ripitup27
4 Jun 2006, 05:06
Today was the icing on the cake. A 50+ point lead at half time, and the boys managed to drop the game. Why the hell do we supporters put up with this?
For too long I have sat and watched the Geelong Football Club choke at its most critical moments. I've witnessed the 92, 94 and 95 Grand Final defeats. I've seen us lose by three points to Sydney in the dying seconds of a semi-final. I looked on as Geelong fell periously close to making the Grand Final in 2004, as we went down to Brisbane. And in the past seven weeks, I've watched from the outer, as our premiership hopes and aspirartions fell in a heap with a team of arrogant, self-centered, seemingly heartless players, who just don't seem to have the same pride in the club that we long suffering supporters have had for our entire lives.
For too long, we Geelong supporters have settled for a fate that has us exclaiming, 'Hey, we tried our best, that's all you can ask'. For too long, we Geelong supporters have rewarded mediocrity, as our team meanders along at a pace that suits them. And for too long, we Geelong supporters have had our hearts broken by a team that will never know how much crap we have gone through because we decided as kids to support the blue and white hoops.
Today, while sitting in a lounge room with a bunch of mates, none of which were Geelong supporters, I found myself being told at half-time, 'Smile mate, you're fifty points up, you're going to win for once', to which I replied, 'This is Geelong we're talking about, nothing is a sure bet'. As I was saying this, I wondered how many other Cats supporters were saying the same thing as me, as they settled in to watch the dreaded second half.
So why is it that we Cats fans have less faith in our club than say, a Magpies fan, or an Eagles fan? Because we are becoming use to the fact that our club keeps falling down when it needs to stand-up. How many times have you sat down to watch a final term in which Geelong is leading by about five goals, and witnessed a massive comeback by the opposition team on the day? How many times have you seen Geelong lose the tough games that we needed to win, at the crucial moments of the season? And how many times have you witnessed our players have a lack of pride, respect and urge to satisfy their number one fans with ultimate victory? Too many bloody times, that's how many.
Why should we support a team that does not support us? Why should we settle for second best, and constantly look forward to next year, while other teams steam on ahead of us? Sometimes I really don't know why I keep coming back year after year for heartbreak after heartbreak.
But today, I realised why we keep coming back for more at Geelong, and it came in the form of one man, Cameron Mooney.
I can't count the amount of times that Cameron has annoyed the crap out of me with undisciplined and stupid play, leading to penalties that affect the whole club. But watching that man walk off today had me forgetting every little misdemeanour that he has ever done, as he limped of the ground in tears, clearly saddened by the fact that his team did not have the heart to win a game that most teams could finish in the blink of eye. It's not the first time we have seen Cameron like this, but I sure as hell hope it's the last. For Cameron Mooney is one of the few players at the club this year that is playing with passion, vigour and a relentlessness that the Geelong Football Club has lacked for decades now. It's players like Mooney that has us fans coming back each year for the heartbreak of another season, as they deserve the support and respect that we fans show to all our players, even the ones that don't deserve it.
Mooney just reminds me of one of us supporters, a lonesome, dejected figure that questions why the rest of the players don't have the heart to win a game for the club, not for themselves, but for everyone who has ever been involved with the Geelong Football Club.
Our players, the players that effectively control our moods across the whole weekend, need to show emotion and pride for the club like Cameron Mooney does, and they need to respect the fact that we supporters have put up with enough crap for supporting this team. Every single player needs to know how much pain we Geelong supporters have gone through, and start showing us the god damn respect we have shown them over the past few years.
Start playing for the club, the jumper, the supporters and team, boys, because the respect that we supporters have shown for you over all this time is dwindling at the point of crisis, and respect is a hard thing to get back once it's lost.
For too long I have sat and watched the Geelong Football Club choke at its most critical moments. I've witnessed the 92, 94 and 95 Grand Final defeats. I've seen us lose by three points to Sydney in the dying seconds of a semi-final. I looked on as Geelong fell periously close to making the Grand Final in 2004, as we went down to Brisbane. And in the past seven weeks, I've watched from the outer, as our premiership hopes and aspirartions fell in a heap with a team of arrogant, self-centered, seemingly heartless players, who just don't seem to have the same pride in the club that we long suffering supporters have had for our entire lives.
For too long, we Geelong supporters have settled for a fate that has us exclaiming, 'Hey, we tried our best, that's all you can ask'. For too long, we Geelong supporters have rewarded mediocrity, as our team meanders along at a pace that suits them. And for too long, we Geelong supporters have had our hearts broken by a team that will never know how much crap we have gone through because we decided as kids to support the blue and white hoops.
Today, while sitting in a lounge room with a bunch of mates, none of which were Geelong supporters, I found myself being told at half-time, 'Smile mate, you're fifty points up, you're going to win for once', to which I replied, 'This is Geelong we're talking about, nothing is a sure bet'. As I was saying this, I wondered how many other Cats supporters were saying the same thing as me, as they settled in to watch the dreaded second half.
So why is it that we Cats fans have less faith in our club than say, a Magpies fan, or an Eagles fan? Because we are becoming use to the fact that our club keeps falling down when it needs to stand-up. How many times have you sat down to watch a final term in which Geelong is leading by about five goals, and witnessed a massive comeback by the opposition team on the day? How many times have you seen Geelong lose the tough games that we needed to win, at the crucial moments of the season? And how many times have you witnessed our players have a lack of pride, respect and urge to satisfy their number one fans with ultimate victory? Too many bloody times, that's how many.
Why should we support a team that does not support us? Why should we settle for second best, and constantly look forward to next year, while other teams steam on ahead of us? Sometimes I really don't know why I keep coming back year after year for heartbreak after heartbreak.
But today, I realised why we keep coming back for more at Geelong, and it came in the form of one man, Cameron Mooney.
I can't count the amount of times that Cameron has annoyed the crap out of me with undisciplined and stupid play, leading to penalties that affect the whole club. But watching that man walk off today had me forgetting every little misdemeanour that he has ever done, as he limped of the ground in tears, clearly saddened by the fact that his team did not have the heart to win a game that most teams could finish in the blink of eye. It's not the first time we have seen Cameron like this, but I sure as hell hope it's the last. For Cameron Mooney is one of the few players at the club this year that is playing with passion, vigour and a relentlessness that the Geelong Football Club has lacked for decades now. It's players like Mooney that has us fans coming back each year for the heartbreak of another season, as they deserve the support and respect that we fans show to all our players, even the ones that don't deserve it.
Mooney just reminds me of one of us supporters, a lonesome, dejected figure that questions why the rest of the players don't have the heart to win a game for the club, not for themselves, but for everyone who has ever been involved with the Geelong Football Club.
Our players, the players that effectively control our moods across the whole weekend, need to show emotion and pride for the club like Cameron Mooney does, and they need to respect the fact that we supporters have put up with enough crap for supporting this team. Every single player needs to know how much pain we Geelong supporters have gone through, and start showing us the god damn respect we have shown them over the past few years.
Start playing for the club, the jumper, the supporters and team, boys, because the respect that we supporters have shown for you over all this time is dwindling at the point of crisis, and respect is a hard thing to get back once it's lost.