Do you have the passion?

[shiny_on_top]

I know what you mean mate.
I to live in Queensland. Prior to Adelaide last year at Subi i had a 0-15 record. I have been to Tassie twice, Melbourne 6 times, Sydney 3, Brisbane twice and Canberra twice. Yet none of those for wins. Finally made it to Perth for a win
My dad said i was the jynx yet he didn't go to that adelaide game
Going to the Gabba today and silently confident

 

[campbell]

I know what you mean mate.
I to live in Queensland. Prior to Adelaide last year at Subi i had a 0-15 record. I have been to Tassie twice, Melbourne 6 times, Sydney 3, Brisbane twice and Canberra twice. Yet none of those for wins. Finally made it to Perth for a win
My dad said i was the jynx yet he didn't go to that adelaide game
Going to the Gabba today and silently confident

lol. I hope you dont win actually being a Lions fan. BUT for my son, I hope you do.

I have just rung my GF to say, she is having a nice Freo bomber jacket to wear, she is a Dons Supporter, had a whinge, but is wearing it. lol.

Enjoy the game mate. You cant miss my son, all 6 ft 5 of him.

 

[Jetau]

Geez, I think we are going to get flogged in this game.

You've gotta feel for Kapow!! The only way they could repay him is with a win today. That would be 1% of the passion returned, I think.

 

[chook2734]

You are kidding right.

Not at all. From my experience at the GABBA, the security staff have no idea at all. You could walk straight past them and they wouldn't even notice.

 

[freocynic]

I don't think Kapow should have to talk his way into the rooms, or walk past security or anything like that. The director who emailed him SHOULD meet Kapow at the game after the match and he SHOULD be invited into the rooms. It doesn't actually cost anything for them to do that and it even could be turned into a 'feel good' news story, particularly if we win.

 

[Jetau]

I don't think Kapow should have to talk his way into the rooms, or walk past security or anything like that. The director who emailed him SHOULD meet Kapow at the game after the match and he SHOULD be invited into the rooms. It doesn't actually cost anything for them to do that and it even could be turned into a 'feel good' news story, particularly if we win.

Unfortunately this club is VERY complacent about its financial position/number of members etc. Who gives a toss about one fan (member?) in QLD, honestly? Not the Fremantle Football Club, apparently.

 

[Docker Clint]

The club SHOULD have sent the players around to do his housework while they werein Qld. The club SHOULD have sent a limo around to his house to take him to the game.

I'm not sure what people want. I'm impressed the club even acknowledged him.

 

[Jetau]

The club SHOULD have sent the players around to do his housework while they werein Qld. The club SHOULD have sent a limo around to his house to take him to the game.

I'm not sure what people want. I'm impressed the club even acknowledged him.

Doesn't take much to impress you, does it? A two line response? Fantastic.

People put their heart and soul into supporting this footy club. It wouldn't have been too much to do something for the kid, especially considering we must have about 20 supporters up in Brisbane.

 

[Freo Shark]

The directors giving him a personal reply is a good start. A personalised letter from Harvs or Schwabby or Pav would have been a nice touch.

I just think a letter from the footy dept telling him they care about their fans woulda been nice. Us fans have passion be nice to see that aknowledged. Perhaps thats naivety.

 

[campbell]

The directors giving him a personal reply is a good start. A personalised letter from Harvs or Schwabby or Pav would have been a nice touch.

I just think a letter from the footy dept telling him they care about their fans woulda been nice. Us fans have passion be nice to see that aknowledged. Perhaps thats naivety.

I am not speaking for Kapow, I am speaking as a parent.
A letter from anyone on official letter head, may have been nice. This club seems to have lost its way over the last few years IMO. IN the PR department.
The directors new that the email had been posted on this board, and someone then had reposted it onto another board. So it was getting a lot of exposure from hurting fans.These are the same fans who pay their wages, buy having memberships or buying merchandise.No club can afford to sit on their hands, and disrespect their supporters perios.Supporters are the backbone of the club, no supporters no club. Pretty darn basic.

it doesnt take much to be nice to fans. Even a reply of some sorts on this board, would have shown you the loyal supporters, that they are listening to you.
Thats my opinion anyway.

 

[DeepPurple]

what do you all think the piece of paper that Mark Harvey was kicking around at half time had on it?

 

[Docker Clint]

what do you all think the piece of paper that Mark Harvey was kicking around at half time had on it?

McManus' resignation? please please please please...

 

[BeinPurplenGreen]

Lately there's been a lot of negativity on this board.

Mostly due to the injury toll, but also some pointless infighting between "bigfooty legend" posters.

