It’s 1976 and I’m 14. It’s the last year that I am eligible for a junior membership, which, at that time, for the princely sum of $1.50, allowed you entry to all 22 VFL games of your chosen club (in my case, that was, and is, Footscray).
It’s an okay year for the Scraggers, relatively speaking, and history shows that we scraped into the top 5 after managing a draw in our final game against the top team, Carlton.
But we only won ten games for the year, meaning I had to endure eleven agonising defeats along the way – as I said, relatively successful for the Scraggers!
That season included four trips out to Waverley, and to get there from Footscray by public transport, it was definitely a case of taking a cut lunch, plus a cut dinner for the journey back.
I have a very clear memory of taking on Fitzroy out at Waverley during the season.
They were as unfashionable then as they were for most of the previous century, and took the wooden spoon that season.
Thus it was no surprise that only 7,000 hardy souls turned out to see this fixture on a bitterly cold, windswept day – and the quality of the footy was very reflective of the climatic conditions.
Perversely, it was such a forgettable game that it has left a lasting impression on me. Footscray won the game 4:11:35 to 3:16:34, and as you can see, it was quite a low scoring game.
But here’s the rub: Footscray scored a goal against the wind in the opening 20 seconds of play, and scored the winning goal after the final siren sounded, meaning we effectively only scored two goals in 2 hours of play!
As the clock ticked on towards the 30 minute mark of the last quarter, it really did look like we weren’t going to get that goal, so we started making the long walk around the non-members side to the exit, keeping an eye on whether we were within coo-ee of our own goals.
I can’t remember how exactly, but the next thing we knew, Alan Stoneham had taken a mark on the boundary, directly in front of us, where we were standing above the staircase that would take us down into the bowels of Waverley.
The siren went and we just looked at each other, we didn’t have to say a word: after all that, we’re not going to win this are we?
These were the days before the banana became de rigueur, so Stoneham went straight back, and with no angle to speak of, executed the perfect drop punt that split the sticks.
I can remember our reaction, we didn’t cheer, or jump up, or anything like that – we just laughed out loud, and laughed and laughed and laughed – running out of the stadium to jump on the first bus out of Waverley.
On the bus, we ran into those Footscray supporters who hadn’t hung around.
So disgusted were they, that when we told them we had actually won, absolutely none of them were happy: “didn’t deserve to win”; “they were bloody hopeless, every one of ’em!”
The train trip from Waverley back to the city was always a long and boring one, but occasionally the footy fans on board from either side would provide some light relief.
On this occasion, there was a bloke from Sydney sitting directly opposite us and he had just been to the game.
He started to talk about rugby league, and how it was a much better game, as we looked at him blankly.
A couple of rows back, a drunk German bloke started to shout out strange words, like: “zie fuhrer!!”
We had no idea what he was talking about, but strangely enough, he was making more sense than this bloke from Sydney.
With all this going on around me, my only thought was: f@rk, I hate coming out to Waverley to watch the footy.
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
Yip I dunno about MC and Pip but I don't wanna let this thread die...EVER! Not because it's fun to argue (and it is!) but because the Code Wars is all about how football should be played. I still haven't heard MC or Pip declare that Australia's situation is different from the US (which seems to be my bugbear these days) where there's been a four-way 'code war' for over 50 years and yet everyone can get along with the Basketball-loving Black kids in their neighbourhood or the Baseball-fantatic Latinos etc. The difference is that no-one's fighting over the meaning of 'football' as they are all quite confident that they know how football should be played. What makes football so different from all other sports when it comes to being close to people's hearts (and minds) is it the fact that we're told at a very young age that there's a right (and consequently a wrong way to play football) or is it the failure of Soccer to capitalise on its near Universality? :)
AndyRoo
Guest
So much to everyones surprise... it seems this wasn't the last word in the code wars :P We couldn't even make it through the off season.
dantenic
Guest
MCG was built for the olympics, and is called the Melbourne Cricket Ground, just FYI. Maybe you could lay claim to Etihad - but don't try and pinch the MCG as being built by and for the AFL.
