It must be something about this game and team that we love that people who I assume are in fine mental health suddenly exhibit extraordinary paranoia when discussing football issues. Whether it's discussing free kicks, umpiring, the MRO/Tribunal, the AFL media, or the fixture I am consistently amazed at how many posters seem to believe that somehow the MFC and its players are victims of bias and/or corruption.

I can't decide which threads exhibit the most paranoia. What say the rest of you?     

I agree...

I feel triggered.

50 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

It must be something about this game and team that we love that people who I assume are in fine mental health suddenly exhibit extraordinary paranoia when discussing football issues. Whether it's discussing free kicks, umpiring, the MRO/Tribunal, the AFL media, or the fixture I am consistently amazed at how many posters seem to believe that somehow the MFC and its players are victims of bias and/or corruption.

I can't decide which threads exhibit the most paranoia. What say the rest of you?     

Before the 12th of September this year I would’ve agreed with you. But from the moment I heard Brayden Maynard was free to play, everything changed. I don’t consider  it paranoia, but since then I absolutely believe it’s not in the AFL’s interest to have us succeed in any way and that they’re making a concerted effort to keep our Club (among a few others) down while they “assist” the big clubs and the interstate clubs. 

Game day thread

1 hour ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

It must be something about this game and team that we love that people who I assume are in fine mental health suddenly exhibit extraordinary paranoia when discussing football issues. Whether it's discussing free kicks, umpiring, the MRO/Tribunal, the AFL media, or the fixture I am consistently amazed at how many posters seem to believe that somehow the MFC and its players are victims of bias and/or corruption.

I can't decide which threads exhibit the most paranoia. What say the rest of you?     

I would assume that this is the same for every single club whether on a forum, on social media or in a what's app group.

Gameday thread involving Collingwood or Geelong.

Buying finals ticket threads.

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

I would assume that this is the same for every single club whether on a forum, on social media or in a what's app group.

Forgot to add in the stands at the MCG.

1 hour ago, dl4e said:

Buying finals ticket threads.

There needs to be an investigation into this.

There were so many Carlton fans in the Demons only Priority 1 section that I was sitting in.

If this isn't an AFL conspiracy then the Demon fans that gave their barcodes to Carlton fans should have their memberships stripped.

2 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

It must be something about this game and team that we love that people who I assume are in fine mental health suddenly exhibit extraordinary paranoia when discussing football issues. Whether it's discussing free kicks, umpiring, the MRO/Tribunal, the AFL media, or the fixture I am consistently amazed at how many posters seem to believe that somehow the MFC and its players are victims of bias and/or corruption.

I can't decide which threads exhibit the most paranoia. What say the rest of you?     

Who put you up to creating this thread?  What secret agenda are you running?

2 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Before the 12th of September this year I would’ve agreed with you. But from the moment I heard Brayden Maynard was free to play, everything changed. I don’t consider  it paranoia, but since then I absolutely believe it’s not in the AFL’s interest to have us succeed in any way and that they’re making a concerted effort to keep our Club (among a few others) down while they “assist” the big clubs and the interstate clubs. 

Good to see there's no paranoia there WCW!

The tribunal has a long history of not suspending players in final series particularly if they a stars and if they are part of big teams.  The most notable example was Barry Hall punching and decking a player in the PF 50 yards off the play and being cleared.  Swans won the flag that year by a kick and Barry kicked a vital goal in the last as I recall.  That tribunal decision won the Swans the flag which was fantastic for AFL footy in Sydney. AFL involvement?  I say no but many will disagree.

That GF was balanced by the one they lost in 2016 when the umps carried the Dogs to a GF and you just have to watch the umpiring in the PF they played against GWS to understand why #freekickdogs became a hashtag. The umpiring in the GF was the only time I've ever thought the umps had an agenda but if you believe that then there is little reason to follow footy I think so I reject it.  But that game made that difficult.

But in the end the Dogs win was probably good for footy too.  

And WCW the tribunal decision to clear Maynard (and I share your feelings on that topic) didn't impact us at all unless you argue that him being cleared affected us in the next game, but I don't think that is the case. Anyone who questions our effort in the Carlton loss just didn't see the game.

17 minutes ago, Slartibartfast said:

Good to see there's no paranoia there WCW!

The tribunal has a long history of not suspending players in final series particularly if they a stars and if they are part of big teams.  The most notable example was Barry Hall punching and decking a player in the PF 50 yards off the play and being cleared.  Swans won the flag that year by a kick and Barry kicked a vital goal in the last as I recall.  That tribunal decision won the Swans the flag which was fantastic for AFL footy in Sydney. AFL involvement?  I say no but many will disagree.

That GF was balanced by the one they lost in 2016 when the umps carried the Dogs to a GF and you just have to watch the umpiring in the PF they played against GWS to understand why #freekickdogs became a hashtag. The umpiring in the GF was the only time I've ever thought the umps had an agenda but if you believe that then there is little reason to follow footy I think so I reject it.  But that game made that difficult.

But in the end the Dogs win was probably good for footy too.  

