Win Prizes Feel Good Inc. (Essendon Edition) - WIN A BOOK

[jmoo wan]

its funny you mention this, i had a spirited debate about it with mates the other week.

I dont think its possible to keep your passion alive for football through certain years. Well its hard to keep your passion alive for a lot of things once you become old and jaded but football for a few certain reasons.

When you are a kid those players are your absolute heros, they are giants amongst men, they seem super human. Your passion for football is unparelleled, you know all the players, all the numbers, the stats, EVERYTHING! Football is your life. Then as you become a little older and start playing the game your passion probably even increases a little more, you live and breathe football, the players are still your idols. Then you reach the 18-24 type age, are still playing the game and even though you realise the players are only human now you feel some kind of kindred respect for them, they are doing what you are doing but at a much higher level so you can appreciate it, and you still love football with passion.

But then something happens, at around 30 you feel a little older and wiser, possibly a bit crotchety, you refuse to idolise anybody ten years your junior! Im not idolising pimple faced kids! Not to mention the fact they became what i wanted to be... Not only this but when you really think about it they are 18! would you place a large amount of your emotuional wellbeing in the hands of a bunch of 18 year olds? Because thats what you are doing, your football club means that much to you that it affects your moods and emotions... its hard to let kids hold that power. So slowly you grow up and get other priorities and detach yourself from the full on passion of your football team. You still love them, and support them.. but its not the same, you may not know all the numbers anymore, may not watch every game but it still hurts to lose. Its gone.. until...

You have your own kids, and its time to drum it into them to get them on the bomber wagon, back comes the passion!

this is the place i now find myself in, teaching my little ones how to be bombers (hard right now it must be said) but i definitely think its hard to keep the passion alive across those non child years.

Loved this post - I'm right there with you! Dropped my 2 YO boy off at child care footy day today in his Bombers T-Shirt, Bombers Guernsey, Bombers socks and his little Bomber Teddy Bear (He could take one toy, so this time Skeeter was left at home). Poor kid has no chance!

 

[InsertPhraseHere]

Far out.. what a fantastic idea for a thread.. what a great read mate!

* I love this club.. how much joy can it bring? How many memories so easily float to the surface? Good stuff.. and something about being a kid.. just makes it all feel that bit more 'magical'..

Great read! Do you still have the Mark Graham footy?

Thanks for the kind words, Rines (& everyone else). Yeah, I was certainly overcome with nostalgia re-telling that for the first time in years!

Yep, still have the Mark Graham signed football; albeit it was one of those cheap yellow footies and hasn't survived as well as it could have!

 

[Howard Moon]

Loved this post - I'm right there with you! Dropped my 2 YO boy off at child care footy day today in his Bombers T-Shirt, Bombers Guernsey, Bombers socks and his little Bomber Teddy Bear (He could take one toy, so this time Skeeter was left at home). Poor kid has no chance!

big lack of red and black at our child care centre.... bloody bandwagoners!

 

[Pweter]

its funny you mention this, i had a spirited debate about it with mates the other week.

I dont think its possible to keep your passion alive for football through certain years. Well its hard to keep your passion alive for a lot of things once you become old and jaded but football for a few certain reasons.

When you are a kid those players are your absolute heros, they are giants amongst men, they seem super human. Your passion for football is unparelleled, you know all the players, all the numbers, the stats, EVERYTHING! Football is your life. Then as you become a little older and start playing the game your passion probably even increases a little more, you live and breathe football, the players are still your idols. Then you reach the 18-24 type age, are still playing the game and even though you realise the players are only human now you feel some kind of kindred respect for them, they are doing what you are doing but at a much higher level so you can appreciate it, and you still love football with passion.

But then something happens, at around 30 you feel a little older and wiser, possibly a bit crotchety, you refuse to idolise anybody ten years your junior! Im not idolising pimple faced kids! Not to mention the fact they became what i wanted to be... Not only this but when you really think about it they are 18! would you place a large amount of your emotuional wellbeing in the hands of a bunch of 18 year olds? Because thats what you are doing, your football club means that much to you that it affects your moods and emotions... its hard to let kids hold that power. So slowly you grow up and get other priorities and detach yourself from the full on passion of your football team. You still love them, and support them.. but its not the same, you may not know all the numbers anymore, may not watch every game but it still hurts to lose. Its gone.. until...