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
Hear hear...but what are you going to do about it, in fact what can you/anyone do about it. Obviouslt the FTA networks feel your pain as they're selling AFL footy not just as an excellent sport but also as a foreign cultural experience, the Australia that should've been had you been a little more more malleable like the US ;) My comments about Packed to the rafters again become relevant here...the landscape as far as 7 is willing to admit is merely show it and they'll come, show it enough and they'll start believing... Maybe the AFL needs to sell its product Internationall, try something like the NFL is currently doin (tho granted I only get to see it through ESPN)
Michael C
Roar Guru
It's a bit like the National Trust running their list of 'living treasures', the reality is that Australian Football is a 'living treasure', in a different way to how the Melbourne Cup is a living treasure, and a different way to which other 'icons' like the Opera house, Harbour bridge etc are 'treasures', reality though is that - - there's plenty of choice around the world for bridges, buildings, and beaches (the 3 B's!!!),.....we could chuck in 'boulders' too!!! what we in Australia have to do, is realise that a naturally evolved 100,000 capacity stadium primarily funded by/for a unique domestic football code is a pretty significant thing - - nothing to be scoffed at, and perhaps worth celebrating. 7 million attendees annually and almost 600,000 signed up club members says to me that from such a small national population base - - that Aust Footy is 'Australian' enough in 'reach' to be regarded as in some way symbolic/representative/iconic.....but never of everybody.....after all, there's no women in the AFL senior comp!!!
Redb
Roar Guru
yes there are some who'll beleive the Earth is flat and they tell you until their blue in the face if it suits their argument - doesn't mean its not reality. ;-)
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
I could never deny (and as I love the sport I would be an idiot to let the opportunity pass) that Aussie rules is a game born and bred in Australia, but the reality is there are plenty of people who won't agree to this. Of course that could apply also to whether religion's a good/bad thing but the Govt of Australia has no right to deny one, because that'll piss off the other group etc. Same with Aussie rules, yes they should support it..but maybe those who they should really focus on are RL/RU/Soccer fans in the Northern States...is that not what the education system is for (enlightenment not brainwashing of course ;) )
Michael C
Roar Guru
but what is?? Do all Irish believe that Gaelic Footy is quintessentially Irish? No. Is Gaelic footy worth attending as a tourist? Yes, but, only with a guinness in hand.... Do all Australians live near to Bondi Beach? No. Is Bondi worth going to as a tourist? hmmmm, not sure.....depends on the perve factor..... Do all Americans adore baseball? No. Is MLB worth seeing as a tourist? Yes. And the people who don't think Australian Football is particularly Australia are being very narrow minded.........and are a bit tiresome really.
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
Yeah it's not as if I was trying to get into a whose code is best rant, but I think my point was that it's hard to improve when the rules are so light (with the exception of the anarchic play-the-ball rule) compared to Soccer which is also struggling to envision new attacking paradigms in spite of the seemingly increasing atheticism of players at the top of the tree
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
Ignorant, because I'm a Kiwi? Well you do have a point...we do love only one code and maybe we're as monocultural as some Aussie rules fans, but I get to see enough of all sports played in this part of the world in no small part because of Sky TV (and damn him Rupert Murdoch) which is owned by News Whatever! Also I have met Australians when I was in a Australia ( :D ) and I frequently do go over the dirch, so don't accuse me of just listening to what NRL crackerjacks ( ;) ) say on this site
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
The quality of Football has gone up. The players are light years ahead of where they were 20 years ago. Perhaps the lack of change has meant that defense is now favored (the quality of coaching has improved too much unfortunately) and I have already conceded to MC that they need to increase the maximum allowed size of the goals. Not for more goals per se but to reduce the effectiveness of some defensive techniques. I am not the worlds biggest AFL fan but I do think it has pottential as a tourist attraction. I don’t think it should be used to get them to Australia because well it’s just too weird. But once they arrive at the Airport give them a pamphlet and such. It should be on the check list of things to do Pat a kangaroo and see a koala Go to the beach Be surrounded by 40k Australians while watching a game of Aussie Rules Enjoy a BBQ
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Every decade, since the 1860s, has seen a quantum leap in the skills of players, and their fitness levels.
