Opinion Reasons To Be Cheerful (Part 4)

Drake Huggins

Club Legend
May 2, 2018
2,391
9,697
The ghost of the G.G. Huggins Stand
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Stoke City, Southampton.
Well forumites, what a ride it's been since the Milky Bar Kid got the pink slip. Satan's long term strategy is now in place. The leading players in holding us back are gone (Sexton excepted), replaced with professionals with the expertise and proven grunt to make us successful. I was there in 2003. This has the same feel about it. I think we're in for a ride that would even get "Big Kev" excited, and he's been dead for years. Those curmudgeons who are still grumbling and cursing just lay back and enjoy. I'll have great joy in proving you were wrong. Like the Fonz, you may have trouble admitting it atm, but you'll see it in the end. Win/win!

Why the shameless optimism? Well, it's said the universe favours the overly optimistic (Bingle, Wilkins, et al). As you know, I'm a worshipper of Satan, of the Lethlean variety. The Fallen Angel was dropped from the heavens of the Death Star and straight into our laps. For Gill the Dill, this had a tri-fold, not a Nettle-fold, benefit. He removed his primary opponent for the top job, allowed him to virtue signal about his, and the AFL's morals and ethics, and sent his best administrator to the club he loves. Talk about a win, win, win! We could never have got him on merit. For once, the footy gods and the radical feminazis smiled on us! Unless he becomes our CEO, he'll soon be off, but his legacy will linger.

The first thing he did was rid us of the dopey cancer that was Elshaug. How on earth did that halfwit get the gig as being in charge of recruiting and list management? A hangover from Nettlefool and Fraser, the sort of administrators who've been the cause of our failures for over a century. Seriously, Elshaug couldn't fart and chew gum at the same time and was an avowed and very public hater of the saints. Couldn't hack the workload under RTB, so what did they do? Instead of acknowledging he wasn't fit to hold any position of responsibility, they gave him the key position, despite a complete lack of demonstrated expertise and experience. Only at the saints. Nettlefool also carelessly misplaced the second-best performed coach in our history, RTB. He then aggravated that act by hiring the shameless and incompetent self-promoter, the Pelican. Great legacy there, Mike!

That brings me to Nettlefool's accomplice, the execrable Archie Fraser. A narcissist and sociopath, he sold the club down the polluted canal to Seaford, when all he had to do was hold steady and wait for Greg Alabaster and Topsy Tipsy Tupsy "rainbow shitting unicorn" Petchy to be voted out at the next council elections, which they duly were. Patience and good judgment were not Archie's strengths. In fact, in all my dealings with Archie, which I admit were few, I was unable to detect any positive traits he had. He had all the charm of a suburban caravan park. He also bailed out before the three female employees who'd laid charges of alleged bullying and sexual harassment against him could prosecute him. Settlements all round, it was. Doing well now, isn't he? How's that soccer super league, that he set up in opposition to the A-League going?

The catastrophic mess this ship of fools left us was plain to see. Deeply in debt, a list in complete disrepair, low membership, a training facility no one wanted to use and even fewer could actually find, and a place free agents avoided like a driver dodging potholes. Well done, all concerned!

Enter, stage left, the Prince of Darkness, aka Satan Lethlean. His reputation unfairly stained. The histrionic PC police ensured his punishment extended well beyond any appropriate sanction. Like his namesake, his image had been irreparably besmirched. He was a perfect candidate for the saints. Brilliant but damaged. His work since arrival has been outstanding.

Thanks to Finnis we are back at Moorabbin, a world-class facility at our spiritual home, Moorabbin. We even get to play a game there, which is something I never thought I'd see again. Membership is on the rise, the target of 50,000 seeming almost conservative, given the buzz around the place.

The former coach, the Richie Cunningham like, Alan Richardson, has been replaced by the Fonz, Brett Ratten. The lift in the mood of the players has been palpable. I've never seen levels of enthusiasm as great as this before. It seems the whole club is up and about. Five players from other clubs wanted to call Moorabbin home. What a change! The list has been revamped in the past two years and now looks one of the strongest in the league, not one of the weakest. Onto it have come Hannabery, Clark, Coffield, Hind, Wilkie, Parker, Clavarino, Austin, King, Bytel, Jones, Hill, Howard, Ryder, and Butler. Three more to come in the draft and via DFA. Excited yet? Pace, another quality ruckman, a premiership-winning small forward and one of the most exciting youngsters since Roo. Star quality amongst that lot. Just what the doctor, or rather the Board and supporters ordered.

Amongst our best recruits have been the off-field appointments. Hiring Graeme "Grubby Gubby" Allan has been a masterstroke. Like a mercenary, he does cruel things for money, but like the best in his trade, he does them well. A shout out to the work experience kid, Libba. Freed from the handbrake that was Elshaug, he has thrived. Three solid years of drafting with more to come. Well done son. DOS, the numbers freak. Having had time to settle in, watch him go. A major player in the Hawks' success, I can only imagine he will be vital to Ratts' success. "The grapes of" Rath is another inspired choice. Now we have the IP of all seventeen opposition clubs. You can tell it was a great appointment by the amount of whingeing the other clubs did about it. Even Caro praised us for it. What a time to be alive! "Gags" Gallagher was also an inspired choice. Time will tell if he's as good as I suspect. Early signs are good. Lots of cap room being utilized at last. Unlike Elshaug, he has genuine expertise in his area and can count to twenty without taking his shoes and socks off.

Last, but not least, is the President. I liked Peter Summers, but he was a cuddly toy compared to Fred. Summers had slowly climbed the ladder of success at one organisation, AV Jennings. Over thirty years in one organization climbing the slippery pole always makes me skeptical when recruiting. Kudos to him for the achievement, but mediocrity does rise in large organisations. He certainly got a lesson in effectiveness in the brutal and unforgiving world of the AFL. Fred holds no such doubts for me. A cruel, but fair man, an astute businessman, who like Louie the Fly, is afraid of no one. Unlike Louie however, not even the man with the can of Mortein puts him off. The man with the golden gun. If Lethlean is satan, then Fred is the Dark Lord. The force is most definitely under our control. The Dark Side has never looked so strong and promising.

So to the doubters and curmudgeons, I leave you with this, "A man's about as happy as he makes his mind up to be." Abraham Lincoln said that, or it may have been Warwick Capper. One of the two. I think there's something in that for all of us, don't you? I'm excited. More reasons to be cheerful!
 

CarnTheSAINTERS

All Australian
Jul 15, 2019
924
2,225
AFL Club
St Kilda
Well forumites, what a ride it's been since the Milky Bar Kid got the pink slip. Satan's long term strategy is now in place. The leading players in holding us back are gone (Sexton excepted), replaced with professionals with the expertise and proven grunt to make us successful. I was there in 2003. This has the same feel about it. I think we're in for a ride that would even get "Big Kev" excited, and he's been dead for years. Those curmudgeons who are still grumbling and cursing just lay back and enjoy. I'll have great joy in proving you were wrong. Like the Fonz, you may have trouble admitting it atm, but you'll see it in the end. Win/win!

Why the shameless optimism? Well, it's said the universe favours the overly optimistic (Bingle, Wilkins, et al). As you know, I'm a worshipper of Satan, of the Lethlean variety. The Fallen Angel was dropped from the heavens of the Death Star and straight into our laps. For Gill the Dill, this had a tri-fold, not a Nettle-fold, benefit. He removed his primary opponent for the top job, allowed him to virtue signal about his, and the AFL's morals and ethics, and sent his best administrator to the club he loves. Talk about a win, win, win! We could never have got him on merit. For once, the footy gods and the radical feminazis smiled on us! Unless he becomes our CEO, he'll soon be off, but his legacy will linger.

