"They Say the Darkest Hour is Right Before the Dawn"

[grazman 7,436]

or so sung Paul Kelly.

I'm driven to write this in pursuit of balance. I know some people have sought to put our situation in perspective and I also know people will be outraged that there could be any justifiable defence for the performances of the club to date. I'm not making excuses and I'm not telling people they shouldn't express their opinions.... I'm just asking for people to think before posting and not vent and rant. I'll be the first to admit that I haven't been happy with the way things have gone and thought we would have started the year a lot better than we have. I also suspect that not only are the performances not in keeping with the expectations of the majority of the supporters, but of the football department and players themselves.

Depending on which poster you read everyone on the list (with the exception of McLean and Rivers) should either be traded or delisted. The coaches can't coach, the football department has been negligent in its trading and drafting and the entire culture and ethos of the club tolerates mediocrity and second rate performances.

These sorts of comments are both ridiculous and frivolous. They are made by people whose expectations of achieving a premiership this year have plunged them into a cycle of despair, a despair that "turns imagination into fact" (Paul Kelly again) The club's last ten years have been its most successful since its last premiership. We all crave the achievement of the holy grail.

I'm not quite sure why people believe that the list is so bad. Last week we didn't have our best forward, midfielder or backman. (Neitz, McLean and Rivers) Throw in another three starting 1st XVIII in Bartram, Robertson and Pickett as well as three of our most promising juniors in Sylvia, Dunn and Frawley and thats a third of the side missing. (we are like a heavyweight boxer with one arm tied behind his back ATM) People are happy to overlook that players like Bell and Jones are developing into outstanding talents, because some can't see past the forest for the trees. The list is in good shape IMO, and probably the opinion of many others too, but there are those who are willing to believe the worst, because they lack the essence of moderation. It is all or nothing. Players are either stars or duds.

There are even some posters that openly decry the current state of affairs, that the club is doomed and we will never succeed. Not surprisingly a lot of these posters also appear to have all the answers to turn things around. They point to a continued lack of leadership, yet ignore both Bruce and Miller have been working their collective arses off to try and lift their team mates. They say the players are soft and timid, yet ignore that it hasn't been a lack of effort as much as lack of skill and poor awareness that has led to our defeats. They say the players and coaches don't care and are clueless - well such comments are all well and good coming from the anonymity of computer terminal. The game passes bye very quickly its not only inconceivable, but the complete antithesis of those driven to succeed that this could be true. I dare say such posters rarely take the time to make constructive comment or find ways to assist the club, afterall it is easier to blow up a bridge than build one.

Occasionally playing footy you are good enough to challenge for a premiership, most of the time you may not be. I think the list is a lot closer to a premiership now than at any other stage since I first started following football in 1981.

As supporters we yearn - like players and coaches - for premiership success. For some of us it validates the time and effort we invest in watching and supporting the club, for others it is the very essence of the sport itself - no one wants to follow a loser. If however, the only way we measure success is by adding up the tally of premierships, then I think we will have missed something intrinsically beautiful and magnificent about this game and this club. It is the competing that is the most important element.

There is a team that symbolises everything I believe that is good and honest in sport, a team with the likes of Flower and Barrassi, Norm Smith and the Cordners.... I am proud of a club whose football department and coach were big enough to put the club before their own self interests, I am proud too that we aren't like the Eagles... as Caro made the point "They may be the best team in the competition but are winning few friends in the process. Not that they seem to care. "

I will cheer as loudly as anyone when we win that premiership - and we will, because it won't be a matter of luck, it will be a matter of hard work and determination. For all those bagging the club and its players have a good look around you and ask yourself ten years on is our club in better shape to not only survive on the field, but off the field as well? I think the answer is yes. Injuries are cruel and they threaten to destroy our entire year, that's not an excuse it is reality. Adversity can be a spur that drives you on or drives you under. Don't give into your fears and frustrations.

The following quote from Winston Churchill is worth reflecting on, not for the coach or the players, but for us as supporters.

"Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. "

[71 Molloy 266]

In the words of Richie Benaud, "Super post that."

[Ash35 425]

Extremley well written and sensible.

Almost makes me want to barrack for Melbourne. Well, perhaps not, but well done Grazman, a great post.

