Toast Hawthorn have headf***ed everyone

[Kil Phearns]

@ Rohan

Thanks for your comments on our board.

I enjoyed watching the Lions' threepeat. Perhaps because
a) the Hawks were not much chop at the time
b) I had adopted the old Brisbane Bears as my second team during my not-so-successful time at Bond Uni between 1992 and 94, and went to a couple of games at the Gabba during that time (after they moved there permanently from Carrara in 93).
and
c) of the Fitzroy connection.

I'm just thankful for the last decade, and that this team is even mentioned in the same breath as the only other team to have completed a premiership hat-trick in the VFL/AFL in most of our lifetimes*.

* Parramatta did it in the NSWRL in 1981-82-83. Before that, St George's 11 in a row from 1956 to 1966 occurred well before most of us were born.

 

[crazywildhorse]

I'll never understand the hatred for successful teams. I never hated the Brisbane Lions when they were unstoppable, I wanted someone to knock them off sure, but bloody hell I respected them.

The way some opposition supporters on here and on social media reacted when we lost one Friday night was laughable and embarrassing.

I guess that's the world we live in though.

I don't get it either.

I wanted Bris to win all 4 of their GFs. Why would you get behind Collingwood, Essendon or Port?

With the Geelong no-peat dynasty, I wanted them to win against Collingwood—something I'm now ashamed to admit.

With us this year, I imagine if I been a neutral, I would have wanted the Hawks to match the Collingwood record.

I guess the common thread there is why would anyone get behind Collingwood?

 

[Off The Couch]

I don't mind Collingwood

 

[crazywildhorse]

I don't mind Collingwood

I don't mind them these days either, but they don't need any extra support.

 

[Smithdogmaddog]

The reason no one hated the lions is because no one knew brisbane supporters.

 

[MightyHawks]

I don't get it either.

I wanted Bris to win all 4 of their GFs. Why would you get behind Collingwood, Essendon or Port?

With the Geelong no-peat dynasty, I wanted them to win against Collingwood—something I'm now ashamed to admit.

With us this year, I imagine if I been a neutral, I would have wanted the Hawks to match the Collingwood record.

I guess the common thread there is why would anyone get behind Collingwood?

I happily cheered Brisbane on at those Grand Finals

I happily cheered Geelong on at 3 of their 4 grand finals (You'll never guess the odd one out)

There's probably a lot of people who got sick of us winning in the 80s, and this current era has been bringing back bad memories

A good mate of mine said at the footy in August, if you guys get O'Meara and Mitchell then I'm giving up footy altogether

I really hope he doesn't, but I haven't texted him since Jaeger nominated us last week...

 

[Blaze Storm]

Why don't we just let everyone think we're dropping off and then come back and win another 3-peat just to troll

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Why don't we just let everyone think we're dropping off and then come back and win another 3-peat just to troll

2016 will forever be known as "the interval".

 

[IdiotBox]

2016 will forever be known as "the interval".

Or our gap year!

 

[cryptor]

2016 will forever be known as "the interval".

Haha my brother asked me the other day if I was upset that our era is over. I told him it was just a "brief intermission".

 

[Rushed_Behind]

Connolly just ran with...'Brisbane's era was better than Hawthorn's cos they didn't just win the 3, but actually made 4 grand finals in a row' lol

RohanConnolly Please explain. Most of us have forgotten 2012 but I'm sure most neutrals like to bring it up.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

RohanConnolly Please explain. Most of us have forgotten 2012 but I'm sure most neutrals like to bring it up.

He has dude. He didn't have to either.

Simple mistake.

 

[Off The Couch]

If only you had kept reading Rushed_Behind

 

[Rushed_Behind]

If only you had kept reading Rushed_Behind

Yeah I generally shoot from the mouth which also usually gets me rushed from behind.

Apologies RohanConnolly

 

[Ned Ryerson]

I've been watching football since I was five Davo. I'm now 51. So I've watched the game 46 years. I've covered it professionally for 34 years. So you think someone whose actual job involves studying this stuff 60 or so hours a week, dealing with the people involved, getting to hear first-hand how they go about it and what's involved has no more expertise than you have? Really? Rightio. Let's compare notes sometime. Could be interesting.

So, presuming you're of the "haven't played AFL so haven't got a clue" school Davo, who in your opinion actually is entitled to speak professionally on the game? Someone who played 20-30 years ago? Regardless of how relevant that experience is to today's game? And you do realise, don't you, that even the former player heroes of yours I gather are the "real experts", once they step into the media, are just doing exactly what the rest of us do? Although, with some honourable exceptions, usually putting a lot less time and effort into it.

I could also explain how the role of the media is to convey information coherently to the public, and that the greatest of football minds is useless in a media sense if he can't actually articulate his thoughts.

So again, just out of interest, share your thoughts on exactly who you believe IS qualified to comment on the game, and why? Because I suspect going by your criteria, we'd have either a football media consisting of about half-a-dozen people (which isn't enough), one which speaks only in generalities and bland cliches, or both. Perhaps that's what you'd prefer. But I'm tipping most people who watch football, none of whom are nobodies either, by the way, are a bit more sophisticated than that now.

