whole thing, frankly. I'd much rather watch Richmond Vs Freo :-( Yes I'm tragic, I know.

Great question, Liz...because even if you have lived a long time in Melbourne, to have become a true AFL fan when brought up loving a different sport is a true measure of the appeal of the game.

[liz]

So how many genuine Non-Australians are there here?

Me for one.

(Or at least, I am now but wasn't when I went to my first game.)

[pinkemu]

So how many genuine Non-Australians are there here? My mother in Law is, frankly horrified...not to mention mystified that I don't even bother to tape a late replay of an All Blacks match, these days. It's my cultural heritage, but I couldn't give a rats now to be honest. Nowadays I can just about bring myself to go "rats we lost," when reading the result...but that's it.

Love to hear SEN and the Scottish, English, Irish, Canadian, Kiwi accents all ringing up to ping their favourite whipping boy and using the "correct" terminology never used in any other sport; "up-forward" and "goals" for instance.

Played Soccer to a high level...bedroom covered with Kenny Dalgliesh and Kevin Keegan.....these days I only watch soccer if it's the World Cup and then only on tape...so I can fast forward through the boring bits....which is nearly the whole thing, frankly. I'd much rather watch Richmond Vs Freo :-( Yes I'm tragic, I know.

Great question, Liz...because even if you have lived a long time in Melbourne, to have become a true AFL fan when brought up loving a different sport is a true measure of the appeal of the game.

So true

[Margaret Heard]

Interesting results. Sort of justifies my thoughts that the south west provides lots of fans. Why is it so widely believed that AFL is for eastern suburbs people ? I don't want the second Sydney team to be named Western Sydney. Anything other than a geographical name would work better, for them and the Swans.
PS even tho I live well down the M5, it only takes me 40mins. from my front gate to parked at the SCG. (when Anzac Pde isn't choked).

[Frog]

So how many genuine Non-Australians are there here? My mother in Law is, frankly horrified...not to mention mystified that I don't even bother to tape a late replay of an All Blacks match, these days. It's my cultural heritage, but I couldn't give a rats now to be honest. Nowadays I can just about bring myself to go "rats we lost," when reading the result...but that's it.

Love to hear SEN and the Scottish, English, Irish, Canadian, Kiwi accents all ringing up to ping their favourite whipping boy and using the "correct" terminology never used in any other sport; "up-forward" and "goals" for instance.

Played Soccer to a high level...bedroom covered with Kenny Dalgliesh and Kevin Keegan.....these days I only watch soccer if it's the World Cup and then only on tape...so I can fast forward through the boring bits....which is nearly the whole thing, frankly. I'd much rather watch Richmond Vs Freo :-( Yes I'm tragic, I know.

Great question, Liz...because even if you have lived a long time in Melbourne, to have become a true AFL fan when brought up loving a different sport is a true measure of the appeal of the game.

Second this ... Played soccer till I was 20 - was heavily involved in the club from a youth point of few and coached the under 11's in my late teens, which by default means that you are expected to become a linesman first and a referee because you can - So that I was. Then I migrated at 21 and it all changed - Followed Ajax in The Netherlands (Red and White) and chose the same colours when I was told on the plane that you are not Victorian if you don't follow VFL (!) - So I was a South Melbourne Swan before I landed ... The rest as they say ... And I no longer care about soccer - It's as boring as watching paint dry - I now read the results in the paper and am happy with that (I will watch the Aussies when playing in the World Cup, but I don't think I am going to get up at all hours of the night to do so).

Which reminds me, I'll be sitting in front of the TV until all hours soon - Tour de France is starting ...

[Bloody Hell]

Greater Sydney Indeed...!

To Quote Mickey Robbins - Sydney is just an outer suburb of Newcastle.

Hunter Valley/Newcastle.

[Cardinal]

Greater Sydney Indeed...!

To Quote Mickey Robbins - Sydney is just an outer suburb of Newcastle.

Hunter Valley/Newcastle.

Well Maitland did rival Sydney to be the capital of the colony of NSW and nothings changed - go the Maitland Saints

[Cheer Squad]

Misleading article

Here's an interesting little article in today's Age.

Reality bites in Sydney - RFNews - realfooty.com.au

Perhaps Mr. Donegan should have checked RWO before claiming that the Swans "now have a supporter base firmly established in the eastern suburbs".

I realise our little poll is not exactly scientific, but even so, people identifying as eastern suburbs seem to be in the minority. Almost two-thirds of Sydney-based supporters who voted hail from the inner west, south west and north west. Actually, it's probably not that surprising, because after most games at the SCG, the mass exodus seems largely westward.

He also needs to get his facts straight before whingeing about Homebush. Since we started playing there in 2002, 11 out of the 28 games we've played there have attracted bigger crowds that the all-time SCG record of 46,146 against Geelong in Round 22, 1997. That's not "rarely" attracting more fans than would fit into the SCG. And most of those really big crowds at Homebush coincided with our upward surge after Roos took over.

[Blood]

I still think of Homebush as being part of Sydney's west, although it doesn't bother me.

You can make a case for Homebush being part of the inner west as it adjoins Concord and Strathfield. Concord has always been regarded as inner west.

Once you move past Homebush, however, you run into Lidcombe to the south and Silverwater to the north, and I doubt anyone in Sydney sees these areas as anything other than western suburbs.

I would have said that Strathfield is the last "inner west" suburb, so i'll accept the above as being close enough.

FWIW, born and bred in the inner west.