How did you keep up pre Interwebs?

[you pick one]

With still over a week to fill in before the Cats v Hawks,I tought I'd see how fellow foot tragics got their fix of all things Cats before the Net.
In my case being in QLD a back water then before the Bears even,I'd relied heavily on family and friends during the season to sending news papers and their old foot record post game,Early season I'd sweat on an AFL lift out in the paper which would become my bible and best friend for the next 6 months as it contained the player list for all teams along with the relevant stats,it was the highlight of my year.

Many a Monday morning or afternoon on my way to or from work I'd call into the Ansett airlines terminal at Eagle Farm and grab a Melbourne paper,I'd read the print off it.

TV coverage up here was minimal at one stage we had the channel 2 program the winners and then occasionally channel 7 would have a Geelong replay starting around midnight.
It was hard work trying to stay involved but the Cats have always been great value for money and it was worth it for me.
I'm sure others have gone to greater lengths and have a story to tell.

 

[vinum coupe]

Nothing has actually really changed PO.
It's just saturation now.

In the early 90's inside footy contained a few pages on each team every week.
You got all the updates on players. Game style etc.

Now people seem to want new info every day. God knows why.

 

[Vdubs]

With still over a week to fill in before the Cats v Hawks,I tought I see how fellow foot tragics got their fix of all things Cats before the Net.
In my case being in QLD a back water then before the Bears even,I'd relied heavily on family and friends during the season to sending news papers and their old foot record post game,Early season I'd sweat on an AFL lift out in the in a paper which would become my bible and best friend for the next 6 months as it contained the player list for all teams along with the relevant stats,it was the highlight of my year.

Many a Monday morning or afternoon on my way to or from work I'd call into the Ansett airlines terminal at Eagle Farm and grab a Melbourne paper,I'd read the print off it.

TV coverage up here was minimal at one stage we had the channel 2 program the winners and then occasionally channel 7 would have a Geelong replay starting around midnight.
It was hard work trying to stay involved but the Cats have always been great value for money and it was worth it for me.
I'm sure others have gone to greater lengths and have a story to tell.

I lived in NZ for 4 years early 80's, couldn't afford to phone, no TV coverage, so, believe it or not, wrote and received letters from those I left behind.
Was mates with a former GFC trainer, Des Lourey, and one weekend I took home to Geelong a friend, and Des agreed to pick us up on the Sat am, on the bus that took the reserves team to their match- what a buzz for us. The kiwi now lives in WA and supports WCE. Talk about ingratitude.

 

[vinum coupe]

I blame you for sidebottom dubs.
Made the bus leave early obviously.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Wouldn't know frankly. Born in the interwebs era. Know no different.

 

[you pick one]

Wouldn't know frankly. Born in the interwebs era. Know no different.

It's a powerful thing,I expect you take it for granted,but for us old farts it has changed everything.

 

[vinum coupe]

It's a powerful thing,I expect you take it for granted,but for us old farts it has changed everything.

I was writing C+ basic as a 12 year old. I was on the internet by about 91.
I started work for a company in 94 and said we have to get on the net right bloody now.

The boss said "What? no one will ever make money out of that"
Fair to say he never turned around until I convinced him to spend 30k on it 8 years later

 

[catempire]

It's actually hard to remember.

I read every footy article in every newspaper. I'd learn about the weekend's selected side in Friday morning's Addy.

I read a lot more books on footy and got historical information from titles like Every Game Ever Played and The Encyclopaedia of League Footballers. Now all of that is at my fingertips on the web.

I watched all the footy shows. Talking Footy was the best analytically. Those shows are saturation now so you can pick and choose.

The biggest difference though is the ability to interact with other fans. Before the webz it was just family and friends when it came up in conversation. Nowhere near the depth of analysis we have now with each and every player, every match and every thought about football.

 

[JUBJUB]

 

[vinum coupe]

The biggest difference though is the ability to interact with other fans. Before the webz it was just family and friends when it came up in conversation. Nowhere near the depth of analysis we have now with each and every player, every match and every thought about football.

Yeah that was it.
It was just conversations at the coffee shop etc.
I can remember being at my accountant in GF week of 94, and the receptionist asked me what I thought about saturday.

We're toast.
Unfortunately correct

 

[Vdubs]

I blame you for sidebottom dubs.
Made the bus leave early obviously.

Good one.
This was actually a game v Footscray, iirc, at maybe the Western Oval.
We lost both games that day in June 83. I think we were crap that year, 8-14! Can't remember us being like that for a while.

 

[you pick one]

Radio coverage of games is still like that up here on the Island,being surrounded by water occasionally you will pick up a game of a night out of Sydney but it will fade in and out.

 

[vinum coupe]

Good one.
This was actually a game v Footscray, iirc, at maybe the Western Oval.
We lost both games that day in June 83. I think we were crap that year, 8-14! Can't remember us being like that for a while.

I reckon I missed every game of 83.

Played for red west on Saturday, Nth Shore on Sunday.

Good for me

 

[Vdubs]

Radio coverage of games is still like that up here on the Island,being surrounded by water occasionally you will pick up a game of a night out of Sydney but it will fade in and out.