The first thing he did was rid us of the dopey cancer that was Elshaug. How on earth did that halfwit get the gig as being in charge of recruiting and list management? A hangover from Nettlefool and Fraser, the sort of administrators who've been the cause of our failures for over a century. Seriously, Elshaug couldn't fart and chew gum at the same time and was an avowed and very public hater of the saints. Couldn't hack the workload under RTB, so what did they do? Instead of acknowledging he wasn't fit to hold any position of responsibility, they gave him the key position, despite a complete lack of demonstrated expertise and experience. Only at the saints. Nettlefool also carelessly misplaced the second-best performed coach in our history, RTB. He then aggravated that act by hiring the shameless and incompetent self-promoter, the Pelican. Great legacy there, Mike!

That brings me to Nettlefool's accomplice, the execrable Archie Fraser. A narcissist and sociopath, he sold the club down the polluted canal to Seaford, when all he had to do was hold steady and wait for Greg Alabaster and Topsy Tipsy Tupsy "rainbow shitting unicorn" Petchy to be voted out at the next council elections, which they duly were. Patience and good judgment were not Archie's strengths. In fact, in all my dealings with Archie, which I admit were few, I was unable to detect any positive traits he had. He had all the charm of a suburban caravan park. He also bailed out before the three female employees who'd laid charges of alleged bullying and sexual harassment against him could prosecute him. Settlements all round, it was. Doing well now, isn't he? How's that soccer super league, that he set up in opposition to the A-League going?

The catastrophic mess this ship of fools left us was plain to see. Deeply in debt, a list in complete disrepair, low membership, a training facility no one wanted to use and even fewer could actually find, and a place free agents avoided like a driver dodging potholes. Well done, all concerned!

Enter, stage left, the Prince of Darkness, aka Satan Lethlean. His reputation unfairly stained. The histrionic PC police ensured his punishment extended well beyond any appropriate sanction. Like his namesake, his image had been irreparably besmirched. He was a perfect candidate for the saints. Brilliant but damaged. His work since arrival has been outstanding.

Thanks to Finnis we are back at Moorabbin, a world-class facility at our spiritual home, Moorabbin. We even get to play a game there, which is something I never thought I'd see again. Membership is on the rise, the target of 50,000 seeming almost conservative, given the buzz around the place.

The former coach, the Richie Cunningham like, Alan Richardson, has been replaced by the Fonz, Brett Ratten. The lift in the mood of the players has been palpable. I've never seen levels of enthusiasm as great as this before. It seems the whole club is up and about. Five players from other clubs wanted to call Moorabbin home. What a change! The list has been revamped in the past two years and now looks one of the strongest in the league, not one of the weakest. Onto it have come Hannabery, Clark, Coffield, Hind, Wilkie, Parker, Clavarino, Austin, King, Bytel, Jones, Hill, Howard, Ryder, and Butler. Three more to come in the draft and via DFA. Excited yet? Pace, another quality ruckman, a premiership-winning small forward and one of the most exciting youngsters since Roo. Star quality amongst that lot. Just what the doctor, or rather the Board and supporters ordered.

Amongst our best recruits have been the off-field appointments. Hiring Graeme "Grubby Gubby" Allan has been a masterstroke. Like a mercenary, he does cruel things for money, but like the best in his trade, he does them well. A shout out to the work experience kid, Libba. Freed from the handbrake that was Elshaug, he has thrived. Three solid years of drafting with more to come. Well done son. DOS, the numbers freak. Having had time to settle in, watch him go. A major player in the Hawks' success, I can only imagine he will be vital to Ratts' success. "The grapes of" Rath is another inspired choice. Now we have the IP of all seventeen opposition clubs. You can tell it was a great appointment by the amount of whingeing the other clubs did about it. Even Caro praised us for it. What a time to be alive! "Gags" Gallagher was also an inspired choice. Time will tell if he's as good as I suspect. Early signs are good. Lots of cap room being utilized at last. Unlike Elshaug, he has genuine expertise in his area and can count to twenty without taking his shoes and socks off.

Last, but not least, is the President. I liked Peter Summers, but he was a cuddly toy compared to Fred. Summers had slowly climbed the ladder of success at one organisation, AV Jennings. Over thirty years in one organization climbing the slippery pole always makes me skeptical when recruiting. Kudos to him for the achievement, but mediocrity does rise in large organisations. He certainly got a lesson in effectiveness in the brutal and unforgiving world of the AFL. Fred holds no such doubts for me. A cruel, but fair man, an astute businessman, who like Louie the Fly, is afraid of no one. Unlike Louie however, not even the man with the can of Mortein puts him off. The man with the golden gun. If Lethlean is satan, then Fred is the Dark Lord. The force is most definitely under our control. The Dark Side has never looked so strong and promising.

So to the doubters and curmudgeons, I leave you with this, "A man's about as happy as he makes his mind up to be." Abraham Lincoln said that, or it may have been Warwick Capper. One of the two. I think there's something in that for all of us, don't you? I'm excited. More reasons to be cheerful!
Couldn’t have summed it up better 👏🏻
 

Keg on legs

Cancelled
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Well forumites, what a ride it's been since the Milky Bar Kid got the pink slip. Satan's long term strategy is now in place. The leading players in holding us back are gone (Sexton excepted), replaced with professionals with the expertise and proven grunt to make us successful. I was there in 2003. This has the same feel about it. I think we're in for a ride that would even get "Big Kev" excited, and he's been dead for years. Those curmudgeons who are still grumbling and cursing just lay back and enjoy. I'll have great joy in proving you were wrong. Like the Fonz, you may have trouble admitting it atm, but you'll see it in the end. Win/win!

Why the shameless optimism? Well, it's said the universe favours the overly optimistic (Bingle, Wilkins, et al). As you know, I'm a worshipper of Satan, of the Lethlean variety. The Fallen Angel was dropped from the heavens of the Death Star and straight into our laps. For Gill the Dill, this had a tri-fold, not a Nettle-fold, benefit. He removed his primary opponent for the top job, allowed him to virtue signal about his, and the AFL's morals and ethics, and sent his best administrator to the club he loves. Talk about a win, win, win! We could never have got him on merit. For once, the footy gods and the radical feminazis smiled on us! Unless he becomes our CEO, he'll soon be off, but his legacy will linger.

The first thing he did was rid us of the dopey cancer that was Elshaug. How on earth did that halfwit get the gig as being in charge of recruiting and list management? A hangover from Nettlefool and Fraser, the sort of administrators who've been the cause of our failures for over a century. Seriously, Elshaug couldn't fart and chew gum at the same time and was an avowed and very public hater of the saints. Couldn't hack the workload under RTB, so what did they do? Instead of acknowledging he wasn't fit to hold any position of responsibility, they gave him the key position, despite a complete lack of demonstrated expertise and experience. Only at the saints. Nettlefool also carelessly misplaced the second-best performed coach in our history, RTB. He then aggravated that act by hiring the shameless and incompetent self-promoter, the Pelican. Great legacy there, Mike!

That brings me to Nettlefool's accomplice, the execrable Archie Fraser. A narcissist and sociopath, he sold the club down the polluted canal to Seaford, when all he had to do was hold steady and wait for Greg Alabaster and Topsy Tipsy Tupsy "rainbow shitting unicorn" Petchy to be voted out at the next council elections, which they duly were. Patience and good judgment were not Archie's strengths. In fact, in all my dealings with Archie, which I admit were few, I was unable to detect any positive traits he had. He had all the charm of a suburban caravan park. He also bailed out before the three female employees who'd laid charges of alleged bullying and sexual harassment against him could prosecute him. Settlements all round, it was. Doing well now, isn't he? How's that soccer super league, that he set up in opposition to the A-League going?

