Sometimes even the purest of moments can be hijacked by the fast-paced world we live in.
The news cycle is as fast as it is greedy. It needs to be fed. And so, shortly after we celebrate something magical, we can find ourselves tangled in the branches of the lesser subplots that follow.
The problem is, the simplicity and the meaning of the moment is often lost.
When Luke Beveridge called injured Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy up to the premiership dais on Saturday to give him his medal, many people proclaimed it was one of the most touching, generous and selfless acts they had seen.
Just for the moment, that was the universal, prevailing view.
Over the last few days, twitter has come alive to push the story beyond its scope.
But then again, twitter can do that. It often resembles a pub, late on a Saturday night. Plenty of noise, plenty of spirited discussions. Lots and lots of opinions.
However, sometimes not a lot of them make sense.
Some on social media have suggested Bob Murphy is selfish for taking the medal and lifting the Cup ahead of the coach. Some have said the whole gesture was totally unnecessary, as Murphy is not the first hard luck story to be told on grand final day and won’t be the last. Some have encouraged the AFL to reject the Bulldogs’ request to strike another medal for Beveridge.
This was manifested by the media, who scattered polls across their outlets asking the average punter if they think the coach should receive another medal from the AFL.
Yet in the end, surely the true meaning of this act lies in the moment it happened.
Here was a man who had just coached a young team to a drought-breaking premiership. A coach who accomplished this year what so many had failed to do before him. He stood there with his medal around his neck and the opportunity to lift the Premiership Cup, a moment that would be etched in the history books of the game forever.
But in that very moment, Luke Beveridge was not thinking of himself or what he had just achieved.
He thought of his injured captain who has spent most of his adult life at the club, who has given so much of himself to his teammates throughout his career and even this year knowing he couldn’t play.
Today’s game is a calculated, measured and often over analysed game of tactics.
It’s so often demanding and unsentimental. It’s a brutal, big business.
However on the biggest stage, in his moment, Beveridge showed there was still room for the game’s heart to reign supreme.
This man preaches selflessness to his players. It’s not hard to see why his team follows him.
The twittersphere may well maintain the rage in a fit of dizzy over-analysis, but the reality is this was a moment to remember.
A moment of pure joy, when Luke Beveridge presented a gift to Bob Murphy to say thank you.
That was the moment. What happens next, really doesn’t matter.
D Fitz
Roar Rookie
Corey, Thanks for the lecture. However on Sunday morning Murphy did as I anticipated quietly hand back the meda to Beveridge.
Cory Alan
Guest
Great article Sam... After witnessing the wonderfull gesture between Luke beveridge and his injured captain Bob Murphy on grand final day, had me thinking, how long it would take before jornos & the greater public got their opinionated mits on bevos emotional & heart felt gesture to his captain. By lunchtime Monday, I had already scrolled past four FB surveys asking "should bob murphy hand back beveridge's premiership medal & "should the afl make another medal for beveridge" followed by the papers the next day, in which I was very happy to scroll past. Now let's not get ahead of ourselves, the AFL will not make another medal for bevo, they would be crazy to do so, and for obvious reasons. As for the bevos gesture to bob on afl's biggest stage, I don't think we need to tell Bob Murphy that he wasn't physically apart of the drought braking bulldog premiership win. Will he give the medal back? Who really cares, let's just take it for what it is, and that is, that Luke beveridge has a speacial realationship with his injured captain & his players who he respects and admires and cares deeply for, and unless your in the inner sanctum of the Footscray bulldogs football club, no one will understand the role Murphy played to his team throughout the year!
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
I think Bevo clearly felt Bob played a pivotal spiritual and leadership role in helping to lead this team off the canvass these past two seasons and I suspect Bevo genuinely wanted Bob to feel he was a strong part of this team and its success, despite missing with injury. In this light, Bevo feels Murphy is a worthy owner of the medal. I think Bob might offer to give it back at a quiet moment, but be thrilled to be told again by Bevo, no it's yours, you deserve it. Bevo doesn't need one to feel a part of it. I think Murphy should keep it as a record of his involvement and nobody should issue Bevo another one.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
I think its a human reaction to copping a heap of criticism directed at him and Boyd for the Boyd trade. He couldn't help pointing out that their detractors were wrong. He's a pugnacious man and has been great for our club. But yeah, I think he should have showed a bit more class than being disparaging of Buddy, and just quietly savoured to himself the satisfaction of Boyd playing so well in the grand final.
Col from Brissie
Roar Guru
Yeah I thought that comment from Gordon was out of the John Elliott 'How to be Arrogant' textbook.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Knowing the kind of person Bob Murphy is he would probably present it back to Bevo at the Clubs Best & Fairest evening.......
Paul D
Roar Guru
Not criticizing personalities, just saying that the whole reason people appreciated what Bevo did was because of the sacrifice he was willing to make - if it's just a matter of giving it up and getting another one later it devalues the entire gesture.
mattyb
Guest
I agree Fitz,if it was me I'd hand it back at an appropriate time while saying how touched I was by the original gesture.
mattyb
Guest
I also agree with PD and while I love what Gordon has done he does tend to say the wrong thing often. He's a bit of a communist though and they often tend to read the script wrong or use the script to their own advantage. Gordon has certainly diluted the original sentiment,they could have easily just made Beveridge some kind of medal and said nothing.
D Fitz
Roar Rookie
Agreed there should be no additional medal. Where do you stop ? The medal will always be Beveridge's medal whether he or Murphy is the custodian. Murphy may feel an imposter holding the medal. Maybe he could just quietly return it to Beveridge ? ?
TomC
Roar Guru
Misguided, certainly. It devalues the gesture if you're going to ask for what you gave away to be replaced, but I'm sure Beveridge wasn't thinking that at the time. PD is right - it's a complex precedent and hopefully the Bulldogs don't press this point and force the AFL into a blunt refusal.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Yeah I agree, Paul D. More specifically, it was Peter Gordon who asked. I think Gordon has misread the script. I suspect Bevo would have been embarrassed by that. Gordon's little dig at Buddy (comparing his 1 goal to our equivalent salary Tom Boyd's 3 goals) to the Doggies faithful on the Sunday was poor sportsmanship too. I didn't like it. It's okay to say something like that behind closed doors in private, but not in public and not when you are leader of the club. It seems like he has a chip on his shoulder.
Paul D
Roar Guru
It was a great moment until the Dogs asked for Bevo to get a new medal to replace the one he gave away. Then it just got tacky and fake.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Nice article Sam. For the record, I don't think the AFL should make another medal to give to Beveridge. It sets a complex precedent. Who decides which players outside of the 22 get one? Mitch Wallis would also have definitely been picked in the side if not injured. If the AFL give an extra medal, then every year the winning coach will follow Bevo's example so that unlucky players can get a medal. I don't think Bevo needs a medal - he's a legend of our club now and will be ingrained in everyone's memory for what he achieved.