Those Were the Days
April 5th 2008 01:06
I can remember, and it seems as though it was not that long ago, when my side was the most dominant, feared and disliked side in the competition. On most weeks we won, and, if we didn’t win, we almost did. We played finals almost every year, won premierships and made grand finals often, and we outnumbered our counterparts in the crowd by many, many a thousand.
Leigh Matthews once called Essendon supporters arrogant. It was just before the 2001 AFL grand final, and, I for one knew that it was true. On arriving at the MCG on Grand Final day that year, the very first banner that I saw was one that related to us all. In mighty red and black the banner read, ‘Pure Arrogance.’
That was a significant day. It was the last Grand Final we made, and the last September where we have even looked close to making some sort of an impact. It was also the last day of our heightened arrogance. With losing comes a certain sense of humility.
Just this week, I was surrounded by Geelong fans as they dismantled the Bombers by ninety nine points at the Telstra Dome. I heard a familiar tone in their voice when they cheered their side, booed mine, and spoke about the game. It was a tone that was filled with the belief that their team was the best and that no matter how boastful they became they would not have to live in fear, because their team would prove them right and give them the last laugh. And laugh they did.
I wasn’t angry, but I was jealous. At the time of our dominance I thought that the good times would last forever. But they didn’t. Nothing ever does. And as a supporter, you change your expectations and perhaps even start cheering a little louder. There was a time when Essendon fans didn’t bother raising a cheer until we hit the lead by twelve goals and Lloyd lined up for his tenth. Now I’m on my feet and clapping every time a kick out of the back line hits a target.
Gone are the days of expecting to win. We now hope to win. Which, I am told by Melbourne fans is quite arrogant in itself, for they seem to have given up altogether. According to them, they are not expecting to win or even hoping to win. They are hoping not to be flogged.
Leigh Matthews once called Essendon supporters arrogant. It was just before the 2001 AFL grand final, and, I for one knew that it was true. On arriving at the MCG on Grand Final day that year, the very first banner that I saw was one that related to us all. In mighty red and black the banner read, ‘Pure Arrogance.’
That was a significant day. It was the last Grand Final we made, and the last September where we have even looked close to making some sort of an impact. It was also the last day of our heightened arrogance. With losing comes a certain sense of humility.
Just this week, I was surrounded by Geelong fans as they dismantled the Bombers by ninety nine points at the Telstra Dome. I heard a familiar tone in their voice when they cheered their side, booed mine, and spoke about the game. It was a tone that was filled with the belief that their team was the best and that no matter how boastful they became they would not have to live in fear, because their team would prove them right and give them the last laugh. And laugh they did.
I wasn’t angry, but I was jealous. At the time of our dominance I thought that the good times would last forever. But they didn’t. Nothing ever does. And as a supporter, you change your expectations and perhaps even start cheering a little louder. There was a time when Essendon fans didn’t bother raising a cheer until we hit the lead by twelve goals and Lloyd lined up for his tenth. Now I’m on my feet and clapping every time a kick out of the back line hits a target.
Gone are the days of expecting to win. We now hope to win. Which, I am told by Melbourne fans is quite arrogant in itself, for they seem to have given up altogether. According to them, they are not expecting to win or even hoping to win. They are hoping not to be flogged.
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