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Here Endeth the Norm Smith Curse

jabberwocky
jabberwocky
in Melbourne Demons

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And so on a cold autumn day the club that invented the game of Australian Rules Football was chosen by fate to defend the game. Todd Viney, hard nut and former Melbourne captain joined the Demons in 1987. This was incidentally a year that the Demons made the finals after spending over a decade in the football wilderness, directionless, weakened and starved. There was something poetic about Jack Viney being the figurehead in this controversy, and the eras that both father and son entered the club bore striking similarities. Jack Viney is not what the AFL community expect in a Melbourne footballer, he is brash, hard confident and expectant of success. In a week where the club has started to claw back some respect it was thrown into the limelight, all eyes were on Viney and the Melbourne Football Club had to stand up and fight. The fight wasn't just about a player missing out on 2 weeks of footy unjustly, it was about protecting the integrity of the game.

This week Melbourne Football Club was noticed, and for the right reasons. It wasn't being laughed at as a pisspoor opponent, or pitied as a weakling. It was the aggressor. It had the courage to stand before it's benefactor the AFL and demand justice for it's player, the club and the game in general.

For those who opposed the appeal, "up yours". Your attitude is old Melbourne. New Melbourne is hard, brash and uncompromising and Jack Viney is it's face.

Here endeth the curse.

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    Amen to that! I say the curse be dead!

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    its vital we win saturday night for so many reasons. I feel like our club is in a good place at the moment but we cant stuff up saturday

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      On 08/05/2014 at 10:24, mephis said:

    misappropriation of a curse that still VERY MUCH EXISTS MY FRIEND.

    The curse will well and truly lifted when we lift a cup.

    Simple as that.

    Maybe but good things are starting to happen

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      On 08/05/2014 at 10:05, jabberwocky said:

    And so on a cold autumn day the club that invented the game of Australian Rules Football was chosen by fate to defend the game.

    Todd Viney, hard nut and former Melbourne captain joined the Demons in 1987. This was incidentally a year that the Demons made the finals after spending over a decade in the football wilderness, directionless, weakened and starved.

    There was something poetic about Jack Viney being the figurehead in this controversy, and the eras that both father and son entered the club bore striking similarities.

    Jack Viney is not what the AFL community expect in a Melbourne footballer, he is brash, hard confident and expectant of success.

    # In a week where the club has started to claw back some respect it was thrown into the limelight, all eyes were on Viney and the Melbourne Football Club had to stand up and fight. The fight wasn't just about a player missing out on 2 weeks of footy unjustly, it was about protecting the integrity of the game.

    This week Melbourne Football Club was noticed, and for the right reasons. It wasn't being laughed at as a [censored]-poor opponent, or pitied as a weakling. It was the aggressor.

    It had the courage to stand before it's benefactor the AFL, and demand justice for it's player, the club and the game in general.

    For those who opposed the appeal, "up yours". Your attitude is old Melbourne. New Melbourne is hard, brash and uncompromising and Jack Viney is it's face.

    Here endeth the curse.

    absolutely jabberwocky... absolutely

    I was thinking of this on my long drive home tonight, & meaning to post this in the Jack Viney thread... that Jacks actions last match, & the subsequent actions from within the Mfc since, ARE OUR LINE IN THE SAND !

    We have single-handedly taken on all comers for our beliefs, & the Footy world has fallen in behind & wholeheartedly supported the new Up Standing Demons !!!

    together we live on - divided we fall

    .

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      On 08/05/2014 at 10:24, mephis said:

    misappropriation of a curse that still VERY MUCH EXISTS MY FRIEND.

    The curse will well and truly lifted when we lift a cup.

    Simple as that.