Reminds me of the old CRYSTAL SETS! Really showing my age- most BFers would have no idea about these. But they were amazing for a young kid wanting to listen to stuff around the world. Too much digression!?

http://earlywireless.com/images/xtals/mighty atom tin open 01.JPG

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Radio, and I was at an age when I had a few mates trying out, so you hear stuff about clubs that way.

 

[Willo_]

I actually think the internet, pay tv and most importantly big footy have fueled and grown my interest. Always been a footy nut, but has grown to obsession levels with all the information available. I am just a sponge trying to absorb it all

But to actually answer the question, I used to read every article in the paper, I used to watch the footy show/s each week, and I think most of all I used to talk about it with my mates. I was at school when I started getting right into it, and the internet was in its infancy.... so it was all sitting round with the mates talking about it flat out

Also radio, i would listen to Rex and Sam on 3AW every weekend from midday till 6pm

 

[vinum coupe]

I actually think the internet, pay tv and most importantly big footy have fueled and grown my interest. Always been a footy nut, but has grown to obsession levels with all the information available. I am just a sponge trying to absorb it all

But to actually answer the question, I used to read every article in the paper, I used to watch the footy show/s each week, and I think most of all I used to talk about it with my mates. I was at school when I started getting right into it, and the internet was in its infancy.... so it was all sitting round with the mates talking about it flat out

Also radio, i would listen to Rex and Sam on 3AW every weekend from midday till 6pm

And bendigo didn't get the net until 2004. He he

 

[Willo_]

And bendigo didn't get the net until 2004. He he

Probably... they are a backwards s**t hole


and not where I grew up

 

[vinum coupe]

Oh crap. The rat.

 

[Teriyakicat]

With still over a week to fill in before the Cats v Hawks,I tought I'd see how fellow foot tragics got their fix of all things Cats before the Net.
In my case being in QLD a back water then before the Bears even,I'd relied heavily on family and friends during the season to sending news papers and their old foot record post game,Early season I'd sweat on an AFL lift out in the paper which would become my bible and best friend for the next 6 months as it contained the player list for all teams along with the relevant stats,it was the highlight of my year.

Many a Monday morning or afternoon on my way to or from work I'd call into the Ansett airlines terminal at Eagle Farm and grab a Melbourne paper,I'd read the print off it.

TV coverage up here was minimal at one stage we had the channel 2 program the winners and then occasionally channel 7 would have a Geelong replay starting around midnight.
It was hard work trying to stay involved but the Cats have always been great value for money and it was worth it for me.
I'm sure others have gone to greater lengths and have a story to tell.

Luxury!!!

I used


And, every few weeks, I'd fill my pockets with 20 cent pieces and line up to make a short call home on one of 3 public phones that I shared with 300 other bodies:



After that I went out bush for 4 years, worked from sparrow's fart till dark, saw lots of this

and heard nothing but crows and machinery all day. Definitely not the musical thump of leather hitting leather and the resulting cheering of the crowd as the ball sailed through the big sticks
I drove for 2 hours on an old bush track every couple of weeks on a Sunday night, to the nearest phone booth to speak to the boss- and the last thing that Pom was interested in was how the Cats were going.

So pretty much nada, nix, nothing for 10 years for me...

....then I had kids....

But at least I wasn't living on an island, ypo!!! and at least I was not living in a rugby state
Imagine my delight when the Eagles formed...



The saturation levels of the blue and gold in the media resulted in me resorting again to because news on any club other than the beloved Eagles was as scarce as hens' teeth.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

It's a powerful thing,I expect you take it for granted,but for us old farts it has changed everything.

Oh definitely it would be taken for granted. Worst feeling when the green light on that modem turns red and the Internet goes down.

Resetting modems and calling tech support for help.

Yes I'm in the generation that can't live without the internet, although I hate social media so I guess I'm not totally Gen Y.

From a football perspective I've grown up in an era predominantly saturated with football news March to September.

 

[you pick one]

Oh definitely it would be taken for granted. Worst feeling when the green light on that modem turns red and the Internet goes down.

Resetting modems and calling tech support for help.

Yes I'm in the generation that can't live without the internet, although I hate social media so I guess I'm not totally Gen Y.

From a football perspective I've grown up in an era predominantly saturated with football news March to September.

It's a relief if it fires up of a morning,I've recently replaced 2 modems some cables no all cables the router and eventually the computer trying to correct a slowing problem and a need to reboot the modem all the time,It's not us the server kept saying it's not us said Telstra.replaced everything fixed nothing.

 

[you pick one]

And, every few weeks, I'd fill my pockets with 20 cent pieces and line up to make a short call home on one of 3 public phones that I shared with 300 other bodies:

That reminds me of a story a mate of mine told me TC, years ago now Fiji trialled one poker machine he reckons the que for that some days went around the block.

 

[THE CAT WRANGLER]

3GL

Print Media

I think people engaged more at the club by getting to games early to watch the reserves and then talked and gossiped about in and outs of the team .
Traveling on buses and train was good to try and hear some info

 

[Whit3y]

i used to buy a murdoch paper
silly me

do they still sell them these days?