Hip & Shoulder

The reason it upsets me so much is that a couple of years ago after a great win by the Dees in Brisbane at the after-match function I met a fellow supporter I hadn't seen for years. Gutnick was mentioned, I said that in my opinion he didn't save the club, and the person I had been talking to turned her back on me and walked away without another word. That's why I want the subject put to bed. It's ridiculous that it's still causing that sort of angst.

Why do so many people want to keep raking over the events of 'that' night. The board members who proposed the merger are no longer involved in the Club at board level. It's a pity that the passion people are expressing about the merger isn't being put into the survival of the Club today. Get over it!

I've got two great-nephews, 8 and 6, who had a great day at the 'G on QB Monday, meeting players at Fed Square, walking to the 'G with Red and Blue fans, spending their pocket-money at the Demon Shop, trying everything in the AFL Playground, and sitting on Level 1 in the Redlegs section, watching and learning about the game. On the way home, the 8-year-old said: "You know, two or three years and we'll be premiership favourites." Love it!

Build a bridge, everyone, and get over it! Why are so many people intent on raking over what happened 16 years ago, with Ian Ridley in his grave and unable to defend himself. Sean Wight was on the Board of the Club when the merger was put forward and it's two weeks away from the anniversary of his death, too. The future of our Club is what is important now. Not what happened 16 years ago. We have to make sure the Club never finds itself in the position again where we were 16 years ago. We've got the training facilities we lacked back in 1997 but what we're still lacking is members.

The reason no one had 'asked' Joe Gutnick was that he'd never had anything to do with the MFC before the merger proposal was put forward. He'd never been a supporter or even a barracker. (Yes, there is a difference.) No one had ever heard of him. And the players supported the merger because it was their best chance of being able to play in and win a Grand Final, and that's what playing football is all about.

Don't forget Ray Brown and the Whispers, and two of the greatest... Billy Thorpe and The Easybeats. Those were the days!