[Slartibartfast 17,297]

What a fantastic post.

Thanks Graz.

[deanox 9,927]

yeah good post. a very important point you make is that it has been a lack of form/skill due to injuries, not a lack of endeavour. after watching sundays game that is my belief as well. we tried much harder on sunday than we had in the previous two rounds. with so many outs we are struggling. our use of the ball has been down. is that form, luck or confidence. we are a wounded side playing well below their best. while we may well be 0-8 at some stage this season, i think we will come good. maybe too little too late and we have to try again next year...but its not a lack of trying at the moment.

[gOLLy 401]

take note posters

[Hatchman 539]

In my current depths of cynicism this has been a good post to read.

I'm still angry.... but that's because I love the club so much.

Thank you for putting it in perspective if only for a brief moment

[demonfanjezza 1]

Or another famous Richie Benaud line: "Marvellous" Post

[_becks_ 35]

Yeah that was one of the best posts i've heard for A while.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Possibly the best post I have read for some time on this site (No Offence W.Jack).

A thoughtful and sensible piece.

Well done.

[Tassie Devil 28]

Bob Dylan sang it years before Paul Kelly

[demonfanjezza 1]

Our night is well along, and our day is drawing near.

Hopefully soon the dark will go away and we have our glory

[Guest Schtacker]

wow... I cannot beleieve the response to this thread...there is another forum in which many opinions would be expressed with much less agreement

mate....

the season is over already - thats a fact.. for a crack at the flag you need top4 or top2 even and there is no chance in hell we can achieve that now, especially given we have dropped MCG games against medium/poor opposition

nothing you or anyone can say can compensate the fury and grief that this fact puts in me after such high hopes before round 1

There are reasons - and of course injury is one of them. However, every club has injuries and we are ones to tout ourselves of possessing great depth

The other reasons are appalling skills (players) and gameplan (coach)

I disagree that the side is having a dip.. there is something deeply wrong down there and i beleive we would still be 0-3 regardless of injury

"The coaches can't coach, the football department has been negligent in its trading and drafting and the entire culture and ethos of the club tolerates mediocrity and second rate performances" I beleive the majority of Melbourne supporters have witnessed this statement to be an abolute truth, epitomised by one Adem Yze (re: mediocrity tolerance), and the disgraceful forward setup that is evident when Neitz and Robbo aren't there (re: trading)... these cases are unfortunately the tip of the iceberg

On your glowing assessment of our list, the following 'stars' have all sustained much-maligned periods of poor form, often for vast amounts of time,and with many repeat offenders: Yze, Bruce, Green, Robertson, Johnstone, Wheatley, Bizzell, Davey, Miller, Brown, Godfrey, Pickett, Holland, Ward and White - indeed the only ones I consider to have given their all, week in-week out for the club are Rivers, Neitz, Moloney, Whelan and McLean... the others are all too young for such an assessment.

What this proves to me that regardless of how good our list CAN be, it is evident that the bulk of the side is subject to playing beneath themselves with far too much regularity, this means there are usually hordes of players who have 'a bad day' and what-do-you-know?, we get done. It is crystal clear to me that this must be a result of a poor club culture - a loser's mentality. On the field there is no talk, no celebration, no direction, no heart.

"They point to a continued lack of leadership, yet ignore both Bruce and Miller have been working their collective arses off to try and lift their team mates." Bruce is playing OK but he is supposed to be our Number 1, if he was in the Eagles side you would not have heard his name mentioned this year.. Miller is a bloke who has delivered almost nothing in his entire career, except frustration for the supporters that is, and has been so appalling he was dropped from the side and removed from the leadership group. Besides, I expect every player out there to 'work their arse off' FCS they are young, fit professionals being paid to run around all day every day - this has bugger-all to do with their leadership qualities. These blokes do not fill me with much enthusiasm. There are only 2 leaders in the side and they are Neitz and McLean.

"I think the list is a lot closer to a premiership now than at any other stage since I first started following football in 1981." In six of the last nine years we have been closer than now - FCS we are on the bottom, getting pantsed at the MCG by mediocre/poor sides! The only way we could be worse off is if we somehow got relegated to the VFL!

