For those that r considering not re-joining I put this to you....what has changed so much that u would not join up as a member next year?
Have we, a) Become that uncompetitive?
Are we, b) Merging?
c) Has the membership package become too expensive and thus not value for money?
d) Has something happened in your life that has taken or removed your ability to become a financial member?
e) just over it
Why will you Re join the saints next year
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saint tash
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The Fireman
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"e" so many years, all the way back to the Moorabbin days, hoping that one day that I would see a flag and privately hoping it would be against the Skunks, so the last GF loss has been the biggest let down for me in all those years, shattered, I suspect just like Roo.saint tash wrote:For those that r considering not re-joining I put this to you....what has changed so much that u would not join up as a member next year?
Have we, a) Become that uncompetitive?
Are we, b) Merging?
c) Has the membership package become too expensive and thus not value for money?
d) Has something happened in your life that has taken or removed your ability to become a financial member?
e) just over it
I now get the feeling I won't see a flag in my lifetime so have decided to wind down, reduce the anguish factor. I will still watch my Saints whenever I get the chance but sooner or later it just gets to you.
The loss to the Skunks..the most detestable organisation, club but mostly fans, in the league has left me empty, no justice.
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georgie girl
- Club Player
- Posts: 267
- Joined: Sun 01 May 2005 11:20pm
Under the thumb.georgie girl wrote:Always have been members - always will be members. Simple as that.
Love the Saints, love footy.
Grandparents, parents and now my kids (now adults) have always been members!
Even my husband who is a Pies supporter (but not a not member) has a Saints membership and goes to all our games!
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Austinnn
- Club Player
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- Location: France
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Since everyone's telling their life stories...
I have been a passionate St Kilda supporter since 1996, even now from my home in France I check the internet daily for news on the club. But my journey to this point isn't as straight forward as most...
I'm a legal alien from England, born in the capital, raised in the countryside in the South West. I grew up playing football, (soccer) but wasn't competitive and was more interested in art than sport. Never watched that much, but since everyone at school followed Liverpool, I heard more about about them so when I finally did get interested in sport, I was drawn to LFC.
When my family moved to Sydney at the end of the 80s, I didn't show much interest in Sport. All the NFL fans in the city seemed one dimensional and stupid, plus I got pretty homesick and continued following "soccer" from afar. The local scene failed to inspire me, I missed the crowds, the noise, the excitement, the event.
At school, a few folks talked about Warrick Capper/Sydney Swans, but it was more in jest than anything and even though we lived a 10minute walk from the SCG, footy never entered my life. I moved up to Newcastle for Uni and it was more of the same, but that's where I saw my first taste of the spectacle of Aussie Rules, on TV. Some blokes wearing two-tone brown vests and shorts fighting some blokes wearing blue and white vests. Some bloke called Ablett. That's all I took in. It seemed a bit shambolic and raw. I didn't bother watching.
When I moved from Newcastle NSW to Melbourne in 1995, I was told to pick a ‘footy’ team as the first question of anyone I met would be ‘Hoojabarrackfor?’ I was given a list of all the Victorian teams, and given a mini run-down on colours, history, ladder position, the basics.
Straightaway, the Saints appealled to me. I was a big fan of the suburb of St Kilda, having been there to see bands and to get a bit of a sea-breeze in the throes of the dusty hot summers, and although an added extra rather than a requirement, its links with the Jewish community gelled with my dad’s heritage. From an aesthetic point of view, white and black and red look great together, (in that order is my personal preference), and I liked going for the underdog.
That’s pretty much it; no family or friends supported them, I never lived there, not a player that I admired, just a few arbitrary facts made me a Saint. Not a committed one, I was into music, still didn't really care that much about sport. But I had a team to look out for whenever the ladder came up. Back in 1995 that didn't inspire me much. But me and a few friends did go to Fitzroy Gardens on Grand Final day and play frisbee in the park, listening to the intensity of the crowd. The power in those cheers blew me away.
In 1996 a Dons supporting footy head took me to my first game. I wasn't that interested, but he promised me a good night. It was a special game, I think a centenary celebration between Essendon and Geelong and it was something like 80 000 people. Our seats faced the city, all those skyscrapers lit up in the background, and more people than I'd ever seen in one place all watching this strange game.
