The reality of footy is something we all really don't like.

Like life, there are seasons. Ups and downs. Happiness and Sadness. Health and sickness

The ying and Cameron Lang ( sorry that was worse than Tracca goal kicking)

And so on.

Sure we love the up times in footy. How sweet has 2020 to 2024 been. Almost five years of footy bliss for some of us where the game day thread was full. Hundreds of posts. And in them hundreds of words of hope and expectations of winning.

And now how fast it is all fading.

To state the obvious and it needs to be because lately, I along with others have been like chicken little raving about the sky. And not without merit.

But nonetheless, here it is......

Clubs have periods of huge dominance and success. Sometimes dwelling towards the bottom of the ladder to winning three flags in a row.

The MFC has probably had more ups and downs than most with longer periods between failure and success.

The hiatus between 64 and 21 was one of the more absurd time frames in the comp.

I think at present, despite newer clubs not having any cups which for some is still pretty tough because they have been around for a decent amount of time...eg Gws . Aw..blow them...they can wait their turn of fifty odd years.

Also it is the Saints now since our rapture of 2021 that are in the unfortunate position of time between premierships. Stuck in the proverbial footy purgatory.

Any whoo I think what I'm trying to say is that cups are not easy to come by, and there are dozens of things that have to come together to make it happen. And only a few things to stop them.

Just think how things conspired against us in 2023. And I say CONSPIRED because the umpiring in the 23 Semi final v Carlton was very similar to last Saturday's game. Carlton received eight more free kicks to secure a win and end our finals campaign.

And if you don't believe in conspiracies then fair enough. There were other things that ruined our closet chance to winning another flag. I won't mention Viney's brain fade in the dying moments because they happen throughout all games. Although one would think coaches train and drill for these scenarios. Especially against Carlton where we have for some strange reason had many close games.

No....the biggest small issue if you will was our usual errant goal kicking where we kicked so many points more than the blues....some by mere cms could have made another flag come true.

Yep, footy and flags are chance , luck, skill and millimetres. Much like life. What can you really do?

Split second decisions or poor steering of the wheel or pill.

Like that wrong turn off the freeway that caused a life changing accident.

Except we took so many wrong detours when kicking at goal in this one. We kicked an unbelievable 15 points to Carlton's mere six. Again in a loss where the margin was just two points, had just one of those 15 gone though we would have another flag replay to watch every weekend. Thankfully I only have to close my eyes these days and I can watch the whole 2021 grand final without the TV. Sometimes I can see the last minute of the third in slow motion.

But back to sixes and sevens. We should not have been in this game i/n the first place.

Rewind back to the freeway and recall an absolute in form player Jake the snake suffer a serious injury for the year. Just before finals our best forward goes down. One who was averaging one and half goals a game when he only played a dozen that year and was getting better with each passing game . What a loss. He would have secured a win against the blues, no questions asked.

But as mentioned we shouldn't have been in that game because in the previous final against the pies, Jake would have killed them when we had around 70 i50s to pies 34 odd.

Yep some more terrible steering there. That's a lot of chances gone begging. 70 i50s...good golly when we lost by a mere seven points.

But worse than that, as bad as losing Milkshake was there was the horrible so called smother by Maynard which resulted in seeing another player who was playing his best footy seen, be knocked out in the opening minutes of the day.

So what am I saying?

As painful as footy is. As unfair as it is. As hard as it is. As frustrating it is...we will always love it . Just as much as we hate it. A simple bounce one way or another of an odd shaped ball. It all makes way for a range of emotions.

I think I could write a whole book on the game from a supporters standpoint.

I truly believe apart from Finska there is no game more rewarding or demoralizing. It's a love hate relationship for sure.

Right now, I feel most of us are in the dislike camp. And the way things seem to be travelling...we will move towards hate. There are some very balanced ( unlike yours truly) here that take it all in their stride. And how I envy them.

Hate..it's a strong emotion. Especially on the weekend. The time off to relax and rejuvenate.

But why?

Is it the unfairness and frustration of all the things above? Probably.

But these things always happen. If not us then to other clubs.

As incredible it is that some clubs have won three flags in a row, the truth is, it/'s just the flipside to three wooden spoons.

