Strange Feeling...

[Greystache]

And what if it shows the youngers that they're just a number and we can just flog you off at any time if something more shiny comes along?

They'll flog themselves off just as Ward and Harbrow did the second something more shiny came along. Nothing new there.

Should we be the only club not looking to trade so we can keep our valued position as the club young talent leaves from more than anywhere else? This view some supporters have that our players are more engaged with our culture because we treat them better is ridiculous.

Do what's best for the team, individuals are going to make their own choices regardless.

[wimberga]

They'll flog themselves off just as Ward and Harbrow did the second something more shiny came along. Nothing new there.

This is basically the crux of it.

Of course Chef if the players were going to react in that way, then it would need to be considered. But ultimately, its a professional sport. Players have the right to move home, chase money and chase flags just as much as clubs.

[chef]

Each to their own.

I'm pretty sure Macca wont be pushing important players out the door of they dont want to leave.

[chef]

Ward and Harbrow are pretty exceptional circumstances too.

[Scorlibo]

If I'm a player at the club and I see a good mate of mine shipped off without them wanting to go then I'd be a) pissed off and b) looking over my shoulder. People can have different views on how important it is to treat players like people, and the balance between that and trading for the ideal team on paper. There's no right answer, but a couple of things hold true: everything is circumstantial, no single attitude will net the best results time after time - and given this, sitting back in the armchair, tapping one's fingertips together Mr. Burns style and hatching plans has to be the wrong way to go about things.

[Bulldog4life]

My wife is a Hawthorn tragic, she loved Mark Williams as a small but yet great goal kicking target at Hawthorn and was devastated when he was traded out. She now loves Shaun Burgoyne even more at a guess though.

The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking this is the post season that could be talked about if we win this bloody cup or looking back and identifying this year's trade, FS and draft.

Could be a thread in itself. Whose wife/husband/partner is a fanatical supporter of another team? I'm lucky that mine is a fanatical bulldog supporter....it was non negotiable.

[Scorlibo]

Could be a thread in itself. Whose wife/husband/partner is a fanatical supporter of another team? I'm lucky that mine is a fanatical bulldog supporter....it was non negotiable.

My girlfriend is a mad Bombers supporter, but a Bulldogs membership has been forced upon her in the last 2 years .

[comrade]

My girlfriend is a mad Bombers supporter, but a Bulldogs membership has been forced upon her in the last 2 years .

Enjoy Sunday...

[bulldogtragic]

Could be a thread in itself. Whose wife/husband/partner is a fanatical supporter of another team? I'm lucky that mine is a fanatical bulldog supporter....it was non negotiable.

2008 with Buddy in the QF was awful... And she said nothing either, it was the worst i've ever felt at a game. But on the flip side I got taken to Hawks v Carlton where Buddy got the ton and Fevola got to 99. Was as much theatrical fun as any game I didn't care about.

[Twodogs]

2008 with Buddy in the QF was awful... And she said nothing either, it was the worst i've ever felt at a game. But on the flip side I got taken to Hawks v Carlton where Buddy got the ton and Fevola got to 99. Was as much theatrical fun as any game I didn't care about.

I was at the "Line In The Sand" game between Eesendon and Hawthorn. I was working. One of the people I took was a little old lady I'd known for years and had never even heard raise her voice.

She was standing on her seat raining expletives over the crowd, ground and players like a swearing machine. People were staring at her with their mouths open rather than watching the fight. After it was all over she sat down and said "I really, really enjoyed that, I haven't enjoyed myself like that for years"

[bulldogtragic]

I was at the "Line In The Sand" game between Eesendon and Hawthorn. I was working. One of the people I took was a little old lady I'd known for years and had never even heard raise her voice.

She was standing on her seat raining expletives over the crowd, ground and players like a swearing machine. People were staring at her with their mouths open rather than watching the fight. After it was all over she sat down and said "I really, really enjoyed that, I haven't enjoyed myself like that for years"

I love when people tell me stories that make me jealous... This is one such occasion!

[josie]

Got a Bomber friend who is normally so gentle. At the footy a decade or more ago (despite the Bombers flogging the crap out of us at the time) she was yelling "Bury 'em". I still enjoy catching up with this dear friend. Just not at the footy.

Feral opposition supporters who happen to be friends <== this deserves another thread.

[bulldogtragic]

Got a Bomber friend who is normally so gentle. At the footy a decade or more ago (despite the Bombers flogging the crap out of us at the time) she was yelling "Bury 'em". I still enjoy catching up with this dear friend. Just not at the footy.

Feral opposition supporters who happen to be friends <== this deserves another thread.

Funny you mention that, my wife (then girlfriend) took me to the footy for about a third date type thing. At that time I still had Freddie in my pocket, but it didn't mean much... There was this dead set meat head, about 190cm tall and easy over 120kg, in front of us chirping. So my wife in her infinite wisdom started baiting him with humour which he didn't understand so he started having a dip towards her. So I'm thinking 'crap' for so many reasons. So then two young women in their infinite wisdom who were sitting next to us thought him getting even angrier was very amusing (which it was...) so they started giving it to him as the Hawks were getting well beaten. At one point in the last quarter he moved quite aggressively and told the young women he was a boxer and would get angry and could knock people out. So there I was thinking how to stop him making a punch as I was about to jump (headlock with a Brian Lake choke take down was going to be the go, he was a monster) a group of about 20 blokes screamed at him to sit the **** down or **** **** **** they're only girls you ***** *****. Thank Christ! So he looked us over (I think he couldn't count how many of us were prepared to stop him from acts of violence on young women) and toned the threats down, but then the young women kept giving it him and despite the vein on his head popping, he remained abusive but not violent. His team won and all he could do was be abusive back to everyone as his song started. Seriously you team wins and you instinct is not to enjoy it...

Footy can be an amazing snapshot of mankind.

[hotdog]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-new...719-zurfj.html

I too sense that we are watching change before us. Midway through this year my thoughts and feelings were doom and gloom. We were destined to be starved of a second flag and would likely be relocated or out of existence within the next 10 years. There seems to be a shift and I am now a lot more upbeat. Whilst it will be bloody difficult to challenge in the coming 5 years with two new clubs in contention I can see a shift (albeit only slight) where we are getting media recognition for being an important cog in the make up of the league. The AFL love a happy ending. No doubt if GWS and GCS win their flags the jungle drums will start beating for the Vic clubs that effectively made it happen and justice AFL style will be served. This may not be direct or obvious but I just sense that if there is something that Gil and his band of merry men can do to give them a success story (and we would be after 60 + years in the wilderness) they may just provide a little extra to ensure it happens. Its just a feeling but I am alluding to a draft pick, free agency compo, a favourable draw etc...The AFL is a competition but the administrators of our game like to ensure that certain results fall certain ways. ie Sydney Swans. In terms of a pecking order we will be nearing the top of the "desired results" table after the expantion teams. A flag may not be as far away as I thought a few years ago??

[Mofra]

You can put whatever spin you like on it, but when you start trading out popular guys who are happy where they are you are asking for trouble....work of the devil some may say.

You also destroy any chance of players staying for less money than they could otherwise get on the open market - and we've had quite a few in recent years (including our current captain).