Our natural enemies? And friends?

[Dry Rot]

Sure the so-called Vic "Big Four" all hate each other - the Pies fans love a Dons loss etc. And of course there's the civil war between the SA and WA sides.

But who are our natural enemies over the decades?

In recent times, the Crows and Tigers are the obvious answers, but are they just latecomers?

Were the Dees our big enemies in the 50s?

And as much as you can be, who are our friends? North come to mind for me,

[LostDoggy]

I always thought Fitzroy was our biggest enemy from the past. I think the Essendon games shape up to be a good battle, and we always seem to take our best game along to meet Collingwood. Friends, I would think the other battlers, Melbourne and North.

[Twodogs]

I was bought up to hate North Melbourne. I can remember my dear old nana who was so confused toward the end she sometimes thought my dad was her husband sitting up straight when North once came on the TV replay. "#@$#ing North Melbourne %^$*s! You're nuthin' but a crowd of cattle %$^#ers. Get back to your bloodhouses and cut me sunday roast" Now I knew she didnt like North Mebourne, and having read a lot about games at the turn of last century and knowing she would have been present at a lot of those events, I understand why. Still it made me sit up!



Essendon which is almost as close as North Melbourne are another. 1924 and all that!

[Dry Rot]

Good on your nan.

As a relatively newbie Dogs fan, I would have thought we'd like North.

Is it a same side of the river thing?

Who traditionally were the toffs teams beyond the Dees?

My old man grew up in Depression Carlton, and it wasn't a toff's team then.

[Dry Rot]

I always thought Fitzroy was our biggest enemy from the past. I think the Essendon games shape up to be a good battle, and we always seem to take our best game along to meet Collingwood. Friends, I would think the other battlers, Melbourne and North.

Melbourne are now regarded as a toffs team - but times have changed?

[The Coon Dog]

Interesting when you think about it.

I'm 42 & grew up hating most teams in Victoria (especially Collingwood). Actually hating is too intense, perhaps disliking, tho to a lesser degree with Fitzroy & South Melbourne. Perhaps I saw they were similar to us in that they often appeared to be on the chopping block & at times appeared friendless.

The introduction of interstate teams in some way has changed the landscape. Sympathy/admiration I had for South Melbourne & Fitzroy has not found its way across to Sydney or Brisbane for me.

I perhaps don't hate Collingwood as much as I did when I was younger where they were everybody's natural enemy.

I guess I have a bit of a soft spot for North Melbourne, tho I'm getting fed up of hearing about the 'Shinboner Spirit' (gee, I wish we could bottle whatever it is tho). They survive on the smell of an oily rag & continue to amaze with their never say die attitude.

Never really liked Carlton. They always seemed to buy the best players & cheated when they felt they wanted to (always hated them, bloody silvertails & couldn't stand that cheating President (make that plural with Elliott & Collins). Still peeved that they 'stole' Tommy Alivin!

I think I hated Collingwood because a) everyone who didn't barrack for them did & b) they had so many supporters & games at Victoria Park were extremely hostile. It was quite intimidating, tho I did love running onto their 'hallowed turf' when Kelvin Templeton brought up the ton there in 1978.

I never really minded Essendon until Sheedy went there. Gee, they gave us some horrible beatings in the 1980's. Don't like Essendon now, their supporters reckon the world owes them (apart from DG38's Gran, who I met earlier this year down at Geelong when we played them in a practice match & she was nice).

The side I most disliked during the 1980's for some strange reason was Geelong. Bloody 3rd generation Western District farmers. Gee-Long, Gee-Long, I hated hearing their cheer squad chant that when sitting near them. I reckon I was one of the few Victorians supporting West Coast in '92 & '94. I've mellowed a little now, still don't like them tho.

I've never really liked Hawthorn. I remember our first game against them at Waverley in 1990 & their cheer squad was chanting 'Fitzroy Bulldogs'. They gave us some awful touch ups when they dominated the competition & I still think we would have beaten Essendon in 1985 if it wasn't for them bastards! Can't stand Kennett, tho I do admire the work he & others do for Beyond Blue.

Go Dee's. Well played #2! Sickening, absolutely sickeng. Stuck up Liberal toffs. Don't like 'em, never have, never will. Still haven't forgiven Brian Dixon for keeping Charlie's jumper (the bastard didn't want to hand it over either) or Robbie Flower for that mark & goal for their only win in 1981 (I think).

I sort of never minded Richmond when I was younger, but as I grew older I saw the error of my ways. Don't mind their theme song, probably the best going around, tho I used to like Fitzroy's. Feral, insular & they've got Brown & Wallace their. Can't stand that 'Eat 'em Alive' nonsense.

St.Kilda were harmless when I was growing up, because they were shit & their ground was a joke. My grade 4 teacher was Jewish & she barracked for St.Kilda. Being young & impressionable at that age I sympathised with her somewhat. I leaned about WW2 & when I see pictures Adolf Hitler I am reminded of her & by extension St.Kilda. Apart from her, every other St.Kilda supporter I knew was absolutely mental.