Why was everyone shouting 'ball'? How is he allowed to tackle so strongly? Why are the scores divided into three different numbers? The sort of questions your kids probably ask you, I was asking my mate. The game was enthralling, the spectacle was incredible. I was hooked.
Unfortunately, I'd already picked my team, so I couldn't switch to the Bombers. I had no friends who were Saints fans, so the following year, 97, I went to a handful of games by myself, just to be part of that experience again. I didn't meet anyone there, but I felt like I belonged, and it was nice to be part of a tribe, even if it was only on the perifery.
I learnt the players names, and got sucked into the hype of St Kilda's kids, Smith & Jones, Maxy and Browny, two mad bastards called Spider and Hall, as well as Winmar, Leowe, Burke and Harvey. Alves seemed like a clever and warm fella, not a mental case like Parkin or Sheedy, an unsmiling flog like Pagan or Blight or a loser like Northey or Walls. I dutifully took the train out to Waverley Park on my own with a thermos and a warm coat, loved the whole exercise.
I was at the final against Brisbane where Spider went down. I was at the G for the next game, gleefully revelling in the double tackle that popped McKernan's shoulder. I even went to the pre-Grand Final training out at Moorabbin. I was amazed at the number of people who came to watch a training session. It was a good year to start.
I don't know why but I didn't go to the GF parade. It seemed like the whole of Victoria was a Saint that week. I went to the St Kilda Bowling Club to watch the GF. At half-time most of the folks in the bowlo poured out elated into the park for a kick to kick. I kicked my soccerball to myself. I was happy enough.
The next hour prepared me for the next 4 or 5 years, that's about the best that can be said. On the tram home some drunk arsehole in Saints colours started shouting at a Asian lady telling her to 'go home' and all sorts, poor dear didn't have a clue about why he was being so violent. That power goes both ways, doesn't it? It can be so positive and so negative.
I saw plenty of negativity in the next few years in the stands of Waverley, Princes Park, the MCG and then later the Docklands. Plenty of whinging "Come on, Saints", plenty of shouting at players as if they could hear, plenty of arguing with opposition supporters, plenty of howling at the moon. Pretty soon I started doing it too. It was a frustrating time. All the negativity in the press; I thought for a moment that we'd moved to a town called Hapless, it was put in our name that much. Some speccy git called Mike Sheehan seemed particularly pre-disposed to bagging St Kilda. The club seemed on the verge of ruin, we were being told it was only a matter of time before we were packed off or shut down, just like Fitzroy, and people weren't shy about reminding me of the clubs Wooden Spoon record, or our 1 premiership in however many years. Everyone said that 10 Victorian teams would never survive. And we had some of the lowest membership numbers in the league. I remember the figure being around 17000 at one stage.
Yet, through all of that I still went to games, bought a membership every year from 1998 until this year, told my mates I was a Saint and faced their derision each Monday. I was loyal and defiant, if not always so proud.
I slowly met other Saints fans, even went to games with them sometimes; we whinged and cheered together. On the many times I went alone, I rode my bike from the nearest train station to Waverley, sat in the cold rain for 2 hours watching my team fumble and bumble and lose, sometimes honourably, sometimes pathetically for years. Still I liked the ritual. I loved the freedom of the city games: only a few minutes on the pushy, just rock up $16 for an away game, free for home, a couple of bucks for a record, watch a bit of the ressies game. When they moved to the Docklands, it was closer to me but it was a horrible sterile concrete place, it didn't seem like a home.
Through all this time, though I kept playing soccer with mates, I never really played Aussie Rules. I'm not really built for it, not being freakishly tall or strong. I did play one game; The Tote vs The Empress, two inner Melb pub teams. I got the ball twice. The first time I was so scared seeing everyone steaming towards me that I just threw the ball away, gave away a free kick that resulted in a goal. It's not like playing soccer!
For a few years I became a footy tragic; spent my life trying to will the Saints up the ladder, trying to think how to get more people to the matches, how to improve our look. Sent letters to the club, even spent ages designing alternate shirts to that horrible GF97 style guernsey. Sent them to the club too, got a polite 'no thanks'. Strangely enough, some of the training shirts they use now bear a striking resemblence to some of those designs. Ironically, I don't really like them or any of my old designs these days, bit of a 90s look! Still better than the yellow away shirts of the early naughties, eh?