You have your own kids, and its time to drum it into them to get them on the bomber wagon, back comes the passion!

this is the place i now find myself in, teaching my ltitle ones how to be bombers (hard right now it must be said) but i deffinatley think its hard to keep the passion alive across those non child years.

Whilst I don't idolise the young players coming through the system now, I have a respect for them, admiration maybe, that I didn't have when I had them on a pedestal as a kid/youth.

To come into the AFL system as an 18 year old, be as professional as they are from day 1, playing against fully grown men who have been lifting serious weights for years (whether it be VFL or AFL), surviving the baptism of fire, holding their own, starting to gain ground on the men, watching them turn into men themselves. Think of the Jobe Watson story in terms of his development as a player.

I love watching the development, then you get one out of the box like Heppell who simply leaves you gobsmacked from day 1.

I think you're spot on in that hero worship turns into some kind of kindred feeling of belonging (even though playing many levels lower). This changed when I stopped playing at 29 and there were a couple of years where I wasn't nearly as interested, somewhat jaded maybe (funnily coinciding with our crap form around 2006), but respect and admiration for these young lads has grown over time for what they do (well mostly young lads... Fletch is older than me FFS).

 

[Runk]

Loved this post - I'm right there with you! Dropped my 2 YO boy off at child care footy day today in his Bombers T-Shirt, Bombers Guernsey, Bombers socks and his little Bomber Teddy Bear (He could take one toy, so this time Skeeter was left at home). Poor kid has no chance!

Same. My girls were all decked out in Bomber gear. Walk into Daycare and there standing in front of me, all three Daycare workers wearing Collingwood jumpers. The safety of my kids at Daycare was never something I worried too much about, until today.

 

[rines]

its funny you mention this, i had a spirited debate about it with mates the other week.

I dont think its possible to keep your passion alive for football through certain years. Well its hard to keep your passion alive for a lot of things once you become old and jaded but football for a few certain reasons.

When you are a kid those players are your absolute heros, they are giants amongst men, they seem super human. Your passion for football is unparelleled, you know all the players, all the numbers, the stats, EVERYTHING! Football is your life. Then as you become a little older and start playing the game your passion probably even increases a little more, you live and breathe football, the players are still your idols. Then you reach the 18-24 type age, are still playing the game and even though you realise the players are only human now you feel some kind of kindred respect for them, they are doing what you are doing but at a much higher level so you can appreciate it, and you still love football with passion.

But then something happens, at around 30 you feel a little older and wiser, possibly a bit crotchety, you refuse to idolise anybody ten years your junior! Im not idolising pimple faced kids! Not to mention the fact they became what i wanted to be... Not only this but when you really think about it they are 18! would you place a large amount of your emotuional wellbeing in the hands of a bunch of 18 year olds? Because thats what you are doing, your football club means that much to you that it affects your moods and emotions... its hard to let kids hold that power. So slowly you grow up and get other priorities and detach yourself from the full on passion of your football team. You still love them, and support them.. but its not the same, you may not know all the numbers anymore, may not watch every game but it still hurts to lose. Its gone.. until...

You have your own kids, and its time to drum it into them to get them on the bomber wagon, back comes the passion!

this is the place i now find myself in, teaching my ltitle ones how to be bombers (hard right now it must be said) but i deffinatley think its hard to keep the passion alive across those non child years.

Probably pretty spot on.. although for me the 'passion' was lost a little cause I had other crap going on and trying to survive babies.. but very good explanation of a footy life cycle I would have thought.. but my fave day of the year now is again 'pie night' at Scouts or 'footy day' at school... an excuse to get my girls decked out in their gear and share something really special with them.. or take my youngest to the park on our bikes for the first time to kick a footy.. I know that they are girls and never going to play for the red+black.. but still there is something special about seeing ANY child kick their first perfect punt.. or squeeze their first scrappy kick through the goals and watch their face light up in the pure JOY of the the sport..