The catastrophic mess this ship of fools left us was plain to see. Deeply in debt, a list in complete disrepair, low membership, a training facility no one wanted to use and even fewer could actually find, and a place free agents avoided like a driver dodging potholes. Well done, all concerned!

Enter, stage left, the Prince of Darkness, aka Satan Lethlean. His reputation unfairly stained. The histrionic PC police ensured his punishment extended well beyond any appropriate sanction. Like his namesake, his image had been irreparably besmirched. He was a perfect candidate for the saints. Brilliant but damaged. His work since arrival has been outstanding.

Thanks to Finnis we are back at Moorabbin, a world-class facility at our spiritual home, Moorabbin. We even get to play a game there, which is something I never thought I'd see again. Membership is on the rise, the target of 50,000 seeming almost conservative, given the buzz around the place.

The former coach, the Richie Cunningham like, Alan Richardson, has been replaced by the Fonz, Brett Ratten. The lift in the mood of the players has been palpable. I've never seen levels of enthusiasm as great as this before. It seems the whole club is up and about. Five players from other clubs wanted to call Moorabbin home. What a change! The list has been revamped in the past two years and now looks one of the strongest in the league, not one of the weakest. Onto it have come Hannabery, Clark, Coffield, Hind, Wilkie, Parker, Clavarino, Austin, King, Bytel, Jones, Hill, Howard, Ryder, and Butler. Three more to come in the draft and via DFA. Excited yet? Pace, another quality ruckman, a premiership-winning small forward and one of the most exciting youngsters since Roo. Star quality amongst that lot. Just what the doctor, or rather the Board and supporters ordered.

Amongst our best recruits have been the off-field appointments. Hiring Graeme "Grubby Gubby" Allan has been a masterstroke. Like a mercenary, he does cruel things for money, but like the best in his trade, he does them well. A shout out to the work experience kid, Libba. Freed from the handbrake that was Elshaug, he has thrived. Three solid years of drafting with more to come. Well done son. DOS, the numbers freak. Having had time to settle in, watch him go. A major player in the Hawks' success, I can only imagine he will be vital to Ratts' success. "The grapes of" Rath is another inspired choice. Now we have the IP of all seventeen opposition clubs. You can tell it was a great appointment by the amount of whingeing the other clubs did about it. Even Caro praised us for it. What a time to be alive! "Gags" Gallagher was also an inspired choice. Time will tell if he's as good as I suspect. Early signs are good. Lots of cap room being utilized at last. Unlike Elshaug, he has genuine expertise in his area and can count to twenty without taking his shoes and socks off.

Last, but not least, is the President. I liked Peter Summers, but he was a cuddly toy compared to Fred. Summers had slowly climbed the ladder of success at one organisation, AV Jennings. Over thirty years in one organization climbing the slippery pole always makes me skeptical when recruiting. Kudos to him for the achievement, but mediocrity does rise in large organisations. He certainly got a lesson in effectiveness in the brutal and unforgiving world of the AFL. Fred holds no such doubts for me. A cruel, but fair man, an astute businessman, who like Louie the Fly, is afraid of no one. Unlike Louie however, not even the man with the can of Mortein puts him off. The man with the golden gun. If Lethlean is satan, then Fred is the Dark Lord. The force is most definitely under our control. The Dark Side has never looked so strong and promising.

So to the doubters and curmudgeons, I leave you with this, "A man's about as happy as he makes his mind up to be." Abraham Lincoln said that, or it may have been Warwick Capper. One of the two. I think there's something in that for all of us, don't you? I'm excited. More reasons to be cheerful!

Ok. I'm officially up and about now. Great write up bruva
 

Sir Skid

Just one Kegs lady boys!
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Well forumites, what a ride it's been since the Milky Bar Kid got the pink slip. Satan's long term strategy is now in place. The leading players in holding us back are gone (Sexton excepted), replaced with professionals with the expertise and proven grunt to make us successful. I was there in 2003. This has the same feel about it. I think we're in for a ride that would even get "Big Kev" excited, and he's been dead for years. Those curmudgeons who are still grumbling and cursing just lay back and enjoy. I'll have great joy in proving you were wrong. Like the Fonz, you may have trouble admitting it atm, but you'll see it in the end. Win/win!

Why the shameless optimism? Well, it's said the universe favours the overly optimistic (Bingle, Wilkins, et al). As you know, I'm a worshipper of Satan, of the Lethlean variety. The Fallen Angel was dropped from the heavens of the Death Star and straight into our laps. For Gill the Dill, this had a tri-fold, not a Nettle-fold, benefit. He removed his primary opponent for the top job, allowed him to virtue signal about his, and the AFL's morals and ethics, and sent his best administrator to the club he loves. Talk about a win, win, win! We could never have got him on merit. For once, the footy gods and the radical feminazis smiled on us! Unless he becomes our CEO, he'll soon be off, but his legacy will linger.

The first thing he did was rid us of the dopey cancer that was Elshaug. How on earth did that halfwit get the gig as being in charge of recruiting and list management? A hangover from Nettlefool and Fraser, the sort of administrators who've been the cause of our failures for over a century. Seriously, Elshaug couldn't fart and chew gum at the same time and was an avowed and very public hater of the saints. Couldn't hack the workload under RTB, so what did they do? Instead of acknowledging he wasn't fit to hold any position of responsibility, they gave him the key position, despite a complete lack of demonstrated expertise and experience. Only at the saints. Nettlefool also carelessly misplaced the second-best performed coach in our history, RTB. He then aggravated that act by hiring the shameless and incompetent self-promoter, the Pelican. Great legacy there, Mike!

That brings me to Nettlefool's accomplice, the execrable Archie Fraser. A narcissist and sociopath, he sold the club down the polluted canal to Seaford, when all he had to do was hold steady and wait for Greg Alabaster and Topsy Tipsy Tupsy "rainbow shitting unicorn" Petchy to be voted out at the next council elections, which they duly were. Patience and good judgment were not Archie's strengths. In fact, in all my dealings with Archie, which I admit were few, I was unable to detect any positive traits he had. He had all the charm of a suburban caravan park. He also bailed out before the three female employees who'd laid charges of alleged bullying and sexual harassment against him could prosecute him. Settlements all round, it was. Doing well now, isn't he? How's that soccer super league, that he set up in opposition to the A-League going?

The catastrophic mess this ship of fools left us was plain to see. Deeply in debt, a list in complete disrepair, low membership, a training facility no one wanted to use and even fewer could actually find, and a place free agents avoided like a driver dodging potholes. Well done, all concerned!

Enter, stage left, the Prince of Darkness, aka Satan Lethlean. His reputation unfairly stained. The histrionic PC police ensured his punishment extended well beyond any appropriate sanction. Like his namesake, his image had been irreparably besmirched. He was a perfect candidate for the saints. Brilliant but damaged. His work since arrival has been outstanding.

Thanks to Finnis we are back at Moorabbin, a world-class facility at our spiritual home, Moorabbin. We even get to play a game there, which is something I never thought I'd see again. Membership is on the rise, the target of 50,000 seeming almost conservative, given the buzz around the place.

