AFL’s play thing

[CURLY]

StKilda again just being used as AFL play things. Garbage draw garbage umpiring garbage tribunal. AFL just uses StKilda as the The Globetrotters use the Washington Generals.

Anyone defending the Higgins call is simply taking the piss.

[1971]

What can we do? One part of the club is muzzled. The other part, the members, aren't. We are being screwed. What to do though?

[Yorkeys]

Silly really. When we make finals regularly our membership will grow muchly. The AFL should not obstruct our rise.

[Sainter_Dad]

No - we are the AFL's example puppet

[Bruce G McAbee]

So maybe it's time the supporters started flexing their voices and that be done by bringing signs to our games stating that the AFL is corrupt and saying we get screwed and making sure they are seen on TV.

[mr six o'clock]

So maybe it's time the supporters started flexing their voices and that be done by bringing signs to our games stating that the AFL is corrupt and saying we get screwed and making sure they are seen on TV.

The thing is they'll just confiscate the signs and/or eject fans , maybe even ban them .
What we need are huge banners that can be rolled over sections of the crowd, like they do in European football.
With messages like ' Free Higgo ! '

[D.B.Cooper]

LOL at the persecution complex

We have no voice because we are perennial cellar dwellers and other than make up the numbers for broadcasting rights are only of importance to our fans.

We are irrelevant, not because of the AFL, we are irrelevant because we are mediocre and other than a few spikes in performance here and there, have been mediocre or worse in our entire history.

I think some people need to look internally to understand why we are unimportant in the scheme of the competition.

I was 4 in 1966, will I live to see our next flag?
As good a chance as I have of winning powerball, and I have never entered a draw.

[SaintPav]

Yeah, it’s totally our fault; we deserve everything we get including not having rules applied consistently because we’re mediocre.

[CURLY]

LOL at the persecution complex

We have no voice because we are perennial cellar dwellers and other than make up the numbers for broadcasting rights are only of importance to our fans.

We are irrelevant, not because of the AFL, we are irrelevant because we are mediocre and other than a few spikes in performance here and there, have been mediocre or worse in our entire history.

I think some people need to look internally to understand why we are unimportant in the scheme of the competition.

I was 4 in 1966, will I live to see our next flag?
As good a chance as I have of winning powerball, and I have never entered a draw.

Chicken and the egg thing though.

Collingwood were on there knees mid 90's. The AFL basically allowed Eddie to dictate fixtures and monopilise media. Now look at them.

[Sainter_Dad]

LOL at the persecution complex

We have no voice because we are perennial cellar dwellers and other than make up the numbers for broadcasting rights are only of importance to our fans.

We are irrelevant, not because of the AFL, we are irrelevant because we are mediocre and other than a few spikes in performance here and there, have been mediocre or worse in our entire history.

I think some people need to look internally to understand why we are unimportant in the scheme of the competition.

I was 4 in 1966, will I live to see our next flag?
As good a chance as I have of winning powerball, and I have never entered a draw.

Not a persecution complex DB - in the 80's until the AFL we were a poorer club that could not afford to keep developing players so lost them to bigger clubs. Then once equalization came into effect - we had no Father Sons (because the father's had all left to play elsewhere) that were genetically blessed.

Then the AFL comes along - true we have made a mess of a lot of our decisions - but seriously name another club that has had:
- Whispers in the Sky
- Sirengate
- Players suspended for standing still
- Players suspended for 8 weeks with no vision (fair enough he did it - but seriously - no vision??)
- Balls that hit the post and went sideways called a goal
- Players being forced to publicly apologise for words said on field
- Etc
- Etc

We are not persecuted actively - but if it comes down to a tribunal appearance - we are just St Kilda - we cannot afford to take it to the highest court in the land - so just do what you like

We are the club you sub in at the last quarter to give a run - not the club first selected in the play ground. If you were to imagine St Kilda as a person, it is the mousey introvert standing in the corner asking a member of the opposite gender out (in their head) and throwing up if they ever come over to talk to us. WE ARE NOT THE PROM KING/QUEEN and NEVER WILL BE!

