For the first time, I felt ambivalence RE my membership

[skeptic]

I've been member since 1997 and part of the social club since about 2003. Every year I've renewed my membership without question... Usually by December at the latest.

This time round i kept putting it off for 1 reason or another. Christmas, bills, going out etc etc

I finally got round to it a few days ago and drew the conclusion that it really wouldn't bother me if I wasn't a member anymore. As well as renewing the membership, i explored this ambivalence.

Whilst i've had a growing general disinterest in AFL for reasons that aren't worth getting into, I found the drug scandal at Essendon bothered me a lot more than i realised.

Whilst the growing gap btw the AFL have and have nots makes it harder for us to get that elusive flag, i can accept it because our own decisions have brought us here and its up to the club to get itself out of this.

If a club is actually allowed to go on after cheating, and players fall through the net w/o punishment... Which they will the longer this drags out... Retire, delisted etc, well why would you bother going on caring about this sport. Seriously what's the point if we're starting this far back n the opposition can pull this sort of stunt? Do you really want to support a comp that allows James Hird to continue portraying the morally superior and righteous image.

Feel very meh about footy.

Anyone else go through this?

[Sobraz]

'Whatever it Takes' skeptic.

Agree, I'm the most disillusioned with the game that I ever have been. Love our club as much as ever, but the integrity of the competition is at an all time low, I don't think there's much denying that, and it'll be very hard to restore my (and obviously your) faith...

However, I don't believe our faith matters much to the AFL's big picture.. We are supporters no matter what... That is taken for granted and exploited... We're damned if we do and damned if we don't..

[ozrulestrace]

I feel very much the same.

Might over right, what might have been 3-4 years ago and how many times to I have to justify my love and devotion to the
St Kilda Football Club as we endure the latest trials and tribulations of being a Saints supporter.

My confidence in the AFL is zero, I'm sick of the supporters being dictated to by the television networks in terms of the fixture and a competition that should be fair and equal is a farce.

But I'll still buy my membership, go the games and barrack for the Saints, but this year, the heart isn't really there for the sport of Aussie Rules.

[Sobraz]

...and before P66 pipes up and questions whether we'd feel this way if we were a top team gunning for a flag, the answer is yes, the Game itself is in a hole, it is only the StKFC that is keep many of us interested..

[ark]

Sadly, I agree with the sentiments posted so far.

[SainterK]

I'm the opposite...

Anticipation is building now, bring it on.

Love the footy

Go saints!

[mr six o'clock]

Eat a bowl of concrete !

that will get rid of the ambivalence .

[PADDLEPOP1001]

Love footy ,but disappointed with the AFL as a whole!

[skeptic]

...and before P66 pipes up and questions whether we'd feel this way if we were a top team gunning for a flag, the answer is yes, the Game itself is in a hole, it is only the StKFC that is keep many of us interested..

It's an interesting question.

I can honestly say that i stopped regularly going to the football after GT left. This wasn't a conscious decision, just worked out that way. Up until then, i used to go 8-10 times a year. Since then minus the finals i pbly only see 2-3 games a season... That included the 09-10 era too

[SainterK]

...and before P66 pipes up and questions whether we'd feel this way if we were a top team gunning for a flag, the answer is yes, the Game itself is in a hole, it is only the StKFC that is keep many of us interested..

It's an interesting question.

I can honestly say that i stopped regularly going to the football after GT left. This wasn't a conscious decision, just worked out that way. Up until then, i used to go 8-10 times a year. Since then minus the finals i pbly only see 2-3 games a season... That included the 09-10 era too

Could it be that it's why your dispassionate?

You'd miss seeing guys stringly together quality consecutive games, you'd miss seeing bone crunching tackles, you'd miss guys having cracking debuts, miss indignance ringing around Etihad as someone dares line up one of our players, guys showing ridiculous courage, milestone games for club champs...

I'd feel disconnected too...

I'm not having a go, but if you don't water the plant, it doesn't grow.

I don't go every week, far from it, but 2-3 games a year wouldn't see me enjoying it that much either.

[busso mick]

...and before P66 pipes up and questions whether we'd feel this way if we were a top team gunning for a flag, the answer is yes, the Game itself is in a hole, it is only the StKFC that is keep many of us interested..

It's an interesting question.

I can honestly say that i stopped regularly going to the football after GT left. This wasn't a conscious decision, just worked out that way. Up until then, i used to go 8-10 times a year. Since then minus the finals i pbly only see 2-3 games a season... That included the 09-10 era too

Could it be that it's why your dispassionate?

You'd miss seeing guys stringly together quality consecutive games, you'd miss seeing bone crunching tackles, you'd miss guys having cracking debuts, miss indignance ringing around Etihad as someone dares line up one of our players, guys showing ridiculous courage, milestone games for club champs...

I'd feel disconnected too...

I'm not having a go, but if you don't water the plant, it doesn't grow.

I don't go every week, far from it, but 2-3 games a year wouldn't see me enjoying it that much either.

