MY TEAM: Jamie Hope (IKTPQ)

It’s always interesting to get a closer insight into the lives of professional musicians. While music (rightfully so) is often an encompassing and consuming role, exploring outside interests provides a different side of the page.

In this new feature – ‘My Team’ – I Killed the Prom Queen frontman Jamie Hope discusses growing up in Geelong, where there is only one way – to be a Cats fan.

The ghosts of football’s Sleepy Hollow in the 90s are gone as the singer reflects on favourite memories as a Geelong supporter…and which player would hold his own in the pit.


Growing up in Geelong with an old man who is a 'one eyed' Cats supporter left me with little chance of following any other AFL side. It was tough going in the beginning; getting beaten up on by the Eagles in the second half of the '92 Grand Final is my earliest memory of disappointment. I was six years old and I watched it at my Grandmothers house. Needless to say I've never been a Peter Matera fan...

The loss in '92 was followed up by another smashing, again at the hands of the West Coast Eagles in the ‘94 Grand Final and then years of more unsuccessful trips to the finals with an aging list.

The upside to being a Geelong membership holder in the 90s was seeing Gary Ablett Sr. at the height of his goal-kicking career. I loved going to Kardinia Park with my parents and watching ‘God’ play football. There was nothing better than seeing him with his knees on a defenders shoulders taking mark of the century or watching him bag 14 goals.

A couple of my favourite games I've been at the ground for were Gary Ablett Sr.'s 1000th VFL/AFL goal game at Kardinia Park in 1996. The club had printed signs that just had a big 'Ablett 1000' on them, 10 year old me couldn't wait to wave that piece of paper around... And then go for a kick on the ground after the game with the old man, because that was all I really cared about...

The other game in more recent times I enjoyed was round 12, 2011 at the MCG. I'd just joined I Killed The Prom Queen and we had recently finished the 'Destroy Music' tour with The Amity Affliction. I took my cousin from the UK to see Geelong play Hawthorn and get the MCG experience, and in the end we kept Hawthorn scoreless in the 4th quarter to come back and win by less than a goal.

Other random favourites would be anything in the 'Kennett curse' era. I love beating Hawthorn... Granted they got the one that mattered. Any of the games between the two sides from 2009 till 2013 were awesome to watch. Favourites being Jimmy Bartel's point after the siren to win after coming back in the 4th quarter in round 17, 2009. A close second to that game was round 19, 2012 when Tom Hawkins kicked a goal after the siren to get us over the line by two points.

With regards to the Geelong Football Club's ties to hardcore shows, you should keep an eye out for Allen Christensen (sorry Bundy) in the pit during the offseason...

Go Cats!

'Beloved' is out now via Epitaph.