Interest Factor in football these days almost dead

[jane02 3,793]

I am glad not to be the only one feeling down. I actually do my roster around the footy draw each November and plan holidays around Melbourne games. I think I need therapy as I actually watch each Melbourne game from start to finish, never leave before the siren and sit through Collingwood wins most weeks with my smug husband.

I am usually very optimistic but finding life as a Melbourne supporter a bit challenging at present.

The worse thing for me is the Melbourne song that plays each time my phone rings - I get sniggers and the occasional look of sympathy.

I wish I could work out how to turn it off!

Talking to a usual pessimistic Melbourne supporter older doctor at work on Friday, he surprised me by telling me he genuinely believes we will be heaps better in the second part of the season. I respect his judgement so am going to hang on that glimmer of hope.

[praha 11,255]

Eh, I still love football. It's not as great as the 90s when I was a kid but I still love the game. Nothing beats a good contest that's close at the end. Doggies v Tigers yesterday had a wonderful second half.

Melbourne truly is an indictment on the league and sport. They make it very difficult to justify certain timeslots and sponsorship.

I love the sport and love watching it but actually hate watching Melbourne. They are terrible. Easily the worst team to watch the past two years, and probably this year. GWS and GC at least tried they were genuinely inexperienced and lacked the cattle but you could smell an upset.

With this team, I now know what my dad went through in the 70s. I expect a loss every, single, week. I can't remember the last time I went into a match genuinely confident of a win. Probably 2006.

[Meggs 598]

I switched off at quarter time last week quite dispirited and then spent time with my kids, stated reading Catcher in the Rye and didn't log on to Demonland all week.

Gotta say switching off improved my well being.

I have no idea how those in charge will be able to turn this juggernaut around.

I voted on the Blease, Tapscott, Strauss thread that none of them would be on our list at year's end and now I unfortunately think that JT will join them. And if its true that Neeld overruled TV on selecting Wines then I am sadder still as you can see that Jimmy has changed his running style since the hip operations (& not for the speedier!). My 8 yo boy loved Mitch Clark but is just not interested in going to or watching the Demons, loves soccer and cricket. He asked me this yesterday whether we could start barracking for Hawthorn.

Hmmm

[Dr. Gonzo 24,460]

Eh, I still love football. It's not as great as the 90s when I was a kid but I still love the game. Nothing beats a good contest that's close at the end. Doggies v Tigers yesterday had a wonderful second half.

Melbourne truly is an indictment on the league and sport. They make it very difficult to justify certain timeslots and sponsorship.

I love the sport and love watching it but actually hate watching Melbourne. They are terrible. Easily the worst team to watch the past two years, and probably this year. GWS and GC at least tried they were genuinely inexperienced and lacked the cattle but you could smell an upset.

With this team, I now know what my dad went through in the 70s. I expect a loss every, single, week. I can't remember the last time I went into a match genuinely confident of a win. Probably 2006.

I'm the same, I still enjoy the footy even though it's changed immensely over the last decade a great match is still a great match. I think a lot of the despondency here comes from the terrible ongoing performances of MFC but I obviously can't speak for everyone. The sanitisation of the game has obviously had an effect too. The Hawthorn/Essendon game last week was good, so was what I saw of last nights Coll/Geel game. The Richmond/Footscray game was interesting if not great. I do think the season is too long though especially with the over-exposure with every game broadcast from start to finish now. I'd prefer a 17 round season with everyone playing once alternating H&A each year, would fix my other huge issue with the comp which is the fixture.

Overall I still love the game just hate the management of the AFL.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,460]

Hmmm

My 8 yo boy loved Mitch Clark but is just not interested in going to or watching the Demons, loves soccer and cricket. He asked me this yesterday whether we could start barracking for Hawthorn.

Just tell him what my dad used to tell me - you can barrack for whoever you want but if it's not Melbourne you sleep outside.

[Bossdog 2,002]

I take inspiration from my 92 year old Auntie.....She still goes to the MCG (day games only)....Catches the tram to the rail station then train to the G....Drags my poor uncle with her and has lunch with a few friends...

She has supported the dees for over 70 years and rings me weekly to tell me who played well and who was crap

She has begged me to go with her but I just cannot face it at the moment

I really admire her dedication....

[Guest]

A lot here dont seem to realise WYL the list Is that bad

It's never as good as it seems but it's never as bad as it seems.

With some on the list, there is potential for improvement (Toumpas, Salem, Viney, Hogan), however these are not the people who should be leading the club right now.

The blokes who SHOULD be carrying the load are injured (Dawes, Jamar, Clark), are good but have few years left in the tank (Cross) or just don't have enough mates (Vince, Jones, Tyson).

Between those kids and the senior group who should be carrying us we have a lot of blokes whose scope for improvement is very limited.