I moved away from Australia in 2003, to Tokyo, Madrid, London and now here in Nantes. I watched our rise up the ladder on little computer screens around the world, or occasionally on a TV in a Sports Bar. Tokyo was good for that, similar timezone, but here is the hardest. I listened to the 09 and 10 GF on the AFL live radio website, was able to watch the 2010 GFs on my Smartphone. In silence at 5am careful not to wake the missus up.
Through all this, my love for the sport and the spectacle hasn't died. I've seen our lows, I've seen our highs. I know what we can achieve, as a team and as a club. I know what us as supporters can achieve too, I saw it with Liverpool FC in 2005 and 2006. We can blow Collingwood and Geelong and Hawthorn and anyone else away if we take that step, but we can't afford to leave it to the club any longer, it has to be us organising ourselves. I wish I could be there and do it myself.
I didn't buy a membership this year. I'm one of the reasons why people are worried that our numbers are down; it's not because of the style of football, or the lost GFs. It's partly because I thought that I felt that the marketing dept has been getting a bit complacent after a few years at the top, worying too much about the extras without getting the main things right, partly because of their association with Centrebet which I can't abide as someone who had a gambling addict in my family, but mostly as a protest about the shoddy discipline people at the club showed in the off-season. I don't feel guilty about it. 39000 members is pretty good compared to 10 years ago. I'll be a member again next year. Just wanted to make my little statement to the club that I wasn't satisfied. They can survive for a year without me, no one's rattling the SOS tins these days.
The future? I won't be back in Australia for a few years, I have to be content with viewing things from Europe, hoping that in the meantime we don't become the Tasmania Saints or the Eastern Suburbs Saints or the St Mary's Saints or anywhere else that the AFL wants to invade. I'll be a member, I still soak up anything I can find on the internet. Absolutely love the Red White & Black blog, best Saint's related thing I've ever seen in terms of quality of discourse and design. Those guys should be working for the Marketing Dept.
Well now you know. Bloody hell, another essay. Sorry, I hope this has been in some way interesting. Maybe my username should be Pringles, since Once I've Started, I Can't Stop.
I have been a passionate St Kilda supporter since 1996, even now from my home in France I check the internet daily for news on the club. But my journey to this point isn't as straight forward as most...
I'm a legal alien from England, born in the capital, raised in the countryside in the South West. I grew up playing football, (soccer) but wasn't competitive and was more interested in art than sport. Never watched that much, but since everyone at school followed Liverpool, I heard more about about them so when I finally did get interested in sport, I was drawn to LFC.
When my family moved to Sydney at the end of the 80s, I didn't show much interest in Sport. All the NFL fans in the city seemed one dimensional and stupid, plus I got pretty homesick and continued following "soccer" from afar. The local scene failed to inspire me, I missed the crowds, the noise, the excitement, the event.
At school, a few folks talked about Warrick Capper/Sydney Swans, but it was more in jest than anything and even though we lived a 10minute walk from the SCG, footy never entered my life. I moved up to Newcastle for Uni and it was more of the same, but that's where I saw my first taste of the spectacle of Aussie Rules, on TV. Some blokes wearing two-tone brown vests and shorts fighting some blokes wearing blue and white vests. Some bloke called Ablett. That's all I took in. It seemed a bit shambolic and raw. I didn't bother watching.
When I moved from Newcastle NSW to Melbourne in 1995, I was told to pick a ‘footy’ team as the first question of anyone I met would be ‘Hoojabarrackfor?’ I was given a list of all the Victorian teams, and given a mini run-down on colours, history, ladder position, the basics.
Straightaway, the Saints appealled to me. I was a big fan of the suburb of St Kilda, having been there to see bands and to get a bit of a sea-breeze in the throes of the dusty hot summers, and although an added extra rather than a requirement, its links with the Jewish community gelled with my dad’s heritage. From an aesthetic point of view, white and black and red look great together, (in that order is my personal preference), and I liked going for the underdog.
That’s pretty much it; no family or friends supported them, I never lived there, not a player that I admired, just a few arbitrary facts made me a Saint. Not a committed one, I was into music, still didn't really care that much about sport. But I had a team to look out for whenever the ladder came up. Back in 1995 that didn't inspire me much. But me and a few friends did go to Fitzroy Gardens on Grand Final day and play frisbee in the park, listening to the intensity of the crowd. The power in those cheers blew me away.