Anyway, that's enough from me. Promised myself when I did a Q&A on here a few weeks back I wouldn't get sucked into slanging matches with people. I'm not going to bother trying to argue my case with you any more. But I would be interested so see what your response is.

And to the rest of you Hawk fans, have a good off-season and all the best for next year.

Cheers.

Jeez RohanConnolly - I have seen you post political stuff on Twitter which made me think you were pretty brave. Signing up to Bigfooty - you have balls of steel, mate. All the best lurking around here - don't judge the many on the unhinged few.

Oh and can you please talk Jake Niall into rejoining Fairfax when his time at Fox Footy comes to an end. You, Quayle, Caro and he headlined the handful of journos I actually enjoyed reading on a regular basis. I don't actively seek his stuff out behind the Murdoch paywall.

 

[cryptor]

RohanConnolly Please explain. Most of us have forgotten 2012 but I'm sure most neutrals like to bring it up.

He's already addressed this on here. I believe in this thread a couple days ago.

edit: beaten

 

[Blaze Storm]

Jeez RohanConnolly - I have seen you post political stuff on Twitter which made me think you were pretty brave. Signing up to Bigfooty - you have balls of steel, mate. All the best lurking around here - don't judge the many on the unhinged few.

Oh and can you please talk Jake Niall into rejoining Fairfax when his time at Fox Footy comes to an end. You, Quayle, Caro and he headlined the handful of journos I actually enjoyed reading on a regular basis. I don't actively seek his stuff out behind the Murdoch paywall.

Jake is OK, but only when he's not channeling his alter ego, Dee.

 

[Thaihawk]

I don't mind Collingwood

I don't mind them now, but if you went to Victoria Park in the forties, fifties, or sixties you would have a million reasons to hate them. I did!

 

[killerspud]

Hi guys,

Just saw this so thought I might as well respond. First off, when I mentioned Brisbane making a fourth grand final I did momentarily forget about 2012, so apologies for that.

Secondly, I didn't actually say I believed Brisbane's era was better, I said that people would now ask the question. I think there's arguments for both, but I tend to agree with one of the above posters that comparing eras is a little futile as circumstances change markedly, as they did even between the Lions and Hawks' times in the sun (different amount of teams, different levels of competition etc.)

I'm pretty sure I did also mention how difficult it had been for the Hawks each season they'd won the flag due to different factors, injuries in 2014, tragedy in 2015 etc. And for what it's worth, I've loved watching Hawthorn play. They've never eschewed attack in favour of defence and their success has probably inspired more teams to try to score more rather than concentrate all their energies (a la Fremantle) on shutting opponents down.

Finally, to you Davo, the ol' "no different to BigFooty posters" line is a goody, highly original, and I guess by posting here I'm actually confirming what you're saying. Look, I could waste my time trying to convince you that I'm worthy, 34 years in the business, spending heaps of time researching, talking to people, poring over stats for game trends etc, etc., but really, what's the point if I haven't played at the elite level, right?

Why do SEN employ me? Can't answer that, but I do the best I can, love every minute of it, and hope that you have similar level of job satisfaction in whatever it is you do.

Cheers.

Is that the actual real RoCo??

Buddy if that is you can I give you a piece of advice - please don't get on to twitter after you've had a few - the lame backwards and forwards between you and other "football luminaries" is unbecoming of someone of your stature.

having said that I don't mind you as a writer (but you are no Emma Quayle - she's the best in the business by a long long way)

 

[Blaze Storm]

Is that the actual real RoCo??

Buddy if that is you can I give you a piece of advice - please don't get on to twitter after you've had a few - the lame backwards and forwards between you and other "football luminaries" is unbecoming of someone of your stature.

having said that I don't mind you as a writer (but you are no Emma Quayle - she's the best in the business by a long long way)

I'm sure he's absolutely devastated to hear that you think that, mate

 

[Davo23]

Is that the actual real RoCo??

Buddy if that is you can I give you a piece of advice - please don't get on to twitter after you've had a few - the lame backwards and forwards between you and other "football luminaries" is unbecoming of someone of your stature.

having said that I don't mind you as a writer (but you are no Emma Quayle - she's the best in the business by a long long way)

He's an egotistical d*ckhead.

 

[Off The Couch]

He's an egotistical d*ckhead.

In your opinion

 

[crazywildhorse]

2016 will forever be known as "the interval".

I'm actually quite enjoying the break. I don't feel like I've had time to process what has happened till now. A week after the GF it all begins again with trade week, draft...

 

[Davo23]

In your opinion

In my opinion, he's an egotistical d*ckhead.

And he is an egotistical d*ckhead

 

[RohanConnolly]

In my opinion, he's an egotistical d*ckhead.

And he is an egotistical d*ckhead

If you say so, "Davo". But at least I'm not a coward hiding behind a pseudonym and a cat as an avatar. Quite the internet "hero" aren't you?