Would you continue your support of the club if we bottomed out for 3 years?

[Scallop Industry Thug]

We've finished mid table for 20 years. We're not going anywhere in terms of success, and the club seems fairly stable off the field.

The club has always seen bottoming out as untenable considering the potential for supporters to drop off. But it's had us on the treadmill for 2 decades. Sydney, Geelong and Hawthorn have been the same, but they've had structural advnatges and success that has allowed them to bring in elite talent.

For every example of Melbourne and Gold Coast, there are far more examples where bringing in top end talent has worked. Just the last few premiers. Gaff, Kennedy (via Judd), Nat, Shuey. Martin, Riewoldt, Cotchin. Botempelli, Stringer, Boyd (via Griffin). Roughead, Lewis, Hodge. Im forgetting lots. These top end talents are the guts of premiership teams, and we really haven't got any (maybe Cunnington aside, I don't think Higgins is that).

We may not have a choice. This list may be bottom 3 bad anyway. But it may require us trading a good player or many for 1st rounders (Tarrant, Higgins).

I hate the idea of not competing for a flag every year, but free agency, trading and picking the eyes out of 2nd and 3rd round picks haven't worked. Hitting the top of the draft is the one thing we haven't tried. This isn't to suggest it will work, but it offers the clearest route back to contention for us.

If we re-orient the football department and coaches to develoment of young players, what level of support would you offer the club if they went down the patch of moving veterans on for picks and priortise development over wins?

**I'll assume most of us buy memberships. It's not a pubic poll.

 

[SpiderBurton22]

We in here may, the general, man on the street supporter would drop away quickly.

 

[see see]

It's not a pubic poll.

Good to know.

And yes I would

 

[Egga]

Appropriate that the question has been posed by a “soft downhill skier”.

 

[Gasometer]

One fundamental issue with lapsing Membership is that you break the consecutive link for a Grand Final privileged ticket.

 

[shinboner spiggs]

Our issues have nothing to do with the list or the quality of list.

If they keep Scott I’ll stop coming.

 

[Gasometer]

Appropriate that the question has been posed by a “soft downhill skier”.

And is a GWS supporter?

 

[koshari]

Absulutely i would. Have done so since late 70s. But as others have said i dont know what my resolve would be like having not witnessed greig cable blight allison carey krackours dench mckernan etc....

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[wolvesRoos]

Of course i will continue to supoort. I will turn up every week im not on holiday.

 

[wolvesRoos]

Its our duty as fans. If we want a club to support we have to turn up. Once fixture is out i arrange life around it. Missed this week as am on holiday but flying to adelaide and tassie over next few weeks to make up for it

 

[wolvesRoos]

People that only turn up when the team is winning are known as glory hunters.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

We in here may, the general, man on the street supporter would drop away quickly.

I'd argue that the man on the street is apathetic of finishing 10th every year, with no clear path to contention. There are 4 teams who have't done a rebuild. Hawthorn, who have nailed free agency and have guns wanting to play for them because they're guaranteed finals. Geelong, whose footy department is miles ahead of ours. And Sydney who the AFL will nurse to sleep every night with warm milk and cookies.

IMO the man on the street would get a jolt if he sees 6-7 or potential A graders runnnig around for us. The Simpkins or Dumonts are nice, but they're not getting us there.

 

[StrokerAce]

Of course. I love the club.

 

[sobo]

Ofcourse everyone should still support, although thing need to happen and members need to be shown there is a future. Cause right now we ain’t going nowhere fast.

 

[Gasometer]

The problem is our fair weathered supporters who won't turn up

You don't get the Gate, you don't get the ratings, you get the crap time slots, you lose the profile, you lose the sponsors and the pressure builds.

GWS and GCS can flounder as much as they like, the A$L will support them

Carlton and even * can weather the storm due to their supporter base and financial clout

Coming 17-18-17-18 to then build back upwards in a 5 year window after that.....?

If we could have the security of staying as we are, I wouldn't mind it, but after a decade of rebuilding I fear we would be having joint celebrations in Melbourne and Hobart the following Sunday

Hence my rock and hard place argument from another thread

 

[giantroo]

Absolutely I would. Just show us something.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

I might aswell put my head on the chopping block since Im the ******* OP. I'm there every week regardless of what we roll out. If we continue throwing out these 10-12 win teams, I'll be in my seat every week.

But I can't see us becoming a genuine contender without an influx of talent, and every way other than the top of the draft has failed us.

We haven't been a genuine contender since 1999.

 

[ferball]

I've got 3 kids, all girls, all members and 2 of them are under 3, they'll be cheering an aflw flag (at least) next year. Even if they didn't have that oppportunity ... that would be such a s**t thing to teach them. Bail on something you care about when things get tough - no way its unNorthMelbournian!!!

(To me the only reason not to have a membership is financial and the way you can get cheap memberships these days even thats not as much of an issue.)

 

[StrokerAce]

I think a true indication of someone's integrity is to stand up during times of adversity. Anyone can support a team and be bullish when their team is doing well. Yes I'm an optimist but my opinion is we definitely need a new coach, that is plain to see. But I'll be buying a membership every year and cheering my ass off regardless until the day I cark it!

 

[Gasometer]

I might aswell put my head on the chopping block since Im the ******* OP. I'm there every week regardless of what we roll out. If we continue throwing out these 10-12 win teams, I'll be in my seat every week.

But I can't see us becoming a genuine contender without an influx of talent, and every way other than the top of the draft has failed us.

We haven't been a genuine contender since 1999.

You need to fix up your avatar details

 

[Cool Kangas]

Of course but it is a scary proposition for us because we’re always under threat even when things are seemingly ok. Always in the relocation conversation even when we’re financially ok.

Jeez even when we do an awesome job promoting and working on an amazing Good Friday fixture and get a wonderful turnout we then get subjected to a poll asking if we should be allowed to retain the match on the back of a poor performance in this “blockbuster”. Have other clubs ever been threatened like this in their respective big games when they’ve played poorly? I’m sick and tired of people just sticking the boot into the smaller clubs. It’s disgusting.

 

[Ashley B]

Yes, I am going down with the ship like those musicians on the Titanic , or something along those lines. I still want to win every game but it is quite possible
we will be right near if not on the bottom. Looking forward to watching LDU , he will be very good one day, maybe one of the best.
Go The Roos

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Til death do us part. I don’t want North to bottom out - I’m not at all convinced it’s a good strategy - but I’ll be there every one of the three years regardless.

 

[Dirty_11]

The problem is many others wouldn't buy memberships if we were to bottom out for 2-3 years. Going by our boards current form we will sell off more games to Hobart to make up for the financial loss edging us closer to relocation. Make no mistake, this is the best scenario for the AFL and they would be loving our current predicament.

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[muttley45]

Are priority picks back on the table or something ?

We (almost) never "Bottom Out" , and long may it continue, leave that s**t for your GoDees and Bluebaggers etc