In 1996 a Dons supporting footy head took me to my first game. I wasn't that interested, but he promised me a good night. It was a special game, I think a centenary celebration between Essendon and Geelong and it was something like 80 000 people. Our seats faced the city, all those skyscrapers lit up in the background, and more people than I'd ever seen in one place all watching this strange game.
Why was everyone shouting 'ball'? How is he allowed to tackle so strongly? Why are the scores divided into three different numbers? The sort of questions your kids probably ask you, I was asking my mate. The game was enthralling, the spectacle was incredible. I was hooked.
Unfortunately, I'd already picked my team, so I couldn't switch to the Bombers. I had no friends who were Saints fans, so the following year, 97, I went to a handful of games by myself, just to be part of that experience again. I didn't meet anyone there, but I felt like I belonged, and it was nice to be part of a tribe, even if it was only on the perifery.
I learnt the players names, and got sucked into the hype of St Kilda's kids, Smith & Jones, Maxy and Browny, two mad bastards called Spider and Hall, as well as Winmar, Leowe, Burke and Harvey. Alves seemed like a clever and warm fella, not a mental case like Parkin or Sheedy, an unsmiling flog like Pagan or Blight or a loser like Northey or Walls. I dutifully took the train out to Waverley Park on my own with a thermos and a warm coat, loved the whole exercise.
I was at the final against Brisbane where Spider went down. I was at the G for the next game, gleefully revelling in the double tackle that popped McKernan's shoulder. I even went to the pre-Grand Final training out at Moorabbin. I was amazed at the number of people who came to watch a training session. It was a good year to start.
I don't know why but I didn't go to the GF parade. It seemed like the whole of Victoria was a Saint that week. I went to the St Kilda Bowling Club to watch the GF. At half-time most of the folks in the bowlo poured out elated into the park for a kick to kick. I kicked my soccerball to myself. I was happy enough.
The next hour prepared me for the next 4 or 5 years, that's about the best that can be said. On the tram home some drunk arsehole in Saints colours started shouting at a Asian lady telling her to 'go home' and all sorts, poor dear didn't have a clue about why he was being so violent. That power goes both ways, doesn't it? It can be so positive and so negative.
I saw plenty of negativity in the next few years in the stands of Waverley, Princes Park, the MCG and then later the Docklands. Plenty of whinging "Come on, Saints", plenty of shouting at players as if they could hear, plenty of arguing with opposition supporters, plenty of howling at the moon. Pretty soon I started doing it too. It was a frustrating time. All the negativity in the press; I thought for a moment that we'd moved to a town called Hapless, it was put in our name that much. Some speccy git called Mike Sheehan seemed particularly pre-disposed to bagging St Kilda. The club seemed on the verge of ruin, we were being told it was only a matter of time before we were packed off or shut down, just like Fitzroy, and people weren't shy about reminding me of the clubs Wooden Spoon record, or our 1 premiership in however many years. Everyone said that 10 Victorian teams would never survive. And we had some of the lowest membership numbers in the league. I remember the figure being around 17000 at one stage.
Yet, through all of that I still went to games, bought a membership every year from 1998 until this year, told my mates I was a Saint and faced their derision each Monday. I was loyal and defiant, if not always so proud.
I slowly met other Saints fans, even went to games with them sometimes; we whinged and cheered together. On the many times I went alone, I rode my bike from the nearest train station to Waverley, sat in the cold rain for 2 hours watching my team fumble and bumble and lose, sometimes honourably, sometimes pathetically for years. Still I liked the ritual. I loved the freedom of the city games: only a few minutes on the pushy, just rock up $16 for an away game, free for home, a couple of bucks for a record, watch a bit of the ressies game. When they moved to the Docklands, it was closer to me but it was a horrible sterile concrete place, it didn't seem like a home.
Through all this time, though I kept playing soccer with mates, I never really played Aussie Rules. I'm not really built for it, not being freakishly tall or strong. I did play one game; The Tote vs The Empress, two inner Melb pub teams. I got the ball twice. The first time I was so scared seeing everyone steaming towards me that I just threw the ball away, gave away a free kick that resulted in a goal. It's not like playing soccer!