The former coach, the Richie Cunningham like, Alan Richardson, has been replaced by the Fonz, Brett Ratten. The lift in the mood of the players has been palpable. I've never seen levels of enthusiasm as great as this before. It seems the whole club is up and about. Five players from other clubs wanted to call Moorabbin home. What a change! The list has been revamped in the past two years and now looks one of the strongest in the league, not one of the weakest. Onto it have come Hannabery, Clark, Coffield, Hind, Wilkie, Parker, Clavarino, Austin, King, Bytel, Jones, Hill, Howard, Ryder, and Butler. Three more to come in the draft and via DFA. Excited yet? Pace, another quality ruckman, a premiership-winning small forward and one of the most exciting youngsters since Roo. Star quality amongst that lot. Just what the doctor, or rather the Board and supporters ordered.

Amongst our best recruits have been the off-field appointments. Hiring Graeme "Grubby Gubby" Allan has been a masterstroke. Like a mercenary, he does cruel things for money, but like the best in his trade, he does them well. A shout out to the work experience kid, Libba. Freed from the handbrake that was Elshaug, he has thrived. Three solid years of drafting with more to come. Well done son. DOS, the numbers freak. Having had time to settle in, watch him go. A major player in the Hawks' success, I can only imagine he will be vital to Ratts' success. "The grapes of" Rath is another inspired choice. Now we have the IP of all seventeen opposition clubs. You can tell it was a great appointment by the amount of whingeing the other clubs did about it. Even Caro praised us for it. What a time to be alive! "Gags" Gallagher was also an inspired choice. Time will tell if he's as good as I suspect. Early signs are good. Lots of cap room being utilized at last. Unlike Elshaug, he has genuine expertise in his area and can count to twenty without taking his shoes and socks off.

Last, but not least, is the President. I liked Peter Summers, but he was a cuddly toy compared to Fred. Summers had slowly climbed the ladder of success at one organisation, AV Jennings. Over thirty years in one organization climbing the slippery pole always makes me skeptical when recruiting. Kudos to him for the achievement, but mediocrity does rise in large organisations. He certainly got a lesson in effectiveness in the brutal and unforgiving world of the AFL. Fred holds no such doubts for me. A cruel, but fair man, an astute businessman, who like Louie the Fly, is afraid of no one. Unlike Louie however, not even the man with the can of Mortein puts him off. The man with the golden gun. If Lethlean is satan, then Fred is the Dark Lord. The force is most definitely under our control. The Dark Side has never looked so strong and promising.

So to the doubters and curmudgeons, I leave you with this, "A man's about as happy as he makes his mind up to be." Abraham Lincoln said that, or it may have been Warwick Capper. One of the two. I think there's something in that for all of us, don't you? I'm excited. More reasons to be cheerful!
Top writeup Drakey!
 
Well forumites, what a ride it's been since the Milky Bar Kid got the pink slip. Satan's long term strategy is now in place. The leading players in holding us back are gone (Sexton excepted), replaced with professionals with the expertise and proven grunt to make us successful. I was there in 2003. This has the same feel about it. I think we're in for a ride that would even get "Big Kev" excited, and he's been dead for years. Those curmudgeons who are still grumbling and cursing just lay back and enjoy. I'll have great joy in proving you were wrong. Like the Fonz, you may have trouble admitting it atm, but you'll see it in the end. Win/win!

Why the shameless optimism? Well, it's said the universe favours the overly optimistic (Bingle, Wilkins, et al). As you know, I'm a worshipper of Satan, of the Lethlean variety. The Fallen Angel was dropped from the heavens of the Death Star and straight into our laps. For Gill the Dill, this had a tri-fold, not a Nettle-fold, benefit. He removed his primary opponent for the top job, allowed him to virtue signal about his, and the AFL's morals and ethics, and sent his best administrator to the club he loves. Talk about a win, win, win! We could never have got him on merit. For once, the footy gods and the radical feminazis smiled on us! Unless he becomes our CEO, he'll soon be off, but his legacy will linger.

The first thing he did was rid us of the dopey cancer that was Elshaug. How on earth did that halfwit get the gig as being in charge of recruiting and list management? A hangover from Nettlefool and Fraser, the sort of administrators who've been the cause of our failures for over a century. Seriously, Elshaug couldn't fart and chew gum at the same time and was an avowed and very public hater of the saints. Couldn't hack the workload under RTB, so what did they do? Instead of acknowledging he wasn't fit to hold any position of responsibility, they gave him the key position, despite a complete lack of demonstrated expertise and experience. Only at the saints. Nettlefool also carelessly misplaced the second-best performed coach in our history, RTB. He then aggravated that act by hiring the shameless and incompetent self-promoter, the Pelican. Great legacy there, Mike!

That brings me to Nettlefool's accomplice, the execrable Archie Fraser. A narcissist and sociopath, he sold the club down the polluted canal to Seaford, when all he had to do was hold steady and wait for Greg Alabaster and Topsy Tipsy Tupsy "rainbow shitting unicorn" Petchy to be voted out at the next council elections, which they duly were. Patience and good judgment were not Archie's strengths. In fact, in all my dealings with Archie, which I admit were few, I was unable to detect any positive traits he had. He had all the charm of a suburban caravan park. He also bailed out before the three female employees who'd laid charges of alleged bullying and sexual harassment against him could prosecute him. Settlements all round, it was. Doing well now, isn't he? How's that soccer super league, that he set up in opposition to the A-League going?

The catastrophic mess this ship of fools left us was plain to see. Deeply in debt, a list in complete disrepair, low membership, a training facility no one wanted to use and even fewer could actually find, and a place free agents avoided like a driver dodging potholes. Well done, all concerned!

Enter, stage left, the Prince of Darkness, aka Satan Lethlean. His reputation unfairly stained. The histrionic PC police ensured his punishment extended well beyond any appropriate sanction. Like his namesake, his image had been irreparably besmirched. He was a perfect candidate for the saints. Brilliant but damaged. His work since arrival has been outstanding.

Thanks to Finnis we are back at Moorabbin, a world-class facility at our spiritual home, Moorabbin. We even get to play a game there, which is something I never thought I'd see again. Membership is on the rise, the target of 50,000 seeming almost conservative, given the buzz around the place.

The former coach, the Richie Cunningham like, Alan Richardson, has been replaced by the Fonz, Brett Ratten. The lift in the mood of the players has been palpable. I've never seen levels of enthusiasm as great as this before. It seems the whole club is up and about. Five players from other clubs wanted to call Moorabbin home. What a change! The list has been revamped in the past two years and now looks one of the strongest in the league, not one of the weakest. Onto it have come Hannabery, Clark, Coffield, Hind, Wilkie, Parker, Clavarino, Austin, King, Bytel, Jones, Hill, Howard, Ryder, and Butler. Three more to come in the draft and via DFA. Excited yet? Pace, another quality ruckman, a premiership-winning small forward and one of the most exciting youngsters since Roo. Star quality amongst that lot. Just what the doctor, or rather the Board and supporters ordered.

Amongst our best recruits have been the off-field appointments. Hiring Graeme "Grubby Gubby" Allan has been a masterstroke. Like a mercenary, he does cruel things for money, but like the best in his trade, he does them well. A shout out to the work experience kid, Libba. Freed from the handbrake that was Elshaug, he has thrived. Three solid years of drafting with more to come. Well done son. DOS, the numbers freak. Having had time to settle in, watch him go. A major player in the Hawks' success, I can only imagine he will be vital to Ratts' success. "The grapes of" Rath is another inspired choice. Now we have the IP of all seventeen opposition clubs. You can tell it was a great appointment by the amount of whingeing the other clubs did about it. Even Caro praised us for it. What a time to be alive! "Gags" Gallagher was also an inspired choice. Time will tell if he's as good as I suspect. Early signs are good. Lots of cap room being utilized at last. Unlike Elshaug, he has genuine expertise in his area and can count to twenty without taking his shoes and socks off.