And WCW the tribunal decision to clear Maynard (and I share your feelings on that topic) didn't impact us at all unless you argue that him being cleared affected us in the next game, but I don't think that is the case. Anyone who questions our effort in the Carlton loss just didn't see the game.

I agree, the Maynard thing didn’t affect the outcome of the next game. I’d feel the same level of disillusionment and dejection had it not been our team. But I truly believe he mightn’t have been let off had it been against one of the AFL’s other darlings. 

Essendon, J Hird, Zero votes.

It was an absolute disgrace by the umpires, but on the other hand Essendon are still sooking it up about umpiring every single game 20 years later. These things affect the psyche of a whole fan base.

Anyway, fun times laughing at Essendon aside;

The key issue is that the AFL is not governed properly. There is no clarity of process or transparency of decision-making, which is only made worse by pretensions of transparency and good governance. It is entirely clear to everyone that dozens of small and large decisions which have material effects on clubs' fortunes are made by executive order and heavily influenced by shady dealings and personal connections.

It is a bit like the ubiquitous conspiracy-theory culture in Malaysia. It worse than, say, Egypt because in Egypt every level of authority just walks around being openly corrupt and impulsively oppressive, so everyone just knows to keep their head down or get beaten. In Malaysia there are all these layers of pretense about being a modern democracy with a functioning parliament, so everyone gets told 'here are the rules', which they then try to follow but get shivved in a bureaucratic back alley and suddenly discover that their farm has been owned by a palm oil company for the last 20 years and they have to hand it over and owe back-rent. Hence, every superstition, conspiracy theory and paranoia you can plant will grow beautifully. 

To put it in formal language;

The Australian Football League is a superficially quasi-Democratic institution which in substance operates on a hierarchical patronage system kept in check by the non-dynamic loyalty framework of it's ritual clans.

(The AFL pretends to be well governed, but is actually an old boys network, and the only thing keeping it together is that fans rarely switch clubs, so it is not feasible to bleed smaller clubs to death)

4 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

It must be something about this game and team that we love that people who I assume are in fine mental health suddenly exhibit extraordinary paranoia when discussing football issues. Whether it's discussing free kicks, umpiring, the MRO/Tribunal, the AFL media, or the fixture I am consistently amazed at how many posters seem to believe that somehow the MFC and its players are victims of bias and/or corruption.

I can't decide which threads exhibit the most paranoia. What say the rest of you?     

Nice try Mr. C.I.A

did Dill put you up to this?

Edited November 9, 20231 yr by Nascent

Where were you when JKH was shot 

Edited November 9, 20231 yr by adonski

1 hour ago, Jontee said:

Who put you up to creating this thread?  What secret agenda are you running?

I think you're onto something here Jontee - LDC could be under alien control.

 

....... Unless of course you are under alien control.

..... or .... maybe you are the alien.

5 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

It must be something about this game and team that we love that people who I assume are in fine mental health suddenly exhibit extraordinary paranoia when discussing football issues. Whether it's discussing free kicks, umpiring, the MRO/Tribunal, the AFL media, or the fixture I am consistently amazed at how many posters seem to believe that somehow the MFC and its players are victims of bias and/or corruption.

I can't decide which threads exhibit the most paranoia. What say the rest of you?     

AFL is Rigged is a doozy. @Queanbeyan Demon post in there is a ray of light.

Edited November 9, 20231 yr by old55

2 hours ago, Jontee said:

Who put you up to creating this thread?  What secret agenda are you running?

I could tell you, but then I'd have to deactivate your Demonland account.

1 hour ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

I agree, the Maynard thing didn’t affect the outcome of the next game. I’d feel the same level of disillusionment and dejection had it not been our team. But I truly believe he mightn’t have been let off had it been against one of the AFL’s other darlings. 

I think for me the whole thing I found upsetting and had me disillusioned was the media discourse around the whole Maynard thing.  That had me just about walking away from AFL for a moment.  Not from the club, never from our club or our team, but from the AFL.  I was over it.

Edited November 9, 20231 yr by Katrina Dee Fan

43 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I could tell you, but then I'd have to deactivate your Demonland account.

Hah, you wouldn’t dare. You don’t even have the power 😁

13 minutes ago, Katrina Dee Fan said:

That had me just about walking away from AFL for a moment.  Not from the club, never from our club or our team, but from the AFL.  I was over it.

I think you’d find that most supporters would give the league a miss if they no longer had their team. I know that I would.

There’s a huge difference between following Aussie rules vs following AFL. I love aussie rules footy, though outside of MFC I loathe the AFL.

1 hour ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

I think you're onto something here Jontee - LDC could be under alien control.

 

....... Unless of course you are under alien control.

..... or .... maybe you are the alien.

I am never under control

the unwarranted or delusional belief that one is being persecuted, harassed, or betrayed by others, occurring as part of a mental condition.

 

Ah but we are not paranoid because....the belief that one is being persecuted, harassed, or betrayed by others, occurring as part of a mental condition.

is totally warranted when one follows the MFC

 

2 hours ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

I think you're onto something here Jontee - LDC could be under alien control.

 

....... Unless of course you are under alien control.

..... or .... maybe you are the alien.

Nice try Bbo.

But I know you it's you.