Up until recently, not far from here was a small corner shop. For decades this store had been frequented the local kids on their way to and from school and during the 70s and 80s, it’s where those kids went to buy their footy cards.
For most of those kids, footy was held in high regard. It was where local blokes, who you might meet at that very corner shop, performed acts of amazing strength and vanquished the clearly superior blokes from that other team.
Footy was about playing hard, overcoming challenges and being a good bloke. It was about the game and what happened on the field.
It was about getting out to the footy park and supporting these guys. It was about watching it all unfold, as these local blokes ran around.
It was real and it was right there in front of you. You were a part of the excitement, you were a part of the game.
A song was written about that shop. Gary Frost penned it and the title comes to mind with regard to the AFL and NRL doping scandals – ‘What about me?’
Footy is supposed to be about the game. It is supposed to be as much about the supporters as the players.
As footy supporters, of all codes, when did we lose our voice? When did we get pushed out of the equation?
When did those charged with administering footy decide winning and commercial interests outweighed the need to bring the supporter base along for the highs and lows?
When did it become such a business that dodgy pharmacological programs would even get on the radar?
The Essendon saga is headed to the courts, AFL, the Essendon club, the supporters and the taxpayers will end up footing the enormous bills.
What about me? Who asked me if these dodgy experiments were what the supporters wanted?
Similarly, the Sharks saga will head to the courts.
What about me? When do I get a say in all this?
Footy is about the supporters and fans – What about us?
The administrators talk about it being “our game” and “your team”. When do we get a say in all this?
“What about me?
It isn’t fair,
I’ve had enough, now I want my share,
Can’t you see?
I wanna live,
But you just take more than you give…”
Pot Stirrer
Guest
When the dust settles on all this i worry that the game AFL & NRL given they are the 2 codes being dragged though the mud like Cycling was, will struggle to get sponsors. Associating your company with a code that their own fans dont know for sure thier achievments were done with out using drugs, then maybe just spending the money on more advertising is a better buisiness decision.
mark
Guest
Actually big money was offered before that, and the big money was in WA in 1890's to around 1910. Plenty of players left Tassie, Southern NSW, Vic and Tas to make some good money playing football in WA. The facts are that people go where there are jobs and money, at least now the spread of national teams has helped the spread of money.
Truth Told
Guest
The sooner you realise but more importantly accept it the better. In the Rosey or "happy days" it is the "peoples game". Both the AFL abd NRL at various times have promoted that way at least once. But unfortunately both codes are corporations working in a very competitive corporate environment and are now facing a massive problem that could cause untold damage both financially and reputation. Who knows, the legal battle could strangle the codes until they barely operate. We all know it will be the lawyers who come off best. Therefore whatever the corporation wants or needs to do will be top of the pecking order. Then secondly the corporations values the ones who then adds the most money to them. This being sponsors, government and the media Third in the pecking order is the clubs and players. Then last on the pecking order the humble fan. The group that contributes probably the most to the codes. These are ruthless corporations and act obly ib way that benefits. There would be many in the codes whi will tell you until they are black and blue in the face that you as fans are important etc etc. But it is all a lie. Just look at how the public have been left out of this process? They may tell you that crowd input is considered but in reality they don't. They act solely for their own benefit and then secondly the benefit of their key stakeholders. Not even Andrew D is immune. They don't have the guts to say but the clubs/players and the fans are the two lowest common denominators in the equation. But then again this is all normal and legal for corporations of this size. Look at Woolworths. Another large corporation. Their pecking order is the corporation, investors, staff and rhen lastky customers. Sound familiar? Also should Woolworths private matters be open and available to their customers? Of course not. A fan of football is just a customer with a bigger emotional investment than a supermarket custiner. Emotions do not buy legal ownership or entitlement. Combined withe Corporate culture there are also privacy laws in place. Get over it sports fans you are the lowest common denominators. You are not the owners and thus if the corporations wish to leave you out ....... well .... Not fair but it is a reality
Tony
Guest
I am talking about big money in football. As the good book says...it is the root of all evil! I agree with you about the national comp - now SA, WA, etc play on a level field & we are all chasing the ultimate glory
Horatio
Guest
I'm not sure what you are on about - it got popular, all codes were going national to keep viable and to attract the best athletes - the world has moved on in some good and bad ways - I doubt the VFL, SANFL etc would have survived in the new world if there wasnt a national comp. To think drugs wouldn't have arisen in the old VFL is delusional. All sports are currently trying to cope...
Tony
Guest
Rabbitz...it all started when the VFL clubs offered big money to interstate players to move to Melbourne. We are reaping what was sown - the pursuit for the flag & glory. And we didn't mind it a bit!