The Saints play in Perth once this year, it would be good to have a choice to go to see the Saints more. The Melbourne based Saints fans are lucky to have the opportunity to see us play every second week.

[SainterK]

That's different mick, I realise I'm lucky...I meant more specific to that posters mindset.

I always hope we win interstate and that the whole team travels for you all

[70s sainter]

I think you've nailed it the sainter k. Anyone who only went to 2-3 games in 09 when we were an absolute powerhouse is prob more likely to drop away even more when we've got a couple of tough years coming up. The ess thing is frustrating for me as well , esp if they have a good year .
However the cycle continues and the saints will rise again and there is nothing more enjoyable than a young team on the rise.

[GrumpyOne]

I need my footy, but due to circumstances it is only rarely I attend games.

Footy is a great outlet for me to get rid of the built-up frustration of living in a world where 95% of people don't give a s*** about their fellow human beings.

Being a member allows me to intensify the experience enabling a more cathartic outcome.

So, irrespective of my feelings about the AFL system, I'll retain my membership and never stop supporting the mighty Saints.

[terry smith rules]

I actually felt I was reading something that I have been writing in my head for weeks.
The Essendon situation (including Cronulla in Sydney) has become a disgrace. One year on and no real resolution.
The absolute integrity of our sport is completely on the line right now. It is about leadership and the game has none.
I don't really care whether Essendon are guilty or not but I want resolution and I want to know that our fantastic game is clean.
This is not about our love for the saints but our love for the game. Therefore if you can't love and respect the game then it makes it harder to love the saints
fqf

[howlinwolf]

I can see where you're at skeptic. I reckon a lot of us feel the same.
For an eternity we were ridiculed. Then we starting gaining respect. I thought we had turned the corner with some long awaited professionalism.
We nearly gained some cred that would stand in the history books but it wasn't to be.
The course of events with "Don the Stash" is rubbing salt into the wound.
The narcissistic arrogance in the way they have deflected the AFL,public,media and authorities is sickening.
If it were us or the Dogs we would have have been bent over royally and we'd be saying sorry Sir !

Then add to that the realisation that we are a light years away from challenging again and it's easy to understand your ambivelance.

Having said all that.. We've signed up again and honestly feel like we're on track.
It's gonna be another long haul though. Hang in there. That's what Sainters are made of.

[Con Gorozidis]

I agree with the sentiments above.

To me it is not about being side tracked about dank and aod and every bs technical detail.
The entire integrity of the sport is in question.
I have no idea whether the efc are 'guilty ' or not but I am 100% certain we have been spun lies throughout this saga.
All I want is a totally open book and a fair comp.

The afl can choose. Put fans and integrity first or put short term commercial interests first.

So far it keeps choosing the latter.

[defacto]

I agree with some of it as well. But I mostly felt this way last year, peaked with the watters bulls*** and no response from our membership dept. Lisa there responded and got my back on board, now looking fwd to nab cup

But to be honest I'm still on edge, one more eff up from the afl or the saints and it's back to the WAFL for me

[Cairnsman]

I sought of understand the feelings that some are feeling but I'm with Sainter K on this one...I love the game...love our club and reckon it's the best spectacle as far as contact sports go in the world. And as far as the whole Bombers thing goes and claims about the comp not being a level playing field well I just think it's been that way ever since I started following the club going back to the 70s. We have always been pretty low on the food chain and that's what makes it all the more sweater when we win. It feels like you're a junk yard dog biting a huge chunk out of a robbers arse and what could be more satisfying than that!

[stevie]

Yep, same here. Love the Saints. Watch other games with the volume down. Turn some games off if they get too boring.

[Con Gorozidis]

I We have always been pretty low on the food chain and that's what makes it all the more sweater when we win. It feels like you're a junk yard dog biting a huge chunk out of a robbers arse and what could be more satisfying than that!

Terrific analogy - when we do well it does fell like that.

[joffaboy]

Oh how I love a supporter who only backs the club in good times.

Pretty piss poor

[Trixilver]

Signed up for my first ever membership this year (first of many to come also). My girlfriend is also planning to even though we are interstate and sometimes even overseas. I really wanted to support the Saints this year, so hopefully there are also others who take pride in either signing up or sticking with the club through the dark times.

[Cairnsman]

Signed up for my first ever membership this year (first of many to come also). My girlfriend is also planning to even though we are interstate and sometimes even overseas. I really wanted to support the Saints this year, so hopefully there are also others who take pride in either signing up or sticking with the club through the dark times.

Bloody awesome attitude...and while you're at it why don't you marry that girl and have some babies for the club. I hope we get to see you post a whole lot more too.

[Spinner]

So many becoming disinterested with football coincidently the same time we start struggling on field...

This also reminds me of the talk back callers ringing up radio stations expressing how they just can't watch the game anymore, cos of the rule changes, cos it's not the same as the 80's, the 90's ect ect.