[tony74]

I can assure you no one is more vocal and proactive to the AFL than Basset. He is a true Sainter so when the supporters feel an injustice has been done, I promise you he is just another disgruntled supporter who actually has a voice to the AFL. And he uses it. But as we all know it’s a fine line. Upset the hierarchy and it can come back to haunt you……Thommo and umpire footy cards anyone. But again I assure you,AB does not sit on his hands. He conveys what every diehard Saints supporter thinks.

[SaintPav]

The AFL pretends to care about social issues but when it comes to managing equity within its own domain of influence, it clearly shows it couldn’t give one flying f.uck, but again that’s our fault because we’re mediocre.

[Yorkeys]

I doubt current AFLGHQ management can manage much at all.
I see why Gills Departure was so long.
Doubt the Board see Dillon and Kane as stars.

[Scollop]

Upset the hierarchy and it can come back to haunt you……Thommo and umpire footy cards anyone.

Tha's a load of defeatist crap.

Sure...there was pain and learning and backlash, but that's what happens when you're trying to change the narrative.

Thommo stood up to them and embarrassed them to the point where St Kilda was respected

Thommo didn't mince words. He didn't care if his comments were public. Thommo made us relevant.

Contrast that with what we dished up last night at the tribunal

We were begging them to consider downgrading the charge to a 2 week penalty when we saw that they wouldn't budge.

They fabricated a lie to suit the charge and we accepted. That's pissweak

[saynta]

I can assure you no one is more vocal and proactive to the AFL than Basset. He is a true Sainter so when the supporters feel an injustice has been done, I promise you he is just another disgruntled supporter who actually has a voice to the AFL. And he uses it. But as we all know it’s a fine line. Upset the hierarchy and it can come back to haunt you……Thommo and umpire footy cards anyone. But again I assure you,AB does not sit on his hands. He conveys what every diehard Saints supporter thinks.

Good to hear and know.

[Life Long Saint]

We are irrelevant, not because of the AFL, we are irrelevant because we are mediocre and other than a few spikes in performance here and there, have been mediocre or worse in our entire history.

This is more accurate than we care to acknowledge.
We've played (prior to this season) 125 seasons of VFL/AFL football and made the finals 28 times.
Yep...Just 28!
That is less than 20%.
It's better in the AFL era (1990 - onwards).
Out of the 34 seasons, We've played finals 12 times and made 3 grand finals.
That's a 35% strike rate for finals and an 8% GF attendance.

Until GC and GWS entered the stage, from 1996 until Gold Coast's arrival, half of the teams that played every year made the finals. 35% is significantly less than 50% - which should be the target.

[Scollop]

I can assure you no one is more vocal and proactive to the AFL than Basset. He is a true Sainter so when the supporters feel an injustice has been done, I promise you he is just another disgruntled supporter who actually has a voice to the AFL. And he uses it. But as we all know it’s a fine line. Upset the hierarchy and it can come back to haunt you……Thommo and umpire footy cards anyone. But again I assure you,AB does not sit on his hands. He conveys what every diehard Saints supporter thinks.

On second thoughts...I know where you're coming from with the 'fine line' comment.

You can go too far with embarrassing umpires in the public domain

[SaintPav]

It might be true, but it is a strawman regarding this case.

[SaintPav]

I can assure you no one is more vocal and proactive to the AFL than Basset. He is a true Sainter so when the supporters feel an injustice has been done, I promise you he is just another disgruntled supporter who actually has a voice to the AFL. And he uses it. But as we all know it’s a fine line. Upset the hierarchy and it can come back to haunt you……Thommo and umpire footy cards anyone. But again I assure you,AB does not sit on his hands. He conveys what every diehard Saints supporter thinks.

On second thoughts...I know where you're coming from with the 'fine line' comment.

You can go too far with embarrassing umpires in the public domain.

The club doing this directly through the media is a losing strategy. It needs diplomatic negotiation behind closed doors.

Having said that, we should use every dirty tactic we have at our disposal to cause a stink.

Joey, Dal can help out here.

[Yorkeys]

Supporters of other clubs and commentators all see the treatment we get and largely raise eyebrows but don't care because it's not their side. AFL GHQ know that.

[D.B.Cooper]

LOL at the persecution complex

We have no voice because we are perennial cellar dwellers and other than make up the numbers for broadcasting rights are only of importance to our fans.

