I think it comes down to the individual and their perceptions. Footy fans are a tribe when they are at a game together, but not all of them continue that tribal relationship away from the game.

A tribe is usually a group where you share the same goals, look after one another within the group, and protect one another from outsiders. It's less about friendship, popularity, status, and more about common ground.

My personal common ground is entirely uncommon. Too much drover to be the fan I always thought I was, too much fan to be a bush boy, too much of a bunch of other things on top of all that.