2 hours ago, hemingway said:

No Adam, no bandwagon jumpers. Let them suffer.  

I reckon we get the kids of the kids of Melbourne supporters who became Hawthorn in the 80s. 😜 

Only way to grow is through bandwagoners.

15 minutes ago, A F said:

I reckon we get the kids of the kids of Melbourne supporters who became Hawthorn in the 80s. 😜 

Only way to grow is through bandwagoners.

Am advocating growing the numbers through raucous joy after the wins. Lots of June babies for the next 3-5 years. 20,000 eligible to be parents Dees fans, find a partner, = 40,000 Dees fan, x 3 premierships in the next 5 years, another 60,000 Dees fans, (counts double if you convert a Pies/Bombers fan).

7 hours ago, mauriesy said:

I think in the article he did. But an 8-year-old doesn't have a concept or a time frame from before he was born. He just sees the present day as the only reality.

I saw 6 Melbourne premierships up to the time I was 13. Do you think my kids gave a toss about that when they just saw us down the bottom of the ladder every week?

The article is not really about the kid though, it's all about the dad and his anguish. Long may it continue!

3 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Do we really want fans ready to jump ship when things aren’t great, while the rest of us stayed loyal?

Ideally, no, but that's how this business unfortunately.

I remember we used to go to games when there were 12,000 in attendance and we'd get flogged every week. Pretty different these days, because the fair weathers are back on, and attendances are healthier as a result.

The trick is to not be down for decades like we were previously. Rebuild and do it properly by all means (although that's a philosophical discussion- do you top up ala Geelong or do you go the proper rebuild?), but it shouldn't take more than a decade to be fighting for a flag if you're a well run club.

1 hour ago, A F said:

I reckon we get the kids of the kids of Melbourne supporters who became Hawthorn in the 80s. 😜 

Only way to grow is through bandwagoners.

I don't want the bar stewards!

18 minutes ago, A F said:

Ideally, no, but that's how this business unfortunately.

I remember we used to go to games when there were 12,000 in attendance and we'd get flogged every week. Pretty different these days, because the fair weathers are back on, and attendances are healthier as a result.

The trick is to not be down for decades like we were previously. Rebuild and do it properly by all means (although that's a philosophical discussion- do you top up ala Geelong or do you go the proper rebuild?), but it shouldn't take more than a decade to be fighting for a flag if you're a well run club.

Look at the Swans. They Top up with kids every year. I know they get a big help with The Academy, but our current Recruiting staff knows what to look for. 
Kids need the right leadership at Training so they reach a high standard.

Edited March 22, 20232 yr by Sir Why You Little

I cannot have any sympathy for Hawthorn. They have laughed at us and humiliated us many times over the years.

It is important to have long memories about the slights against us from the Hawks.

In my own memory, there's the 1987 Preliminary Final where Jimmy Stynes unfortunately ran through the mark and gave away a 15 metre penalty to allow Gary Buckenara to be "within reach" to kick that goal after the siren. I have had many Hawthorn supporters gleefully remind me of this.

Then in 1988 when the Demons got smashed in the Grand Final by 96 points by the Hawks. That was humiliating and you had Hawthorn supporters holding out print-outs saying "Suffer Demons".

Then there is the whole merger debacle in 1996 with Hawthorn. Luckily it never eventuated (thanks to Don Scott). But the stinging reminders by Hawthorn supporters that we voted "yes" to merge and become the "Melbourne Hawks" still irks me.

Then in 2013 or 2014 we had Hawks President Jeff Kennett and even Hawks Coach Alistair Clarkson (a former Melbourne Demons player) saying the Melbourne Football Club should be kicked out of the AFL or moved to the Gold Coast. Rudely commentating and disrespecting our Club.

I also personally remember walking out of a game at the MCG after we were losing by over 100 points against the Hawks, back in 2015, and being laughed at and ridiculed by Hawthorn supporters. The fact that I stayed up until that point in the game showed I was a glutton for punishment really!

But back to my point, we should never forget the insults made against our Club and grudges we have against Hawthorn. They hate us and we should hate them even more!

Edited March 22, 20232 yr by Supreme_Demon

On the day of the 1988 GF, i was rostered to work in the ABC Newsroom. For the entirety of the Match, up until the Cup was lifted, i was locked in a room with 3 Hawthorn Supporters, who just caned me all day. 
The worst part of this Sickening Memory, was at Halftime all 3 of them started planning how they were going to win the 1989 GF! Meanwhile i was planning the most efficient way to eradicate these 3 hideous germs

I am not joking, i have never come across such blatant arrogance. 
(and the bastards did it) 1989 they hung on

This is why the Merger could never be passed. I would never contribute a cent to that Brown Football Club. Bill Guest has a lot to answer for. 
May they wallow in the gorge of Darkness for eternity and become irrelevant once more

Beating them twice in 8 days was glorious in 1990

That was equivalent to a GF Victory (almost)

2 really tough games

if i had my way i would have every team who we didn't beat in our annual premiership win finish 9th in perpetuity

i don't want them bottoming out; i want them mediocre

3 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

if i had my way i would have every team who we didn't beat in our annual premiership win finish 9th in perpetuity

i don't want them bottoming out; i want them mediocre

9th - 13th.  Finishing frequently around 9th there would be too much hope.  A few 13th position finishes there's a certain hopelessness and reality of patheticness sprinkled in, without getting access to the real quality 'top end tallent' like the Pertracca's, Olivers, Buddy's etc of the comp that will deny them any future A graders.

