Gerard Whately: A difficult conversation

[SJ]

I love how Whately writes. This is an extract of his speech at the season launch last week:

http://www.gfc.com.au/geelongnews/newsarticle/tabid/3933/newsid/109483/default.aspx

Football is irrational. Gloriously so. A person might swing when choosing the leader of the nation every three years but heaven help the supporter who dares contemplate switching the team allegiance they were born into.
Regardless of circumstance or personnel, irrespective of success or failure we are landlocked to the fortunes of a club rarely chosen for oneself.

http://www.gfc.com.au/geelongnews/newsarticle/tabid/3933/newsid/109483/default.aspx

 

[Selwood_14]

That's a fantastic article and so very true. I needn't go into how my first born ended up with the middle name of Joel...

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

What a great article. My 2 daugthers are the same age as Gerard's and i can relate to that article.

 

[McCavity]

I'm not a Geelong supporter, but this article brilliantly defines what it is to be a true supporter, regardless of who you might follow. Good luck to the Cats in 2011 - except for when you play us .

 

[vinum coupe]

ha ha, that is excellent

 

[Maydok]

Genius. Captures what being a Cat's fan is all about.

 

[cats23]

Great article, one of my favourite football commentators by far-I'll definitely be reading his articles each week on the GFC website

 

[Beth]

It makes me think about my poor father. If only he'd been more eloquent I might be a Richmond supporter.

Thank god he wasn't.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

We are truly priviledged to have Gerard and John Harms in our camp - great perspectives and really engaging writing from both these guys.
The couple of articles Gerard wrote about our successful period are to be treasured - brings a smile to my dial every time I read them.
Love the father-in-law reference to hugging - classic........

 

[Aussiemac82]

Excellent work again from GW.

Utmost professional who can scribe the emotional roller-coaster of a true supporter.

Kudos to you GW

 

[AM]

Gerard writes human interest stories as well as anyone in the media.

Doesn't always work the way he suggests though. Friends of mine have a 7 year old. Dad's a Cat and Mum's a Hawk. Dad won the team battle and the little one became a mad Cat. Proudly wore number 29 everytime he could. No more! His hero has gone so he's now a Hawk and waiting for his first number 23 guernsey.

 

[cats2rise]

Pretty much want to say what everyone else has. Whately is, for me, the best footy commentator out there and his articles are always well written, well thought out...

Yet I bet the common person would know who Mike Sheehan is, and not Gerard Whately. Very sad.

 

[The rabbi]

That's a fantastic article and so very true. I needn't go into how my first born ended up with the middle name of Joel...

If I have two daughters I plan to name them Chappy and Max.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

From the heart. No bullshit. No fear.

 

[Catsace]

So eloquently written by Gerard Whately and it really says what it means to be a true Cat fan. I like the way he emphasised how we do (and have) played the game as it should be played, from the 30's and 50's...the 60's with Farmer and the Blight era with massive scoring and full on flair. And of course our glorious 2007-2010 era of 83 wins in 100 games again coming in a festival of shared possessions, flowing corridor footy and glorious footballing skill.

Other clubs have maybe overtaken us with a superdefensive mindset and in Collingwood's case fanatical running, tackling and crushing of our style of game, but in some ways i wouldn't want Geelong to have to be that to succeed. It's not the Geelong way to be down, dirty and dour. Give me the footy that Geelong has pioneered, the footy that universally other clubs and fans will claim is great to watch. Our legacy of playing, as Gerard Whately said in a previous article 'The beautiful game, where Geelong's legacy is that it made footy better' is the best tribute to what Geelong is and stands for.

May long Geelong continue to be about what footy truly is.

 

[David the Cat]

" Our legacy of playing, as Gerard Whately said in a previous article 'The beautiful game, where Geelong's legacy is that it made footy better' is the best tribute to what Geelong is and stands for."

This.....

 

[InnocentBystandr]

Great article. All footy journalist have their favourite teams (Wilson-Richmond; Leach-StK etc) but Geelong's fan/journalist in Whateley, is by far the most eloquent!

(especially love his internal debate about his jumper's numbers)

 

[noclashjumpers]

I wonder if the fashion concious amongst us feel that Whately is 'sad' for having a number on his back?

 

[JimDocker]

I generally do not come into other teams' boards, but I just happened to see the name Gerard Whateley.

He is the best sports journalist in this country by the length of the straight.

We at Fremantle were fortunate to have Matt Price write about us for many years, unfortunately it was mostly self deprecating

That article was fantastic. Typical Whateley.

 

[Copernicus]

Ripping stuff

 

[bulletproof]

We at Fremantle were fortunate to have Matt Price write about us for many years, unfortunately it was mostly self deprecating

That article was fantastic. Typical Whateley.

He was a really great journalist and his loss was a tragedy. I always feel a tinge of sadness when I see Freo play so well now and I think he missed this.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

If I have two daughters I plan to name them Chappy and Max.

If I have two sons I plan to name them James and James.

Back on topic, a fantastic piece from Gerard that really captures the heart of what it is to support this great club. His writing is even better than his commentary sometimes, and that's saying something because the former is fantastic. I love that we do indeed play the game as it should be played.

 

[tomthabuddah]

brilliant Gerard, just brilliant. He writes with such passion and elegance. no fabrication, just raw feelings. very refreshing.

 

[vealesy]

Brilliant writer!

Hopefully he releases a book with all his Geelong articles one day.

Do yourselves a favour and set up his ABC call of the 09 GF playing over the dvd.

I just had foxtel put into my new place only to watch the few games only shown on it this year, and also to watch him on 360.

Keep it up Gerard, we love ya!

 

[Scottland2007]

That's a fantastic article and so very true. I needn't go into how my first born ended up with the middle name of Joel...

My sons middle name is Joel too, but after the number 11 variety.

Apparently Jimmy Joel Max Moonie Gazz Mathew Brad Corey were to many middle names?!