I've seen a heck of a lot of pre-seasons that deserved much more worry than our current one. As a Freo fan based over East for the last 12 years, who at one stage early last year had been to 42 consecutive live Freo games all around the East coast for 0 wins, I can safely say this year is not going to be the worst ever.

With that in mind, and as we are about to return to teh Gabba once again, I thought a reminder of the dark days from the East coast Freo fan's perspective might be useful. Following is, IMHO, the best post ever on this BF board. Kapow, I hope you are at the game in round 1, and I hope we get a chance to see a win at the Gabba again!! Beers on me if we do...

From: thehockmaester@hotmail.com
To: fremantlefc@fremantlefc.com.au
Subject: Do you have the passion


Dear Fremantle Football Club

In light of the recent match I thought I might take some time out to send you all this email. I'm an 18 year Queensland university student on the Sunshine Coast and have lived here for most of my life apart from a short time in Melbourne. I've followed this club passionately and loved it like a father. As such I have only been able to see a select handful of games over the years, 10 to be exact and at each one I've followed this club with ruthless passion and endeavour. Most of the time I've made more noise in my army of one then the entire row I've been seated in, usually filled with Maroon or some other colour foreign to the Purple, Green, Red and white. Infact in 2004, when I was 15, I won the Woodford Junior Citizen of the year award. The title of the speech I gave that night: Purple, green, red and white oh what a lovely sight! All of which in spite the fact that the only people in the crowd who had even heard of the town of Fremantle were my family in the audience.

Over the years as supporters on a whole we have put up with quite a lot but shrugged it off and kept that passion alive. The dark years leading up to 2003 it was all about that light at the end of the tunnel and the thought that 'one day this club is going to have a premiership and on that day I can die a happy person'. I remember on two such occasions we were playing up here at the Gabba in 1999 and 2000, both times we lost by over 100 points. On one of those occasions we were down by 100 points at halftime. But still I personally sat there and thought about what lies ahead. That some day this club will make a proud history for itself and that I can walk into a crowded and passionate AFL bar and say I support the mighty Fremantle Dockers without someone scoughing or saying 'you poor bastard'. That one day I could say it and get the respect of other passionate and proud clubs.

When the time came in 2003 for our first finals match the hype was intense, even up here in a footy isolated area. I remember putting on my jersey and scarf when I was 14, taking the radio in to my room (as we didn't get that game live) and cheering loudly when we kicked those first two goals. But then of course it turned sour. Broken but determined I looked forward again under the thinking 'every club has to go through it's share of heartache before a flag, that's what makes it so special'. 2004 and 2005 came and, well, I can only imagine the feeling of despair amongst the other Freo faithful. But still there was that glimmer of hope and that nagging passionate thought "some day".

Then we made the preliminary final after being in a terrible position after the split round. Quite possibly the happiest moment of my life was when Des Headland kicked that goal that sealed the Semi-Final against Melbourne. But after we lost to the Swans that belief was stronger than ever "every side must lose it's share of preliminary finals and other finals before a flag, that's what makes it so special'. We all thought that that year was fast approaching, that a proud history and a proud name and culture was about to be made for the 'mighty' Freo Dockers. We were wrong. Instead we were treated to one cocky and soulless performance after another. But that belief was still there that we had to lose to gain that passion, to gain that wisdom and to make sure it doesn't happen again. Sadly that just hasn't seemed to be the case this year and last week's match just showed me how typical it was of the players to go out and give us with the passion and blistering performance to get our hopes up and then a limp and gutless effort to dash the hopes yet again.

But more to a personal note I mentioned earlier that I have been to see 10 Fremantle games in my life time. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2007 games against Brisbane at the Gabba, 2003 against Sydney in Sydney, 2001 against Collingwood at the Telstra Dome, 2005 against Richmond at the MCG and, to cap it all off, last weekend against Melbourne. The grand total of all those matches has been 0 wins and 10 losses. 2 100 point thrashings, 3 games where we were favourites but were flogged by 10 goals, 3 games where we've surrendered last quarter leads and of course, 2 of them where we had relatively big leads and surrendered. Every single one of those games I failed to see any sort of desperation or urgency. No hunger, no soul, no...passion.

It's pretty hard to maintain a passion with that sort of record prior to the weekend but alas I did. I was thrilled beyond my wildest dreams that we were up by 50 points at Half time. I thought I was about to see us win for the first time. Instead I see a gutless, weak and above all else, passionless performance and we lose. Myself and a small band of other Freo supporters made more noise than the Melbourne Cheersquad for 3 quarters. Even when we were down in the last quarter I still believed, I still believed we would wake up and that inner passion I thought was in all things Fremantle would finally kick in and we would be treated. Instead I learned it's just the supporters that seem to have the passion.

