- Mar 29, 2019
- 11,494
- 16,072
- AFL Club
- Fremantle
- Other Teams
- Arsenal, Glory, Bulls
The reality of it all is, none of the players care about "playing for the jumper." And unfortunately what legitimate reason do they have to play for it? They're getting paid decent money at the end of the week no matter how poorly they play, so there's no incentive for them to give a s**t. Fans hate how badly they're playing? Doesn't matter to them,they're getting paid. Fans hurl abuse at them? Still paid.Dog of a game, one of the worst.
A game where you see the disconnect of supporters and players, with the disparity of how much it means to either party.
Three examples of this,
- Kelly, the player we offered (potentially) more money to play for us, but didn't want to, was allowed contact free stoppages and collected 42 disposals.
- Gaff, the player who caved in the mouth of a teenager, the prized jewel in our 'rebuild', was allowed to run around unchecked and collect 35 disposals.
- Kennedy, laid a heavy (fair) bump on a completely vulnerable 19 year old playing his sixth AFL game, who was playing through a dislocated shoulder... and then Kennedy just jogged back to position, smiling and joking with his team mates at three quarter time.
I see this as a supporter, having an adult meltdown on the couch that is so stark to my normal behaviour that even my dog notices. Brennan Cox jogs back to position to stand on his man and then I'm reminded that it's just a job for them.
Nothing is lonelier than knowing that, the least they could do is pretend it's not.
There's nothing any group of fans or anyone can do to actually cause any change, I can't really name anyone who "plays for the jumper" in any team, and if there are it's less than a handful. Sports isn't about team pride anymore, it's about getting a payday and being in the limelight, and as sad as it is, and as completely depressing as it is to watch as a fan, I completely get the mindset.
"Make enough money so you don't have to worry for the rest of your life, why do I give a * what a few people on the internet say?"
That's the sad state of football, players are getting paid more than ever, there's a much lower incentive to actually give a * now.