Redb
Roar Guru
Another ignorant comment.
Michael C
Roar Guru
for country's as isolated as Australia and NZ, the sports that became important in the late 1800s have pretty well held position, in the main. And back then - - 3 month sea journey's meant that 'international' matches weren't nearly as important as they might seem no with a 6-20 hour flight to where-ever. So - - - - so be it, if beating the neighbouring suburb still seems more important to some people than the national team beating Qatar, Bangladesh or Kazakstan.
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
But don't throw around blanket concepts like 'Aussie' when you get to convince Canberra of the value in cultural tourism as plenty of Australians don't think Aussie rules is particularly Australian...and this comes back to my point on relativism it's no good saying or even believing Aussie rules is a quintessentially Australian experience when there are plenty of thoers who think the opposite...as with Socrates' original problem with Pythagoras' man is the measure of all things' argument, who can legitimately say they're right and who cannot
Michael C
Roar Guru
Soccer has flooded the market......an over supply of product.....(cricket is in severe danger of this now too), footy, (AFL), has the wonderful element of just what you say....yes, this time of year, teams in pre-season, mid way through the drafts processes......new draftees being presented their jumpers and yes, there's an element of "can't wait" that continues to build through early autumn. The off season is actually pretty well structured now to sustain that level of interest in the lead up to xmas - - which helps drive people buying memberships before xmas.......and now we have the 'club gift cards'.....great idea that.
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
LOL we could do this all day ;) But there's truth in both what I say and what you say: I mean on this side of the Tasman even when taking into consideration our traditional bunnyraces on the 'International' stage there does seem to be plenty of this hedging your bets, where you only support the sports that you do well at. Of course that's a generalisation but overall it does seem that the popularity of AFL/NRL is largely due to that fact that they've always been popular, but maybe the same applies in Rugbyland
Michael C
Roar Guru
'better', the game isn't like a 100 metre race......where 'better' might be deemed purely to be 'faster times', and even a 100 metre race....the 'race' is the key word, otherwise, it's just a time trial. The contest is key, not the times.......surely??? Well, in AFL land, the contest is king. And the variety has expanded with the league going national and continuing down that path. More variety of contest, ideas, strategies, etc. And if we do start seeing some reasonable numbers of draftable talent filtering in from PNG, RSA, Oceania, North America, Europe, Asia....whereever....it'll add a whole new dimension that previously lacked other than the recent immigrants providing a 'fresh take' on the game. So.....better.........what's better?? Better vertical leap?? save that stuff for the draft camp.
Jaredsbro
Roar Guru
What do you mean? Do you mean that it's getting more exciting, ie at this time every year you can't wait to get back into the footy again or is there actual quanitifiable improvements? Of course the same could be asked of any sporting code and for some time I've felt that Soccer particularly is going backwards in skill level/entertainment value...that definitely isn't happening with the AFL
Michael C
Roar Guru
Ah, I'm not anti international, however, I recognise that international isn't better just because. Is a Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh test match a better standard match than full strength NSW vs Vic Sheffield shield. Answer no. But, the Zimbos and Banga's get to wear their coat of arms....good on 'em. Is AFL unworthy by NOT being international....in some ways yes, and in some ways NO and infact FAR LESS unworthy by virtue of NOT being international - - - - - - which is part of the world's best sporting culture, which is that we have this relatively hidden diamond called Australian Football that makes our nation more than just a country of small minded folk seeking to define their national worth via deeds on international sports arenas. The sad fact that Canberra (Fed Govt) doesn't realise that the AFL should be promoted as a tourist attraction is indicative of Australian small mindedness, whereas visitors to Ireland would make an effort to attend a Gaelic sport, and travellers in the US seek to go to a MLB match or visit Yankee stadium etc etc, so too - we should have visitors to Australia encouraged to visit the 'G, and attend an AFL match as part of their 'aussie experience'. THAT - is a key part of a unique sporting culture - - rather than just being a member/affiliate of the most 'other peoples' clubs.