Last, but not least, is the President. I liked Peter Summers, but he was a cuddly toy compared to Fred. Summers had slowly climbed the ladder of success at one organisation, AV Jennings. Over thirty years in one organization climbing the slippery pole always makes me skeptical when recruiting. Kudos to him for the achievement, but mediocrity does rise in large organisations. He certainly got a lesson in effectiveness in the brutal and unforgiving world of the AFL. Fred holds no such doubts for me. A cruel, but fair man, an astute businessman, who like Louie the Fly, is afraid of no one. Unlike Louie however, not even the man with the can of Mortein puts him off. The man with the golden gun. If Lethlean is satan, then Fred is the Dark Lord. The force is most definitely under our control. The Dark Side has never looked so strong and promising.

So to the doubters and curmudgeons, I leave you with this, "A man's about as happy as he makes his mind up to be." Abraham Lincoln said that, or it may have been Warwick Capper. One of the two. I think there's something in that for all of us, don't you? I'm excited. More reasons to be cheerful!

Well, that was worth the wait!
🔥
 

Wintle

Debutant
Aug 1, 2017
62
140
Bundaberg, Qld
AFL Club
St Kilda
Well forumites, what a ride it's been since the Milky Bar Kid got the pink slip. Satan's long term strategy is now in place. The leading players in holding us back are gone (Sexton excepted), replaced with professionals with the expertise and proven grunt to make us successful. I was there in 2003. This has the same feel about it. I think we're in for a ride that would even get "Big Kev" excited, and he's been dead for years. Those curmudgeons who are still grumbling and cursing just lay back and enjoy. I'll have great joy in proving you were wrong. Like the Fonz, you may have trouble admitting it atm, but you'll see it in the end. Win/win!

Why the shameless optimism? Well, it's said the universe favours the overly optimistic (Bingle, Wilkins, et al). As you know, I'm a worshipper of Satan, of the Lethlean variety. The Fallen Angel was dropped from the heavens of the Death Star and straight into our laps. For Gill the Dill, this had a tri-fold, not a Nettle-fold, benefit. He removed his primary opponent for the top job, allowed him to virtue signal about his, and the AFL's morals and ethics, and sent his best administrator to the club he loves. Talk about a win, win, win! We could never have got him on merit. For once, the footy gods and the radical feminazis smiled on us! Unless he becomes our CEO, he'll soon be off, but his legacy will linger.

The first thing he did was rid us of the dopey cancer that was Elshaug. How on earth did that halfwit get the gig as being in charge of recruiting and list management? A hangover from Nettlefool and Fraser, the sort of administrators who've been the cause of our failures for over a century. Seriously, Elshaug couldn't fart and chew gum at the same time and was an avowed and very public hater of the saints. Couldn't hack the workload under RTB, so what did they do? Instead of acknowledging he wasn't fit to hold any position of responsibility, they gave him the key position, despite a complete lack of demonstrated expertise and experience. Only at the saints. Nettlefool also carelessly misplaced the second-best performed coach in our history, RTB. He then aggravated that act by hiring the shameless and incompetent self-promoter, the Pelican. Great legacy there, Mike!

That brings me to Nettlefool's accomplice, the execrable Archie Fraser. A narcissist and sociopath, he sold the club down the polluted canal to Seaford, when all he had to do was hold steady and wait for Greg Alabaster and Topsy Tipsy Tupsy "rainbow shitting unicorn" Petchy to be voted out at the next council elections, which they duly were. Patience and good judgment were not Archie's strengths. In fact, in all my dealings with Archie, which I admit were few, I was unable to detect any positive traits he had. He had all the charm of a suburban caravan park. He also bailed out before the three female employees who'd laid charges of alleged bullying and sexual harassment against him could prosecute him. Settlements all round, it was. Doing well now, isn't he? How's that soccer super league, that he set up in opposition to the A-League going?

The catastrophic mess this ship of fools left us was plain to see. Deeply in debt, a list in complete disrepair, low membership, a training facility no one wanted to use and even fewer could actually find, and a place free agents avoided like a driver dodging potholes. Well done, all concerned!

Enter, stage left, the Prince of Darkness, aka Satan Lethlean. His reputation unfairly stained. The histrionic PC police ensured his punishment extended well beyond any appropriate sanction. Like his namesake, his image had been irreparably besmirched. He was a perfect candidate for the saints. Brilliant but damaged. His work since arrival has been outstanding.

Thanks to Finnis we are back at Moorabbin, a world-class facility at our spiritual home, Moorabbin. We even get to play a game there, which is something I never thought I'd see again. Membership is on the rise, the target of 50,000 seeming almost conservative, given the buzz around the place.

The former coach, the Richie Cunningham like, Alan Richardson, has been replaced by the Fonz, Brett Ratten. The lift in the mood of the players has been palpable. I've never seen levels of enthusiasm as great as this before. It seems the whole club is up and about. Five players from other clubs wanted to call Moorabbin home. What a change! The list has been revamped in the past two years and now looks one of the strongest in the league, not one of the weakest. Onto it have come Hannabery, Clark, Coffield, Hind, Wilkie, Parker, Clavarino, Austin, King, Bytel, Jones, Hill, Howard, Ryder, and Butler. Three more to come in the draft and via DFA. Excited yet? Pace, another quality ruckman, a premiership-winning small forward and one of the most exciting youngsters since Roo. Star quality amongst that lot. Just what the doctor, or rather the Board and supporters ordered.

Amongst our best recruits have been the off-field appointments. Hiring Graeme "Grubby Gubby" Allan has been a masterstroke. Like a mercenary, he does cruel things for money, but like the best in his trade, he does them well. A shout out to the work experience kid, Libba. Freed from the handbrake that was Elshaug, he has thrived. Three solid years of drafting with more to come. Well done son. DOS, the numbers freak. Having had time to settle in, watch him go. A major player in the Hawks' success, I can only imagine he will be vital to Ratts' success. "The grapes of" Rath is another inspired choice. Now we have the IP of all seventeen opposition clubs. You can tell it was a great appointment by the amount of whingeing the other clubs did about it. Even Caro praised us for it. What a time to be alive! "Gags" Gallagher was also an inspired choice. Time will tell if he's as good as I suspect. Early signs are good. Lots of cap room being utilized at last. Unlike Elshaug, he has genuine expertise in his area and can count to twenty without taking his shoes and socks off.

Last, but not least, is the President. I liked Peter Summers, but he was a cuddly toy compared to Fred. Summers had slowly climbed the ladder of success at one organisation, AV Jennings. Over thirty years in one organization climbing the slippery pole always makes me skeptical when recruiting. Kudos to him for the achievement, but mediocrity does rise in large organisations. He certainly got a lesson in effectiveness in the brutal and unforgiving world of the AFL. Fred holds no such doubts for me. A cruel, but fair man, an astute businessman, who like Louie the Fly, is afraid of no one. Unlike Louie however, not even the man with the can of Mortein puts him off. The man with the golden gun. If Lethlean is satan, then Fred is the Dark Lord. The force is most definitely under our control. The Dark Side has never looked so strong and promising.

So to the doubters and curmudgeons, I leave you with this, "A man's about as happy as he makes his mind up to be." Abraham Lincoln said that, or it may have been Warwick Capper. One of the two. I think there's something in that for all of us, don't you? I'm excited. More reasons to be cheerful!
Great post. It was "Pennies From Heaven" when Lethlean fell our way. Finally some good fortune.
 