The key is working out who can improve and take us forward. That's not code for get rid of the oldies. Keep experience. Just work out who in that middle group is worth keeping on. I can think of 7 off the top of my head who have been around the club for 4-5 years and who have just been marking time.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,460]

I take inspiration from my 92 year old Auntie.....She still goes to the MCG (day games only)....Catches the tram to the rail station then train to the G....Drags my poor uncle with her and has lunch with a few friends...

She has supported the dees for over 70 years and rings me weekly to tell me who played well and who was crap

She has begged me to go with her but I just cannot face it at the moment

I really admire her dedication....

Go with her mate, just focus on spending time with family rather than what's going on on the field, that's what I've been doing most of the last couple of years going with my mum, brother and sister.

[DemonOX 8,837]

Watching Melbourne is now a chore for me.

Sadly there is very very little enjoyment and I am not sure how long i can continue.

U work hard all week and try to look forward to the weekend but knowing in the back of your mind your team is going to get smashed again.

Weekends r meant to be fun aren't they?

[Bitter but optimistic 22,289]

What a bunch of sad and tragic poor bastards we are.

[old dee 24,037]

What a bunch of sad and tragic poor bastards we are.

YEP

[jazza 1,323]

What a bunch of sad and tragic poor old bastards we are.

fixed

[jnrmac 20,310]

The Club is bigger than the players that happen to be passing by, isn't it?

Yeah but we may not have a club any more if we the people desert it.

[DeeVoted 583]

Agreed. It's just not what it used to be.

absurd amount of injuries

rubbish, inconsistent umpiring

constant rule changing and softening of the game

we have subs now yeah OK might as well change that after 150 years

increasing gap between have and havenots

footy department expenditure

unfair fixturing wtf is friday night footy

terrible crowds

seeing the loko of horror on fellow supporters faces

tossbag [censored] commentators/media talking poo

obsessive fascination and over-analysis with statistics

athletes not footballers

ridiculous money/greed/paper bags/lack of loyalty

talk talk talk and no results at the MFC

irrelevance/disrespect and mockery

the price of everything always increasing and midstrength beer in plastic cups

expansion teams

seeing young talent at other clubs while our high picks always flounder

not having a genuine superstar at the club ever

tanking, brock mclean,

'bruise-free' footy

186

mark 'pre-game speech' neeld

tom effing scully

liam jurrah and now

mitch clark

If we were sitting firmly in the 8 I would still agree with 80% of the above. Its not sour grapes because we suck, they (AFL rules commitee and their MRP) all suck. They have ruined this game.We have tried to bring in a brand of football in the Bailey era where we tried not to hurt anyone (Thanks M.Robinson -Carl) and got canned for it. Perhaps we were ahead of our time? The way its heading, we may as well play touch footy.

The hardness we carve to watch as players throw themselves in to get the football is dead. If I want to see a fair but decent shirtfront or someone get hit hard but fair, I hope the museum sets aside a viewing area on how it used to be played, when footy was hard, tough but fair.

This chipping backwards and farting about is killing this game as a spectacle. (its killed me) Its great for the stats, but the only stat I ever cared about was the one where we scored more pts than the opposition,and got the 4 pts for a win. I don't care if player X or team just created a world record in possessions.. We cant be far off bringing in the offside rule. *sigh*

There was a sling tackle yesterday, cant remember what teams, but I will be on the edge of my seat waiting to see that outcome. (Trenners paid the price),because the player slung didnt get knocked out, it will probably be a slap on the wrist. Fyfe's accidental clash of heads is a complete joke! Should I go on??? I could ,but wont.

You know when you have hit an all time low, when you are watching the top teams play and enjoy it. Then to add more hurt you no longer give a stuff about our games. In years past it was a sin to watch any game that didnt involve the Dees.

[w00dy 146]

another one here. I've been telling people all week how apathy has taken over, and that i've lost interest in the game in general...

[Elusive Tunbridge 795]

I've loved the Dees for well over fifty years, but right now I just don't. I'll keep going to games for the rest of this season, but if I'm still feeling this way at the end of the year, that's it. I've spoken with a couple of sixty-year members who still take out memberships but never go to games and just detest the changes in the game. Good on them, but as for me, it'll be a clean cut.

[dee-luded 2,959]

I could t for the life of me give an adequate nor rationale reason for why I bother.

Must be born out of some tragic and stubborn hope that maybe...one day...itll change.

As the seasons pass I tend to invest less and care less.

Far more to life.

Ironic ..a thread we all agree in lol

for me its got down to just wanting to get one flag before I die and to hell with barracking, I've now become a critic, to try to almost force change where I can SEE its been a big problem.

It all started with generations of boards failings & running the place like a business instead of a footyclub... And a divided footy club in 2 halves with No real footy club home-base, but an us & them sort of affair.

[Striker475 696]

Bit younger but just as sick of it.

I had an acquaintance rip into me, a Hawthorn supporter in his early 20s, rip into me the other day. I left the West Coast game at halfway through the third quarter because I was sick of it. The guy said I was soft for leaving early and 'you stay to the end, no matter what.'

