Not-So-Grand Final...

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

So, after a hard day's yakka I'm on the long drive home.

We pull into a servo, I wander in to grab some munchies and am greeted by an Asian behind the counter with:

"Watching the game?"

"No... I'm working," I replied. And got a look as though I'm crazy.

Almost home, I drop into the local Milk Bar (which is also ran by Asians) to grab some milk... just to be sure I can have that cuppa I'm fanging for when I walk in the door. First question I'm asked?

"Watching the game?"

"No. I'd forgotten about it. I've been to busy earning a crust." Again I'm treated to a look of "EEeew! What's wrong with you?"

Finally pulled up at home, made myself a cuppa and then... did I turn on the Telly? Not on yer life. I wandered across to the local oval, leaned on the fence and watched some of the boys from our regional footy club have a bit of a kick.

How do I explain that as far as I'm concerned, the Grand Final just isn't so grand anymore? That it's not worth watching? Ever since a certain rich doctor came down and gave the red & whites a glam make-over, ever since it was all sanitised & regulated and prettied up for the interstate market...

Nor more "Blood & Guts" Dyers. No more Jezzas or Dietterichs. It has become, IMHO, very much what it was taunted to be: aerial ping-pong.

So thank-you-very-much but I'm not interested in the Not-so-Grand Final. I'll watch the country clubs instead, no matter how un-Australian that may seem.

After all, the boys on the oval aren't watching the game either...

[tea lady]

Grand final? Who's playing?:dunce:

[Groggy]

I'm with you Skew. I reckon all the clubs still using suburb names should be forced to relinquish them. It has nothing to do with suburbs anymore.

[DJ’s Timber]

+2 as well, didn't even know who Hawthorn was playing till someone told me yesterday and have no idea on who won or if it's still going at this stage

[ubeaut]

Been a Richmond supporter all my life. Never been to a game but for the first time ever I watched it today maybe 20 minutes in snippets. Now I know what I've been missing all these years. Nothing much really.

Living and working in Geelong it's pretty hard not to notice the football. Every 2nd car has been flying Geelong Football Club flags since about August last year.

Best thing I can say is I see the Hawks won. Since I a kid they were always my second team.

Not fussed if I never see another game again. Although it did get me away from working for a litle while so that's a plus I guess.

Cheers - Neil
Carn the Tiges

[Lignum]

This is a thread I wont comment on otherwise I will be banned for life

Carn the Mighty Tiges (2010 Premiers)

[fenderbelly]

Sorry to put a dampener on this thread but i quite enjoyed the game.


Cheers Fred

[Geoff Dean]

Been a Richmond supporter all my life.

Best thing I can say is I see the Hawks won. Since I a kid they were always my second team.
Cheers - Neil
Carn the Tiges

I'm a Collingwood supporter.

My second team is the Collingwood reserves.

My third team, if they still had them, would be the Collingwood U18's.

[tea lady]

Been a Richmond supporter all my life.

Cheers - Neil
Carn the Tiges

I see!!!! That's why the symbol is black and yellow. (I'm not calling it gold.)

[AUSSIE]

Turn Footy Ovals Into Sprintcar Tracks

[BobL]

I find the continuous handball really detracts from the modern game so I only like it when the winning team has more kicks than handballs. There should be a new rule, no second handball after the first one - Must kick the ball - after all it's called football!

[NCArcher]

Unfortunately i gotta agree Skew. Lost interest in AFL many years ago. I was disappointed when the game went interstate and commercialised. I realise it had to do this to survive but it just isn't the same. To put this into perspective I have to tell you that i am closely related to one of the players you mentioned in your post. I went to the game in Melbourne (1.5hr drive) almost every week. It was a family thing. Aunts, Uncles, cousins and anybody else who wanted to tag along. We would watch the game and then because of connections we would have access to change rooms/after match wrap up and then down to the local watering hole, with most of the players.(those were the days) I grew up on stories of senior players being paid a couple of quid per game and being unable to afford boots. Boots were often purchased by the local butcher or grocer if the lad showed promise. My dad was often paid sixpence to polish a room full of trophies. Most of my heros were footy players. I played AFL for many years until injuries and family commitments meant i had to quit. I have some great memories of those days but the game just doesn't hold the same fascination for me.
I also moved to Newcastle a few years ago and the AFL barely rates a mention in this NRL Knights crazy town

[Calm]

Coming back from Adelaide -via Kingston - Mt gambier i listened to it on the radio and HG & nelson were the comentary team. The amount of verbal Cr*P was enough that the third quarter was all i could stand.

Good to hear "Crawford" managed to win a flag in his carrer

[Waldo]

Wasn't interested in it all myself Skew, I drowned out the roudy footy mad mob behind me with a thicknesser and Domino all arvo.

Didn't even watch the news as it would've been useless, if aliens were wathing the news tonight to see what happens in Vicortia they might rightly think that nothing else happened in the world today except for some blokes kicking a bit of pig skin around.

[Lignum]

Skew and Archer, at what point has the game changed apart from pure skill and the inevitable professionalism?

Should we go back to 1927-1930 when John Wren paid 10 times the amount for the better players on the Collingwood list that resulted in them buying four flags? Or players fixing their own dislocated bones, playing when so badly injured because they needed the few quid for their families survival. Not to mention the brutal thuggery that was rife in 95% of games

Footy has never been better, and the players never better looked after. It annoys me when people go on about how bad the game is compared to the “good old days” AFL is at its peak. Look at the superstars - Cotchin, Buddy, Judd, the list goes on, its brilliant.

The skills and games are superb, not to mention a business that employs over 120, 17-18 years olds on a minimum 40k base every year, year in year out. No others do that.

Bagging footy and the AFL is pathetic.