I'm not even going to get into Neale and the obviously large role he has in all this. All i'm saying is that I am one of the legions of fans who demands he must go.

I appreciate your passion and support, but i just cannot be as optimistic after watching this go on for years to the climax it has now reached. I am not being dramatic and I am not venting. I am not some miserable sod who is here to rain on everyone's parade. I am a passionate demon who has spent his life thus far supporting a side that just does not have the goods. Unless there is broad change, I weep for the future and consider it a real possibility that the club will die before holding that cup again.

[phoenix 32]

Ah, the cream is rising to the top!!

[timD 994]

Lovely post Graz.

I wrote something that picked up on one similar theme a while ago on demonology. That is, if the only thing you yearn for is a premiership, then somehow you get trapped and nothing satisfies. Those that want a flag or nothing will fail to enjoy the win against the saints last year, or that great win against the swans or geelong early on '06. Maybe they are missing teh pint about why you bother to supprt the football club.

[diesel 420]

I think we see the sort of supporter character you allude to on weekends like this where the supporter numbers drop away (besides the fact we are playing the worst supported interstate team). Some of my favourite footy going moments are when I have turned up after a run of losses or expected defeat and we have won or a new talent has debuted and played well or kicked their first goal. Those of little faith often miss these great moments.

Graz. You should send this post to the club. It may be a good tonic, then again it may make no difference at all. Getting desperate!!!

[mordja 187]

nice post.....cheers

[The Backyard Charizard 1,202]

Is Graz actually Neale Daniher in disguise???

[Harcourt 146]

I'm driven to write this in pursuit of balance - what a crap post.

[occo 2]

I cant see how so many of our players are getting injured.Is danners pushing them too hard at training or are our fitness staff hopeless. Why do u have so many issues with OP. Moloney is an issue i must say. He was fine at geelong and arrives at melb to struggle with the injury.

I have to say that i have been guttered so far this season. I keep asking myself why ND doesent use our origional game style at the G and not get swept into the other coaches plans of running and carrying.

Its something that we will never find out the answer of and changes must occur this year. I just hope we get some good players in the draft

[CarnTheDees 52]

I don't think you'll find that the only thing we yearn for is a Premiership, rather a team performance week-in, week-out that we can be proud of. "Team performance" encompasses everything; effort, work-rate, skills, coaching etc. To put it simply, I would be entirely satisfied if the performances that the MFC put out every week indicated to me that as a Club, they were doing everything in their power to win games of football.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

I don't think you'll find that the only thing we yearn for is a Premiership, rather a team performance week-in, week-out that we can be proud of. "Team performance" encompasses everything; effort, work-rate, skills, coaching etc. To put it simply, I would be entirely satisfied if the performances that the MFC put out every week indicated to me that as a Club, they were doing everything in their power to win games of football.

I was about to write something very similar.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Like winning 10 out of 11 games in row last year playing negative football.

[grazman 7,436]

Bob Dylan sang it years before Paul Kelly

and Henry James used it in a book many more years before Dylan. It's an old proverb... I just like Paul Kelly's version.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

One of the joys of watching football is to see your side win, whether that is the flag or a home and away game and your whole weekend can be enjoyable or ruined depending on the outcome of that week’s match. We all build ourselves up for the big one at the end of the year and hope that we will achieve the ultimate, a flag, when this doesn’t materialise we just wait for the next season to start and off we go again.

We the supporters of the Mighty Dees have been waiting for the next year to start again for the last 43 years and once it does you always hope that this will be the year. What has caused a problem this year is that after looking so promising for such a long time we all hoped that this was finally it, but alas, not to be.

We have been struck down by injury and form loss just when we thought that we were in sight of a flag and the frustration is showing up on boards like this because it’s the only place where supporters can vent their feelings. There have been many accusations made against the players, the coaches and the recruiters but the reality is that they want success as much as we do and no one can accuse the players of not trying, maybe they are not good enough but they have not stopped trying.

Danners had one last chance to get it right and unfortunately the gods have conspired against him in much the same way they have against the club for the last 20 years going back to the Jimmy incident and more recently the Schwarter and Lyon injuries.

The sun will continue to rise in the morning and we will continue to wait for the start of the next season because that’s what we do at Melbourne.