I told him to try and sit through seven years of this garbage (and counting!) and try it. He whinged that Hawthorn were crap in the early 2000s and he knew what it was like.

This is garbage. It's hard to even care let alone get up to think about going.

[gsmith12 491]

I've loved the Dees for well over fifty years, but right now I just don't. I'll keep going to games for the rest of this season, but if I'm still feeling this way at the end of the year, that's it. I've spoken with a couple of sixty-year members who still take out memberships but never go to games and just detest the changes in the game. Good on them, but as for me, it'll be a clean cut.

My earliest memory is of the GF loss in 1954 ET so I am of your vintage.

Just won't be the same, sitting in the backyard with the thermos.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Apart from the virtually overarching Melbourne factor there are too many games these days that simply don't capture the imagination. Leaving aside last night's MCG game there's a sameness about many of the games and then there's the contrived teams like GCS and GWS built up through rules designed to ensure quick success at the cost of others. Too much dull colourless boring shyte that will be tested this year by the World Cup and even by the cricket next year. Attendances are down, the natives are complaining and the people who run the game believe its in great shape.

I agree Jack, & I really miss the one on ones of the stars lining up,,, and the specialist positional players like Lockett & Daicos. Carey, Schwarta, AJackovich,

the rotations have destroyed the positional game & for me, & have destroyed my love of the game... so much that its no longer a concern to be moving so far away from the MCG anymore.

I'm not even truly interested in tuning into todays game,,,, & Friday night I watched about 10 minutes in total, the TV on, but my back turned, just hearing the sound, until I changed the channel.

I'm over the modern game,,, a homogenization of all running sports, of just running all over the ground almost like robots. I'm not interested in athletes, I want footballers, crashing tackles, & lots of attempted high marks & booming long torpedo goals.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Reads like me at the Amos Maldonboy

Until a few years ago I had forgotten what being close to everything was like.

It is a different experience to going to the "G"

As I said earlier returns me to the game of my youth.

exactly... OD

now we are funneled into this row or that row. no more freedom of choice. I discovered level 2 behind the city end, got used to it, then the AFL shut it off & its empty,,, leasing it out to opposition members & the pies. theres always seats, but can't get in there most times.

Rubbish AFL.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Glad I am not the only one that feels this way,

i will switch the game on but watch maybe 5 mins or just to see the scores

As for meblourne games ,well I try and watch but some of the crap we have seen , just makes me mad

My family go outside or do other things most of the time , now I just turn the tv off and go out too

I still try and watch but its just not fun , I used to watch other games but now have lost that interest too.

I find myself sitting with my kids watching more storm games

this is why I've lost contact with whats going on in AFL re other teams...

I only watch usually on replay, our games to analyse & as a critique of where we are. I only watch what we're doing & block out the opposition. studying us.

the fun has gone.

[dee-luded 2,959]

I am glad not to be the only one feeling down. I actually do my roster around the footy draw each November and plan holidays around Melbourne games. I think I need therapy as I actually watch each Melbourne game from start to finish, never leave before the siren and sit through Collingwood wins most weeks with my smug husband.

I am usually very optimistic but finding life as a Melbourne supporter a bit challenging at present.

The worse thing for me is the Melbourne song that plays each time my phone rings - I get sniggers and the occasional look of sympathy.

I wish I could work out how to turn it off!

Talking to a usual pessimistic Melbourne supporter older doctor at work on Friday, he surprised me by telling me he genuinely believes we will be heaps better in the second part of the season. I respect his judgement so am going to hang on that glimmer of hope.

this was me 20 years ago jane02.

[Bitter but optimistic 22,289]

Reads like me at the Amos Maldonboy

Until a few years ago I had forgotten what being close to everything was like.

It is a different experience to going to the "G"

As I said earlier returns me to the game of my youth.

Have you still got the lace up jumper and little cap OD?

[dee-luded 2,959]

I'm the same, I still enjoy the footy even though it's changed immensely over the last decade a great match is still a great match. I think a lot of the despondency here comes from the terrible ongoing performances of MFC but I obviously can't speak for everyone. The sanitisation of the game has obviously had an effect too. The Hawthorn/Essendon game last week was good, so was what I saw of last nights Coll/Geel game. The Richmond/Footscray game was interesting if not great. I do think the season is too long though especially with the over-exposure with every game broadcast from start to finish now. I'd prefer a 17 round season with everyone playing once alternating H&A each year, would fix my other huge issue with the comp which is the fixture.

Overall I still love the game just hate the management of the AFL.

no its not, for me because i've adopted second sides along the journey to be interested in watching their games. the Hawks & Lions in recent times, & more lately the Cats.

but now with all the ground covered from this end to that, I can't stand it with the highlights lost & just a rolling pack of players in no given position & no matchups to look forward to.

this game in 'nothing', on the game that was, all the way up to around 2004.

the running is killing it.