What Does Local Footy Mean To You?

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TheLoungeLizard

TheLoungeLizard

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Oct 21, 2010
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Hello all,

As I was running laps tonight with my local footy side for preseason I got thinking, what does your side mean to you?
Did you ever have a big affiliation with a club in your youth?

For mine, they took me in as a 16 year old and have been playing 19's since and have seen the seniors come agonizingly close to the flag this season.

It's the home away from home, place I've ran around 3 times a week, where I can be me and not worry about impressing people.

When the final siren goes, we walk in and sing the song, hop in an ice bath, then stand in the line at the canteen for a coke and whatever hot food happens to be warm.

I don't know how long I'll play there for, I'm not naive enough to think my whole career but it'll always hold a special place to me, as I'm only turning 20 next month it's been a big part of my life.

So, is your local club somewhere that is just the closet ground to your home, a special part of you, the place you coach, the place you played and what sort of playing/coaching career did you have?

Over to you.
 
My club took me in as an unfit 28yo who had never played a game of footy in his life and so far have never treated me any different to the other blokes.

Takes me 30 minutes to get there for training/games but wouldnt think about trying anywhere else even if they let me haha. Only had 2 wins in my 15 game career in our thirds team but its more then worth it.

It is a good feeling being part of something like a football club. Its a very grounding aspect to life that you know will always be there and you can be part of whether being a player or volunteer.
 

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I really miss it. I left Tassie 18 years ago, and used to go to NTFA and then TFL games regularly...mostly East and South, but sometimes North Launceston hoping they'd get flogged (karma owes me big time for this)...

Up here, there's nothing...Cairns is too far away to regularly go to local pleb footy, and noone talks footy at all...
 
Have often thought about this and I'd probably rather win a flag playing for my local club than watch the Dogs win one. Both would be great, in fact either one would be the best thing ever, don't get me wrong. But if I really had to choose.
 
My local meant alot to me. Until the people i grew to love and respect at the club turned into money hungry shits.
 
Absolutely nothing. Have never had any real interest in local football, have never had a team I followed or even checked the local results.
 
ManOfClay said:
Have often thought about this and I'd probably rather win a flag playing for my local club than watch the Dogs win one. Both would be great, in fact either one would be the best thing ever, don't get me wrong. But if I really had to choose.
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I assume you have been at your club for a long time then?
Or have you just not played in a successful side over your journey?

I haven't been blessed with any premiership myself, close though.
 
Tigerland55 said:
I assume you have been at your club for a long time then?
Or have you just not played in a successful side over your journey?
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Mine's a bit of a long story. Was born very prematurely and with cerebral palsy. Thankfully no mental disabilities but had a very pad pigeon toe. Stopped playing footy in the early 2000s once I was too old for mini-colts. Had massive corrective surgery in 2009 and returned to footy for the last eight game of 2011 while living in Adelaide. Moved to the country for work in 2012 and have played for the same small country club ever since.

I live in a town of about 6000 with its own football team but play for a club about 25 minutes away from a community of around 30 people. Very small, tight-knit community that would love us to get a flag in a very big and well-resourced league. They know we are well behind the eight ball.

A senior flag will mean so much to me in my personal journey but also a hell of a lot to the farmers and everyone out there involved in the club.
 
Tigerland55 said:
How close do you feel the side is to a flag?
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Not very. I'm a reserves player and we struggle for numbers, meanwhile the current A grade premiers spent a hell of a lot of money (good on them, we'd do the same if we had the cash and they are a similar community to ours) on players the calibre of Scott Welsh and Ian Perrie. We've got a fair few travelling guys but none of that quality.

I'm only 24 so plenty of time left in my career.
 

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Local footy means nothing to me because the NEAFL is a steaming pile of horse s**t. #bringbackQAFL
 
It means a hell of a lot. Moved to my local club at under 13s and been there right throughout til this year at under 19s. Up into the senior club next year. We've had a very right knit group for years and have won 3 of the last 4 div 1 flags and have made many lifelong mates and memories.

Now everything's changed a bit as we have to move up but we have all stayed together into the seniors. As they haven't had much success recently, we are hoping our group can change that into the future.
 
I play in the QAFA B up in Queensland. So not the strongest comp.

The club only brought in a senior team last season and I was one of the inaugural players, having last played five or so years previously in school.

On-field for the first half of the season we were doing okay. Won a few games and were generally competitive, but off-field we were getting a really bad reputation around the league as the administration of the club did not know what they were doing and turned plenty against us, not least of all AFLQ themselves.

A half-dozen rounds to go and the team imploded, with most of the players leaving after the coach was sacked. Majority of the players stole playing jumpers too, however most of these have been returned since then.

The last few rounds were great. We got flogged time and time again, and I won't lie, that was hard to take, but only to be expected when that part of the season lined up with playing against the top echelon of teams.

When we had a team, I could barely get a game. I was named one of the best on ground against the Woodsmen, the best team in the comp. The problem with that? I was on the ground for a five minute stretch in the second quarter and the last twenty seconds of the game. I had a total of two rushed handballs at half-forward. So it was hardly deserved.

When everyone walked out, suddenly I was on the field the whole game. And while I was still pretty poor, at least I developed.

Now, heading into a new season, the club has new management, a new, and impressive, coach and a new direction. I'm now considered leadership material and we're building numbers again.

Unfortunately for me, they're also talking about bringing the old coach back in an assistant role. If that goes ahead then I guess I'd best get used to being the boundary umpire again.

Can't win them all right?
 
Golden_6 said:
It means a hell of a lot. Moved to my local club at under 13s and been there right throughout til this year at under 19s. Up into the senior club next year. We've had a very right knit group for years and have won 3 of the last 4 div 1 flags and have made many lifelong mates and memories.

Now everything's changed a bit as we have to move up but we have all stayed together into the seniors. As they haven't had much success recently, we are hoping our group can change that into the future.
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I hate you, only for your success in premierships.
 
Phoenixguard09 said:
So am I. I'm surprised the club is thinking about taking him back to be honest.
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At least now you are considered a leader, could be worth speaking to the President about some players thoughts on him returning.
 
Tigerland55 said:
At least now you are considered a leader, could be worth speaking to the President about some players thoughts on him returning.
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The thinking is that by bringing him back, it might lure some of those guys who left when the club imploded.

We need numbers and the club is willing to forgive and forget what happened last season.
 
Phoenixguard09 said:
The thinking is that by bringing him back, it might lure some of those guys who left when the club imploded.

We need numbers and the club is willing to forgive and forget what happened last season.
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Ah yeah, at least as an assistant he wont have as much control, get in early with making friends with the new head coach.
That's how I did it haha
 
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