Mediocracy: 89 cont.

[RememberMe]

"The cats stormed home in the final quarter, but fell short by six points. Still, it hardly felt like defeat... whenever the headlights of a passing car or the team bus exposed them like a spotlight, frantically waving flags and banners, fists clenched in blue and white streamers. This wasn't defeat at all. More than 10,000 supporters gathered outside the Geelong Town Hall late in the night to cheer each of the 20 players as they were introduced to the crowd.

When Ablett stepped out, a deafening roar rolled through the streets.

Here was their champion, a man who had stood defiant against the might and strength of the Hawthorn team and almost singlehandedly won the game for Geelong. He could do no wrong. The overwhelming emotion in Geelong was one of relief. The side had not shrunk when the heat had been applied; it had not cowered in a corner and wet its pants. It had stood its ground and fought back. Ablett and the rest of the team had brought respect back to a town. And because of that, the town would forever be grateful..."

- Linnel, G., Playing God: The rise and fall of Gary Ablett, Harper Collins, Sydney, 2003, p. 236

I think this excert describes to a tee the creation of an acceptance of mediocrity at Geelong. I was only a kid in '89 and the only memories I have are the tears which rolled down my face, but I think Gary Linnell sums it up perfectly.

A brilliant read for not just Geelong fans, but supporters of any club by the way. In fact I would reccommend this book to any fan of any professional sporting league anywhere in the world.

 

[finrod]

So are you bagging the book or Geelong fans?

 

[Glassjaw]

It's mediocrity champ.

 

[nananana catman]

Cheering Ablett for his feats that day is hardly Mediocrity...

People seem to hang everything we do at the club as accepting medicrity, it has become quite an obession.

 

[Mooney_d'King]

But remember, people will hang sh1t on us for even using the wrong word "mediocracy". It's "mediocrity". To get it wrong and keep using it wrongly is mediocre in itself. Sorry to be a pedantic old f*rt, but if I don't, other people will be.

For the record, I think people's appreciation of Ablett's effort should be applauded, but it still sucks donkeys that we didn't win.

 

[nananana catman]

Mediocracy is how the Geelong Council lead the local area...

 

[Mooney_d'King]

Mediocracy is how the Geelong Council lead the local area...

Oh ok, I've got it - mediocrity is a way to act, mediocracy is a way a government can act, is that it?

 

[Turbocat]

One thing that is held high in value in this land of ours is mateship.
The mateship of someone is never more valued than when your back is against the wall, when you are in big time trouble , when you are in your hour of need, etc.

Supporters can be very much like this , they draw on the same emotions. Some like myself absolutely hate the losing score line that much that they could never be happy with cheering on a defeated side yet others will cheer , not because they are happy with the result but because they feel its the mark of a supporter to support when it hurts the most , to support when the chips are down , to support when your team needs it. To watch some supporters clap a losing side of the ground can confound me , its beyond my ability but Id admire their loyalty all the same.

Is it mediocre for the Saints to have so much support with their history? Or is it mediocre to drop your side like a hot rock when they have a spell at the bottom. The last few years for Carlton have probably sorted the true blue believers and the band wagon riders. Id say to spit on your coach would be an act of a mediocre personality , hardly someone you would want to be in the trenches with yet one can never say he accepted a mediocre result

In 89 , it was the first GF in so many years. Gary A had probably played the best individual game ever played in a GF, so although we had lost there was a degree of optimism that we were on the cusp of success. This probably contributed to the sentiment in these words written by Linnell , I doubt that there was a person there that thought that the result was acceptable but considering where Geelong had been in recent seasons, considering the loss the first week of the finals its understandable that there was an upbeat note to that loss.Anyway , Geelong fans were not the only ones that thought like that after the lossin 89 , the papers where full of 'the start of a new Dynasty' , 'The Cats will have their time" etc , etc.

In the end I feel this perception is like so many others about Geelong. They have elements of truth in it but they are portrayed in a bad light simply because we haven't won a flag. Think of it like this , if Geelong had the type of off field events that the West Coast have had recently then I’m sure this would have been another cause of our perpetual failure as a club

 

[RememberMe]

So are you bagging the book or Geelong fans?

Not bagging the book, and I'm not bagging Geelong fans. That's just how it is, and I think Linnell discusses the topic brilliantly. Far from bagging the book, I would reccommend it to each and every one of you. If you havent read the book yet, go out and find, Playing god, by Garry LInnell.

ps. Thankyou for the English lesson.