Pure gold (And brown - poos).  Lap it up Hawks fans and eat s**t - you deserve it.

"But there was a feeling on Sunday, playing a club I thought we had a chance against"


"There had already been a flirtation with Richmond, fed by him clocking that his interest in another club got under my skin. Kids can sense unease in their parents, and needling dad is a fun game. It’s also hard to mount a case to a child that, as animals, hawks are cooler than tigers."


"Other fans helpfully chatted away about how it was a long road ahead, told him that losing was character-building. "

“Dad, why aren’t we allowed to go for another team?” 

"So I admitted the truth to him, that the Hawks aren’t going to be good for a while, but when he’s 11 or 12, I’m hoping they’ll be on the right side of the rebuild and stealing some wins. "

 

I love it!

6 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Pure gold (And brown - poos).  Lap it up Hawks fans and eat s**t - you deserve it.

"But there was a feeling on Sunday, playing a club I thought we had a chance against"


"There had already been a flirtation with Richmond, fed by him clocking that his interest in another club got under my skin. Kids can sense unease in their parents, and needling dad is a fun game. It’s also hard to mount a case to a child that, as animals, hawks are cooler than tigers."


"Other fans helpfully chatted away about how it was a long road ahead, told him that losing was character-building. "

“Dad, why aren’t we allowed to go for another team?” 

"So I admitted the truth to him, that the Hawks aren’t going to be good for a while, but when he’s 11 or 12, I’m hoping they’ll be on the right side of the rebuild and stealing some wins. "

 

I love it!

He should have told the kid about the time his grandpa jumped ship to Hawthorn in the 80s and , and looking as it's the family tradition, why not do it again? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Decades of being mostly [censored]?

My family did that to me so good that it'll happen to someone else.

Hawthorn smashed by 81 points today up against Sydney.

 

If we can have that happen ×1000 times over 57 years they will know what we as Melbourne supporters have endured.

 

 

Can we death ride Hawthorn too, even though there are no draft picks contingent on it?

Dr Schadenfreude reports that this case may be terminal.

By the time Hawthorn genuinely experienced a season on the bottom, and were obviously tanking according to a plan, they already had Mitchell and Hodge running around earning Brownlow votes and then added three top-7 picks in a single draft. Just one more season of tanking and they were back climbing.

Meanwhile, the team still had a collection of charismatic players which the supporter base were attached to and which were still young enough to ride the rise again, led by Shane Crawford and the bonus return-to-sender of Trent Croad.

At no point in that little dip did they ever really have to feel beaten or broken.

This time, though... they've already been weak for a few years, they are looking like they are only now about to truly bottom out and they don't have the charismatic established players that can sustain an emotional connection to persevere though tough times.

There is also no real sign that any of their recent high draft picks are going to be destiny-changing; just good. Which is fine as a player but inadequate for the club.

Throw in the lurking suspicions that an arrogant club president is the reason they are currently watching Alastair Clarkson prove his genius at a whole other rival club they will feel directly compared to after mocking just six months ago, while their untried shiny new coach is looking more and more like the Hird/Voss/Ratten tragic destiny of favourite son turned to first-time coach and dumped straight under pressure while the board keeps giving its 'helpful' opinion and prognostications.

They're doomed, I tell you, doomed! Ahhh ha ha ha ha haaaa ha ha ha haaa haaaaaa ha ah ah ha ha ha

ha ha haaaaa ha haaa ha ha

ah aaah ha ha haa

I have lain awake in bed at night, wondering when my kids will get the chance to see Hawthorn win a wooden spoon. There's only so many times you can tell them, "don't worry, it will happen ..... one day ......" before they start losing faith.

I may have to start leaving games at 3/4 time just to experience the thrill of riding in trams and trains packed with brown and gold despondency.

When will the Media condemn this Tanking?

This is far more Blatant than 10 years ago

I wonder how that little hawthorn brat is feeling after today’s shellacking. Crying into his dinner probably.

Hawks finish last and lose draft picks following the alleged systemic racism investigation...

9 minutes ago, old55 said:

Hawks finish last and lose draft picks following the alleged systemic racism investigation...

That of course will never happen.

2 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Can we death ride Hawthorn too, even though there are no draft picks contingent on it?

They’ll do it all on their own. We don’t need to help them. 

Hawks are riding a rickety billy cart of doom all by themself.

On 3/22/2023 at 10:48 PM, Supreme_Demon said:

I cannot have any sympathy for Hawthorn. They have laughed at us and humiliated us many times over the years.

 

But the stinging reminders by Hawthorn supporters that we voted "yes" to merge and become the "Melbourne Hawks" still irks me.

 

No, we did not vote 'Yes' - the vote was riddled with irregularities and dubious conduct.