Okay I'll grant some clubs have more success than others. Home ground advantages and bigger mship money. These certainly make a difference.

But it seems our glory days are well and truly over and it's some dark or mediocre times ahead. How much and how long is the issue.

Clubs like empires rise and fall. We are on the way down. It happens. It's footy.

Though I do wonder, truth be told how much we can control.

Did we not have enough forwards like now to cover Melksham and other aging fwds?

Did we not have years and years to fix our goal kicking which is still abysmal?

Did Goody muck up big time in picking Laurie (who had only five games and just started shaving ) as the sub, after Gus was almost killed?

Should we have stopped just playing manic football and with our bombing the ball forward?

Is obtaining premierships easier than things seem?

I don't know. I do like and need Demonland for me to ponder these issues because otherwise I would implode. Am I too invested in footy? I think so. But again....thankyou Demonland .My yearly membership,1 is certainly cheaper than seeing a shrink.

Suddenly my mind is playing the tune for the bottle shop adds....I'm on my way...I'm on my way.

Without a footy pun here , how does one become less black and white about the game?

How does one genuinely just enjoy a game of footy win lose or draw? Like I can watching non MFC games? Or is one better off being ocd about it all and have more pleasure when we win? Can one be too invested?

Probably. Lately I've been wondering if it's all worth the effort. But come game day. Much like life I forget the hard stuff and worries and begin again with renewed hope at optimism.

Well for a quarter at least.

Then I go hug my family.

And close my eyes that night and watch 2021 again and hope to see another one some time Although I know I won't be here in 50 years.

Let's just hope this one doesn't take as long.

But I fear that it will. In my bones I do.

I guess I am too invested.

The passion for ones club is a powerful and rewarding thing. But it's certainly a double edged sword.

I am genuinely interested to hear from the supporters that take all the good with the bad.

But they probably don't lurk too much around here.

Edit...in the last ten minutes the big factor footy has going for it is hope.

When despite the losses...the injuries.....the bookmakers odds.....come GameDay we are all one eyed illogical fanatics who think we are always a chance

And why not with our club. Not so long ago after beating the lions at the Gabba we almost knocked off the pies in a thriller at the G. And only losing by a point against some of the worse umpiring I have ever seen.

No exaggeration.

It was putrid.

But all that aside football makes even the most pessimistic person believe.

Perhaps therein lies it's real beauty and power.

Hope.

More powerful than hate.

Edited July 21Jul 21 by Previously known as LITD.

Can I have some of what you are on

Just wow!@!

I never imagined you’d come up with a more zany thread title than “I like big butts and I cannot lie”… but, here we are. You’ve PBd yourself, Deeves.

Somewhere between Coldplay lyrics and word salad.

But I think I'm good with the general sentiment.

4 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

I never imagined you’d come up with a more zany thread title than “I like big butts and I cannot lie”… but, here we are. You’ve PBd yourself, Deeves.

Who told you about my penchant for big butts?

3 hours ago, Little Goffy said:

Somewhere between Coldplay lyrics and word salad.

But I think I'm good with the general sentiment.

Yep there's probably a lot of Kamala Harris in there but thanks for putting up with it.

I.just need to get it all out sometimes.

4 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I honestly wish I could be as succinct.

Is this better,?

4 minutes ago, Previously known as LITD. said:

Who told you about my penchant for big butts?

You once started a thread on here titled “I like big butts and I cannot lie.” That’s a dead giveaway right there 😁

It was about players having a low centre of gravity, long bodies and short legs and in your words… big butts.

25 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

You once started a thread on here titled “I like big butts and I cannot lie.” That’s a dead giveaway right there 😁

It was about players having a low centre of gravity, long bodies and short legs and in your words… big butts.

I don't remember it. Shame on me. I wish I could delete it but then I feel that way about most of my posts.

Stay tuned for my next thread about The western Bulldogs entitled.....well you know. It's a similar crazy thread named after a just as crazy tune.

No prizes for guessing GW.

12 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

You once started a thread on here titled “I like big butts and I cannot lie.” That’s a dead giveaway right there 😁

It was about players having a low centre of gravity, long bodies and short legs and in your words… big butts.

I recall thinking that one of Jack Watts' key weaknesses was that his butt was too high off the ground.