Anyway.. I just find that special.. the fact that I will pass this gift on to my kids.. and I am really confident they will pass it on to theirs.. to finally understand the history.. the role this footy club plays in generations of lives.. one constant while the world moves at an ever increasing pace..

 

[Howard Moon]

Probably pretty spot on.. although for me the 'passion' was lost a little cause I had other crap going on and trying to survive babies.. but very good explanation of a footy life cycle I would have thought.. but my fave day of the year now is again 'pie night' at Scouts or 'footy day' at school... an excuse to get my girls decked out in their gear and share something really special with them.. or take my youngest to the park on our bikes for the first time to kick a footy.. I know that they are girls and never going to play for the red+black.. but still there is something special about seeing ANY child kick their first perfect punt.. or squeeze their first scrappy kick through the goals and watch their face light up in the pure JOY of the the sport..

Anyway.. I just find that special.. the fact that I will pass this gift on to my kids.. and I am really confident they will pass it on to theirs.. to finally understand the history.. the role this footy club plays in generations of lives.. one constant while the world moves at an ever increasing pace..

i guess its why i bemoan it becoming a business. The strands of history run through our families, the teams you support runs through generation to generation, and clubs also had that, strong histories and generational player names. One club players were the norm, teams were like families but it certanly feels as if that is falling by the wayside these days in lou of business transactions. The strong binds and loyalties that built clubs seem to be dimished these days. The father son rule is the last nugget of nostalgia left in the game and to be honest im amazed the AFL has kept it alive in their bloody minded pursuit of a level playing field. Its a happy anomoly in an ever increasingly sterile business.

 

[Pweter]

i guess its why i bemoan it becoming a business. The strands of history run through our families, the teams you support runs through generation to generation, and clubs also had that, strong histories and generational player names. One club players were the norm, teams were like families but it certanly feels as if that is falling by the wayside these days in lou of business transactions. The strong binds and loyalties that built clubs seem to be dimished these days. The father son rule is the last nugget of nostalgia left in the game and to be honest im amazed the AFL has kept it alive in their bloody minded pursuit of a level playing field. Its a happy anomoly in an ever increasingly sterile business.

Once anything goes from amateur to professional, the foundation from what it was built on starts to crumble. Business and dollars take over.

The league still wants to be something by the people for the people, but reading this thread shows just how far removed we have become since the good ol' days, and in this thread we're seeing the good ol' days are as recently as the turn of the century.

It's really quite sad how quickly things have changed.

 

[Howard Moon]

It just goes to show more then ever that the fans are the club, and always will be... we may not kick a ball in anger but we are there through thick and thin, when the players have come and gone. We are arguing rivalries our whole lives while players have hung up their coats....

Which is why this past 2 years has hurt so much more, i think we, the fans have been treated like muppets. We are better than this, without us there is no club, league, tv rights, anything! The players would still play but there is no spectacle with no people to watch. If we want our kids to connect and stay connected we need to take a step back, let the kids on the ground again for a kick, let them meet their heros - stop slagging them off in the newspaper.

I personally dont think the club has considered our pain much at all, should they? in reality probably not but we are the ones who will be dealing with this stain for ever. Wonder how they can make it up to us? Flag will do!

 

[Pweter]

I personally dont think the club has considered our pain much at all, should they? in reality probably not but we are the ones who will be dealing with this stain for ever. Wonder how they can make it up to us? Flag will do!

Membership dollars says yes, they should.

 

[Howard Moon]

Membership dollars says yes, they should.

60 thousand reasons why they should care!

 

[Shane Hird]

Here's a thread I started years ago....some great stories of the Windy Hill days




http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/windy-hill-memories.242576/

 

[Harlequin]

Just a quick non Bombers story
My daughter just got off the train at Parliament station to walk to ACU.
As she's walking the Hawks players got off the bus and was walking towards her. I asked did she acknowledge them and she said 'oh no mum I crossed the street as I did not want to catch anything from that scum lot'
I taught her well

 

[Pweter]

Just a quick non Bombers story
My daughter just got off the train at Parliament station to walk to ACU.
As she's walking the Hawks players got off the bus and was walking towards her. I asked did she acknowledge them and she said 'oh no mum I crossed the street as I did not want to catch anything from that scum lot'
I taught her well

Give the lady a book right now damn it!!!!