Sep 28, 2016
6,625
21,641
AFL Club
St Kilda
Well forumites, what a ride it's been since the Milky Bar Kid got the pink slip. Satan's long term strategy is now in place. The leading players in holding us back are gone (Sexton excepted), replaced with professionals with the expertise and proven grunt to make us successful. I was there in 2003. This has the same feel about it. I think we're in for a ride that would even get "Big Kev" excited, and he's been dead for years. Those curmudgeons who are still grumbling and cursing just lay back and enjoy. I'll have great joy in proving you were wrong. Like the Fonz, you may have trouble admitting it atm, but you'll see it in the end. Win/win!

Why the shameless optimism? Well, it's said the universe favours the overly optimistic (Bingle, Wilkins, et al). As you know, I'm a worshipper of Satan, of the Lethlean variety. The Fallen Angel was dropped from the heavens of the Death Star and straight into our laps. For Gill the Dill, this had a tri-fold, not a Nettle-fold, benefit. He removed his primary opponent for the top job, allowed him to virtue signal about his, and the AFL's morals and ethics, and sent his best administrator to the club he loves. Talk about a win, win, win! We could never have got him on merit. For once, the footy gods and the radical feminazis smiled on us! Unless he becomes our CEO, he'll soon be off, but his legacy will linger.

The first thing he did was rid us of the dopey cancer that was Elshaug. How on earth did that halfwit get the gig as being in charge of recruiting and list management? A hangover from Nettlefool and Fraser, the sort of administrators who've been the cause of our failures for over a century. Seriously, Elshaug couldn't fart and chew gum at the same time and was an avowed and very public hater of the saints. Couldn't hack the workload under RTB, so what did they do? Instead of acknowledging he wasn't fit to hold any position of responsibility, they gave him the key position, despite a complete lack of demonstrated expertise and experience. Only at the saints. Nettlefool also carelessly misplaced the second-best performed coach in our history, RTB. He then aggravated that act by hiring the shameless and incompetent self-promoter, the Pelican. Great legacy there, Mike!

That brings me to Nettlefool's accomplice, the execrable Archie Fraser. A narcissist and sociopath, he sold the club down the polluted canal to Seaford, when all he had to do was hold steady and wait for Greg Alabaster and Topsy Tipsy Tupsy "rainbow shitting unicorn" Petchy to be voted out at the next council elections, which they duly were. Patience and good judgment were not Archie's strengths. In fact, in all my dealings with Archie, which I admit were few, I was unable to detect any positive traits he had. He had all the charm of a suburban caravan park. He also bailed out before the three female employees who'd laid charges of alleged bullying and sexual harassment against him could prosecute him. Settlements all round, it was. Doing well now, isn't he? How's that soccer super league, that he set up in opposition to the A-League going?

The catastrophic mess this ship of fools left us was plain to see. Deeply in debt, a list in complete disrepair, low membership, a training facility no one wanted to use and even fewer could actually find, and a place free agents avoided like a driver dodging potholes. Well done, all concerned!

Enter, stage left, the Prince of Darkness, aka Satan Lethlean. His reputation unfairly stained. The histrionic PC police ensured his punishment extended well beyond any appropriate sanction. Like his namesake, his image had been irreparably besmirched. He was a perfect candidate for the saints. Brilliant but damaged. His work since arrival has been outstanding.

Thanks to Finnis we are back at Moorabbin, a world-class facility at our spiritual home, Moorabbin. We even get to play a game there, which is something I never thought I'd see again. Membership is on the rise, the target of 50,000 seeming almost conservative, given the buzz around the place.

The former coach, the Richie Cunningham like, Alan Richardson, has been replaced by the Fonz, Brett Ratten. The lift in the mood of the players has been palpable. I've never seen levels of enthusiasm as great as this before. It seems the whole club is up and about. Five players from other clubs wanted to call Moorabbin home. What a change! The list has been revamped in the past two years and now looks one of the strongest in the league, not one of the weakest. Onto it have come Hannabery, Clark, Coffield, Hind, Wilkie, Parker, Clavarino, Austin, King, Bytel, Jones, Hill, Howard, Ryder, and Butler. Three more to come in the draft and via DFA. Excited yet? Pace, another quality ruckman, a premiership-winning small forward and one of the most exciting youngsters since Roo. Star quality amongst that lot. Just what the doctor, or rather the Board and supporters ordered.

Amongst our best recruits have been the off-field appointments. Hiring Graeme "Grubby Gubby" Allan has been a masterstroke. Like a mercenary, he does cruel things for money, but like the best in his trade, he does them well. A shout out to the work experience kid, Libba. Freed from the handbrake that was Elshaug, he has thrived. Three solid years of drafting with more to come. Well done son. DOS, the numbers freak. Having had time to settle in, watch him go. A major player in the Hawks' success, I can only imagine he will be vital to Ratts' success. "The grapes of" Rath is another inspired choice. Now we have the IP of all seventeen opposition clubs. You can tell it was a great appointment by the amount of whingeing the other clubs did about it. Even Caro praised us for it. What a time to be alive! "Gags" Gallagher was also an inspired choice. Time will tell if he's as good as I suspect. Early signs are good. Lots of cap room being utilized at last. Unlike Elshaug, he has genuine expertise in his area and can count to twenty without taking his shoes and socks off.

Last, but not least, is the President. I liked Peter Summers, but he was a cuddly toy compared to Fred. Summers had slowly climbed the ladder of success at one organisation, AV Jennings. Over thirty years in one organization climbing the slippery pole always makes me skeptical when recruiting. Kudos to him for the achievement, but mediocrity does rise in large organisations. He certainly got a lesson in effectiveness in the brutal and unforgiving world of the AFL. Fred holds no such doubts for me. A cruel, but fair man, an astute businessman, who like Louie the Fly, is afraid of no one. Unlike Louie however, not even the man with the can of Mortein puts him off. The man with the golden gun. If Lethlean is satan, then Fred is the Dark Lord. The force is most definitely under our control. The Dark Side has never looked so strong and promising.

So to the doubters and curmudgeons, I leave you with this, "A man's about as happy as he makes his mind up to be." Abraham Lincoln said that, or it may have been Warwick Capper. One of the two. I think there's something in that for all of us, don't you? I'm excited. More reasons to be cheerful!
Love your prose Drake.
I am always entertained.
I will certainly sing your praises should your optimism prove correct.
 
Well forumites, what a ride it's been since the Milky Bar Kid got the pink slip. Satan's long term strategy is now in place. The leading players in holding us back are gone (Sexton excepted), replaced with professionals with the expertise and proven grunt to make us successful. I was there in 2003. This has the same feel about it. I think we're in for a ride that would even get "Big Kev" excited, and he's been dead for years. Those curmudgeons who are still grumbling and cursing just lay back and enjoy. I'll have great joy in proving you were wrong. Like the Fonz, you may have trouble admitting it atm, but you'll see it in the end. Win/win!

Why the shameless optimism? Well, it's said the universe favours the overly optimistic (Bingle, Wilkins, et al). As you know, I'm a worshipper of Satan, of the Lethlean variety. The Fallen Angel was dropped from the heavens of the Death Star and straight into our laps. For Gill the Dill, this had a tri-fold, not a Nettle-fold, benefit. He removed his primary opponent for the top job, allowed him to virtue signal about his, and the AFL's morals and ethics, and sent his best administrator to the club he loves. Talk about a win, win, win! We could never have got him on merit. For once, the footy gods and the radical feminazis smiled on us! Unless he becomes our CEO, he'll soon be off, but his legacy will linger.

