Booing the players off

[45HG 1,539]

What I saw tonight, in many ways, was a disgrace.

On-field I think this club died after we knifed James McDonald - but that's for another thread.

I sit near the race each week and what I saw after the game left a sour taste. Ignoring the degenerate Essendon fans come to our race to give our players/supporters grief was shocking - but I was far from enamoured with the behaviour of Dees fans.

Last week the booing was, I feel, an instinctual reaction to a terrible performance. What I saw tonight was macho rubbish - men wanting to big note themselves to their mates, to show off and laugh at how they could slag the players off of the ground.

This, for mine, is very dangerous territory.

Tonight was absolutely disgusting, I feel the lowest I've felt as a fan, but that heckling, booing and rubbishing of the players shouldn't be part of our club in my opinion. It achieves nothing and is not what sport is about.

I think there will be two camps;

1) I pay my money and can act as I please

2) you should never boo your team off

What I despise is the premeditated nature of it - the tribalistic show-off nature of it. Regardless, I think it's an important conversation for fans to have.

[Longsufferingnomore 1,468]

What I saw tonight, in many ways, was a disgrace.

On-field I think this club died after we knifed James McDonald - but that's for another thread.

I sit near the race each week and what I saw after the game left a sour taste. Ignoring the degenerate Essendon fans come to our race to give our players/supporters grief was shocking - but I was far from enamoured with the behaviour of Dees fans.

Last week the booing was, I feel, an instinctual reaction to a terrible performance. What I saw tonight was macho rubbish - men wanting to big note themselves to their mates, to show off and laugh at how they could slag the players off of the ground.

This, for mine, is very dangerous territory.

Tonight was absolutely disgusting, I feel the lowest I've felt as a fan, but that heckling, booing and rubbishing of the players shouldn't be part of our club in my opinion. It achieves nothing and is not what sport is about.

I was absolutely disgusted as well by the drunken loutish behaviour of the young male Essendon supporters rushing over to the Melbourne race. Unbelievable 3-4 minutes before the final siren young guys came from everywhere and I knew it was trouble. Bloody hell we are hurting enough we certainly dont need Essendon louts screaming insults at our players.

[Redjacket 696]

I agree. I do however think that members should be refunded out of the salaries of the players.

[dazzledavey36 48,875]

What was said?

[Buzzy 932]

Tonight it was just a bunch of young plebs rushing to get a spot at the race, trying to get their heads on telly. LOSERS.

[DeeSpencer 23,189]

They lost by 140. The second half many did absolutely nothing. 7 freaking tackles in the third quarter. And against essendon!

Should we sit idly by as that happens?

Some of our players are young. Some are devoid of confidence. Others devoid of talent. But too many show no effort or passion.

Boo's are more than appropriate.

[Jaded No More 58,173]

Last week was different because it felt instinctive as you say, but listening to people cheer Watts being subbed off was pathetic.

It does nothing for this club and nothing for his confidence. Imagine what you'd feel like if people booed you at work. It made my heart drop and I agreed with his substitution.

I'm all for expressing anger and not being a "she'll be right" supporter, and booing the group off is fine but abusing them is just dumb, it's rude, and it makes you a [censored].

I hope anyone who made persona and abusive remarks to our players goes to work on Monday and gets told by their boss that they are crap.

[rjay 23,927]

Booing our players is not on, simple.

If I see McLardy around though he will get stern talking to for reappointing Schwab on a 3 year contract instead of sacking him when he should of had the balls to do it, after the Geelong game.

[Deemachine 58]

Last week was understandable, no one expected that performance. This week, I agree, we've had our whine and can discuss our thought here as supporters. Every sibgle supporter who went tonight knew what was going to happen, noone forced you to be there. If you choose to go to games now you know what to expect so be there to support. Leave the negative stuff for here. As for the bombers fans? They are the worst bunch of Ferals in the AFL. I hate going to Essendon games more than Collingwood ones.

[Deemachine 58]

Pretty sure it would have been bombers fans cheering off jack watts

[FireUp 67]

Very different around us this week. There was no booing from demon supporters

[Longsufferingnomore 1,468]

Last week was different because it felt instinctive as you say, but listening to people cheer Watts being subbed off was pathetic.

It does nothing for this club and nothing for his confidence. Imagine what you'd feel like if people booed you at work. It made my heart drop and I agreed with his substitution.

I'm all for expressing anger and not being a "she'll be right" supporter, and booing the group off is fine but abusing them is just dumb, it's rude, and it makes you a [censored].

I hope anyone who made persona and abusive remarks to our players goes to work on Monday and gets told by their boss that they are crap.

