A believer, a non-believer or just hopeful?

[yellowandback]

This forum is full of them.

The believer - either they like what they see being developed at Tigerland or are seen as liking anything dished up providing it is predicated on the word re and build.
You tend to see these posters on this forum after any win and often jubilant after a big win (over anyone)

The non or disbeliever - which is the opposite. Wouldn't matter what happened, they are just beaten supporters after 30 years and have given up. No win is big enough and no loss is acceptable. They either have good, considerd logic laced with a dose of sarcasm or frankly post like Rances jilted gay stalker and come across as perpetual haters. You tend to see these posters straight after a loss.

Then there is the hopeful of which I include myself. They see enough some weeks to feel like this is finally THE rebuild, THE moment, THE year..........and then we have THAT loss, THAT umpiring decision, THAT disappointing folding under pressure.
These losses leave with that nagging feeling that perhaps this isn't quite the nirvana we thought.
I'd like to think that the hopefuls sit in the shadows of the believers but sometimes it gets pretty uncomfortable - particularly after yesterday.

So who are you?
Why are you in that camp?
To the believers, how do you get up off the canvass after days like yesterday?
And to the non believers, what drives you to attend the games, post on these forums and seemingly get validated after a loss like yesterday.

I'd be interested in your thoughts.

[Judge Roughneck]

I am not a ' believer' because I feel the coach plays his favorites. Short term goals rather than long term prosperity of the playing like.

Damian 'Obama' Hardwick.

[Hellenic Tiger]

I believe in the overall picture that we can succeed.
However we need to tinker with some things to get there.

[Tigeritis™©®]

I think we're all hopeful but some of us have been hopeful and been burnt too often. 

Hopeful we can take the next step.
Hopeful that we can continue to develop.
Hopeful this rebuild isn't a false one.
Hopeful we aren't wasting our time in hope just to go through another false dawn.

We all want the Tigers to succeed even if sometimes it doesn't sound like it.

After all we are all family in the Tiger army.
Thus forum gives everyone a chance to voice an opinion and gets things off our chest.
 

[Hellenic Tiger]

I am hopeful but philosophical or I'd like to think but I'll be judged by my fellow posters.

Yes yesterday was galling but in all honesty not surprising given our propensity to still fall away badly in games. Yes it hurts and yes we have been patient long enough but for the first time in ages I feel the on and off field is going in the right direction and whilst on field we are prone to shockers like yesterday it is not surprising given the stage of development we are at.

In 2009 Collingwood lost to St Kilda on a Monday night by 15 goals and followed up with a 10 goal loss to Carlton only to beat St Kilda to a flag 18 months later.

Hawthorn emerged into finals contention in 2007 for the first time in 6 years and in round 22 missed out on a double chance losing by 71 points to Sydney after enduring another 71 point loss to Adelaide earlier in the year whom they beat in an Ellimination final yet went on to win a flag 12 months later.

Whilst a result like yesterday and the last three decades fails to appease us hard core fans the on field piece of the puzzle is always the last piece that will find its snug fit and whether that is based on the accruing of a few players an acquisition of a new recruit in the draft or free agency etc.

I would rather make finals and if we play a bona fide experienced finals machine and get beat so be it, at this stage of our development the experience will hold the team and the club in great stead and we will all learn and prosper for it long term and take another few steps next year and the year after as opposed to finishing 9th and failing as we have miserably failed in the past or even worse still end up like Nought and say Skataboner this and that make finals and have an average losing margin in finals over the last few years of around 12-14 goals yet still be happy because we exceeded all expectations because we are a pathetic club with poor facilities no finances no nothing and we performed in home and away better than bigger clubs who have more than us but failed to make it. Please let's all just take a deep breath and lets all just move on from yesterday's aberration and move on to our next challenge that awaits us in Cairns next week.

[eliminator]

I think the posts from Mr Tigra and from Tuckerbag are very well put. I think everyone on this site wants Richmond to succeed. We have passionate supporters who have endured a long period without success. I believe off field we are definitely on track- better facilities, debt reduction and more money being put into the football department. On field we are improving but we have to be realistic. We are not as yet a top four side. This year we have learnt to dispose of sides below us in a clinical fashion but are yet to learn how to beat sides better than us or at the same stage as us. We need to learn to stem the flow when things are going badly and how to lift in a game. We need to learn how to maintain intensity week in week out. We need to review what happened against North, make sure it doesn't happen again and focus on beating the Suns.