    'mephis', 'the curse', Is not being willing to stand up & fight for what we stand for. A Unified club willing to roll up the sleeves & get down into the muck to defend our Real Values, & fight like Hell, bight, scratch, anything, to defend the Honorable: our past champs & all they stood for, ratty old overcoats,or not.

    we've been soft & politically correct for nigh on 50 years now, & this scourge is what got rid of Norm.

    we tried to get angry on footy matters, in the past, but it lasted only awhile; before withering on the Vine,,, yet again.

    this scourge needs to be banished forever.

    .

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    I don't think we are quite out of the woods yet.

    It's a middle earth like struggle and we have had a few wins to start our journey.

    The curse will be lifted but with a statement even bigger than the last week.

    What will it be I wonder?

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    What I did find rather warming during the post-appeal hearing interview with Jack, was that of both our CEO and President standing in the background, smiling, laughing and in clear admiration of Jack Viney.

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    I don't know when the cup will be lifted again.

    I do know that this week will be looked back upon as a significant moment in our recent history.

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      On 08/05/2014 at 10:05, jabberwocky said:

    And so on a cold autumn day the club that invented the game of Australian Rules Football was chosen by fate to defend the game. Todd Viney, hard nut and former Melbourne captain joined the Demons in 1987. This was incidentally a year that the Demons made the finals after spending over a decade in the football wilderness, directionless, weakened and starved. There was something poetic about Jack Viney being the figurehead in this controversy, and the eras that both father and son entered the club bore striking similarities. Jack Viney is not what the AFL community expect in a Melbourne footballer, he is brash, hard confident and expectant of success. In a week where the club has started to claw back some respect it was thrown into the limelight, all eyes were on Viney and the Melbourne Football Club had to stand up and fight. The fight wasn't just about a player missing out on 2 weeks of footy unjustly, it was about protecting the integrity of the game.

    This week Melbourne Football Club was noticed, and for the right reasons. It wasn't being laughed at as a pisspoor opponent, or pitied as a weakling. It was the aggressor. It had the courage to stand before it's benefactor the AFL and demand justice for it's player, the club and the game in general.

    For those who opposed the appeal, "up yours". Your attitude is old Melbourne. New Melbourne is hard, brash and uncompromising and Jack Viney is it's face.

    Here endeth the curse.

    Whilst i agree, i will call it over if we can win back to back on Saturday night.

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      On 08/05/2014 at 12:50, rpfc said:

    I don't think we are quite out of the woods yet.

    It's a middle earth like struggle and we have had a few wins to start our journey.

    The curse will be lifted but with a statement even bigger than the last week.

    What will it be I wonder?

    So are you saying we haven't even got to Rivendell yet? :blink:

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    Let's see what the attitude is on the field.

    Starting saturday night.

    But i am proud of my club and i haven't been for a long time.

    Pride is very powerful.

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      On 08/05/2014 at 13:35, Red and Bluebeard said:

    So are you saying we haven't even got to Rivendell yet? :blink:

    We hit Rivendell last year. If Paul Roos and Peter Jackson (heh!) aren't Gandalf and Aragorn, I don't know who else they could be.

    Our defeat of the crows is akin to the Fellowship's first big victory over the wargs in Hollin.

    When Roos leaves us, that'll be where Gandalf falls in Moria. Things will get back on track with the announcement of our next coach at Lothlorien. After that it will be smooth paddling until the Falls of Rauros, where (hopefully) things will go a little better for us than in the original story.

    We don't want Jack Grimes and Nathan Jones (aka Frodo and Sam) to have to carry the burden the rest of the way on their own.

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      On 08/05/2014 at 13:15, McQueen said:

    What I did find rather warming during the post-appeal hearing interview with Jack, was that of both our CEO and President standing in the background, smiling, laughing and in clear admiration of Jack Viney.

    Yes, I agree when was the last time we saw a CEO and Pres. at a Tribunal hearing. Goes to show what this meant to the Club. I think a little more than just defending Jack. It was a defense of our Club and to show the football world what we now stand for. I hope the boys do the same Sat night.

