Couldn't agree more Meg. One of the things I have come to enjoy in going to matches is the sight of families coming to the footy, often with dad wearing one set of colours and mum wearing the other set, together with children who have chosen one side or t'other. If we descend into barbarism (like some club members I could mention) we will lose these people, which would do more to hurt the game than perhaps any other factor.
Another thing is the genuine badinage that goes on between followers of different clubs, and I emphatically do NOT mean swearing and abuse. I will never forget pushing out of my seat to escape from the debacle of our loss to Carlton two seasons ago and saying to one of their supporters as I pushed past, "Well done your blokes." He beamed and said "Thanks". That's a bit of trivia but I think it is important that we can connect at that level, even with a club for which I have no particular feeling. Mrs d habitually chats with people from other clubs sitting nearby and has never been met with anything other than appreciation.
And I love to see the onfield warriors express their respect for each other. It's a great gesture.
Violent and/or drunken abuse should be shut down. It happens when people pull out their mobiles and tell what's going on. I very much prefer that approach rather than just put up with it. That's a balanced approach by the AFL, and is a long way from the "good old days" when people pulled off fence pickets and set to, or a North granny pulled out her umbrella and tripped an umpire (there's a famous photo of that one).
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