Irrational: I don't like the Orange

[Grantysghost]

Taylor Adams punched Adam Cooney in our second game against them (round 15 2013), also at Manuka. We beat them by 4 points. I hated them ever since.

If anyone can guess our leading disposal getter from that game (according to afl tables), I'll buy you one of chef's macaroons next time I'm up that way.

Did he have a problem with phone retention?

[Go_Dogs]

GWS. Yep, hate them. Hope we smash them.

[Ozza]

I absolutely hated them, until we beat them in the 2016 Prelim. After that, for me it was like when 2 boxers hate each other - and then are hugging out of respect after the bout.
Since then, I don't mind them at all and tend to barrack for them in neutral games.

Don't get me wrong, I hate all 17 other clubs.....I just hate the orange less.

My more irrational hatred sits with Melbourne, Hawthorn and Essendon.

[Mitcha]

Taylor Adams punched Adam Cooney in our second game against them (round 15 2013), also at Manuka. We beat them by 4 points. I hated them ever since.

If anyone can guess our leading disposal getter from that game (according to afl tables), I'll buy you one of chef's macaroons next time I'm up that way.

Unsurprisingly Taylor Adams hasn't hit a target since.

[Grantysghost]

I absolutely hated them, until we beat them in the 2016 Prelim. After that, for me it was like when 2 boxers hate each other - and then are hugging out of respect after the bout.
Since then, I don't mind them at all and tend to barrack for them in neutral games.

Don't get me wrong, I hate all 17 other clubs.....I just hate the orange less.

My more irrational hatred sits with Melbourne, Hawthorn and Essendon.

Not the Cats!!? Free real estate for everyone !

[Bornadog]

I will never ever forget this incident and the pissweak way the AFL handled it. Greene may be a good player, but he is a thug and shit person.

[SonofScray]

Great thread. The fact Stringer is now there just adds even more hatred.

Surprised the Nick Haynes coin toss hasnt got a mention. What a laugh that was.

The chorus of boo's that went around the stadium in that Prelim when the Orange (home team) entered the ground is up there with one of my best footy moments.

Old Whispers.

I didn’t even notice he’d gone to Carlton. Would have given him heaps. The Larynx

[The Adelaide Connection]

I want to hate GWS as much as the next dog, but, I realised something the other weekend when I went to watch them play.

I don't.

I couldn't work it out. There was the eye gouge. The hair pulling. The hit on Caleb. The kick on Dahlhaus. The weird handshake to try to intimidate Bont like he was the bad guy (for that hit on Haynes) despite everything that had happed to him. All this pissed me off and there is a lingering dislike of a few players.

BUT...

I don't think they are the AFL's "golden child" anymore. Sure head office needs to continue to put extra resources into ensuring the experiment works, in the same vein as GC (and to a lesser degree they will need to with Tassie). But they did that for Sydney and Brisbane for the longest time too.

GWS don't get any fixture favours. They have been a top team for a long time now and *still* can barely pull a good Tv slot- they live on Sunday or midday Saturday at best. Who knows how tf the AFL thinks they will grow their brand.

It is this side of things that has softened my stance on them- they get treated like we historically have. Sure they were "manufactured" but so were Brisbane, Adelaide, Freo, WC, and GC.

I reserve my hate for the Victorian teams that the AFL pander to and in all of their shortsighted wisdom keep the self-fulfilling prophecy of "big clubs" going by giving them the commercial advantages to grow their brand and remain "big clubs" (whether they deserve it on field or not). Think back to when Carlton were spooners or there about for 5 years and they still pulled more Friday nights (and marquee slots) than anyone.

Essendon, Carlton, Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn. That's where my hate lies.

Ps There is a weird stigma GWS fans have- you know they are new and haven't weathered the same hardship or whatever. 15 years on, with a number of brutal finals exits and a poor GF, adult aged fans have earnt their badge IMO. The fan base (from my experience) is way, way less obnoxious than most (maybe just because there is less of them).

