Essendon 31.12.198
Kangaroos 11. 8. 73
Give yourselves a pat on the back if you saw that score with your own eyes on the MCG scoreboard. Not on the news, not in the following day's papers, but at the MCG at the end of the game.
So often we have a go at the players for a lack of heart, lack of passion, lack of fight, lack of guts, and as disheartening the peformance of the boys were that day, it was even more disheartening to see so many North fans leave that game early. On the field that day were names like Carey, Stevens, Bell, Archer, Blakey, King, McKernan, Martyn, Pickett, and Simpson; all premiership players, all who have put it on the line when it mattered, all important components of the Pagan era. We demand loyalty to North Melbourne from them, but we forget that as part of the bargain, we give them our loyalty.
You could hear the mumbled excuses as the so-called fans left, "Gotta beat the rush", "Must get up early tomorrow", and worse of all, "How dare they play such pathetic football, they don't deserve my support". For that last one, it's the wrong way around, you don't deserve to share in the glory of the team. Don't ever think that the players don't notice the colours thinning out of the crowd because they do. If David King noticed it, then so did the other 21 in our colours that day. When things go bad on the field, the players just can't decide to walk off and hide in the dressing room. You wouldn't want them to, you'd want them to stay and show some pride. As a fan, if things aren't going well, you don't run away, you stick around and show pride in the colours.
Later that night, wandering around town in a daze, I went into Gaslight records. With my scarf still draped around my neck, I heard one of the salespeople make some sort of disparaging remark about North. It would've been easier to put the scarf back in the car, but by wearing it, it was my way of saying, "F*ck you, we may have been thrashed but they're still my football team".
In the end, you can tell those who truly love their club by whether they're around when things aren't going so well. Since this North board was started, I can say that we have plenty of fans here that will still be here when things aren't so rosy. But the trick is to increase our numbers. Those fans who left early from the 1st Qualifying Final, don't hate them for what they did. Let them know they should have stayed, that they should have taken the pain of the loss, but that by staying, you're showing your loyalty to the club and the players.
In my 1,999th post, I wrote about the redemption of the players over 1998. In 2001, it's time for the fans to achieve redemption for the disgraceful exodus of August 12, 2000.
[This message has been edited by Shinboners (edited 29 March 2001).]
Kangaroos 11. 8. 73
Give yourselves a pat on the back if you saw that score with your own eyes on the MCG scoreboard. Not on the news, not in the following day's papers, but at the MCG at the end of the game.
So often we have a go at the players for a lack of heart, lack of passion, lack of fight, lack of guts, and as disheartening the peformance of the boys were that day, it was even more disheartening to see so many North fans leave that game early. On the field that day were names like Carey, Stevens, Bell, Archer, Blakey, King, McKernan, Martyn, Pickett, and Simpson; all premiership players, all who have put it on the line when it mattered, all important components of the Pagan era. We demand loyalty to North Melbourne from them, but we forget that as part of the bargain, we give them our loyalty.
You could hear the mumbled excuses as the so-called fans left, "Gotta beat the rush", "Must get up early tomorrow", and worse of all, "How dare they play such pathetic football, they don't deserve my support". For that last one, it's the wrong way around, you don't deserve to share in the glory of the team. Don't ever think that the players don't notice the colours thinning out of the crowd because they do. If David King noticed it, then so did the other 21 in our colours that day. When things go bad on the field, the players just can't decide to walk off and hide in the dressing room. You wouldn't want them to, you'd want them to stay and show some pride. As a fan, if things aren't going well, you don't run away, you stick around and show pride in the colours.
Later that night, wandering around town in a daze, I went into Gaslight records. With my scarf still draped around my neck, I heard one of the salespeople make some sort of disparaging remark about North. It would've been easier to put the scarf back in the car, but by wearing it, it was my way of saying, "F*ck you, we may have been thrashed but they're still my football team".
In the end, you can tell those who truly love their club by whether they're around when things aren't going so well. Since this North board was started, I can say that we have plenty of fans here that will still be here when things aren't so rosy. But the trick is to increase our numbers. Those fans who left early from the 1st Qualifying Final, don't hate them for what they did. Let them know they should have stayed, that they should have taken the pain of the loss, but that by staying, you're showing your loyalty to the club and the players.
In my 1,999th post, I wrote about the redemption of the players over 1998. In 2001, it's time for the fans to achieve redemption for the disgraceful exodus of August 12, 2000.
[This message has been edited by Shinboners (edited 29 March 2001).]