 

[Howard Moon]

Mcg having an open day Sunday, can have a kick on the ground and go through the rooms..... They reading my posts?

 

[Harlequin]

Mcg having an open day Sunday, can have a kick on the ground and go through the rooms..... They reading my posts?

Ever have the time do a tour of the MCG it's really good.
I took my son and then did the sports museum at the same time.
Fantastic day out and my son loved it

 

[yaco55]

Thought I’d come out of lurking to tell my true story. This turned out a lot longer than I thought it would. Apologies.

Here’s the TL; DR – A young lad, his brother and their uncle (by some mischievous means) manage to talk their way into EFC rooms after a big loss to North. Meet many players and get their signatures.

9 July 1993 - Round 15 (Versus North Melbourne)

Like most nine-year old lads; footy was my LIFE. I remember my brother [let’s call him Marcus for anonymity’s sake] and I caught the two-hour people chariot down from Bendigo that Friday afternoon. Marcus is a Hawker: four years older than I, but being a great older brother, agreed to take me to down to Melbourne for the game. Even more impressive was that our folks allowed a nine-year old me and a 13-year old - who was on crutches and only one leg (due to a skiing accident a couple of weeks earlier) – to travel to Melbourne, alone. Anyhow I digress, but this point is important for later….

When we arrived at Spencer Street Station, my uncle [let’s call him Richard] picked us up and took us to our grandparents’ place in Brunswick to prepare for the game. I then unpacked my bag and pulled-out a blank autograph book that I won alongside a signed Mark Graham football (of Hawthorn fame) that I had recently won in a school handballing tournament. Uncle Richard, who was taking Marcus and I to the game, told me ‘that it was pointless bringing the autograph book to the game because the players won’t have any time to sign it.’ However, I pleaded that we take it ‘just in case’, to which he begrudgingly agreed, and we then made our way to the ‘G in a cab.

Uncle Richard, being an AFL Member, was able to snag us some great seats: right on the wing at the bottom of the 4th tier of the new Great Southern Stand. It was a Baltic night, but I remember thinking that ‘all my birthdays had come at once’ as I sat back eating a pie, sipping on a coke…. and waited for the first bounce.

North jumped out of the blocks early (with John Longmire and Adrian McAdam leading the way), which saw them lead by three goals at quarter-time. Knowing that there were still three-quarters to go I wasn’t too worried, yet. Just as I had hoped, The Dons came storming back in the second-quarter (with Brad Plain particularly dominant), to only be down by a couple of points at half-time. We continued our domination in the 3rd and managed to gain the ascendency to lead by a couple of kicks at the break…. and I was on cloud nine! What happened in the last-quarter was burned into my brain 21 years ago, and remains there now: The Dons stopped….dead. Akin to being hit by a lightning bolt (which had threatened earlier on a miserable July day) we had completely ran out of legs, and the North vultures feasted on our carcasses to win by a staggering 10 goals. Understandably, the crowd was in shock. I was even worse: inconsolable. I remember my head falling between my knees and bawling my eyes out until there was hardly anyone else left in the stands.

After copping a little spray from Uncle Richard, I control myself enough to get onto my feet and start to slowly slink out of the ground; Marcus and his crutches were already waiting patiently at the lift by the time Uncle Richard and I get there. Feeling sorry for me, it was here that Uncle Richard came up with a cunning plan: to try and get us into the Essendon rooms. After telling Marcus and I of this grand scheme, we made our way down to the entry of the rooms.

