Sports Amateur Spots Clubs - Getting too serious, or nah?

[thejockey]

Anyone who plays social basketball knows theres always one or two floggos that are way too invested in a D-grade wednesday night game.

This resonates with me . Our work started a social team , we were actually in E grade .
Couldn't believe some of the carry on from some teams

One rocked with about 20 hangers on all around 40-50 years old and spent the whole game abusing a 16 year old ref. We pulled the pin after 1 season

 

[Golden_6]

Honestly what person has Tuesday and Thursdays free and Saturdays?

In your 20s you probably study and/or work on both those week nights as a result and quite often work on the weekends or at least late Fridays. Not sure how many 21 year olds have office jobs that let them leave 5pm and get to training. Furthermore any young bloke who did would not be saying no to Friday Peroni sessions for a game of footy on Saturday.

Unless you're getting paid what's the point?

Footy was awesome fun... the sport is great, showing your skills, being with mates, the spirit of a win... we all love it... that's why we piss about on this dumb forum. But no one has time for that dedication to even play third grade. It's just not possible.

As a kid I used to do phys ed three times a week, footy and soccer in winter, then cricket and tennis in summer and did that until I was 15. Pretty normal sorta lad. Liked it all. But you get to a point where the bullshit accumulates – you aren't going to win anything more than a $20 Jim Kidd voucher so why give up much?

[Sent from my fat guts via drinking between working all weekend]

I’m 22, finished studying and work full time. I finish at 5:15 and get to training with plenty of time to spare before a 6pm start. I love it, it keeps me fit and I get to hang out with 50 other guys who I generally love being around. Footy is only 20 weeks a year so I get to enjoy Friday sessions majority of the time, especially in summer.

If I play seniors I get paid a decent amount which comes in handy, and if I play reserves I’m done by 2, can drink all day with plenty of time to have fun.

 

[Marklar_33]

Its basically now par for the course in most metro Melbourne comps, its certainly taken some of the 'club' feel out of the game at that level

Some guys shop themselves around and will play for 5-6 clubs,know a few who have notched up 8-9.
Then you have clubs who as you say will poach players every season

Just cant see where the enjoyment or satisfaction in that is
Some pretty average players going around getting paid but that's another discussion

I don’t get it. I’m all about playing my cricket with my mates, win lose or draw. We were lucky enough to pluck an A Grade premiership before we all got too old and now we battle away in the relegation zone but I’d much rather do that than pay to bring players in

 

[Noobz0r]

One of my brothers mates won a div 5 flag last year and carried on like he was Luke Hodge winning his third AFL Premiership - tattoo, week off work for a bender and a footy trip to Bali. Pretty cringe imo but maybe I'm just being the fun police.

Whilst I wouldn't take a week off work or go to Bali, if I manage to win a flag (even in my lowly grade), I'll be carrying on. I love the club, I love the people, and I've played a decade there with some very lean years.

 

[Noobz0r]

Honestly what person has Tuesday and Thursdays free and Saturdays?

In your 20s you probably study and/or work on both those week nights as a result and quite often work on the weekends or at least late Fridays. Not sure how many 21 year olds have office jobs that let them leave 5pm and get to training. Furthermore any young bloke who did would not be saying no to Friday Peroni sessions for a game of footy on Saturday.

Unless you're getting paid what's the point?

Footy was awesome fun... the sport is great, showing your skills, being with mates, the spirit of a win... we all love it... that's why we piss about on this dumb forum. But no one has time for that dedication to even play third grade. It's just not possible.

As a kid I used to do phys ed three times a week, footy and soccer in winter, then cricket and tennis in summer and did that until I was 15. Pretty normal sorta lad. Liked it all. But you get to a point where the bullshit accumulates – you aren't going to win anything more than a $20 Jim Kidd voucher so why give up much?

[Sent from my fat guts via drinking between working all weekend]

I'm not getting paid and I train twice a week and play every Saturday. You've been doing an awful lot of generalising.

