One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on April 03, 2012, 02:28:29 PM
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Richmond fans...I'm glad I'm not those guys
Simon White
WA today
April 3, 2012
Fellas - and maybe ladies - I'm sure you all know the guy I'm talking about.
He's the one lumping two screaming kids around the shopping centre. His clothes are crumpled, the bags under his eyes betray his lack of sleep and, to top it all off, his wife is berating him for some perceived wrongdoing in a really annoying voice.
In short, he's the bloke you look at and say "Jeez, I'm glad I'm not that guy".
He's also a Richmond fan. Not necessarily literally but certainly figuratively. Because no team makes you say "I wouldn't want to be one of their supporters" like the boys in yellow-and-black.
Don't get me wrong, I've always had a soft spot for the Tigers.
They have (by some margin) the best club song in the competition. Matthew Richardson was the most likeable superstar of the last 20 years. One of my best mates from primary school, Sweens, is a lifelong Richmond man.
But it's telling that Sweens also works on coping mechanisms to deal with Tiger disappointments. This year it's convincing himself that Richmond will lose every game, meaning any win will be a bonus.
As a Fremantle supporter, I can't say what it's been like to be a Richmond fan for the past 20 years, but I can have bit of a guess.
The Dockers have played six finals (for two wins) since entering the competition in 1995 - the same record that Richmond has since losing the 1982 grand final.
The big difference, however, is that Fremantle has never won anything, while Richmond - between 1967 and the end of 1982 - played in 27 finals, made seven grand finals and won five premierships.
So you take a club with that record of success, factor in 30 barren years and then throw in, by way of just a few examples, the following:
* Taking Richard Lounder (four games) and Anthony Banik (49) with the No. 1 picks of the 1987 and 1989 drafts. OK, so drafting wasn't the comparatively exact science it is now but Graham Wright went at No. 3 in 1987 and Peter Matera, Gavin Wanganeen and Ben Allan went inside the first 14 picks in 1989.
* Selecting Richard Tambling instead of Lance Franklin in the 2004 draft. No further explanation required.
* Nathan Brown (then on Brownlow Medal pace) and Mark Coughlan (fairest-and-best aged 21) suffering serious injuries and never being the same players again.
* Richardson missing the best part of three full seasons through injury and still finishing his career with 282 games and 800 goals - but only three finals.
* The AFL scheduling blockbuster Thursday night season-openers against a traditional rival (Carlton), the past four of which you've lost by an average of more than 50 points in front of a national audience.
But I'm thinking - and again this is merely a guess from an outsider looking on - that the hardest thing of all about being a Tigers fan is going into each winter hoping this one will be different.
And then realising that it might not be.
I got sucked into the Richmond hope this year. I looked at team built around Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio, Nathan Foley, Dustin Martin and Jack Riewoldt and thought "they might actually be quite good" (without considering who their teammates might be).
I tipped the Tigers against Carlton last week. Craziest of all, I wrote that they were my "gut feel" selection to make the eight.
By the end of last Thursday night, the main feeling I had in my gut was an empty one - for Sweens and all the rest of the Richmond mob.
I should have spoken to Sweens before I wrote or tipped anything. As he let me know me on Monday, the bottom six players in Richmond's team aren't necessarily all that much chop (watching the Carlton game, I at least answered the question of "whatever happened to Brad Miller?").
Then again, as Sweens also pointed out, the Tigers got within a goal of a top-four contender in the last quarter. If Martin had converted a set shot six minutes into the final term, the margin would have been back to just a point.
Ah hell, here I go again. If...could...would...should.
And I note that the Tigers have an extra day's break headed into their clash with Collingwood on Saturday. Perhaps the Pies will be bruised and battered from their epic clash with Hawthorn last week. Maybe that upset I tipped is still to come.
If it's this hard for me - a neutral - then imagine how tough it is on Richmond fans.
