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Won't someone think of the children? (seriously)

Mazer Rackham
Mazer Rackham
in Melbourne Demons

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Posted

It’s the young supporters I feel for. School-age ones, especially those in primary school.

Like many, I am toughened by copious scar tissue inflicted by decades of near misses, false dawns, and (more commonly) outright failure. The anger, frustration, etc, are not new to me. For me, the sun will still come up tomorrow (most likely ... are Sportsbet offering odds on that?).

But young supporters, having found themselves last year suddenly basking in new-found honour and credibility, courtesy of our new-found winning ways, are now slumped back in humiliation and bewilderment. Who could blame them if they choose this time to jump ship, to one of our winning rivals (you know who), or off the sport altogether?

This season is gone, but the pride and future support of our young supporters can still be salvaged with some wins against good sides.

If this sorry collection of pea hearts, incompetents and stubborn mules the mighty MFC  doesn't get its act together quickly, we will find ourselves right back in the calamitous times between Neeld and Roos, when the very existence of the club was at stake.

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    9 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

    It’s the young supporters I feel for. School-age ones, especially those in primary school.

    Like many, I am toughened by copious scar tissue inflicted by decades of near misses, false dawns, and (more commonly) outright failure. The anger, frustration, etc, are not new to me. For me, the sun will still come up tomorrow (most likely ... are Sportsbet offering odds on that?).

    But young supporters, having found themselves last year suddenly basking in new-found honour and credibility, courtesy of our new-found winning ways, are now slumped back in humiliation and bewilderment. Who could blame them if they choose this time to jump ship, to one of our winning rivals (you know who), or off the sport altogether?

    This season is gone, but the pride and future support of our young supporters can still be salvaged with some wins against good sides.

    If this sorry collection of pea hearts, incompetents and stubborn mules the mighty MFC  doesn't get its act together quickly, we will find ourselves right back in the calamitous times between Neeld and Roos, when the very existence of the club was at stake.

    Too late MR, if you were a potential Dees supporter and you watched Wednesday nights game or yesterday's who would you choose? 

    No prizes for guessing the answer.

    As for wins this season against good sides  I think that is a pipe dream with our injury list. Better hope they can hold on for 2020.

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    As sad as it sounds, you do start questioning whether you should be taking them to games for the rest of the year. The low point for me  was half way through the third quarter against the Saints when I turned to my 10yr old son and saw him staring into space with watery eyes.

    It hit hard, yeah it’s only a game they say, but to some it’s more than that with the time and energy you invest into the footy club. I’d like to think he’s a tough little bugger and come to realise it’s part of the game unfortunately.

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    My just turned 4 first born is rusted on dees already but pulls a cheeky “go bombers” to keep me honest

     

    my 6 month old second son I have willingly conceded to the wife’s pies: it seems unfair to have 75% of the household perennially miserable 

     

    so I agree with everything you say

    i regret that my paternal grandfather’s Collingwood influence, or maternal grandfather’s Richmond influence , were not stronger rather than father’s demon influence. That sounds bad but that’s how bad the MFC is (and I believe will continue to be for the foreseeable future which is terribly sad). Too late to switch now . Sometimes I feel like silus from the da Vinci code, just self flagellating into oblivion 

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    6 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

    As sad as it sounds, you do start questioning whether you should be taking them to games for the rest of the year. The low point for me  was half way through the third quarter against the Saints when I turned to my 10yr old son and saw him staring into space with watery eyes.

    It hit hard, yeah it’s only a game they say, but to some it’s more than that with the time and energy you invest into the footy club. I’d like to think he’s a tough little bugger and come to realise it’s part of the game unfortunately.

    Unfortunately it is not part of the game DZ it is part of the DNA of the MFC. Every team has had regular visits to finals and GF's most have won one or more. Our two visits in 55 years have resulted in beltings, the games were over at quarter time, in between  we have mostly been poor I have no idea why it has afflicted the MFC for this long but there it is. 

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    3 minutes ago, old dee said:

    Unfortunately it is not part of the game DZ it is part of the DNA of the MFC. Every team has had regular visits to finals and GF's most have won one or more. Our two visits in 55 years have resulted in beltings, the games were over at quarter time, in between  we have mostly been poor I have no idea why it has afflicted the MFC for this long but there it is. 

    I understand your frustration along with other long suffering supporters od. The kid is only 10 and I won’t be highlighting our past failures to him. He’s been invested since 2014-15 and has seen more wins than losses or at worst an even ledger. For now, explaining to him that some teams are up the top and some down the bottom will have to do.

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    Bloody hell guys....toughen the hell up!  We need every miserable hell for saken poor sod we can get cheering and screaming for our lot (ok so some are bound to be screaming in fright at our deplorable skills, i get that!).

    Even new borns will do.  Probably make more noise than most supporters, can go all day with no let up, and no encouraging required!

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    1 hour ago, david_neitz_is_my_dad said:

    Cmon now. This team has still got some ways to fall if we are comparing it to 2010-13

    Agree completely, that comparison cannot be made as early as round 6

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    It is character building.  You really want your kid to be like a Hawthorn supporter who is 16 full of arrogance and never experienced hard times?

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    what a depressing masochistic thread

    kids are so soft and over-protected theses days

    ttfu ffs    this is what happens when sport just becomes entertainment and loyalty and sacrifice becomes a distant memory of bygone times

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    Agree Mazer.
    Never ending humiliation this club.
    For the most part my kids don't give 2 hoots about football.
    They've watched and copped a lot of garbage.
    I couldn't ever see them forking out for their own memberships when they come of age for eg.