Of the interstate sides I don't mind Port Adelaide. They are a traditional football club & their supporters hate the Crows (I know I sound like the IRA here when referring to the Libyan's, in that my enemies enemy must be my friend) which is a good thing. I also like their coach Mark Williams. I once saw him interviewed & he was asked who would you like to see as Prime Minister one day. He was so passionate with his answer when he replied 'Paul Keating'. I suppose his Grand Final win in 2004 could also be called the 'sweetest victory'.

Hate Adelaide. Don't like Sydney or Brisbane. West Coast, a bit like Adelaide & Freo are like that ltlle dog you just feel sorry for.

[Dry Rot]

Good post TCD.

Re your grade 4 teacher, presume you know Saints had the colours of the German flag pre-WW1?

Not living in Melbourne (and not seeing their fans) I don't hate the Pies.

In the last decade I've come across too many arrogant Dons fans, and I live in a street full of swans members.

[Dry Rot]

Any historians here?

I still want to know what the Dogs v Dees rivalry was like in the mid fifties.

[The Coon Dog]

Good post TCD.

Re your grade 4 teacher, presume you know Saints had the colours of the German flag pre-WW1?

Not living in Melbourne (and not seeing their fans) I don't hate the Pies.

In the last decade I've come across too many arrogant Dons fans, and I live in a street full of swans members.

Yeah, I wonder if she would have supported them if they still wore those colours. St.Kilda relocated from the Junction Oval & that St.Kilda, Caulfield, Elsternwick area has a huge Jewish population in Melbourne.

I think it was Bill Jacobs on 3AW who got into a bit of strife many years back with his reference to St.Kilda & the rag trade (mainly owned by Jewish businessmen).

[aker39]

Being a bulldog supporter, and going to school in Essendon, the Bombers are by fair the team that I like to beat the most (I assume that means I hate them the most).

I think in my 6 years of secondary school, we managed to beat them once. As it turned out, we were on school holidays, so I didn't get to give it to them, like I had copped every Monday morning after another loss to the Dons.

In recent times, Richmond has replaced the Bombers as the team I like to beat the most. I don't think that needs any explanation.

In relation to Adelaide, my brothers despise them, and when they were playing the pies in a final a couple of years ago, they couldn't understand why I was barracking for the crows. I told them that my hatred for Collingwood go back a lot longer than my hatred for the crows.

[Go_Dogs]

Adelaide is the enemy for me, even though these days I'm more passive in regards to them.

[LostDoggy]

I've always been brought up to dislike Richmond, something about my mum hating them for some reason or other, then when Brown and Wallace went to them it turned into more of an intense hate, it's died died though since Brown broke his leg (I'd been wishing for a hamstring or two, that was a bit much) and Wallace has uh, not achieved much as of yet. My mum and I retain the idea that if we finish ahead of Richmond while Brown/Wallace is there on the ladder, then we have at least achieved something.

I've hated Melbourne since Round 21 2005, but I guess I've moved on from that. Can't stand Neitz though.

I don't know that I hate Collingwood, I more so hate their facilities, supporters, money etc. basically everything that they've got that we don't (well, our facilities being an exception soon). I also hate individual players such as Holland and Didak, and I hate everybody who confuses Dale for Dale Thomas. This is how my conversations go:
Person: So Kate, who's your favourite player?
Me: Dale Morris
Person: Oh my God, he needs a hair cut, but he's like, so hot. Why is your favourite player a Collingwood player? Don't you go for the Bulldogs? That's weird.
I can't tell you how much that annoys me.

I've been brought up to like Essendon, although I sort of hate them in a way, I mean I love beating them so much, and I like to finish above them on the ladder (hardly ever happened in my lifetime, so I try and make the most of it when it happens)...just so that I can brag to my grandparents, they've had the last laugh so many times though. (Thanks for the comment on my nan TCD )

I like the Hawks as well, my best friend goes for them and I like what they've done for the club, they have a lot of good kids coming through. I have a bit of a soft spot for the Roos as well, although they've achieved a lot more than us in recent times, which makes me a bit jealous.

[MrMahatma]

I'd like us to get Richmond in rivalry round. Having rivals is good for marketing, bonds supporters and players, and is just down-right fun. Most fans now, young or old, have seen enough over the last 10 years to hate Richmond with some sort of passion. What we need is that to be played up on, in rivalry round and have a bit of orchestrated banter - Wallace and Brown throwing some chat about us, Griff saying the tiges will give up again... etc etc. It'd be good for football.

[BulldogBelle]

I'd like us to get Richmond in rivalry round. Having rivals is good for marketing, bonds supporters and players, and is just down-right fun. Most fans now, young or old, have seen enough over the last 10 years to hate Richmond with some sort of passion. What we need is that to be played up on, in rivalry round and have a bit of orchestrated banter - Wallace and Brown throwing some chat about us, Griff saying the tiges will give up again... etc etc. It'd be good for football.

Yep, I agree with you - Richmond tends to get my agro meter on a higher scale whenever we meet them. I would like to face them in Round 1 when Johnno plays his 300th game, media attention would be massive.

[Twodogs]

I've actually pretty much stopped going to Richmond matches because I cant seem to keep out of fights. Even if we arent playing in the game-a couple of years ago I went to a Richmond/Collingwood game and got into blue with the idiots.