For a few years I became a footy tragic; spent my life trying to will the Saints up the ladder, trying to think how to get more people to the matches, how to improve our look. Sent letters to the club, even spent ages designing alternate shirts to that horrible GF97 style guernsey. Sent them to the club too, got a polite 'no thanks'. Strangely enough, some of the training shirts they use now bear a striking resemblence to some of those designs. Ironically, I don't really like them or any of my old designs these days, bit of a 90s look! Still better than the yellow away shirts of the early naughties, eh?
I moved away from Australia in 2003, to Tokyo, Madrid, London and now here in Nantes. I watched our rise up the ladder on little computer screens around the world, or occasionally on a TV in a Sports Bar. Tokyo was good for that, similar timezone, but here is the hardest. I listened to the 09 and 10 GF on the AFL live radio website, was able to watch the 2010 GFs on my Smartphone. In silence at 5am careful not to wake the missus up.
Through all this, my love for the sport and the spectacle hasn't died. I've seen our lows, I've seen our highs. I know what we can achieve, as a team and as a club. I know what us as supporters can achieve too, I saw it with Liverpool FC in 2005 and 2006. We can blow Collingwood and Geelong and Hawthorn and anyone else away if we take that step, but we can't afford to leave it to the club any longer, it has to be us organising ourselves. I wish I could be there and do it myself.
I didn't buy a membership this year. I'm one of the reasons why people are worried that our numbers are down; it's not because of the style of football, or the lost GFs. It's partly because I thought that I felt that the marketing dept has been getting a bit complacent after a few years at the top, worying too much about the extras without getting the main things right, partly because of their association with Centrebet which I can't abide as someone who had a gambling addict in my family, but mostly as a protest about the shoddy discipline people at the club showed in the off-season. I don't feel guilty about it. 39000 members is pretty good compared to 10 years ago. I'll be a member again next year. Just wanted to make my little statement to the club that I wasn't satisfied. They can survive for a year without me, no one's rattling the SOS tins these days.
The future? I won't be back in Australia for a few years, I have to be content with viewing things from Europe, hoping that in the meantime we don't become the Tasmania Saints or the Eastern Suburbs Saints or the St Mary's Saints or anywhere else that the AFL wants to invade. I'll be a member, I still soak up anything I can find on the internet. Absolutely love the Red White & Black blog, best Saint's related thing I've ever seen in terms of quality of discourse and design. Those guys should be working for the Marketing Dept.
Well now you know. Bloody hell, another essay. Sorry, I hope this has been in some way interesting. Maybe my username should be Pringles, since Once I've Started, I Can't Stop.
Just My Opinion
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You'll Never Walk Alone
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You'll Never Walk Alone
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Junction Oval
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Dr Spaceman
- Saintsational Legend
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Gee Austinn, that a good long story
We have some history behind us ,as saints fans and i'm glad you shared yours from afar .
I have been a saints fan from a young age and only became a member 10 years back when my son was first able to kick a footy.
For me it's a family thing now even tho my son plays soccer now , we both go and enjoy the spectale and the thrill of seeing the saints winning .
Ma femme franciase cannot quite take up the sport of aussie rules , even after 20 years of living here , but just quietly has a soft spot for Nick R.
I also lived many years away from home in the mid 70's to the late 80's but did not keep in touch with footy . You are fortunate to have the ability to keep intouch like so many that are in this forum and games played on the net.
Enjoy the ride and keep the hope even from distant France!
Vive le tour !
We have some history behind us ,as saints fans and i'm glad you shared yours from afar .
I have been a saints fan from a young age and only became a member 10 years back when my son was first able to kick a footy.
For me it's a family thing now even tho my son plays soccer now , we both go and enjoy the spectale and the thrill of seeing the saints winning .
Ma femme franciase cannot quite take up the sport of aussie rules , even after 20 years of living here , but just quietly has a soft spot for Nick R.
I also lived many years away from home in the mid 70's to the late 80's but did not keep in touch with footy . You are fortunate to have the ability to keep intouch like so many that are in this forum and games played on the net.
Enjoy the ride and keep the hope even from distant France!