They get to sing a darn good song occasionally but, for the moment, I'm glad I'm not one of those guys.
http://www.watoday.com.au/afl/blogs/white-or-wrong/richmond-fansim-glad-im-not-those-guys-20120402-1w8ap.html#ixzz1qwqFuTnQ
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Geez they are acting like we lost a game we were certain to win. Carlton are a top 4 side with what looks to be the premier ruckman in the comp if he stays fit . . . whats the deal with Melbourne and St Kilda?? :shh
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Whoever wrote that is an idiot. He goes for Freo :sleep
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I didn't even think Freo had supporters. Now I know that they do, I definitely wouldn't want to be one of them.
1. Having to wear purple to the games.
2. Singing a club song with a total of 4 words
3. Not having any heritage to your club, just a mish mash of other cultures
4. Being perennial underachievers notwithstanding having one of the brightest lists in the comp and the most compelling home ground.
I'm sure I could think of more.
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Whats a Freo?
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Geez they are acting like we lost a game we were certain to win. Carlton are a top 4 side with what looks to be the premier ruckman in the comp if he stays fit . . . whats the deal with Melbourne and St Kilda?? :shh
Yeah I have been coping that all week from numbnuts opposition supporters.
I just reckon plenty have done their tips on based purely on practice match results and been burned.
We've been overrated.
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is it legal to shoot supporters from other clubs that say they have a soft spot for us because we have the best song?
Don't want to be your second team and don't want your sympathy
bugger off
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who is this james blunt and what does he stand for, sheesh he's clutching at straws with 25 year draft stories, what next JFK conspiracies :lol....My advice is he needs to blow his story right back up the woofer coz, listen carefully come real close now....drafting LOUNDER has ;stuff all to do with the side that runs out SAT night :shh
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:lol
Funny piece that made me laugh. Helps to laugh at yourself every now and then and this article was non-confrontational to me.
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I looked at team built around Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio, Nathan Foley, Dustin Martin and Jack Riewoldt and thought "they might actually be quite good" (without considering who their teammates might be).
lol that's actually on the money.
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:lol
Funny piece that made me laugh. Helps to laugh at yourself every now and then and this article was non-confrontational to me.
There is plenty to laugh at!
Whether you like it or not, it is so easy bagging out the Tigers.
I remember doing the same stuff in the early 80s to Saints, Bulldog and Demon fans.
I don't really think the article is as much about r1 as it is about 30 years.
It is a poorly, written superficially critical piece born out of boredom from a town that lives on the exhaust fumes of a Catapillar Dump truck.
But it is what it is.
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There is plenty to laugh at!
Whether you like it or not, it is so easy bagging out the Tigers.
Yep, but if you believe we are on the right path then it is easy to laugh at. Because we will have the loudest last laugh ever at clown teams like Freo or hated enemies like the cheating scum Filth when we win our next flag and the reason is because it will happen before either of them win theirs.
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The Fremantle Footy Club is a disgrace.
To mention Richard Lounder when the array of superstars they have passed on or picked up instead resemles a cavalcade of whimsy.
Done to stir the pot.
At Christmas time small gifts that are usually cheap and resemble in some cases the esteem the buyer has for the receiver are referred to as stocking fillers an article like this along the same lines but is referred to as a page filler.
Ignore and move on.
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There is plenty to laugh at!
Whether you like it or not, it is so easy bagging out the Tigers.
Yep, but if you believe we are on the right path then it is easy to laugh at. Because we will have the loudest last laugh ever at clown teams like Freo or hated enemies like the cheating scum Filth when we win our next flag and the reason is because it will happen before either of them win theirs.
Totally agree there Smokey :thumbsup
The laugh will be last - as we will need to put together a couple of really decent seasons before we shut up the knockers for good. A flag would be nice :cheers
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The laugh will be last - as we will need to put together a couple of really decent seasons before we shut up the knockers for good. A flag would be nice :cheers
That's the one! :thumbsup
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Didn't we absolutely belt Freo last year? That must have fisted.
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simon white = richard head
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Someone needs to remind this idiot that Fremantle have beaten Richmond only once in their last six encounters.
He mentions Lounder.....anyone remember their Pygmy sized/ helmet wearing full forward John Hutton ( no of course you dont- why would you ?)
He mentions Brown and Cogs....well what about their inaugural captain Ben Allen who practically played on one leg in his 47 game career at Freo.
What about the Peter Bell fiasco when they delisted him after two games.
