The biggest myth in AFL football

[Ash35 425]

Anyone that knows me will know that one of my biggest pet hates in footy, is the crap that gets spruked about the "Shinboner Spirit".

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the Kangaroos footy club, and the bloke they hailed as the Shinboner of the Century in Glen Archer, is an absolute star of the game.

But it's more the media and the odd Kangaroos supporter I have my beef with, when they start crapping on about the Shineboner spirit. Every club has great against the odds wins, and if you ask every supporter, they will tell you they their club is great for many different reasons. But for some reason, the Kangaroos seem to get more credit than most for any fighting performance.

Anyway, to illustrate my point that the Shinboner Spirit is a myth, all you have to do is look back at the Kangaroos record in finals going back as far as 2000. Now I reckon finals would be the time that you put everything on the line, and if ever there would be some spirit shown, September would be the time to do it.

Since their last flag in 1999, the Kangaroos have played 6 finals, for 1 win and 5 losses. That's not all that great, but it's the size of losses that highlight the lack of fight shown by the Shinboners.

Their one win was against Hawthorn in 2000 by 10 points.

Their losses have been :

2000 Qualifying Final vs Essendon by 125 points

2000 Preliminary Final vs Melbourne by 50 points

2002 Elimination Final vs Melbourne by 38 points

2005 Elimination Final vs Port Adelaide by 87 points

2007 Qualifying Final vs Geelong by 106 points.

That's an average losing margin of 81 points. And all of these finals were played in Melbourne. It wasn't like they had to go over to Subiaco or AAMI stadium. They were all played at the MCG except for the 2005 final against Port, which was at Docklands.

And they have conceded some massive scores in these finals as well.

Essendon 31.12 - 198

Melbourne 23.18 - 156

Melbourne 18.14 - 122

Port Adel 26.8 - 164

Geelong 23.18 - 156

So in summing up, the whole concept of the Shinboner Spirit annoys me. I mainly blame the media, and to a lesser extent, some supporters and occasionally Dean Laidley when he spits it out. But lets face it, with performances like this when it counts most, surely the whole thing is a myth.

[AzzKikA 2,371]

Tell you the truth i have never heard the saying Shinboner Spirit

[Ash35 425]

Tell you the truth i have never heard the saying Shinboner Spirit

You from Mars?

[Jarka 767]

Ash, I completely agree with you.

[Yze_Magic 3]

Tell you the truth i have never heard the saying Shinboner Spirit

Anyway, I agree with Ash

It is a compete load of crap

[praha 11,236]

Tell you the truth i have never heard the saying Shinboner Spirit

My guess is you don't live in Melbourne????

[mo64 5,853]

Are these the thoughts of a bitter Essendon supporter? Everyone was predicting the Roos to finish bottom once Thompson and Wells got injured at the start of the season. Give them credit for finishing in the top 4. And I'd reserve your comments until after this weekend.

During my life time, North Melbourne premierships 4 Melbourne 0. Whatever spirit they have, I wish Melbourne had a case of it.

[Geddy Lee 582]

Bring Back Powell will like this thread.

I think it's rubbish as well, the only bone 'er spirit that got them premiership glory was also responsible for Carey's exile from the club.

[Ash35 425]

Are these the thoughts of a bitter Essendon supporter? Everyone was predicting the Roos to finish bottom once Thompson and Wells got injured at the start of the season. Give them credit for finishing in the top 4. And I'd reserve your comments until after this weekend.

During my life time, North Melbourne premierships 4 Melbourne 0. Whatever spirit they have, I wish Melbourne had a case of it.

Not bitter. As I said, I don't hate the club. Just the way the media and some of their supporters try to peddle the Shinboner spirit propaganda onto the football world.

It's a convinient theory when they win, but you never heard about it when they get pants like they did on Sunday. And as my original post shows, recently they seem to show very little "spirit" when it counts most, in finals.

[Guest wheres_jacka]

agree 100%. I also reckon Archer is a has been, and milks the shinboner spirit for all it is worth. I know he baths orphans in Africa or whatever he does, but the accolades he gets far out weigh the deeds. It was great to see him get carved up on Sun. He is not in Hirds stratosphere.

Shinboner spirit pppffffffff!

[Deeman 1,495]

agree 100%. I also reckon Archer is a has been, and milks the shinboner spirit for all it is worth. I know he baths orphans in Africa or whatever he does, but the accolades he gets far out weigh the deeds. It was great to see him get carved up on Sun. He is not in Hirds stratosphere.

Shinboner spirit pppffffffff!

Reckon Laidley should sign his contract before the weekend or he might get the DCM.

[Jaded No More 68,867]

agree 100%. I also reckon Archer is a has been, and milks the shinboner spirit for all it is worth. I know he baths orphans in Africa or whatever he does, but the accolades he gets far out weigh the deeds. It was great to see him get carved up on Sun. He is not in Hirds stratosphere.

Shinboner spirit pppffffffff!

Shinboner spirit or not, Archer is a wonderful person who does a lot of work in the community.

Your disrespect towards someone who gives a lot back, more than most footballers, is completely unnecessary.

[Slartibartfast 17,190]

I don't know about "Shinboner Spirit" but I do know that over the last few years the Kangas have consistently outperformed on (my) expectations. Yes, they've got a terrible finals record, but I had them finishing bottom 2 this year after they lost Thompson and Wells. Surely a seasons achievements count for something.