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    Eloquently argued, but premature I'm afraid. The curse stops when we lift the cup. With that said, I'm proud that we stood up for ourselves. It has Roos written all over it. Is this the start of a new Bloods-like culture?

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    Curse ? Give me a break ! Bad decisions, bad administration, an attitude post early 60's that we'd always win. There is no curse just complacency, then panic and now hopefully a fair dinkum rebuild.

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      On 08/05/2014 at 15:14, Chook said:

    We hit Rivendell last year. If Paul Roos and Peter Jackson (heh!) aren't Gandalf and Aragorn, I don't know who else they could be.

    Our defeat of the crows is akin to the Fellowship's first big victory over the wargs in Hollin.

    When Roos leaves us, that'll be where Gandalf falls in Moria. Things will get back on track with the announcement of our next coach at Lothlorien. After that it will be smooth paddling until the Falls of Rauros, where (hopefully) things will go a little better for us than in the original story.

    We don't want Jack Grimes and Nathan Jones (aka Frodo and Sam) to have to carry the burden the rest of the way on their own.

    Nobody told me magic mushroom season had started yet chook but I'm glad you got in early .
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      On 08/05/2014 at 13:35, Red and Bluebeard said:

    So are you saying we haven't even got to Rivendell yet? :blink:

    So let me get this right, Todd is Bilbo, Jack is Frodo?

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      On 08/05/2014 at 13:35, Red and Bluebeard said:

    So are you saying we haven't even got to Rivendell yet? :blink:

    I don't think we have reached the borders of Buckland yet...

      On 08/05/2014 at 22:21, hardtack said:

    So let me get this right, Todd is Bilbo, Jack is Frodo?

    And Paul Roos?

    Strider_in_Prancing_Pony_-_FOTR.png

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      On 08/05/2014 at 15:14, Chook said:

    We hit Rivendell last year. If Paul Roos and Peter Jackson (heh!) aren't Gandalf and Aragorn, I don't know who else they could be.

    Our defeat of the crows is akin to the Fellowship's first big victory over the wargs in Hollin.

    When Roos leaves us, that'll be where Gandalf falls in Moria. Things will get back on track with the announcement of our next coach at Lothlorien. After that it will be smooth paddling until the Falls of Rauros, where (hopefully) things will go a little better for us than in the original story.

    We don't want Jack Grimes and Nathan Jones (aka Frodo and Sam) to have to carry the burden the rest of the way on their own.

    Maybe .. I think you could argue that we are still stuck in the Old Forest, around the time the hobbits are rescued from the barrow wights by Tom Bombadil ... :blink:

    And if winning the premiership is getting to the Crack of Doom, well .... I'm stopping here! :lol:

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      On 08/05/2014 at 10:24, mephis said:

    misappropriation of a curse that still VERY MUCH EXISTS MY FRIEND.

    The curse will well and truly lifted when we lift a cup.

    Simple as that.

    Yep...I'm hearing you Mephis.

    Curse is still lingering..

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      On 08/05/2014 at 16:54, dee-tox said:

    Eloquently argued, but premature I'm afraid. The curse stops when we lift the cup. With that said, I'm proud that we stood up for ourselves. It has Roos written all over it. Is this the start of a new Bloods-like culture?

      On 08/05/2014 at 19:01, camillo said:

    Curse ? Give me a break ! Bad decisions, bad administration, an attitude post early 60's that we'd always win. There is no curse just complacency, then panic and now hopefully a fair dinkum rebuild.

    This organisation is still way too conservative, to even dare to dream of winning a Premiership Cup. it still wants the safe way of life all the time. this is reflected into our past players who never developed hard footy ways.

    Change this back to the Checker/Smith ways & then witness the difference.

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    If we can win or go very very close in our next two games, i would confidently say we have turned the corner finally.

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      On 09/05/2014 at 05:00, DeeZee said:

    If we can win or go very very close in our next two games, i would confidently say we have turned the corner finally.

    No.

    Stuff going close.

    WIN...

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