Dealing with success

[Demonsone 2,037]

I wonder with such a lack of success for such a long time that clubs struggle dealing with success eg the Dogs flag in 2016 yet struggled to maintain it. 

[Engorged Onion 10,215]

Are you suggesting that is relevant to The Melbourne Football Club?

[rjay 24,919]

Geelong? Richmond?

No, I don't think you can draw that conclusion.

[Adam The God 30,239]

I thought this was going to be about a supporter base that has been so starved of success for 57 years that has now flipped and expects to win every flag in the next five years. An inability to deal with success humbly, rationally and logically.

[Kick_It_To_Pickett 3,293]

6 minutes ago, A F said:

I thought this was going to be about a supporter base that has been so starved of success for 57 years that has now flipped and expects to win every flag in the next five years. An inability to deal with success humbly, rationally and logically.

That’s a good take. I sat next to an older gentlemen in what would be the old smoker’s stand on the weekend. I was lamenting our mistakes. He turned to me, and politely remarked “if you are expecting perfection, you haven’t been following Melbourne long enough” - it put things into perspective. He proceeded to tell me how he’d seen a host of premierships, before having to wait 57 years for another. We are a good side, but even good sides have ups and downs. Look at the Cats right now. I think the GF win being played away from the MCG makes us all restless. We’d all love a repeat of 21 in front of our fans. That yearning is leading to irrational responses from fans atm. We are in the top 4 at present. The run home is fabourable. We now have finals experience. We may just do it a different way, which is what Richmond and Hawthorn did. Many media pundits still rate us highly. They can see we are not far off and if it all clicks, we are a machine that’s hard to stop. Let it unfold 

[Adam The God 30,239]

9 minutes ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

That’s a good take. I sat next to an older gentlemen in what would be the old smoker’s stand on the weekend. I was lamenting our mistakes. He turned to me, and politely remarked “if you are expecting perfection, you haven’t been following Melbourne long enough” - it put things into perspective. He proceeded to tell me how he’d seen a host of premierships, before having to wait 57 years for another. We are a good side, but even good sides have ups and downs. Look at the Cats right now. I think the GF win being played away from the MCG makes us all restless. We’d all love a repeat of 21 in front of our fans. That yearning is leading to irrational responses from fans atm. We are in the top 4 at present. The run home is fabourable. We now have finals experience. We may just do it a different way, which is what Richmond and Hawthorn did. Many media pundits still rate us highly. They can see we are not far off and if it all clicks, we are a machine that’s hard to stop. Let it unfold 

Look, don't get me wrong. I'm as frustrated as the next MFC supporter and I want to experience a flag with my family at the MCG, but I also know, realistically, you need a whole heap of luck to go your way and they don't come around that often for a reason.

I think what we've seen over the last fortnight on Demonland is a huge overraction. Chandler kicks his goal against Port, Grundy and Gus kick their goals, and we're suddenly 9-2, 2nd with a strong percentage. Instead, it went 11 points in the opposite direction and the sky is falling. And this has seen the return of a lot of posters who I would consider quite negative, and they are seemingly (if I'm being kind) incapable of knowing their history. And history is hugely important in setting realistic expectations.

I'm not going to lay out all the Hawthorn stuff again with their 2015 premiership year being one that saw them finish 3rd and lose to everyone else in the top 5 around them, before winning the flag. And I'm not going to mention the premiers from last year who were 5-4 at Round 9. And we won't go into Richmond's 2017 flag year, where they were 5 zip and then lost 4 in a row by 76, 5, 2 and 3 to sit 5-4 at Round 9 (and later 7-5 at Round 13 + losing to St Kilda by 67 points in Round 16).

None of this is to say we'll definitely be premiers this year, but knowing your history and your football makes all these strawmen cliches like we can't beat top opposition, we beat up on lesser opposition etc etc seem completely ridiculous. We're nothing like the Daniher era, because we have an elite tier of players (we didn't under Danners), we have a game style built for finals (under Danners, it was all offence and no defence). 