The first thing he did was rid us of the dopey cancer that was Elshaug. How on earth did that halfwit get the gig as being in charge of recruiting and list management? A hangover from Nettlefool and Fraser, the sort of administrators who've been the cause of our failures for over a century. Seriously, Elshaug couldn't fart and chew gum at the same time and was an avowed and very public hater of the saints. Couldn't hack the workload under RTB, so what did they do? Instead of acknowledging he wasn't fit to hold any position of responsibility, they gave him the key position, despite a complete lack of demonstrated expertise and experience. Only at the saints. Nettlefool also carelessly misplaced the second-best performed coach in our history, RTB. He then aggravated that act by hiring the shameless and incompetent self-promoter, the Pelican. Great legacy there, Mike!

That brings me to Nettlefool's accomplice, the execrable Archie Fraser. A narcissist and sociopath, he sold the club down the polluted canal to Seaford, when all he had to do was hold steady and wait for Greg Alabaster and Topsy Tipsy Tupsy "rainbow shitting unicorn" Petchy to be voted out at the next council elections, which they duly were. Patience and good judgment were not Archie's strengths. In fact, in all my dealings with Archie, which I admit were few, I was unable to detect any positive traits he had. He had all the charm of a suburban caravan park. He also bailed out before the three female employees who'd laid charges of alleged bullying and sexual harassment against him could prosecute him. Settlements all round, it was. Doing well now, isn't he? How's that soccer super league, that he set up in opposition to the A-League going?

The catastrophic mess this ship of fools left us was plain to see. Deeply in debt, a list in complete disrepair, low membership, a training facility no one wanted to use and even fewer could actually find, and a place free agents avoided like a driver dodging potholes. Well done, all concerned!

Enter, stage left, the Prince of Darkness, aka Satan Lethlean. His reputation unfairly stained. The histrionic PC police ensured his punishment extended well beyond any appropriate sanction. Like his namesake, his image had been irreparably besmirched. He was a perfect candidate for the saints. Brilliant but damaged. His work since arrival has been outstanding.

Thanks to Finnis we are back at Moorabbin, a world-class facility at our spiritual home, Moorabbin. We even get to play a game there, which is something I never thought I'd see again. Membership is on the rise, the target of 50,000 seeming almost conservative, given the buzz around the place.

The former coach, the Richie Cunningham like, Alan Richardson, has been replaced by the Fonz, Brett Ratten. The lift in the mood of the players has been palpable. I've never seen levels of enthusiasm as great as this before. It seems the whole club is up and about. Five players from other clubs wanted to call Moorabbin home. What a change! The list has been revamped in the past two years and now looks one of the strongest in the league, not one of the weakest. Onto it have come Hannabery, Clark, Coffield, Hind, Wilkie, Parker, Clavarino, Austin, King, Bytel, Jones, Hill, Howard, Ryder, and Butler. Three more to come in the draft and via DFA. Excited yet? Pace, another quality ruckman, a premiership-winning small forward and one of the most exciting youngsters since Roo. Star quality amongst that lot. Just what the doctor, or rather the Board and supporters ordered.

Amongst our best recruits have been the off-field appointments. Hiring Graeme "Grubby Gubby" Allan has been a masterstroke. Like a mercenary, he does cruel things for money, but like the best in his trade, he does them well. A shout out to the work experience kid, Libba. Freed from the handbrake that was Elshaug, he has thrived. Three solid years of drafting with more to come. Well done son. DOS, the numbers freak. Having had time to settle in, watch him go. A major player in the Hawks' success, I can only imagine he will be vital to Ratts' success. "The grapes of" Rath is another inspired choice. Now we have the IP of all seventeen opposition clubs. You can tell it was a great appointment by the amount of whingeing the other clubs did about it. Even Caro praised us for it. What a time to be alive! "Gags" Gallagher was also an inspired choice. Time will tell if he's as good as I suspect. Early signs are good. Lots of cap room being utilized at last. Unlike Elshaug, he has genuine expertise in his area and can count to twenty without taking his shoes and socks off.

Last, but not least, is the President. I liked Peter Summers, but he was a cuddly toy compared to Fred. Summers had slowly climbed the ladder of success at one organisation, AV Jennings. Over thirty years in one organization climbing the slippery pole always makes me skeptical when recruiting. Kudos to him for the achievement, but mediocrity does rise in large organisations. He certainly got a lesson in effectiveness in the brutal and unforgiving world of the AFL. Fred holds no such doubts for me. A cruel, but fair man, an astute businessman, who like Louie the Fly, is afraid of no one. Unlike Louie however, not even the man with the can of Mortein puts him off. The man with the golden gun. If Lethlean is satan, then Fred is the Dark Lord. The force is most definitely under our control. The Dark Side has never looked so strong and promising.

So to the doubters and curmudgeons, I leave you with this, "A man's about as happy as he makes his mind up to be." Abraham Lincoln said that, or it may have been Warwick Capper. One of the two. I think there's something in that for all of us, don't you? I'm excited. More reasons to be cheerful!
223FF628-4212-4A8C-83FA-E48C24F7F8EC.jpeg
 
Well forumites, what a ride it's been since the Milky Bar Kid got the pink slip. Satan's long term strategy is now in place. The leading players in holding us back are gone (Sexton excepted), replaced with professionals with the expertise and proven grunt to make us successful. I was there in 2003. This has the same feel about it. I think we're in for a ride that would even get "Big Kev" excited, and he's been dead for years. Those curmudgeons who are still grumbling and cursing just lay back and enjoy. I'll have great joy in proving you were wrong. Like the Fonz, you may have trouble admitting it atm, but you'll see it in the end. Win/win!

Why the shameless optimism? Well, it's said the universe favours the overly optimistic (Bingle, Wilkins, et al). As you know, I'm a worshipper of Satan, of the Lethlean variety. The Fallen Angel was dropped from the heavens of the Death Star and straight into our laps. For Gill the Dill, this had a tri-fold, not a Nettle-fold, benefit. He removed his primary opponent for the top job, allowed him to virtue signal about his, and the AFL's morals and ethics, and sent his best administrator to the club he loves. Talk about a win, win, win! We could never have got him on merit. For once, the footy gods and the radical feminazis smiled on us! Unless he becomes our CEO, he'll soon be off, but his legacy will linger.

The first thing he did was rid us of the dopey cancer that was Elshaug. How on earth did that halfwit get the gig as being in charge of recruiting and list management? A hangover from Nettlefool and Fraser, the sort of administrators who've been the cause of our failures for over a century. Seriously, Elshaug couldn't fart and chew gum at the same time and was an avowed and very public hater of the saints. Couldn't hack the workload under RTB, so what did they do? Instead of acknowledging he wasn't fit to hold any position of responsibility, they gave him the key position, despite a complete lack of demonstrated expertise and experience. Only at the saints. Nettlefool also carelessly misplaced the second-best performed coach in our history, RTB. He then aggravated that act by hiring the shameless and incompetent self-promoter, the Pelican. Great legacy there, Mike!

That brings me to Nettlefool's accomplice, the execrable Archie Fraser. A narcissist and sociopath, he sold the club down the polluted canal to Seaford, when all he had to do was hold steady and wait for Greg Alabaster and Topsy Tipsy Tupsy "rainbow shitting unicorn" Petchy to be voted out at the next council elections, which they duly were. Patience and good judgment were not Archie's strengths. In fact, in all my dealings with Archie, which I admit were few, I was unable to detect any positive traits he had. He had all the charm of a suburban caravan park. He also bailed out before the three female employees who'd laid charges of alleged bullying and sexual harassment against him could prosecute him. Settlements all round, it was. Doing well now, isn't he? How's that soccer super league, that he set up in opposition to the A-League going?