Note: My "extra" reasons to hate the 5 "big" listed clubs above
Hawthorn: Arrogance. Their fans have always had it. But their team right now is dripping with it. Worst team in the league.
Geelong: "Coastal lifestyle". Salary cap cheats. Also arrogant af.
Carlton: Historic cheats. Rotten culture. AFL's actual golden child- easy fixtures, prime time slots etc.
Collingwood: Advantages and the way they use their big club muscle to get whatever they want. Different set of rules for them. Fixture (travel wise and number of games at the MCG) is a joke every year.
Essendon. Historic cheats. Worst culture. Arrogance.

[NAUGHTY100]

I don't mind them under Kingsley.

Play exciting footy.

They just don't move the dial in anger for me, just ambivalent to their existence.

We seem to be in the minority here Grantysghost , but im a bit the same as you , sure i wasnt happy they stole Ward or Griffen , but we did take Boyd off them and he arguably won us the 2016 flag , i thought he was 1 of the main reasons we got on top of them and finally won , so as much as id love to have had Ward plying his trade for us , Boyd made history for us in my opinion. As far as Toby Green is concerned im not his biggest fan but was it last year or the year before the game in Ballarat where he singularly brought them back in the last quarter to beat us , since that game i have relised that despite his bad points he is an exceptional footballer , one i would love running around with us .

[jazzadogs]

Did he have a problem with phone retention?

Correct, Michael Talia had 32 touches. Cooney next highest with 28.

Gee we were bad in those years.

[SonofScray]

Too much positive reframing going on here, I've seen at least 3 posts softening on GWS.

GVGjr can I suggest a ban for anyone who swings away from hatred any further than complete ambivalence? If not a ban, nets.

[Sedat]

Too much positive reframing going on here, I've seen at least 3 posts softening on GWS.

GVGjr can I suggest a ban for anyone who swings away from hatred any further than complete ambivalence? If not a ban, nets.

Sorry SoS but I'm one of them as well. After 2016 PF, we slayed the dragon in the most brutal and heart-breaking fashion, and then we fully cashed in the week after and really made it count. For the next few years they went us hard, but that only reinforced their hatred towards us over losing the unlosable PF (and likely their first premiership) which obviously stung them to the core - but they weren't good enough to cash in at any stage. But in all honesty, the last 3 years there has been hardly a whiff of hatred/brutality on-field in any match between the two teams. They are just another enemy we face every week.

I was very unhappy when the filth beat them by a point in the 2023 PF, not because I am in love with GWS but because for mine there is no hatred that comes close to the filth and their enormous base of absolute deadshit supporters - I hate seeing them win any match let along a close final/premiership.

[SonofScray]

Sorry SoS but I'm one of them as well. After 2016 PF, we slayed the dragon in the most brutal and heart-breaking fashion, and then we fully cashed in the week after and really made it count. For the next few years they went us hard, but that only reinforced their hatred towards us over losing the unlosable PF (and likely their first premiership) which obviously stung them to the core - but they weren't good enough to cash in at any stage. But in all honesty, the last 3 years there has been hardly a whiff of hatred/brutality on-field in any match between the two teams. They are just another enemy we face every week.

I was very unhappy when the filth beat them by a point in the 2023 PF, not because I am in love with GWS but because for mine there is no hatred that comes close to the filth and their enormous base of absolute deadshit supporters - I hate seeing them win any match let along a close final/premiership.

Look, it's sound rationale. You can't be excommunicated on those grounds.

If I was the sort of person who thought about things sensibly, I might even move the needle somewhere in that vicinity. Here's the ground I am prepared to concede: We blessed them with a gift, in passing on some true pain and sense of loss, they've become less Plastic. But still Orange.

[jeemak]

They can't hurt us anymore. We spoiled their parade as part of the best finals series ever played by a club.

However, Toby Greene and the continued excuses made for him over his career epitomise what is still wrong with the AFL's culture. He is a disgusting piece of shit and until he's gone he and GWS can get ****ed.

[Mofra]

They can't hurt us anymore. We spoiled their parade as part of the best finals series ever played by a club.

However, Toby Greene and the continued excuses made for him over his career epitomise what is still wrong with the AFL's culture. He is a disgusting piece of shit and until he's gone he and GWS can get ****ed.

My opinion of GWS will not change until after he retires.