Of course, Demonland is a place to vent our frustrations, but if you have a [censored] take, you deserve to be called out for your [censored] take. And we've had a lot of [censored] takes around here recently.

[layzie 33,796]

For the players I think there is more evidence that achieving the ultimate success has positive effects. Geelong and Richmond broke through and the all round confidence and mentality went to a new level.

Then you look at us, it is still only 2 and a half years ago when we were hell bent on making finals and getting that experience into our list, top 4 finishes were in another stratosphere. We break through and suddenly wins are more common than not, we replicate a 9 win start in 21 and better it in 22 to finish 2nd and now this year despite some doubts are still a shot at that sweet top 4 again. Sure you do have a bigger target painted on your back but the way we've handled it and the leaps and bounds this list has come are something everyone should be so proud of.

As supporters though, I think there is a good point. We're all in unchartered territory and at times probably have no idea how to act. I thank the level headed people on this forum as even when some of us are tearing our hair out we are looking to you guys for that ray of sunlight in it all. It's very tough and everyone would have a different take on it. Some want to bank the wins early and get really hurt with a loss because they want to setup the season as best as possible, some realise the marathon nature of a season and aren't as fazed, and some might have another view altogether.

Every now and then someone will come on here and mentions that it is unfamiliar territory but to just enjoy the ride as much as possible because it will end someday. You don’t want to be down the bottom again and feeling like you didn’t enjoy those times enough, I find these to be really helpful reminders.

But I don’t believe this thread was meant to be about supporters so apologies. 
 

Edited May 30, 2023 by layzie

[YearOfTheDees 3,266]

Game has changed so much, use to be about winning week after week. Now it's getting setup to win flags in September. I think we are just starting to work that out now. Be fit and ready when it counts. 

[beelzebub 23,364]

13 hours ago, A F said:

I thought this was going to be about a supporter base that has been so starved of success for 57 years that has now flipped and expects to win every flag in the next five years. An inability to deal with success humbly, rationally and logically.

🤔🤔  Stuff that...

I want flags flags flags 🤣

[praha 11,240]

Bulldogs fell off almost immediately and missed finals in 2018 and 2019. Consistent finals is a minimum. Winning flags is hard.

[chookrat 4,247]

I reckon the mindset of a clubs supporters have a bearing on the clubs success.

Geelong have an advantage here where their supporters are very parochial and don't compare themselves to the other Victorian teams.

Richmond and Collingwood have had good success in the past 10 - 20 years and their supporters know that if they make noise it helps lift the team. Both teams are helped by big crowds and that provide energy.

Carlton and Essendon have alot of supporters from the 80's and 90's that joined in the good times, and are jealous of Richmond and Collingwood. They take out their insecurities on the players every week and the media lap this up to put pressure on the coaches and players. Their boards are compromised by wealth members who no nothing about footy but like to interfere.

Doggies have an us vs them mentality which their coach epitomises in his media appearances. This has served them well and taps into their working class supporter base.

Melbourne supporters have suffered from the veil of negatively which was lifted in 2018 when we beat Hawthorn and Geeling in finals. Our supporters are generally positive, although can be a bit reserved, and our footy department like to play a straight bat and avoid controversy, instead focussing on what is needed to contend and win premierships. 

The expansion teams don't really have supporter bases to worry about.

I'd list the other clubs but don't really have the time.

[Kozzie4PM 765]

14 hours ago, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

 I think the GF win being played away from the MCG makes us all restless. 

Some really good and thoughtful posts on this thread. I think the above exacerbates the situation. Many of us feel like there is an element of unfinished business to our premiership success, that even though we broke the drought, we didn't quite break the drought. This makes the yearning for that second flag much stronger than it otherwise would be, along with the frustration when things don't go to plan.

I am so proud of this team and feel so grateful to get to watch them and call them mine. I reckon we're into this season up to our ears and can't wait for Friday and then bring on the maggots on KB! 

[YearOfTheDees 3,266]

I have followed Melbourne for so so long and all I wanted was a flag "just the one and I would be happy". That was until we won one now I need another and I need it now. I now know what drives successful clubs.