Great story, mate."PS I am interested in how you came to follow the Swans so closely given you are a born and bred Yank."
Since you asked, Scottee, I will give you the honest, lame truth. I am in college and see at the back of a software magazine from ea sports something called "AFL 99" for the pc. I buy it on a whim and am blown away...it's so weird but awesome! I then go to a grand final party and get involved in a league of six teams within two states...imagine a bunch of Americans pretending to play Aussie Rules with 11 a side and a few natural Aussies coaching and laughing at us. We did have a few ex-AFLers participate and Paul Roos even came out to talk to us. I eventually became hooked. Our teams were sponsored by actual AFL teams and they would post our local scores at the end of a weekly AFL match on a local station called Fox Sports World at the time. We thought we were the bomb! Nowadays, thanks to Watchafl….I get every game live-stream for about $150 U.S. It is fantastic but my girlfriend is sick of me yelling at the TV at 3 a.m. on a work night! Why the Swans? I am afraid it is the lamest of reasons. Hockey is my first love and my team is the Red Wings...Red and White. That's it. That's how they got picked. But I have been following them for 20 years since and never miss a game!
As an aside, for four years, I have gotten everyone in my office to pick a team to cheer for and I post weekly scores and updates. They don't understand the sport but people love having something to cheer for. It's great when someone who never heard of AFL before says "did you see that play by Nic Nat?" I will be having my annual grand final party where about 50 people come (mainly for the meat pies) but it is a good time. Just doing my part to spread Aussie Rules around the world!
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