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    Yep, i remember copping absolute Bucketloads of humiliation when i was at Primary and Secondary Schools in the 1970’s for following the MFC. I am sure the tradition is still strong today....

    and yes Thursday night could be compared to 2012-13. The forward line was empty...

     

    Edited by Sir Why You Little

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    I converted my son turning 11 this year from a hawks fan to a demon at about age 4. First few years were trying but it's been good until this year. I am so frustrated watching the Dees these days I can't stop abusing the tv, I honestly can't believe what I'm seeing from these so-called full time professional footballers. Anyway, the little fella now refuses to watch games with me and I'm expecting him to start following another team before too long. Didn't help that his favourite player was Dean Kent.

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    1 hour ago, daisycutter said:

    what a depressing masochistic thread

    kids are so soft and over-protected theses days

    ttfu ffs    this is what happens when sport just becomes entertainment and loyalty and sacrifice becomes a distant memory of bygone times

    Couldn't agree more. Next they'll want kids that come dead last in a track race to get a ribbon too. Oh wait ... they do. 

    Round 6 and we are already comparing this to the Neeld era? The drama around here rivals Dawson's Creek sometimes. 

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    Yep, I had 2 dees supporters now 2 West Coast Eagles supporters, heading to Geelong on Sunday.  Kids have choices these days, the issue we have as parents to try and keep our kids as dees,  we have sucked for so long, one good year and we suck again and boy do we absolutely stink at the moment.  You can keep kids interested if you have a couple of goods years, we have had 1 good year in 13 years so any kid that is below 15 years old as a Melbourne supporter you have just copped crap onfield and from your mates at School.  Last year you could give a bit back, now you will be copping it even harder.

    Don't blame anyone for jumping off, the club has serious issues and no matter what we do to turn it around we just can't losing and failure is in the culture of the club.

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    6 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

    Like many, I am toughened by copious scar tissue inflicted by decades of near misses, false dawns, and (more commonly) outright failure. The anger, frustration, etc, are not new to me. For me, the sun will still come up tomorrow (most likely ... are Sportsbet offering odds on that?).

    But young supporters, having found themselves last year suddenly basking in new-found honour and credibility, courtesy of our new-found winning ways, are now slumped back in humiliation and bewilderment. Who could blame them if they choose this time to jump ship, to one of our winning rivals (you know who), or off the sport altogether?

    THIS... is why we need our own Home ground training facility, and supporters centre.  With in-house office/admin.

     

    Those Little kids looking at their idols,  either with wide eyed adoration for their mentors. OR with saddened little eyes,  when things are shizen.

    Those little eyes and ears help to unlock the inner passion and desire to put in,  over & above,  in order to make people happy.

     

    Our players need to be exposed to these hearts on sleeves,  to help them conquer...  their fears, and their failures.

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    3 hours ago, drdrake said:

    Yep, I had 2 dees supporters now 2 West Coast Eagles supporters, heading to Geelong on Sunday.  Kids have choices these days, the issue we have as parents to try and keep our kids as dees,  we have sucked for so long, one good year and we suck again and boy do we absolutely stink at the moment.  You can keep kids interested if you have a couple of goods years, we have had 1 good year in 13 years so any kid that is below 15 years old as a Melbourne supporter you have just copped crap onfield and from your mates at School.  Last year you could give a bit back, now you will be copping it even harder.

    Don't blame anyone for jumping off, the club has serious issues and no matter what we do to turn it around we just can't losing and failure is in the culture of the club.

    Weak as 

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    To quote Paul Keating 2019 is “the recession we had to have”. From 4 to 7 to 10 to 12 wins under Roos, then on to 14 wins and finals victories under Goody, our upward trajectory had been remarkably linear. Almost unnaturally so.

    I think it was inevitable that we’d hit some pot holes and encounter a few glaciers prior to making our ascent to the summit of Everest. This season is a disaster on the surface but if we make the right tweaks, adjustments and recruitments heading into 2020, we can bounce right back into contention. 

    The nucleus is there. 

    Edited by Matsuo Basho

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    3 hours ago, drdrake said:

    Yep, I had 2 dees supporters now 2 West Coast Eagles supporters, heading to Geelong on Sunday.  Kids have choices these days, the issue we have as parents to try and keep our kids as dees,  we have sucked for so long, one good year and we suck again and boy do we absolutely stink at the moment.  You can keep kids interested if you have a couple of goods years, we have had 1 good year in 13 years so any kid that is below 15 years old as a Melbourne supporter you have just copped crap onfield and from your mates at School.  Last year you could give a bit back, now you will be copping it even harder.

    Don't blame anyone for jumping off, the club has serious issues and no matter what we do to turn it around we just can't losing and failure is in the culture of the club.

    Well don't give them a choice. 'You're barracking for the Demons. Here, have a donut'.  Not that hard.

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    12 minutes ago, Matsuo Basho said:

    To quote Paul Keating 2019 is “the recession we had to have”. From 4 to 7 to 10 to 12 wins under Roos, then on to 14 wins and finals victories under Goody, our upward trajectory had been remarkably linear. Almost unnaturally so.

    I think it was inevitable that we’d hit some pot holes and encounter a few glaciers prior to making our ascent to the summit of Everest. This season is a disaster on the surface but if we make the right tweaks, adjustments and recruitments heading into 2020, we can bounce right back into contention. 

    The nucleus is there. 

    As much as this season is tragic, I agree with your optimism. The nucleus of a really strong side is there. 

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