Didn't they select Chris Groom (7 games) ahead of Andrew McCloud.
Only at loser clubs are players like Sean Mcmanus gifted 228 games.
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Traded pick 1 & 36 to Hawthorn for Trent Croad
Hawks used those picks on Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell
Then Croad went back to Hawthorn after just 38 games
Freo got pick 10 in return which they used on Ryley Dunn (8 games)
:ROTFL
Took Todd Ridley (21 games) from Essendon in return for a compensation pick in the pre-season draft.
The Bombers used that pick on Matthew Lloyd.
:ROTFL
Traded Andew McLeod for Chris Groom (7 games)
:ROTFL
Drafted Jeff White (32 games) with pick 1
:ROTFL
where does it end?
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They have a 40% winning record over their entire history
:ROTFL
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Freo Way To Go
:ROTFL
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The rat has spoken :bow
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Traded pick 1 & 36 to Hawthorn for Trent Croad
Hawks used those picks on Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell
Then Croad went back to Hawthorn after just 38 games
Freo got pick 10 in return which they used on Ryley Dunn (8 games)
:ROTFL
Took Todd Ridley (21 games) from Essendon in return for a compensation pick in the pre-season draft.
The Bombers used that pick on Matthew Lloyd.
:ROTFL
Traded Andew McLeod for Chris Groom (7 games)
:ROTFL
Drafted Jeff White (32 games) with pick 1
:ROTFL
where does it end?
That poo needs to go in the comments section of his Blog. Absolutely hilarious.
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The article gets a run in today's podcast...will be up this arvo.
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Actually don't mind Freo supporters. All the ones i've met have been ripper blokes. They're up for some good banter at games too – and after :cheers
Probably stems from their losing culture.
Weagles supporters on the other hand :chuck
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Cmon guys. He was empathising with us. And if you can't laugh at the fact that we have been a joke for 30 years then your living in a dream world.
I laughed at his article & agreed with it.
I also agreed with his mate Sweeny who doesn't expect us to win so when we do it's a bonus. I've been doing this for 10 years now.
The ONLY thing that gets me upset is losing to Carlscum.
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Mr
Cmon guys. He was empathising with us. And if you can't laugh at the fact that we have been a joke for 30 years then your living in a dream world.
I laughed at his article & agreed with it.
I also agreed with his mate Sweeny who doesn't expect us to win so when we do it's a bonus. I've been doing this for 10 years now.
The ONLY thing that gets me upset is losing to Carlscum.
Hello....anybody home. ;)
Only second quarter but good to see the tigers playing with a little passion.
yes I'm at home. Wouldn't want to waste my Sunday arvo on a mediocre team watching mediocre skills by mediocre players.
At home the beer is cheaper too. :thumbsup
Hmmm.
Edit: leave out the personal insults
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Mr Cmon guys. He was empathising with us. And if you can't laugh at the fact that we have been a joke for 30 years then your living in a dream world.
I laughed at his article & agreed with it.
I also agreed with his mate Sweeny who doesn't expect us to win so when we do it's a bonus. I've been doing this for 10 years now.
The ONLY thing that gets me upset is losing to Carlscum.
Hello....anybody home. ;)
Only second quarter but good to see the tigers playing with a little passion.
yes I'm at home. Wouldn't want to waste my Sunday arvo on a mediocre team watching mediocre skills by mediocre players.
At home the beer is cheaper too. :thumbsup
Hmmm.
I was there in 1980 mate I've seen a premiership. :cheers
Edit: quote edited
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Showed up when we were good aye ;D
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Yes
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Showed up when we were good aye ;D
whatever coach.
I was a Titus ton up member for over 10 years never missed a game in those days and that's when we were getting thrashed most weeks.
I still support the club i'm just not as feral now so losing doesn't ruin my whole week like it used to.
Now I go when I can but i don't schedule my life around the fixture like I used to.
I know where your coming from I was like that too but now I just enjoy footy and watching my son play on the weekend.
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Doesn't mind the report system this dude :shh
get ready for Geez
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Back to the topic ppl!
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franchise team that really hasnt done squat
and probably never will.
take note
GWS and GCS.