For starters, I really am not jealous of them. If I was jealous, I'd be wishing that I was a Dawk supporter, not a Saint's supporter. So not jealous, then why not...?
Firstly, aesthetics.
I realise this doesn't matter to some people, but I could never relate to that abomination piss-poo jumper.
(Ok, if they at least toned it down, and went back to the original 'duller' colour shades, but no... just like the Teddies ruining the Fitzroy jumper by trying to brighten it up by introducing yellow for the white, and brightening the maroon up... like metallic paint and modern day mag wheels on a 1950's classic car... it doesn't work.)
But whatever, it will never compare with the best jumper in world sport... the RW&B tri-colour. (Yes, aesthetics really do matter to me.
Well run club?
Overall, yes, definately. But there are some very major caveats here, and there has certainly also been some abysmal management. After being seduced by Pig's Arse and nearly going out of existence, the club was saved by the likes of Dicker, combined with some very very good luck.
In fact, there has been some incredibly bloody good once in many lifetimes good luck.
At the time, many Dawk supporters where bemused at the move to Waverley Park. Waverley as a base wasn't/isn't suitable for the club's long term needs, hence why they are looking at moving out. They went to Waverley for one reason only.
As part of the whole housing development deal out at the old Waverley Park, the developers offered the Dawks a sweetheart deal to move out there. They ended up with the freehold of $25 million in real estate for a peppercorn $1 fee.
Give us $25 million onto our balance sheet, and see how we go. In a somewhat similar vein, the Hillbillies have had Kardinia Park transformed for them. Sure, unlike the Dawks, they don't actually own it, but it hardly matters, no one is gonna' kick 'em out. So although not on the balance sheet, effectively, it's theirs.
(Hence, one of the reasons I sooooooo want us to eventually get back to The Junction.
But compare and contrast... with the recent Victorian election result, sadly, for the moment, our Dawk/Hillbilly-style 'good luck' didn't eventuate. But IMHO, our club simply must, treat that as merely a bump in the road.)Well run club (2)
They were further 'gifted' an on-going tens of millions of dollars... sadly though in this case... thanks to our beloved club... pulling out of Tassie.
So whilst once again there was an element of luck, this time it clearly was their good management to envision what could be achieved in the longer term... c/f our management (very) short-sightedly stuffing up.
Well run club (3).
So after being absolutely gifted $25 million,
and then in spite of having Jeffed as Pres (another reason I could never support nor envy them) busily undermining the coach (including publically),
they managed to quietly retrieve 'a high draft pick and his buddys' files from that gutter in Ivanhoe,
and they won a flag.
(Good management, good luck...? Probably some of both. No credit to Jeffed though... he totally inherited that flag from Dicker IMHO. )
On-going finances... again, they cynically call themselves the family club... yet their pokies gouge out $21 million a year from low socio economic areas.
Our club does not do that. Am I envious of the Dawks? Again. No!
Well run club (4).
They will soon be moving to Dingley. Seriously??? What has Dingley got to do with Hawthorn? Huge mistake in the making there. Once the premierships stop, they risk becoming like Fitzroy... a name only, that represents no one, represents nowhere.
Think Fitzroy. They became nomads. And once that happened, all those earlier flags didn't help Fitzroy one bit. Ended up the ultimate nomads... got shipped out to crass Brisvegas. (Even managed to stuff up arguably the second best club theme song and jumper.)
All those flags won by the Teddies, let alone by Fitzroy... do they now really provide much solace now??? Especially so for Roy Boy supporters who no longer have a footy team, and arguably worse still, have to endure that hideous caricature up in soul-less Brisvegas, that the AFL tries to masquerade as still being their club... only living on elsewhere.
Dingley tip has absolutely no connection with the Dawks. They risk losing connection with their roots, and ending up nomads, linked to and belonging to, no where. The next time the finances get into trouble...
Summary:
- They will always be stuck with those piss-poo colours.
- They risk becoming nomads, they risk losing their roots, where they came from.
- Management - yes, definitely there's been some top shelf management, but take away that freak $25 million, and consider the $21 million a year the 'family club' gouges from those who can't afford it...
(I don't want to consider the tens of millions of 'Tassie dollars' we gifted them. )
Aesthetics, 'meaning', community. I understand that for some, these may be a bit esoteric, but for me, they are too important.
So jealous of the Dawks? Me? No. Never.
So do I want to emulate what they are doing (gouging and risking becoming disconnected nomads)? Me? No. Never.
So would I like a touch of their incredible-manna-from-heaven-good-luck, in the form of helping us get back to The Junction? Now you're talkin'!