We are irrelevant, not because of the AFL, we are irrelevant because we are mediocre and other than a few spikes in performance here and there, have been mediocre or worse in our entire history.

I think some people need to look internally to understand why we are unimportant in the scheme of the competition.

I was 4 in 1966, will I live to see our next flag?
As good a chance as I have of winning powerball, and I have never entered a draw.

Not a persecution complex DB - in the 80's until the AFL we were a poorer club that could not afford to keep developing players so lost them to bigger clubs. Then once equalization came into effect - we had no Father Sons (because the father's had all left to play elsewhere) that were genetically blessed.

Then the AFL comes along - true we have made a mess of a lot of our decisions - but seriously name another club that has had:
- Whispers in the Sky
- Sirengate
- Players suspended for standing still
- Players suspended for 8 weeks with no vision (fair enough he did it - but seriously - no vision??)
- Balls that hit the post and went sideways called a goal
- Players being forced to publicly apologise for words said on field
- Etc
- Etc

We are not persecuted actively - but if it comes down to a tribunal appearance - we are just St Kilda - we cannot afford to take it to the highest court in the land - so just do what you like

We are the club you sub in at the last quarter to give a run - not the club first selected in the play ground. If you were to imagine St Kilda as a person, it is the mousey introvert standing in the corner asking a member of the opposite gender out (in their head) and throwing up if they ever come over to talk to us. WE ARE NOT THE PROM KING/QUEEN and NEVER WILL BE!

Thanks for the reply Sainter Dad, respectfully I do not agree with all your points but think you make some very valid ones.

For the record I am not a Fan of the AFL behavior in any form and feel there are certainly different rules for different entities, for example players like Judd, Dangerfield, Fife, Rozee etc have been continually excused by the Tribunal for acts that would have seen a low profile player suspended.

In response to above:
- We were pathetic in the 80's and could argue we have been a major beneficiary of the AFL equalization plans in the draft rewarding poor performance and being a major beneficiary to AFL cash distribution. (I do believe there is valid argument that big clubs being gifted marquee games contributes to the inequality and clubs like us miss out which is one of the reasons we need financial assistance)

We didn't get the father/ son kiss on the d!ck that Geelong had, but we could argue we were given every opportunity to capitalize our position with priority picks in 2000 & 2001 not to mention the benefit in draft order for being so poor for so long.

These are interesting points:
- Whispers in the Sky (the one time I believe the umpires truly cheated)
- Sirengate
- Players suspended for standing still
- Players suspended for 8 weeks with no vision (fair enough he did it - but seriously - no vision??)
- Balls that hit the post and went sideways called a goal
- Players being forced to publicly apologise for words said on field

Whilst all those points have merit, how many non saints supporters could recall these?
Do you think that you remember these because you are a saints supporter and other clubs may have their own list?
Essendon (who I see as drug cheats) still bleat to this day about being harshly dealt with as do Carlton (salary cap cheats) bitch and moan over the severity of their penalty. My point is all club supporters think they are on the receiving end, reasonably or unreasonably.

I agree 100% with you that we are not actively persecuted, but are the cannon fodder you send to China, make an example of a player, etc as we are irrelevant and mediocre. In a way I think your last couple of paragraphs actually agree with my comments.

Cheers!

[Yorkeys]

Please explain Pauline,
Libratore gets a week for sling tackle.
Can serve it while sidelined with concussion protocol.
Actual penalty for sling tackle? SFA.
What gives? the penalty you give when it's not a penalty.

[bigcarl]

Please explain Pauline,
Libratore gets a week for sling tackle.
Can serve it while sidelined with concussion protocol.
Actual penalty for sling tackle? SFA.
What gives? the penalty you give when it's not a penalty.

I presume Will Day wasn’t concussed, hence one week for Libba and Aliir was, hence three weeks for Higgins.


If that is not the case, the club ought to raise hell about it, regardless of any sympathy for Libba over his concussion issues.

[mr six o'clock]

LOL at the persecution complex


I was 4 in 1966, will I live to see our next flag?
As good a chance as I have of winning powerball, and I have never entered a draw.

What !
So you were twelve when you jumped out of that plane . Nice