One thing I've noticed this week, and I realize that it's not necessarily the club spearheading it, is the amount of past players/administrators coming out to put in their ten cents worth as to what the finals appearance means to them or to talk about their time at the club.

Some have acknowledged the current players and coaches, but a lot of it has been navel gazing in my eyes. While I acknowledge that it is their right to do so, I really wish that we could just bloody focus on the 22 who will take the field. 

Who cares about what happened ten or fifty years ago? Part of our inability to move on from past glories and internal feuds is part of the reason we have been so bloody horrible for so long.

 

 

Edited September 4, 20187 yr by Colin B. Flaubert
I wanted a different title.

30 minutes ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

One thing I've noticed this week, and I realize that it's not necessarily the club spearheading it, is the amount of past players/administrators coming out to put in their ten cents worth as to what the finals appearance means to them or to talk about their time at the club.

Some have acknowledged the current players and coaches, but a lot of it has been navel gazing in my eyes. While I acknowledge that it is their right to do so, I really wish that we could just bloody focus on the 22 who will take the field. 

Who cares about what happened ten or fifty years ago? Part of our inability to move on from past glories and internal feuds is part of the reason we have been so bloody horrible for so long.

 

 

Totally, attention needs to be brought back to the current day and players. I’ve had more than my fill of ‘in my day’ stories and credit chasing junkies.

I have to agree, our current players need to make this their own experience, we know what it has been like the last 50 years.

This should be new and fun for the club and fans alike, as i said in another post NEVER LOOK BACK!

We've had more articles written about us since the end of the season than we have in the past three years.  Making finals is great but, technically, we haven't done anything as yet.  The exposure is good but it makes me a little nervous as well.

12 hours ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

One thing I've noticed this week, and I realize that it's not necessarily the club spearheading it, is the amount of past players/administrators coming out to put in their ten cents worth as to what the finals appearance means to them or to talk about their time at the club.

Some have acknowledged the current players and coaches, but a lot of it has been navel gazing in my eyes. While I acknowledge that it is their right to do so, I really wish that we could just bloody focus on the 22 who will take the field. 

Who cares about what happened ten or fifty years ago? Part of our inability to move on from past glories and internal feuds is part of the reason we have been so bloody horrible for so long.

 

 

Agree 'Colin' but like you I will arc up when someone tries to rewrite history as has been attempted this week.

Anyway, I think we are now in good hands and the players seem intent on writing their own history.

Richmond still had the crazies trying to take over the place even up to their premiership year.

Maybe the Neeld and McLardy stuff is the blow out we fans had to have and we can move on to better days.

I sure hope so...unless Mike gets CS on in Grand Final week, whiteboard, desk and all there's no-one else to wheel out is there?

For far too long Melbourne have held onto the past. Yes the forties up and to our last flag were good times.

Although we can look back on such feats, it does not mean anything in the here and now; and all the rubbish from the last ten years needs to stay in the past.

The players couldn't give 2 hoots about the past. They will pay no attention to any old hack raking over the coals of past glories. 

They have a job to do and will do anything in their power to achieve it. 

What the media says............ who cares ???????

14 hours ago, Colin B. Flaubert said:

Who cares about what happened ten or fifty years ago? Part of our inability to move on from past glories and internal feuds is part of the reason we have been so bloody horrible for so long.

Calling Sir Why You Little.

3 hours ago, rjay said:

Agree 'Colin' but like you I will arc up when someone tries to rewrite history as has been attempted this week.

Anyway, I think we are now in good hands and the players seem intent on writing their own history.

Richmond still had the crazies trying to take over the place even up to their premiership year.

Maybe the Neeld and McLardy stuff is the blow out we fans had to have and we can move on to better days.

I sure hope so...unless Mike gets CS on in Grand Final week, whiteboard, desk and all there's no-one else to wheel out is there?

I hope so @rjay 

I also hope that PJ or an intermediary has dropped hints to some of the parties involved that their commentary isn't really necessary.

At worst, this kind of stuff annoys me as a fan and lessens my enjoyment of the lead in to the finals. We can't say how it would effect the players' prep (probably not at all as @pineapple dee said). But for me, I would love to just concentrate on the 22 who will run out on Friday night rather than listen to people try to put their spin on events long gone or how this reminds them of when Norm was coach. To be fair, the team has incorporated the latter into their match day prep but the second part of that Hun article became a retrospective on the fifties.

It would be bloody refreshing to hear the people involved just say 'What happened when I was at the club is pretty far removed from where they are now. All the credit needs to go to the playing, coaching and administrative group that is there now'.

Edited September 5, 20187 yr by Colin B. Flaubert

I don’t have an issue with discussing events of the past. Without shared history good and bad we aren’t really a club. Clearly if we lose on Friday it’s because we sacked Norm Smith.

Let bygones be bygones. 

6 minutes ago, Johnny Karate said:

I don’t have an issue with discussing events of the past. Without shared history good and bad we aren’t really a club. Clearly if we lose on Friday it’s because we sacked Norm Smith.

 

2 hours ago, mauriesy said:

Calling Sir Why You Little.

I've heard that if you say his name three times in a mirror he will turn up in your house to discuss the Norm Smith Curse with you and how it still affects us to this day.  I wouldn't try it.

12 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

I've heard that if you say his name three times in a mirror he will turn up in your house to discuss the Norm Smith Curse with you and how it still affects us to this day.  I wouldn't try it.

No that was Beelzebub or Beetlejuice or Betelgeuse or ........

Edited September 5, 20187 yr by ManDee

All this fugazi over the last two weeks is exactly why Goody is the right man for the job. We’re lucky to have his mix of level headedness with good humour thrown in. 

so relevant to us.. in lots of ways. surprised no one has referred to this yet. 

"The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there."

L.P. Hartley, The Go Between.

You can't shut out your history unfortunately. You can embrace it though. Good or bad. The more successful you are the more the bad stuff gets blocked out.

Swans, for instance, are seldom reminded nowadays of the 80s. Hawks of their pre1970 era.

Let's start from the Roos' era

6 hours ago, bingers said:

"The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there."

L.P. Hartley, The Go Between.

Very 'Nigel from North Fitzroy' - I love it.

Past has resurfaced for me big time personally, but strangely, somehow, they're bubbles of love for the club & the jumper as a wee tacker.

Happiest I've been since wee Dee was born.

On 9/4/2018 at 10:09 PM, layzie said:

Totally, attention needs to be brought back to the current day and players. I’ve had more than my fill of ‘in my day’ stories and credit chasing junkies.

This team for the Elimination Final is as good - if not better - than any we have previously selected. That is what is mesmerising the fans and supporters - and even the hacks of the past. Geelong are history for 2018.

3 hours ago, Deemania since 56 said:

This team for the Elimination Final is as good - if not better - than any we have previously selected. That is what is mesmerising the fans and supporters - and even the hacks of the past. Geelong are history for 2018.

It would look better with Viney, Hogan, Lever and Kent all available