Lone Sydney fan

[ScottH]

Can confirm categorically it was R22 1996 against Crows, SCG, in a minor cyclone. Definite HOF.

Weagles, my dear!!

[stellation]

Weagles, my dear!!

They were more scavengers than birds of prey that day.

[GongSwan]

Definitely the weagles, I don't recall it from the Essendon prelim, then again I don't remember a lot of that night, not because I was drunk, just off my nut screaming at the Bombers fans surrounding me, I had the expensive tickets)

[Primmy]

That's what I said, West Coast, its this bloody awful spell check you got here Scott! One of my favourite quarters. Never got so wet! Or so happy to be so.

[Wardy]

Well I was with friends in the ANZ Gold members on Saturday night (one of whom was a north supporter )- and we were going off, no one scoffed at us and as a result -I lost the voice completly - so please dont brand us all boring and quite because we simply aren't. ON the other hand if other poeple want to just sit and watch the game quietly then so be it - its a free world (well at the moment it is)

[Doctor]

I'm a bit torn on this one. I've read the 7 pages and have taken everyone's views on board. I reckon there are a few things at play here, but primarily I think many Swans fans are intimidated by Collingwood's supporters. Most posts here about the atmosphere have referred to the Collingwood game though and I reckon it's hard to get into it when everything you say could result in three Pies fans having a go back at you almost immediately. Fans of most other clubs accept that you can have a go and so can they without it resulting in an argument but Pies fans won't do that. I watched the game from the Swans members' bar on Saturday partly so I could have proper beer, but mainly because I thought I could cheer us on without getting into an argument, like I do ever year we play them because I won't back down when their fans have a go at me or our team. Sure enough, I had a go at Cloke for one of his easy misses and some young Pies fan wants to bring up how many he's kicked tonight. Why the hell are Pies fans in a Swans members' bar? Why do they have to argue about everything? Why can't they just let me support my own team in a drunken, biased fashion like they all do? I'm not gonna have a go at them, I'll just let them have at it as long as they do the same.

There have been plenty of games where the atmosphere has been incredible, and though we have probably all had our experiences with "soft" supporters telling us to sanitise our barracking, I suspect most clubs have the same. The semi against Carlton last year was incredible for atmosphere, and who can forget the Cats game in 05? But I'd say most of us don't go to the game to get into an argument so we tend to keep quiet to save antagonising them. They get into every supporter area, even those of Swans members, so what hope have we got?

As I take children, who are mad keen fans too, all I ask is that fans keep the language clean. Anything and anyone else, apart from the racist stuff of course, is fair game, including creative, witty, (implied) smutty and other remarks. Singing is always encouraged!

[Bas]

Who wants to cheer for three hours straight? Not me.

I agree. I leave that sort of thing to the bedroom !

[Bas]

Where did the Lone Sydney fan go?

Hi Ho Silver, away????????

[laughingnome]

Lastly - does anyone know for sure when the "Sydney" chant started? I recall the Bombers prelim....but before that? And, more importantly were we the first in the AFL to use that distinctive, slow down a minor third call?

Eagles, Rd 22, 1996 SCG.

And yes. My rugby friends tell me it's a League thing, and it transcended into the AFL that night. To me that fact makes that night all the more special, as it marks a point where the Streets of Sydney accepted the Swans as one of their own and called it as such: One of Us, no longer a Melbourne Transplant.

[Big Al]

Eagles, Rd 22, 1996 SCG.

And yes. My rugby friends tell me it's a League thing, and it transcended into the AFL that night. To me that fact makes that night all the more special, as it marks a point where the Streets of Sydney accepted the Swans as one of their own and called it as such: One of Us, no longer a Melbourne Transplant.

I have never heard that style of chant at a League game and I grew up on the sport. Might have been a pre 70's thing.

[Bas]

I doubt it was ever done in rugby league and who went to domestic rugby games in the 60s, 70s and 80s to have enough numbers to do that? Well that part hasn't changed.

Rugby in England or NZ but not here.

It would have to have been inspired from the siccer.

Where else do you wail when there's nothing to do?

[Sauce]

Where else do you wail when there's nothing to do?

cricket.

[Cardinal]

Pretty sure I heard the Weagles use a similar type chant at the Carlton game the other day

[bloodsbigot]

Eagles, Rd 22, 1996 SCG.

And yes. My rugby friends tell me it's a League thing, and it transcended into the AFL that night. To me that fact makes that night all the more special, as it marks a point where the Streets of Sydney accepted the Swans as one of their own and called it as such: One of Us, no longer a Melbourne Transplant.

The swans were definitely the team that popularized it in the AFL, but I'm afraid we weren't the first.

Check out 2:30 in this clip:

A slow 'eagles' chant can be clearly heard in the background.

[Triple B]

The slow chant has quickened up a bit over the years though.

My recollection of that night in '96 was that we held both the 'Syd' and the 'ney' for a much longer time than the typical slow chant circa 2011.