Vive le tour !
the inheritance of the saints in light
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Austinnn
- Club Player
- Posts: 1533
- Joined: Wed 22 Jun 2011 6:02pm
- Location: France
- Has thanked: 2 times
Thanks mate! My French girl abhors all professional sport, it makes her angry. After the 09 GF we had a huge arguement as she was disgusted that I was so sad. She doesn't get it. Yeah, I'm very lucky to live in the age of the internet, otherwise I suppose it would be lost to me.Antiquera wrote:Gee Austinn, that a good long story
We have some history behind us ,as saints fans and i'm glad you shared yours from afar .
I have been a saints fan from a young age and only became a member 10 years back when my son was first able to kick a footy.
For me it's a family thing now even tho my son plays soccer now , we both go and enjoy the spectale and the thrill of seeing the saints winning .
Ma femme franciase cannot quite take up the sport of aussie rules , even after 20 years of living here , but just quietly has a soft spot for Nick R.
I also lived many years away from home in the mid 70's to the late 80's but did not keep in touch with footy . You are fortunate to have the ability to keep intouch like so many that are in this forum and games played on the net.
Enjoy the ride and keep the hope even from distant France!
Vive le tour !
By the way, anyone know a good streaming site for footy games that works outside Australia?
Just My Opinion
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You'll Never Walk Alone
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You'll Never Walk Alone
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kosifantutti23
- SS Hall of Fame
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- Joined: Fri 26 Sep 2008 12:55am
- Location: Horgen
Get a new girlfriend and try liveafl.tvAustinnn wrote:Thanks mate! My French girl abhors all professional sport, it makes her angry. After the 09 GF we had a huge arguement as she was disgusted that I was so sad. She doesn't get it. Yeah, I'm very lucky to live in the age of the internet, otherwise I suppose it would be lost to me.Antiquera wrote:Gee Austinn, that a good long story
We have some history behind us ,as saints fans and i'm glad you shared yours from afar .
I have been a saints fan from a young age and only became a member 10 years back when my son was first able to kick a footy.
For me it's a family thing now even tho my son plays soccer now , we both go and enjoy the spectale and the thrill of seeing the saints winning .
Ma femme franciase cannot quite take up the sport of aussie rules , even after 20 years of living here , but just quietly has a soft spot for Nick R.
I also lived many years away from home in the mid 70's to the late 80's but did not keep in touch with footy . You are fortunate to have the ability to keep intouch like so many that are in this forum and games played on the net.
Enjoy the ride and keep the hope even from distant France!
Vive le tour !
By the way, anyone know a good streaming site for footy games that works outside Australia?
Furtius Quo Rdelious
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Sainternist
- Saintsational Legend
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Because I have too much of an emotional attachment to the Saints.
I've tried to go without them and it feels as if there is something missing in my life.
Like the mob - there is no way out of this, unless I go out in a pine box.
Till death do us part
I've tried to go without them and it feels as if there is something missing in my life.
Like the mob - there is no way out of this, unless I go out in a pine box.
Till death do us part
Curb your enthusiasm - you’re a St.Kilda supporter!!
Why do I go to bed every night and get up every morning? Why do I put one foot in front of the other to walk? Why do I breathe?
There is no question of why. The Saints are just part of me. Renewing my membership each year is as non negotiable as paying my taxes and buying groceries and paying bills.
Also there is no way I'm giving up my reserved seats in row A on the boundary!
There is no question of why. The Saints are just part of me. Renewing my membership each year is as non negotiable as paying my taxes and buying groceries and paying bills.
Also there is no way I'm giving up my reserved seats in row A on the boundary!
Shattered dreams are just opportunities for improvement. Live and learn, fail and try harder. 2011 beckons.
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thejiggingsaint
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Because I'm just a Sainter through and through! I MAY get down from time to time and downright depressed but when it comes down to tintacks there's only one thing I can do when confronted with my own question: "am I with 'em or agin 'em?" GO SAINTS!! (still crazy after all these years!)
St Kilda forever 
( God help me)
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Johnny Member
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I think this is the issue the AFL faces.
Most comments I've read, pretty much say that people will sign up because they have an emotional connection to the club.
So really, I believe there are 3 types who buy memberships....
The ones I've mentioned above.
The ones who jump on when things are going well.
And the ones who go to the footy every week, so it's cheaper in the long run to buy a membership.
The AFL are doing their best to remove the emotion and passion from the game. So much so, that I believe many people don't actually have much passion for the game any more - but they still do for their club.
