Is anyone as less interested in footy for 08 than me?

[asiu]

the day football died.

goodonya

i cant wait either .....lets go

[meher baba]

I share some of your feelings, rf, about the off-field shenanigans in the game (many of which I giggle to see other posters describe as "professional"!!! ).

Don't know about others, but I certainly know "professionals" in other industries, some of who are in similar income brackets to AFL players, who would if anything fare worse under the same scrutiny... certainly not all, but enough.

I always wonder how much of the moral outrage is genuine.

Sorry Bamster, I wasn't talking about the players , I was talking abou the administrators. By "off-field shenanigans", I meant manipulated tribunal hearings, idiotic rule changes, biased draws, bullying nonsense about teams moving to the Gold Coast, etc.

I'm anything but a member of the "moral outrage" brigade: personally, I'd very like to see Benny Cousins pulling on a jumper again this year. I don't see the players as role models and don't really care what they do in their spare time as long as it doesn't involve abuse or exploitation of other people.

I certainly wouldn't like the same scrutiny applied to my personal behaviour: even though, having devoted most of my life to the joys of public administration and academia, I have never approached the sort of incomes available to AFL players.

[Oh When the Saints]

I'm sorry you feel that way rodgerfox.


I'm only 18, so I've only known footy in it's current state really ... I have nothing to compare it to from the 70's/80's/90's.


But I'm pumped for '08.

[asiu]

i gotta say to that ....

u come across as a very impressive young man for 18


(shocking mod , ...but a very solid individual )

[plugger66]

I'm sorry you feel that way rodgerfox.


I'm only 18, so I've only known footy in it's current state really ... I have nothing to compare it to from the 70's/80's/90's.


But I'm pumped for '08.

That is exactly right. It is important that young people enjoy how the footy is played now. Not us older guys. If young people like it they are ones who will be the next generation of supportors.

By the way the footy is much better than the 70's and 80's but not as good as the 90's IMO.

[Oh When the Saints]

My moderation will improve with age ..... and I mean that in every sense

[Oh When the Saints]

I'm sorry you feel that way rodgerfox.


I'm only 18, so I've only known footy in it's current state really ... I have nothing to compare it to from the 70's/80's/90's.


But I'm pumped for '08.

That is exactly right. It is important that young people enjoy how the footy is played now. Not us older guys. If young people like it they are ones who will be the next generation of supportors.

By the way the footy is much better than the 70's and 80's but not as good as the 90's IMO.

I can't stand the Rule Committee and their impact on the game, particularly with the hands-in-the-back and kickout rule.

But other than that, and a few minor things with St Kilda themselves, I think the game is pretty good at the moment.

Oh, and Adrian Anderson is a fool.

[plugger66]

I'm sorry you feel that way rodgerfox.


I'm only 18, so I've only known footy in it's current state really ... I have nothing to compare it to from the 70's/80's/90's.


But I'm pumped for '08.

That is exactly right. It is important that young people enjoy how the footy is played now. Not us older guys. If young people like it they are ones who will be the next generation of supportors.

By the way the footy is much better than the 70's and 80's but not as good as the 90's IMO.

I can't stand the Rule Committee and their impact on the game, particularly with the hands-in-the-back and kickout rule.

But other than that, and a few minor things with St Kilda themselves, I think the game is pretty good at the moment.

Oh, and Adrian Anderson is a fool.

Dont mind the kick out rule myself but that hands on the back rule is a shocker but most other changes in the last 5 years have helped the game. Even though Saints supportors will probably disagree last season was the best in probably 5 years.

[Oh When the Saints]

The salary cap and the draft, now they are finally enforced (after Carlton and Essendon cheating in the 90's) have made the competition VERY even.

Which is terrific.


Anyone can now beat anyone - there are no easy games. Tipping last year was the hardest I remember, and that's a sign of how small the gap is between the teams.

[ttufc7]

Pumped for 08

And as far as lack of loyalty in football goes.....Wait till we win the flag this year and see how it affects the long suffering supporters and the outpouring of joy and mutual respect shared by such a large group of people and see if you can still believe that.

A footballer will stay at a club anywhere from 1 to 20 years but the fans who stick with a club their whole lives are the true source of loyalty in our game.

[Sobraz]

I have a love for it as much as ever, as does my dad, who goes back to the late 50's or so... but we both go through times when you have to shake your head..

I felt most disenchanted with football a few years back when Barry Hall got off at the tribunal appeal for punching Goose.. That really was a kick in the guts, first as a saints man and second as a footy lover.. Since then, the tribunal in particular carries a black mark against its name (even more so after bakers decision late last year), and footy admin has a lot of questions to answer..

But week in week out, seeing guys like Harvey and Kosi restores my faith.

[adobe]

[quote="rodgerfox"]Just don't care.

Haven't read a paper. Don't peruse BigFooty for news. Haven't been keenly switching over to the Ch10 news at 5:40pm to see if anything is happening at Moorabbin.

I don't know why. Is it just me?

The AFL became big business and lost me. They hijacked our game and have basically ruined it. The only thing keeping me interested in the sport was the Saints. Having followed them officially since I was 1 (I have a 1977 member certificate to prove it), they were a part of me.

Now I feel like I don't really know the club at all.

New Board. New coaches - all ex-players recently from other clubs. New players - also a majority of ex-players from other clubs.

The sport just doesn't have that loyalty attached to it anymore. Sure, there are some exceptions, but it's just become a meat market. Coaches switch clubs without batting an eyelid. Clubs discard players without any skerrick of loyalty. Now we see Judd - a premiership captain, walk out on his club. It's the start of the genuine rot.