 

[edgie]

Not that I felt outcast by any stretch, but definitely the culture was a factor in taking indefinite hiatus. Sometimes you wanna get to training with team mates and talk about something other than who rooted what girl. Something other than than how good your multis went or your dreamteam. Football talk for the enjoyment of football was one of the least common topics. I actually get more of that out of the umpiring.

 

[boncer34]

I'm not getting paid and I train twice a week and play every Saturday. You've been doing an awful lot of generalising.

Doesn't sound like Silent Alarm at all.

 

[Scotland]

I haven't played weekend sport since I was 17. Bit different if you are a full time worker but as a uni student I worked nights and Saturdays which clashed with sports, and I also didn't want to be training two nights a week and playing Sunday, plus working 2-3 nights a week and Saturdays when I was at the age where you can start going to pubs and clubs.

Social sport is brilliant. Generally only an hour or so at a time and most teams are built around the fact that not all players will be available all the time.

 

[Silent Alarm]

I'm not getting paid and I train twice a week and play every Saturday. You've been doing an awful lot of generalising.

Have you just only started reading my posts?

 

[ioppolo]

I assume those who play, play because they enjoy it

 

[edgie]

Everyone enjoys it. I just wonder where the mentality to only wear club colours, to stop socialising, to be busting arse pre-season, for the full forward to have to spend time in defence, all those things happening at a professional level comes from.

Sent from mTalk

 

[Aussie_boy]

One aspect of it though is the exercise part, doing a pre-season beats going to the gym by yourself and you normally feel pretty fit by the time the season rolls around. That transfers over into games as well, you're normally buggered after a game of footy which beats running 5km by yourself on a Saturday.

 

[Scotland]

Running 5km only takes half an hour though and you can slot it in whenever you like. Footy goes for a couple of hours at a set time on the weekend, plus a commute each way which varies depending on opponent, plus training mid week.

Agree that it's a lot more fun and that's half the reason I play social sport. Would rather run around for an hour playing basketball or indoor soccer or whatever than just running laps of the park.

 

[Reynolds Number]

I wish there were social grouos where I coukd just go on a 5km run on a Friday or Saturday evening than follow up with a session on the piss.

 

[PP34]

Honestly what person has Tuesday and Thursdays free and Saturdays?

In your 20s you probably study and/or work on both those week nights as a result and quite often work on the weekends or at least late Fridays. Not sure how many 21 year olds have office jobs that let them leave 5pm and get to training. Furthermore any young bloke who did would not be saying no to Friday Peroni sessions for a game of footy on Saturday.

Unless you're getting paid what's the point?

Footy was awesome fun... the sport is great, showing your skills, being with mates, the spirit of a win... we all love it... that's why we piss about on this dumb forum. But no one has time for that dedication to even play third grade. It's just not possible.

As a kid I used to do phys ed three times a week, footy and soccer in winter, then cricket and tennis in summer and did that until I was 15. Pretty normal sorta lad. Liked it all. But you get to a point where the bullshit accumulates – you aren't going to win anything more than a $20 Jim Kidd voucher so why give up much?

[Sent from my fat guts via drinking between working all weekend]

You'd be surprised. In U19s we were all somehow training twice a week and then playing on Saturdays. I managed to schedule uni and work around footy and had a ripper time. It can be serious but despite coaches being campaigners they don't seem to mind if you miss a few sessions due to work. Training is also a great way to chat s**t with your mates. Literally no different to how it was back in u12s.

I do wonder how much interest I'll have once I get a full time job somewhere. Rushing two nights a week from work to train, come home for a meal and then sleep seems like an absolute campaigner of a thing to be doing from March until September.

Some clubs like mine have a really great culture. We all have known each other since school and we all get on. I think that's what brings everyone back year after year. Easy way to keep seeing your mates despite the busy cycle of life. We don't get paid either.

I could never be bothered being one of those blokes being paid by some club they have no connection to and giving up multiple days a week just to play one game. Training would feel like much more of a chore when you're lining up at the cones next to blokes you barely know.