So that's going to make the first group of people a dying breed. Particularly with the way all the clubs are being forced to lose their identities.
It's pretty easy to lose passion for something that isn't really what you had passion for in the first place!
The second group of people, are the worry. Because the nature of the game only has 1 team winning anything each year. And after any form of success, comes the decline. That's the way the AFL is.
I don't have an issue with that, but it must be a concern for clubs. How can they hold on to these people when you're lucky to get 3-4 seasons in a row when you 'might' win the flag?
The last group, are the ones that can be relied upon.
So I think the way the AFL talk about memberships being the lifeblood of the clubs, is scary.
If they are the lifeblood, then I think many clubs are stuffed.
Most comments I've read, pretty much say that people will sign up because they have an emotional connection to the club.
So really, I believe there are 3 types who buy memberships....
The ones I've mentioned above.
The ones who jump on when things are going well.
And the ones who go to the footy every week, so it's cheaper in the long run to buy a membership.
The AFL are doing their best to remove the emotion and passion from the game. So much so, that I believe many people don't actually have much passion for the game any more - but they still do for their club.
So that's going to make the first group of people a dying breed. Particularly with the way all the clubs are being forced to lose their identities.
It's pretty easy to lose passion for something that isn't really what you had passion for in the first place!
The second group of people, are the worry. Because the nature of the game only has 1 team winning anything each year. And after any form of success, comes the decline. That's the way the AFL is.
I don't have an issue with that, but it must be a concern for clubs. How can they hold on to these people when you're lucky to get 3-4 seasons in a row when you 'might' win the flag?
The last group, are the ones that can be relied upon.
So I think the way the AFL talk about memberships being the lifeblood of the clubs, is scary.
If they are the lifeblood, then I think many clubs are stuffed.
So how could you change what is happening? it seems memberships keep going up even though you think it may stop or go backwards. There is no proof of that at the moment.Johnny Member wrote:I think this is the issue the AFL faces.
Most comments I've read, pretty much say that people will sign up because they have an emotional connection to the club.
So really, I believe there are 3 types who buy memberships....
The ones I've mentioned above.
The ones who jump on when things are going well.
And the ones who go to the footy every week, so it's cheaper in the long run to buy a membership.
The AFL are doing their best to remove the emotion and passion from the game. So much so, that I believe many people don't actually have much passion for the game any more - but they still do for their club.
So that's going to make the first group of people a dying breed. Particularly with the way all the clubs are being forced to lose their identities.
It's pretty easy to lose passion for something that isn't really what you had passion for in the first place!
The second group of people, are the worry. Because the nature of the game only has 1 team winning anything each year. And after any form of success, comes the decline. That's the way the AFL is.
I don't have an issue with that, but it must be a concern for clubs. How can they hold on to these people when you're lucky to get 3-4 seasons in a row when you 'might' win the flag?
The last group, are the ones that can be relied upon.
So I think the way the AFL talk about memberships being the lifeblood of the clubs, is scary.
If they are the lifeblood, then I think many clubs are stuffed.
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Johnny Favier
- Club Player
- Posts: 259
- Joined: Fri 11 Nov 2005 12:54am
- Location: Chelsea Heights
I first became a Saints member in 1988, and have been one ever since.
I even continued to buy my membership when I was working overseas for 18 months in 2002-03.
It's just a thing I do each year and realistically it's a thing every supporter needs to do these days to keep us competitive - as long as the family budget allows that is...
I guess I'm just a rusted-on supporter these days so I'll be there, come what may!
I even continued to buy my membership when I was working overseas for 18 months in 2002-03.
It's just a thing I do each year and realistically it's a thing every supporter needs to do these days to keep us competitive - as long as the family budget allows that is...
I guess I'm just a rusted-on supporter these days so I'll be there, come what may!
Re: Why will you Re join the saints next year
I will not be joining again ultil Ross Lyon is replaced.saintbrat wrote:before the hype of finals or the dissapointment of not and whilst membershp is a topical topic.
What is your motivation for being a paid up saint ?
(I understand if Finances are dictating otherwise and this is not directed at those who cannot afford ...)
but in the feeling, the ritual, the connection....
is it ingrained or something that makes you feel good.