Steven King. Where will his head be at? An ex-captain who played in a flag for the club he bled for. Now he's with us. Will he bleed for his new jumper? I mean really bleed. Robert Harvey bleed.

I don't think so. There's fewer and fewer players out there who do. Even less coaches. And even less administrators again.

Clubs change jumpers willy nilly, move home grounds when they feel like it. AFL clubs have lost their indentity.

It's very difficult to feel that passion for an AFL club these days.

Perhaps that's why I aren't 'into it' anymore.[/quote][quote] [/quote]

[iwantmeseats]

I feel the same with ALL the lamenting in this thread. BUT I am still pmuped for 08, and cant wait for round 1.

I hate many of the rule changes, and I fear the ones yet to come. Especially if they ever bring in the super goal from outside 50. That would be tragic.

About the ONLY thing that will lose me to footy would be if fee agency really kicks in, that would be the killer for me.

[theghostfromgronggrong]

I'm with you 100% Rog...

Gone are the days when u could rock up to the footy with an esky full of beer, drink urself senseless then head home to give the old trouble and strife a firm beating for looking at ya the wrong way!

Gone too are the days when you could stand in the stands and abuse someone for being a dirty stinking filthy black #@$%^$$ without anyone looking at ya funny.

Gone too are the days when grossly overweight slobs were hailed as heros for drinking rather than training and kicking horrible flat punts out on the full or to the opposition.

I mean why cant you trap someone's head in a car window these days without being called a rapist?

Why can't you declare how much footscray has declined with the coming of the boat people?

why are there so few seats available at matches?

where are the mud heaps?

where are the cigarette sponsorships?

where are the beer-guts?

It is sad Rodger indeed - bring back the good old days I say!

[joffaboy]

I'm sorry you feel that way rodgerfox.


I'm only 18, so I've only known footy in it's current state really ... I have nothing to compare it to from the 70's/80's/90's.


But I'm pumped for '08.

By god you come across well as an 18 y.o. What happened OWTS, did you skip childhood and have been an adult since you were 6?

As for this season. I tend to agree with RF. I am not that excited, especially with the zoning back style of play we saw last season.

I know it is played that way and we didn't win a flag under GT, but his attacking style was a joy to watch when it worked and made watching footy a pleasure.

Some games last year were uninspiring and a bore.

Still, I am sure I'll get into it if we start off well.

[Teflon]

You're not interested anymore, yet you religiously post on a football forum.

I call bulls***.

I say your spot on.

[fonz_#15]

i must admit i am not as excited as i have been in the past 10 years because of the off field joke our competition has become.

i am optimistic about our chances and will attend every game that i can get to this season, but i have not followed our off season progres anywhere near as much as i have in the past.

i have been following soccer religiously this season as my substitute for the football off season and i am very much enjoying it, maybe this is a factor in my lesser interest in football this year. who knows. come round 1 i will be as passionate as ever i hope.

[jill]

Rogerfox my earliest memory is of me holding my Pop's hand, standing in front of a hedge - a lady who knew Pop came along and asked "Jim" where he was going."I'm taking Jill to the Junction Oval to see the St.Kilda game" - I was 2!! Have absolutely no memories of my 1st actual game, but in 1956 got a club membership courtesy of "The Sporting Globe" for writing a letter as to why I loved my team - was a regular winner but rarely used them due to family circumstances BUT from 1959 on I was there after years of dreaming/listening - yes I'm so grateful that I was there in '66 but my Pop indoctrinated us enough to have other generations follow the Red, Black & White - I want them to enjoy what Pop missed out on - a Flag!
Rogerfox - "BELIEVE!' I can't wait for the opening bounce & I'm just as enthusiastic in my 60th year as I was when I wrote about my love for St.Kilda all those years ago! BRING IT ON!

[barks4eva]

Fact is we have a BRAND NEW BOARD, a brilliant coach who has had 12 months to acclimatize, establish a true relationship with the players, jazz up things from the amatuer club that he walked into last year, with the process of re-building a list sent into decline by the previous coach already starting to take shape,and we now also on top of that have the most professional football department in St.Kilda Football Club's 135 year history!

If that doesn't get you excited, then you're a fair dinkum numbnut.

[barks4eva]

Rogerfox my earliest memory is of me holding my Pop's hand, standing in front of a hedge - a lady who knew Pop came along and asked "Jim" where he was going."I'm taking Jill to the Junction Oval to see the St.Kilda game" - I was 2!! Have absolutely no memories of my 1st actual game, but in 1956 got a club membership courtesy of "The Sporting Globe" for writing a letter as to why I loved my team - was a regular winner but rarely used them due to family circumstances BUT from 1959 on I was there after years of dreaming/listening - yes I'm so grateful that I was there in '66 but my Pop indoctrinated us enough to have other generations follow the Red, Black & White - I want them to enjoy what Pop missed out on - a Flag!
Rogerfox - "BELIEVE!' I can't wait for the opening bounce & I'm just as enthusiastic in my 60th year as I was when I wrote about my love for St.Kilda all those years ago! BRING IT ON!

stirring stuff, good on ya

[Richter]

Well I can't wait either. Arguing on the GF about inconsequential cricket issues just doesn't really stir the blood like football does.

And I've just started working in Moorabbin so I'm hoping to get along to training a bit too.

CARN THE SAINTERS for 2008. The drought is nearly over.......