My mate could get big coin but doesn't play for this very reason. Plus who doesn't like a Friday night beer while watching the footy? There's no better way to wind down.

 

[Gibbsy]

I’m 22, finished studying and work full time. I finish at 5:15 and get to training with plenty of time to spare before a 6pm start. I love it, it keeps me fit and I get to hang out with 50 other guys who I generally love being around. Footy is only 20 weeks a year so I get to enjoy Friday sessions majority of the time, especially in summer.

If I play seniors I get paid a decent amount which comes in handy, and if I play reserves I’m done by 2, can drink all day with plenty of time to have fun.

Me to a tee. Got back into footy last year after three years off and I couldn't believe why I hadn't taken it up earlier. Made a shitload of new mates, a couple of whom are actually now my housemates. Work full-time, finish at 4:30pm, training starts at 6pm so even after a half-hour drive home I'm there in ample time. Play twos, have a laugh with the boys and try and win a few games of footy, on the beers by 2:30pm. Friday sessions all throughout summer. Wouldn't have it any other way now.

 

[Kram]

I wonder how many that say it takes up too much time after work then spend 20 hours a week on the couch watching TV and drinking beer.

 

[Scotland]

I wonder how many that say it takes up too much time after work then spend 20 hours a week on the couch watching TV and drinking beer.

'I don't have time to exercise or go to the gym'
'I don't have time to cook'
'Buying healthy food is expensive'

Binge watches Netflix for 3-4 hours a night, orders Ubereats.

 

[Kram]

'I don't have time to exercise or go to the gym'
'I don't have time to cook'
'Buying healthy food is expensive'

Binge watches Netflix for 3-4 hours a night, orders Ubereats.

Yeah I've had mates that say "Me and the Mrs never have enough time to do whatever anymore!" Then when you actually go around there one will spend 4 hours after work playing xbox and the other watching reality TV. Fair enough if you have multiple kids kids but otherwise give me a spell.

 

[Scotland]

Even people with kids take the piss. A mate of mine has a couple of youngens under 2 or 3 and reckons his life is chaos from around 5-7pm each evening so he exercises around 7-7.30 then him and his wife have dinner together.

 

[edgie]

Yeah I've had mates that say "Me and the Mrs never have enough time to do whatever anymore!" Then when you actually go around there one will spend 4 hours after work playing xbox and the other watching reality TV. Fair enough if you have multiple kids kids but otherwise give me a spell.

Not really the same if the things you like to do are regular business hours.

Sent from mTalk

 

[TheWoodenSlug]

Even people with kids take the piss. A mate of mine has a couple of youngens under 2 or 3 and reckons his life is chaos from around 5-7pm each evening so he exercises around 7-7.30 then him and his wife have dinner together.

Don't they say it's important to eat dinner with your kids, as a family though? That's what my wife has convinced me anyway. Also it gets pretty late if you're heading off to the gym at 7:30 (and pitch black during winter, so a run is out of the question); it's 8:30 - 9:00 by the time you're eating tea.

It's not impossible of course, but it does get pretty hard when you have little kids. Or maybe I'm just trying to justify the Dad bod I'm rocking these days.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Footy clubs just revolve around gambling these days. Tagging the lads in blowing $300 is a regular sight for me; usually one crew with a mate who is a well known AFL footballer...

 

[Bostonian]

There's way too much money getting thrown around in bush leagues these days. Which is great for players, but it's ruining competitions.

All country leagues have salary caps and points allocations for each player.

 

[Silent Alarm]

All country leagues have salary caps and points allocations for each player.

Think that stops them? Even in pretty refined and high level leagues, like the Essendon District League, there's all sorts of s**t going down and that's a competition where the top 2-3 teams would beat a half the state league clubs and where AFL players who probably could've gone a season more, go for a season. Cars, old boy's setting the wife up with a secretary gig or promising their kids'll never have to pay for school, stuff like that.