So I ask each and every one of you: Do you have the passion? I do. We all do. But do you? The players? The staff? That guy up in accounting who sits on his computer playing solitaire and drinking coffee all day? How should we have the passion when our players and club don't seem to? I don't know. It's a superhuman love for Fremantle that makes me, like the 40,000 other members, want to come back and support ruthlessly even after the weekend. But please, PLEASE reciprocate. A fan should not have to beg their club for passion and pride in their jumper and all that they stand for but I write today doing just that. That belief that 'our time will come' is now on life support if not dead for a lot of the supporters including myself. The light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off and there's nothing we can do about it except keep supporting blindly in the dark. The club may have the press pressure and media scrutiny to deal with but we, including myself who lives in a non AFL state and a very non AFL town, we're on the front line. We're fighting tooth and nail against the passion and pride of all the other clubs just so we aren't humiliated to even say we support Freo. Every day we're being slaughtered by the other fans and we're giving our all just to keep others from scoughing at the mere mentioned of 'Freo'. The only ones who can help us is you: the club and the players.

I will be at the Round 11 game at the GABBA as it is the only other game I can get to this year. I will be cheering proudly and passionately. I will be the one in a jesters hat 4 sizes too small for my head, a Freo jersey, scarf and purple undershirt. I will be the one making more noise than all of the Brisbane supporters in the General Admission put together. I will be there fired up and ready with the purple passion oozing through my skin and replacing the blood in my arteries and veins. I will be there with all my heart - will you?


Yours depressingly

<not divulging my full name on BigFooty>

 

[Higs]

great post. I hope Kapow was at the Gabba last year when we won

 

[docker_champ29]

If we have a slow start to the year I hope people realise it's because we're missing 6 of our best 22. Not because of a lack of passion or heart because that's bullshit.

 

[E Shed]

IMO the point is that in the old days the team would just not turn up some days. You knew in the first 5 minutes we were going to get our arses handed to us and they would basically just lie down for 4 quarters.
Hopefully we now have a core group of players who want to win. The quality at the top is top shelf and we have passionate, smart, young players underneath who are driving their own culture of success up under the mid rangers who have perhaps been guilty of letting us down at times.
Nothing wrong with losing to a better team so long as every player gives 100% for 4 quarters.

 

[Freodoc]

IMO the point is that in the old days the team would just not turn up some days. You knew in the first 5 minutes we were going to get our arses handed to us and they would basically just lie down for 4 quarters.
Hopefully we now have a core group of players who want to win. The quality at the top is top shelf and we have passionate, smart, young players underneath who are driving their own culture of success up under the mid rangers who have perhaps been guilty of letting us down at times.
Nothing wrong with losing to a better team so long as every player gives 100% for 4 quarters.

^^^^^^^

This

 

[docker_champ29]

True dat

 

[campbell]

great post. I hope Kapow was at the Gabba last year when we won

sure was......how sweet it was for him.

 

[campbell]

IMO the point is that in the old days the team would just not turn up some days. You knew in the first 5 minutes we were going to get our arses handed to us and they would basically just lie down for 4 quarters.
Hopefully we now have a core group of players who want to win. The quality at the top is top shelf and we have passionate, smart, young players underneath who are driving their own culture of success up under the mid rangers who have perhaps been guilty of letting us down at times.
Nothing wrong with losing to a better team so long as every player gives 100% for 4 quarters.

So true. One year at the gabb you could tell during their warm up. They were lack lusture and lacked energy then.

Al you can ask is they give the appearance of trying their hardest.

That game at the G we went to, was woeful. A disgrace for elite athletes.

 

[valkorum]

My wallet has allowed me to show my passion again this year. Just bought 2 memberships for the year. It will be good to have a sore ass every second week again

 

[Moo]

Kapow we've come a long way brother.

 

[yoong]

that was so well written Kapow!!!

may be 7 years late, but lets hope the club give you a proper respond in Oct.

 

[poshman]

Was a dark time when it was written. Now we can look back and know it was the time we saw hilly and fyfe come into the club and the start of something new!

 

[TheInjuryFactory]

Incredible passion Kapow!!!, hats off to you sir.

Was at that game. Still feel your pain over that one. Finally broke my own interstate duck this year at Geelong. For years I suffered through losses anytime I saw us play interstate, and that one was by far the most painful (besides the GF ). Isn't it beautiful how far we've come since that woeful day.

Heave Ho brother.