Uncle Richard, a salesman, is blessed with the gift of the gab and easily brushes off the first security guard check when we approach. Our second security check was not so easy, however. Eerily similar to an East Berliner trying to trapeze their way through Checkpoint Charlie; we were greeted with a resounding “sorry, you cannot come in here” by the waiting security guard. Unperturbed, though, Uncle Richard then took to showcasing my (seemingly) disabled brother to the security guard – a desperate last ditch effort to play on the guard’s heart-strings. Incredibly, with our dignity well and truly gone now, the security guard… lets us in!

Marcus and I walked around seemingly given free rein in the Essendon players’ rooms. Fletch had just finished his shower when I walked up to him, and he happily signed my autograph book wearing nothing but a towel. Mark Harvey, too. Everywhere I looked there were players and staff at my disposal - I felt like Homer Simpson in the Land of Chocolate. Tim Watson, Gary O’Donnell, Michael Long, Sean Denham… absolutely everyone was happy to shake the hand, and chat to a star struck nine-year old (and his Hawk supporting brother). They could have been forgiven for shrugging anyone-off after such a result; but no, they were incredible. The Big Fish and David Grenvold were getting their rubdowns, and I remember Grenvold spending what seemed like an hour – granted, was probably only 5 minutes - talking to me about how I can better my game. I remember telling him, “I need to improve handballing with my left-hand”, and he told me to just keep practising, and it will get better. Sheeds and Ken Fletcher came in towards the end, and although I didn’t get to meet Sheeds, Uncle Richard (who appeared to be talking the poor ear-off Ken), introduced me to Ken and I was able to get his autograph just before we made our way out of the ground, and back to Brunswick.

I ended up taking Grenvold’s advice on-board; yet still turned into a rubbish footballer. Nonetheless, it was the best day of my life then, and still pretty unreal 21 years later.

Clearly remember that game - Was standing behind the goals at the punt road end - Carey and Longmire took mark after mark in that last quarter.

 

[Doss]

That Somerville story- if a player did that today and the wrong type got wind of it- imagine the stink that would be created?

 

[BomberTime]

That Somerville story- if a player did that today and the wrong type got wind of it- imagine the stink that would be created?

"From now on, we'll all be having golden showers".

 

[Dave]

Late seventies, hazy memory of sneaking into the rooms at Windy Hill and sitting next to Simon Madden and Max Crow (giants!!). '85, at Windy Hill, to buy GF tix when a young lass mistook me for an u19's player. Mother (mine) quick to set her straight (thanks mum, not!!). 1990, at the GF and a bunch of young ladies thought I was Darren Bewick (not sure how, am over 6").

Favourite memory is the '84 GF. Had a standing room ticket. Stood all day, watched all 3 games just next to a bunch of piss heads who sang rude songs (their version of Carltons theme song was a ripper). Yelled myself hoarse. After the game had to find my mum who had been in the MCC, walked round the ground and ran straight into her and then our next door neighbours (also Dons fans). Off to a city bar for a drink or three to celebrate.

More recently, watching my 3 boys discover their passion for football & having 3 generations of the family at the footy.

No matter what happens I will always love and support our club.

We are Essendon.

 

[Harlequin]

That we are Dave

 

[Dave]

Red and black runs in my veins, will never stop supporting my club. When my eldest was 2 my sister in law tried to give him a top she had made in her clubs colours (complete with emblem) for his birthday. I told her if she did I would burn it. She didn't speak to me for a few months (I guess I could have been more diplomatic) afterwards.

The last two years have been shithouse, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!!!!!

 

[Harlequin]

Reading these posts remind me of why I love the Bombers.

So many good memories. My 14yo came up to me yesterday and told me he didn't want to support the Tigers anymore he wants to be a Bomber and it's because he knows they need him and his membership. Yes it's trite but it touched me. Especially with so many jumping off.

So together with our kids Dave we will make sure our Club endures

 

[Bomber_77]

When my kids reached their 2nd birthday they were taught answers to two questions.

#1. What do you think of Collingwood supporters? They're stinky!

#2. What else are these Collingwood supporters? They're unemployables!!!

My Collingwood supporting uncle has never been the same since

 

[Beerfish]

Okay well it seems like everyone who has something to contribute has done so we're going to lock this up and deliberate on the winners.