The catastrophic mess this ship of fools left us was plain to see. Deeply in debt, a list in complete disrepair, low membership, a training facility no one wanted to use and even fewer could actually find, and a place free agents avoided like a driver dodging potholes. Well done, all concerned!

Enter, stage left, the Prince of Darkness, aka Satan Lethlean. His reputation unfairly stained. The histrionic PC police ensured his punishment extended well beyond any appropriate sanction. Like his namesake, his image had been irreparably besmirched. He was a perfect candidate for the saints. Brilliant but damaged. His work since arrival has been outstanding.

Thanks to Finnis we are back at Moorabbin, a world-class facility at our spiritual home, Moorabbin. We even get to play a game there, which is something I never thought I'd see again. Membership is on the rise, the target of 50,000 seeming almost conservative, given the buzz around the place.

The former coach, the Richie Cunningham like, Alan Richardson, has been replaced by the Fonz, Brett Ratten. The lift in the mood of the players has been palpable. I've never seen levels of enthusiasm as great as this before. It seems the whole club is up and about. Five players from other clubs wanted to call Moorabbin home. What a change! The list has been revamped in the past two years and now looks one of the strongest in the league, not one of the weakest. Onto it have come Hannabery, Clark, Coffield, Hind, Wilkie, Parker, Clavarino, Austin, King, Bytel, Jones, Hill, Howard, Ryder, and Butler. Three more to come in the draft and via DFA. Excited yet? Pace, another quality ruckman, a premiership-winning small forward and one of the most exciting youngsters since Roo. Star quality amongst that lot. Just what the doctor, or rather the Board and supporters ordered.

Amongst our best recruits have been the off-field appointments. Hiring Graeme "Grubby Gubby" Allan has been a masterstroke. Like a mercenary, he does cruel things for money, but like the best in his trade, he does them well. A shout out to the work experience kid, Libba. Freed from the handbrake that was Elshaug, he has thrived. Three solid years of drafting with more to come. Well done son. DOS, the numbers freak. Having had time to settle in, watch him go. A major player in the Hawks' success, I can only imagine he will be vital to Ratts' success. "The grapes of" Rath is another inspired choice. Now we have the IP of all seventeen opposition clubs. You can tell it was a great appointment by the amount of whingeing the other clubs did about it. Even Caro praised us for it. What a time to be alive! "Gags" Gallagher was also an inspired choice. Time will tell if he's as good as I suspect. Early signs are good. Lots of cap room being utilized at last. Unlike Elshaug, he has genuine expertise in his area and can count to twenty without taking his shoes and socks off.

Last, but not least, is the President. I liked Peter Summers, but he was a cuddly toy compared to Fred. Summers had slowly climbed the ladder of success at one organisation, AV Jennings. Over thirty years in one organization climbing the slippery pole always makes me skeptical when recruiting. Kudos to him for the achievement, but mediocrity does rise in large organisations. He certainly got a lesson in effectiveness in the brutal and unforgiving world of the AFL. Fred holds no such doubts for me. A cruel, but fair man, an astute businessman, who like Louie the Fly, is afraid of no one. Unlike Louie however, not even the man with the can of Mortein puts him off. The man with the golden gun. If Lethlean is satan, then Fred is the Dark Lord. The force is most definitely under our control. The Dark Side has never looked so strong and promising.

So to the doubters and curmudgeons, I leave you with this, "A man's about as happy as he makes his mind up to be." Abraham Lincoln said that, or it may have been Warwick Capper. One of the two. I think there's something in that for all of us, don't you? I'm excited. More reasons to be cheerful!
E1EE3AB2-B795-447B-BE83-50BA16967065.gif

93465434-873C-4164-ABF9-CF2CA30A5E11.gif
 

Drake Huggins

Club Legend
May 2, 2018
2,391
9,697
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I forgot to mention the sponsors and the money they will bring. We are now a destination club for players and sponsors alike. Now, if we can just become a destination club for supporters who should become members.

All the pieces are now in place for us to become the "Juggernaut" that little Scotty said we could. Unlike then, it is not a pipe dream now. We have all the right people in place. I'm excited!
 

Keg on legs

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10k Posts St Kilda - Doulton Langlands Player Sponsor 2020 St Kilda - Robbie Young Player Sponsor 2019 St Kilda - Nathan Freeman Player Sponsor 2017
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I forgot to mention the sponsors and the money they will bring. We are now a destination club for players and sponsors alike. Now, if we can just become a destination club for supporters who should become members.

All the pieces are now in place for us to become the "Juggernaut" that little Scotty said we could. Unlike then, it is not a pipe dream now. We have all the right people in place. I'm excited!

There's so much untapped money in and around Braaaarton. Once we start attracting some corporate interest the sky's the limit

Jaguar would be a nice start. Sleek, stylish and a little bit brash. Compliments the Sexy Saints perfectly
 
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There's so much untapped money in and around Braaaarton. Once we start attracting some corporate interest the sky's the limit

Jaguar would be a nice start. Sleek, stylish and a little bit brash. Compliments the Sexy Saints perfectly

Need to hit up Tesla express anyone else does. Or ndv from China.
 

Keg on legs

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Need to hit up Tesla express anyone else does. Or ndv from China.

I was trying to explain the China thing to my mrs last week. Imagine we signed up 5% of their population on $1 memberships.

$70,000,000 a year!

We'd become the league's richest club overnight
 

mightymalaka

What we have here is a failure to communicate!
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There's so much untapped money in and around Braaaarton. Once we start attracting some corporate interest the sky's the limit

Jaguar would be a nice start. Sleek, stylish and a little bit brash. Compliments the Sexy Saints perfectly
Yes they do Kegs!

Sleek, stylish and a little bit brash is true. you forgot to add drink excessively and break down a lot but let's not dwell on
These small imperfections!
Just being called the Sexy Saints is enough for me!
 

Drake Huggins

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May 2, 2018
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There's so much untapped money in and around Braaaarton. Once we start attracting some corporate interest the sky's the limit

Jaguar would be a nice start. Sleek, stylish and a little bit brash. Compliments the Sexy Saints perfectly

Not only Braaarton, kegs. What about Humpton, Humpton East ( the suburb formerly known as Moorabbin?)and my newly gentrified suburb of Haaarhett! Fertile ground to be ploughed for "new money".
 

Stewart66

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Not only Braaarton, kegs. What about Humpton, Humpton East ( the suburb formerly known as Moorabbin?)and my newly gentrified suburb of Haaarhett! Fertile ground to be ploughed for "new money".


Gardenvaaaale ........& Beaumarissssssss.... very disappointing to not be mentioned as for new Toorak.

Sandringhammmmmmm. .... the amount of carbon fibre bicycles in the area ...amazing.
 

mightymalaka

What we have here is a failure to communicate!
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Get on board the Saints train
View attachment 777801:euro:

In Satan we trust

Can't get enough of that bouncing chicky on the side of the freeway doing the downstairs butterfly! 😆
Imagine driving along and seeing that out the corner of your eye! lol....It's too much i tell ya!
You wouldn't be seeing that in Braaaaarton that's for sure! Humpton maybe!

Btw Skidman i have just noticed that you are from behind everyone! 😳
This makes me very nervous! Being behind a Greek is a very dangerous place my friend! It can't possibly end well!
Plus i thought i was the resident deviant in this joint....You moving on my territory man!

I suggest you go back to leaving GT stripes on Crusty's Undies and leave the tittalation to those of us who have
A Dungeon to cater for such festivities! And yes you may bring ride along sally with you! 😉

Oh yeah Super Post Drake and Go Saints!
 
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