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Dr Spaceman
- Saintsational Legend
- Posts: 14102
- Joined: Thu 24 Sep 2009 11:07pm
- Location: Newtown Institute of Saintology
- Has thanked: 104 times
- Been thanked: 62 times
Re: Why will you Re join the saints next year
Let's all hope Ross is coach for eternity given that upside!Helen wrote:I will not be joining again ultil Ross Lyon is replaced.saintbrat wrote:before the hype of finals or the dissapointment of not and whilst membershp is a topical topic.
What is your motivation for being a paid up saint ?
(I understand if Finances are dictating otherwise and this is not directed at those who cannot afford ...)
but in the feeling, the ritual, the connection....
is it ingrained or something that makes you feel good.
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saintbrat
- Saintsational Legend
- Posts: 44575
- Joined: Tue 09 Mar 2004 4:11pm
- Location: saints zone
- Has thanked: 6 times
- Been thanked: 188 times
Re: Why will you Re join the saints next year
then I think you are in the wrong thread and nee to wait for another one..Helen wrote:I will not be joining again ultil Ross Lyon is replaced.saintbrat wrote:before the hype of finals or the dissapointment of not and whilst membershp is a topical topic.
What is your motivation for being a paid up saint ?
(I understand if Finances are dictating otherwise and this is not directed at those who cannot afford ...)
but in the feeling, the ritual, the connection....
is it ingrained or something that makes you feel good.
StReNgTh ThRoUgH LoYaLtY
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly..!!
MEMBERSHIP 2014 31,134 Membership 2015 32,746 MEMBERSHIP 2016 - 38,101
MEMBERSHIP 2017 42,095 , Membership 2018 46,998
MEMBERSHIP 2019 43,106 http://saintsational.net/viewtopic.php? ... 9#p1816890
MEMBERSHIP 2020 48,588 http://saintsational.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=100107
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly..!!
MEMBERSHIP 2014 31,134 Membership 2015 32,746 MEMBERSHIP 2016 - 38,101
MEMBERSHIP 2017 42,095 , Membership 2018 46,998
MEMBERSHIP 2019 43,106 http://saintsational.net/viewtopic.php? ... 9#p1816890
MEMBERSHIP 2020 48,588 http://saintsational.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=100107
Re: Why will you Re join the saints next year
Put simply, goodbye!Helen wrote:I will not be joining again ultil Ross Lyon is replaced.saintbrat wrote:before the hype of finals or the dissapointment of not and whilst membershp is a topical topic.
What is your motivation for being a paid up saint ?
(I understand if Finances are dictating otherwise and this is not directed at those who cannot afford ...)
but in the feeling, the ritual, the connection....
is it ingrained or something that makes you feel good.
I'm livin' in a madhouse
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Winmar
- Club Player
- Posts: 923
- Joined: Tue 23 Mar 2004 11:52pm
- Location: Canberra
- Has thanked: 16 times
- Been thanked: 27 times
Re: Why will you Re join the saints next year
Because I've been a member since 1995 and couldn't stop now if I tried.
Wah?!Helen wrote:I will not be joining again ultil Ross Lyon is replaced.
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Thinline
- Saintsational Legend
- Posts: 6043
- Joined: Mon 21 May 2007 5:31pm
- Location: Currumbin, Quoinslairnd
Re: Why will you Re join the saints next year
Thank christ Roscoe ain't going anywhere then!Helen wrote:I will not be joining again ultil Ross Lyon is replaced.saintbrat wrote:before the hype of finals or the dissapointment of not and whilst membershp is a topical topic.
What is your motivation for being a paid up saint ?
(I understand if Finances are dictating otherwise and this is not directed at those who cannot afford ...)
but in the feeling, the ritual, the connection....
is it ingrained or something that makes you feel good.
"The inches we need are everywhere around us. They're in every break in the game. Every minute, every second. On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when we add up all those inches that's gonna make the f***in' difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying!'
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Austinnn
- Club Player
- Posts: 1533
- Joined: Wed 22 Jun 2011 6:02pm
- Location: France
- Has thanked: 2 times
Re: Why will you Re join the saints next year
Well he won't be and you are wasting your life on this website. Turn the computer off and go outside, Helen. Take control of your life!Helen wrote:I will not be joining again ultil Ross Lyon is replaced.
Just My Opinion
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You'll Never Walk Alone
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You'll Never Walk Alone