I think they have terrific leadership at their club. Simpson and Archer particularly lead them well and pass down to the younger players an expectation of success. I often wonder what sort of player Yze would have been if he'd played for the Kanga's.

When you couple the Kanga's list with the shoestring budget and terrible facilities their achievements are fantastic.

Shinboner spirit? I don't care what you call it, but they have something.

[Guest fatty]

Of course the Shinboner Spirit doesn’t actually exist and trying to prove/disprove it is inane. But it does give them a culture and an identity. Something that the MFC currently struggles with.

Nth Melbourne, being one of the last teams accepted into the VFL and in a fairly small suburb, would have had very little identity on which to build.

I think they’ve done well to develop it as their own.

[Diablo 1]

Good shout Ash. It's gotten to be a cliche really. A media buzzword that tools like Andrew Maher reel off at every opportunity to try and fit in when they have no legitimate football background.

The more I think about it, the more I realise that genuine footy greats, who are in a position within the media to comment on such matters, never really buy into these cliches - they don't give them a mention.

[hells bells 2,023]

Ash,

I couldn't agree more and to be honest you're post is about one of my real beefs in football.

It really annoys me that every close win or brave win is spruiked as the "Shinboner Spirit" does it again.

Yet after last weekends thumping it's not mentioned.

What they've got is no different to anyone else.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,778]

Bring Back Powell will like this thread.

I think it's rubbish as well, the only bone 'er spirit that got them premiership glory was also responsible for Carey's exile from the club.

Bloody oath mate!

The Kangaroos have been the most overated team of the season.

Sure they looked good against the bottom sides...and thats where I think the media and their supporters got sucked in. Once they played the top sides, they were useless.

An ordinary club with an ordinary list

And their fans have the nerve to call us irrelevent.

[deanox 9,898]

Of course the Shinboner Spirit doesn’t actually exist and trying to prove/disprove it is inane. But it does give them a culture and an identity. Something that the MFC currently struggles with.

nailed it in one. thats who they are. we were the 'upper class, mcc types', that sterotype has faded, and doesnt bring you anything when you are crap, their identity is the underclass fighters. i know this is simply footy but any politics student worth their salt will be able to tell you about nations and states and identity. (when you think bagpipes and kilts do you think scottish? you should be thinking irish. the scotts used this 'identity' to create their own culture and nation).

Fan, i like what you have said here aswell...they always seem to come from back to the wall situations. ash, in this situation, finals arent back to the wall. everyone wrote them off, said they were no good. they have done the hard work to prove them wrong. they made the top four, fighting hard all year. if the shinboner spirit is indeed true, it would get you to the finals, not help you win them. the shin boner spirit as described is a belief that they can stick together, that they will prove them wrong, and that they will fight tooth and nail when their backs are too the wall. it does not include believing you are worthy, it does not include being the best, and it has nothing to do with turning around and fighting when you are being pantsed and pushed over board...

but if the playing group could rally themselves so that instead of being pushed off the edge they had their backs to the wall, there is a chance of a comeback.

make sense at all? i havnt proof read it

[Demons 32 235]

nailed it in one. thats who they are. we were the 'upper class, mcc types', that sterotype has faded

I don't think it has faded. All I here is that Melbourne supporters are MCC toffs who would rather the snow or hang out in the bar at a game.

Being one of what im starting to think is very few MCC members who actually watch the game and cheer there heads off. I think that is alive and kicking. Hopefully all young demons supporters have kids and breed them to be rabid Melbourne supporters. The kind that are (not to the extent of Collingwood) somewhat loud, crazy, rabid, live, breathe and would die for their club.

Lets hope.

[deanox 9,898]

I don't think it has faded. All I here is that Melbourne supporters are MCC toffs who would rather the snow or hang out in the bar at a game.

fair enough...maybe not faded, but i meant has little relevence to anything to do with footy...poor word selection.

'shinboner' is a way to play footy. 'mcc toff' isnt. if we were winning and had lots of money maybe it would apply to us, but it is not an image or identity that the footballers can rally behind...

[Demons 32 235]

fair enough...maybe not faded, but i meant has little relevence to anything to do with footy...poor word selection.

'shinboner' is a way to play footy. 'mcc toff' isnt. if we were winning and had lots of money maybe it would apply to us, but it is not an image or identity that the footballers can rally behind...

This is true

[QueenC 74]

'shinboner' is a way to play footy. 'mcc toff' isnt. if we were winning and had lots of money maybe it would apply to us, but it is not an image or identity that the footballers can rally behind...

There are valid comparisons between the Shinboner and the Bloods up here in Sydney.

The Swans have really grabbed a hold of that historical ethos to be a meta for the way it plays the game.

And the more I read this the more it sounds like we are talking about the gangs out of West Side Story !!!

[demonfanjezza 1]

i think its all grabbing a piece right out of history

[Pates 9,660]

I think the Shinboner spirit exists to a certain extent, they do seem to fight a little harder sometimes, but in finals you need more than fight to carry you through, you actually need true class coupled with the will to win to get you a finals win.

There is no "spirit" in finals football. To win you must be good enough, all the times mentioned, they weren't good enough.

[Viney_12 1]

some fairy myth