Australian Football Association of North America

Over the next few weeks and maybe months, I will be reposting (with updates) some of my columns from my blog on the old AFANA site.  Some of that material is dated and no longer relevant, and some is still useful.  So beginning near the beginning, here we go (updates in color):

August 27, 2003

West Coast Member #54287

Every once in a while, someone gets up the gumption to e-mail me and ask me just which AFL club I follow.  As chairman of AFANA, I try very hard to be impartial when it comes to "company" business.  After all, we represent fans of every footy club, cover 2 countries in detail [the web reaches the entire planet however], and have to deal with the AFL and all 16 clubs at one time or another.  

For the record, I am a long time member of the West Coast Home Supporters and have followed the Weagles (as Tim Murphy refers to them) since they entered the AFL in the late 80's.  Before that, I really moved between several clubs without really having a clear favorite.  Although I have been to Perth and the headquarters of the Eagles and to Melbourne several times, I have never actually seen them play in person.  Bad luck I guess.  :-(  Never at the right place at the right time.   (I have seen other AFL matches including a Grand Final.)

Among AFANA's members, volunteers, and contributors we have supporters of Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton, North Melbourne, Hawthorn, and on and on.  In spite of that, we all get along fairly well, I might add.   What we all share is passion for a sport.  For some of us, a sport we have only glimpsed on television, maybe never seen in person.   Living 14 or more hours by air from it's home, you only do this if it really matters to you.   That's what has made AFANA a success.  And what will continue to make us a bigger success in years to come.

-Rob
AFANA Chairman and father of a 4 year old (make that 7 year old).  More on that later...