Am I right in thinking that Melbourne members dont get to sit in that area when it is not a home game. So my question then is were they Melbourne supporters booing him off?

[P-man 13,224]

Tonight it was just a bunch of young plebs rushing to get a spot at the race, trying to get their heads on telly. LOSERS.

Agreed. Last week was different. It was instinctual.

This week was pre-meditated, you could see that clear as day.

[Jaded No More 58,173]

Pretty sure it would have been bombers fans cheering off jack watts

Plenty of morons in red and blue around me doing it.

[Jaded No More 58,173]

Am I right in thinking that Melbourne members dont get to sit in that area when it is not a home game. So my question then is were they Melbourne supporters booing him off?

When they announced the sub on the big screen was being activated, there was a big cheer. It was about as low as cheering when a player goes off injured. Woeful and really sad for Watts, not to mention his family.

[Dr. Gonzo 22,499]

I didn't join in any booing or anything tonight other than expressing some anger and frustration in the outer but I can understand those that do. I don't know if its just got to the point where I'm beyond caring but I thought about it and thought what good is that really going to do. It could only make things worse as the players will fall into an even greater depressed slump. Like I said I can't blame anyone who did but today I just couldn't see a point to it.

[Bring Back Barassi 532]

Those players deserved every bit of it... the boos, the abuse, the Essendon rabble. People paid good money to watch that game and they were ripped off.

[Deemachine 58]

Plenty of morons in red and blue around me doing it.

Then that is what's wrong with this club.

[Longsufferingnomore 1,468]

When they announced the sub on the big screen was being activated, there was a big cheer. It was about as low as cheering when a player goes off injured. Woeful and really sad for Watts, not to mention his family.

Sad to see and hear. On ABC the commentators were at odds to whether Neeld should have just moved him rather than embarrass him like he did. He certainly wasnt the worse on the field.

[Deemachine 58]

Those players deserved every bit of it... the boos, the abuse, the Essendon rabble. People paid good money to watch that game and they were ripped off.

Rubbish, everyone at that game knew what was going to happen. I did, and that's why I didn't go.

[Jaded No More 58,173]

Sad to see and hear. On ABC the commentators were at odds to whether Neeld should have just moved him rather than embarrass him like he did. He certainly wasnt the worse on the field.

Another moment of mismanagement from the senior coach.

He moved him to the wing, then up forward, then he subbed him off after he got the ball, looked up, saw an empty forward line, so fluffed around with the ball and turned it over.

HE HAD NOBODY IN THE FORWARDLINE. I swear I scream this every week.

Our players are so devoid of confidence and this stuff just kills them further. I know Watts is as soft as a pink marshmallow and be needs to get his [censored] together, but this incident does nothing to help.

[Dr. Gonzo 22,499]

Rubbish, everyone at that game knew what was going to happen. I did, and that's why I didn't go.

So now we now it's going to happen that's ok? I'd say that makes it even worse.

Edit: I assume you mean the result and not behaviour of the supporters.

[Deemachine 58]

Everyone knew

So now we now it's going to happen that's ok? I'd say that makes it even worse.

Edit: I assume you mean the result and not behaviour of the supporters.

Of course I meant the result. Every single person there knew that what happened was probably going to happen. There's no point going if you're only going to embarrass yourself at the players race. Are the performances ok? No way. Are you going to improve them by booing in the players faces and making yourself feel like a hero? No, you're not.

[titan_uranus 22,458]

It's a tough one.

I haven't seen the second half, so I don't know exactly what happened tonight.

If booing the team off the ground is the way you want to express your anger or disgust at the situation, then so be it. I have trouble with people saying it's unfair on the players or it's not going to help. I also don't think it's fair on the players or helpful for us to cheer them off or to politely clap them.

I do understand that the supporters turning on the club now is the last thing we need, but to me, the booing as an outpouring of emotion shows that we do actually care, as a collective, and that we're genuinely upset. If the alternative is to do nothing, or worse, to support mediocrity, then I'm not sure I disagree with booing.

I do disagree with verbal abuse or with calling specific players out when it's the team in general we're upset with, so those kinds of things are not on. I certainly disagree with opposition supporters sticking the boot in - seriously, enjoy your win, but otherwise you can f**k off.

[Grapeviney 8,844]

Another moment of mismanagement from the senior coach.

He moved him to the wing, then up forward, then he subbed him off after he got the ball, looked up, saw an empty forward line, so fluffed around with the ball and turned it over.

Immediately after that incident, Watts was hobbling for a minute or two. I know he didn't have a great night, but I'm not 100 per cent convinced he wasn't subbed because of injury.