In 1969 Elisabeth Kubler-Ross described the 5 stages of grief in her book “On Death and Dying”. Since then other psycho-babblists have postulated that there may be six or seven stages. But let’s look at the MFC using the Kubler-Ross stages.

Stage 1: Denial

Every player on our list is a super-star or a super-star in the making; the Football Department is the best in the country; and the coach is so obviously the best in the business it’s amazing he didn’t already have a job as a senior coach somewhere else before he took up the reins with the Dees.

Stage 2: Anger

We’ve lost more games than we should have and we can’t believe how the players aren’t trying. The coach isn’t making the right moves on the field and hard decisions at selection which are patently obvious to every outsider aren’t being made. And worse, no one from the club understands the pain the supporters are going through. (Note: If you’re a Richmond supporter, this would be where you go shopping for chicken manure).

Stage 3: Bargaining

Let’s trade player X for player Y; surely we should be drafting for key position players or midfielders or inside role players. If only the players showed more courage on field I would find it easier to support them.

Stage 4: Depression

I’m sick of this season already. It’s so hard to watch the way we play I’m thinking of not only not going to the MCG this week, but cutting my ties with the club forever. It’s so sad to think of little children being forced to support the MFC – they’ll be miserable for the rest of their lives.

Stage 5: Acceptance

OK, so we’re no good right now, but I can see a plan for improvement and I’ll always support the team. Go Dees.

I'm at Stage 5, where are you?

5

Stage 5: Acceptance

OK, so we’re no good right now, but I can see a plan for improvement and I’ll always support the team. Go Dees.

I'm at Stage 5, where are you?

I watched my first game in 2 years in Melbourne on Saturday. I watched it with little to no emotion, other than those deliberate out of bounds decisions.

In fact, at times I just laugh at the ineptness.

Memberships will be back to 30,000 next year.

Somewhere between 4 and 5... Minus the "cutting ties" bit, could never do that.

Stage 7

I'm at Stage 6 : The hug a Demon stage.

5

Im holding onto this draft. If we dont improve then I dont know if ill be able to attend games anymore

5

I'm at Stage 6 : The hug a Demon stage.

Ill give you a hug mate, non sexual but you will leave with satisfaction

I'm not sure what to call the stage I'm at, its that feeling after your go on a nauseating, spinning ride and just before you throw up, you think "why do I do this to myself?".

Getting that feeling every week and want it to end.

A bit of 4 and a bit of 5.

Stage 1: Denial = Friday

Stage 2: Anger = Monday

Stage 3: Bargaining = Tuesday

Stage 4: Depression = Wednesday

Stage 5: Acceptance = Thursday

I'm not sure what to call the stage I'm at, its that feeling after your go on a nauseating, spinning ride and just before you throw up, you think "why do I do this to myself?".

Getting that feeling every week and want it to end.

and Saturday and Sunday I'm with PaulRB

Edited July 31, 201212 yr by diesel

Just to add, right now I've got that Olympics "perspective" feeling that I get every 4 years.

That feeling that I'm watching the best of the best on the world stage. These magnificent athletes who have worked their whole lives, often for little fiscal reward, for that moment where their performance will define them as people.

Puts into perspective how unimportant the dickwads running around for the MFC really are. They can have their inflated salaries, German 4x4's and Chapel St slappers.

Give me a kid like Seebohm who was genuinely heartbroken that second best in the world wasn't good enough for her. Thats real heart and pride in performance.

Edited July 31, 201212 yr by Chook in Perth

5

Im holding onto this draft. If we dont improve then I dont know if ill be able to attend games anymore

Sorry, Jonesbag. I think you're stuck between Bargaining ("if we don't improve...") and Depression ("I don't know if I'll be able to attend games anymore").

Mind you, I'm not a psychologist, so what would I know.

Ill give you a hug mate, non sexual but you will leave with satisfaction

JB there could be a long line mate

I am the one standing behind H_T

Since this has been such an abhorent season I've had plenty of time to get from 1-5 and then regress backwards through the stages again.

Now with every new loss, injury and finger pointing thread I find myself laughing harder and longer.

I'm calling it stage -1 The crazy laughing bag lady stage.

I'm at the "Rupert Pupkin" stage and plan to start taking hostages if they don't improve real soon.

I'm floating in purgatory, but the pain has numbed my senses.

In other words, bring on the neddies!

Sorry, Jonesbag. I think you're stuck between Bargaining ("if we don't improve...") and Depression ("I don't know if I'll be able to attend games anymore").

Mind you, I'm not a psychologist, so what would I know.

Ive accepted that we stink and that this year is a write off.

Next year ill be hoping for improvement, if not then ill be walking down to AAMI park with steel cap boots on and start round housing the players, coaches, board members, boot studders and anyone else in the general vacinity that I can get to.

I'm 5 but without this "but I can see a plan for improvement" and wavering on this "and I’ll always support the team. Go Dees." because the way we're going we won't have a team to support when the next TV rights deal comes around.

The final insult could be Sunday if they don't pull their fingers out and get it (close) to right.

Stage 4 except for cutting ties. We're terrible, I see no hope for the future, and I feel sorry for all the kids who've been made Melbourne supporters and will likely suffer like I have/will.

5 and possibly beyond.

Mostly Stage 4. I used to drink beers and be merry during a Demons game. Now I drink half as much during a game and feel depressed as sh!t at the end of the match. When my wife continually said that I need to stop drinking as it made me depressed, it didn't take long to work out the common denominator.

At various stages through a game, I go to that stage, what ever number it is, where I feel like dressing up as The Joker and letting of a smoke bomb in the Melbourne change rooms.

Stage 7 - One realizes that it's all an illusion, renounces the suffering and becomes enlightened?

I've been at stage 4 for the last 5 years.