The Ponsford Times.

[joffa corfe]

We're all in agreeance that the Ponsford match day chanting could be better. In order to establish how we are to become better. I reckon it's time we all got together with ideas.
Keep the boots away..Bring in ideas...

Im happy for anyone to chair this discussion if they want..If we really wanted, this topic could be solved over night.
Words wont solve the problem..we need soldeirs on match day in the Ponny stand... so please keep that in mind.
Lets fire away!!

There will be people who for whatever reason disagree with the motives and suggestions in this topic..Please if you do disagree leave the topic to those who are concerned.
Im genuinely excited at what this topic can produce.

[die4pies]

Careful Joffa.

It is 'Gay' to chant at a football match.

The team needs to be winning by 20 goals before a 'supporter' is willing to 'put themselves out' by supporting their own team.

Some posters are too tough to chant and have nicknames that imply that they are some sort of hardened criminal and will shout you down at ever turn.

Its a mine field my friend and frankly if the club don't start openly encouraging this in a similar way that Manchester United have engaged the supporters then this will go nowhere.


Hear the barrackers a shouting?!


Where?

[Greek Style]

Why would the barrackers a shout, when the players don't seem to care....or try?

Well Joffa, me old mucca

Looks like you got about as much interest in your ideas as our players showed in yesterdays game.

Zilch.

Zip.

Zero.

We, the Collingwood football team and it's supporters, have actually always had a huge disadvantage in being the most popular team.

Newspapers know that anything, particularly anything positive about the magpies sells newspapers by the 100,000's for that reason they always right up Collingwood even when it is not warranted.

The Hun just blows smoke up our bottoms all the time and Collingwood supporters aren't smart enough to realise it is a ploy to sell more papers.

The photos of "Lazy Daisy" Thomas and Travis Cloke with the Premier during the week was just an example.

Unfortunately a lot of that publicity is believed by supporters and more importantly I think by some players ("Lazy Daisy" Thomas for one) and this can mask problems that aren't rectified.

The reality is while we talk about what a great move it was to go from Victoria Park to the Lexus Centre, what it actually has done is KILLED our Club.

There is no longer any of the traditional passion there and our supporters have become part of the LATE sect.

70,000 or 80,000 of us go to the footy every week to be Rodgered from behind by the AFL who don't care about our great Club.

The Pies are going nowhere quickly and will sink even further into the quicksand once the new Gold Coast and West Sydney franchises come into the league and take 10 years of draft choices and the best talent.

The problem is our supporter base pump up the tyres of blokes like Dale Thomas and Travis Cloke and the like so much that their heads get inflated to the point where they will burst.

Two players prove this:-

Look at Medhurst.

He had a great game last week against the Bombers who are, let’s face it, at their lowest ebb for 40 years and the supporters blow his tyres up so much that you would have thought he had won the Brownlow.

I am not here to slag off Paul but he obviously has his limitations and the thing is as soon as we win one game the players are treated like such Gods that they get way, way ahead of themselves.

Look at Travis Cloke and Dale Thomas going to talk to Brumby during the week. These players have been ordinary this season to say the least. If they played for the Western Bulldogs or North or some team without a following, they wouldn't get a look in. But because they are Collingwood players they are rolled out in front of the Premier. Sheesh.

I call it the Heath Sheppard principal. Heath kicked 8 goals one day against Hawthorn at it's absolute best in the 80s. He disappeared into the Collingwood social club, got his tyres pumped up so high, that he stopped doing the things that got him there and was never heard of again.

The same thing has happened to Dale Thomas who has been given legendary status around our club without ever doing anything.

He is the public face of the club for the kids taking over from Bucks. Frankly he is lucky to be getting a game and from what I have seen this season, Dale Thomas is just another wasted Draft Choice.

He is a soft outside player who struggles to make any impact on the game at all. He is not a leader and if he is the public face of our Club. Our Club has chosen to hook itself ot the wrong horse.

"Lazy Daisy" Dale Thomas has had his tyres pumped up too high by a bunch of supporters that traditionally go way overboard on the praise they deal out to ordinary players. Hence Dale Thomas is now not doing the things that got him there. He is only interested in the easy things and the easy ball.

But Thomas has been exposed for what he is.

He is our "Lazy Daisy".

He simply doesn't try when it gets a bit too hard for the poor petal.

Poor Petal.

Poor petal, Lazy Daisy Thomas.

But hey, you will still get your 300 plus endorsements and get to meet the Premier, even if you are the laziest football on any list in the AFL.

Hang your head in shame, Lazy Daisy Thomas.

Joffa, my old mucka.

This happens to generation after generation of potential Collingwood stars. I reckon I have seen it happen 100 times over the journey. It will happen to Medhurst too.

We blow wind up blokes who get so far ahead of themselves that their footy careers are lost at a very eary stage. When Junk yard Dog Dean Laidley was at our club for a little while that didn't happen so much because he kept the kids grounded. Christ, I would rather have players like Rupert Betheras, Carl Stienfort and Glen Freeborn who had less talent that "Lazy Daisy" Thomas but at least they would BUST A GUT for the black and white.

Talking about Lazy , while we are here. lets talk about the tale of two brothers. one who was sent out to pasture and one who was proclaimed as the next BIG thing for our Club.

At the moment I reckon we kept the wrong Cloke.
The other funny thing is look at the comparison between Travis and Cameron Cloke. Cameron Cloke was dumped by our great Club because Madhouse got into a fight with David, Cameron's old man. But on his form so far this year, Cameron is a better more consistent ruckman than Josh Fraser and Cameron Wood. Last year we reckon one good ruckman cost us not getting a flag. Yet we let Cameron go.

Now most would admit that Travis has more ability than Cameron but what he doesn't have is as big a heart. Travis can be lazy and go missing from games. What could have been better than have his own brother play with him to help inspire him. Especially when Cameron had such a big heart. I remember from Cameron's first game with us against Essendon when he put Adam McPhee on his arse, that is was obvious that Cameron had a huge GRUNT factor.

I have 4 year old twin sons and i am really considering wether i let them barrack for the team I love. the Collingwood football club. Why would I want them to be let down for the next 50 years? Lets face that with the introduction of new interstate teams, the AFL's interests are not in having a strong Collingwood football club. The AFL know the nuff, nuffs will turn up wether their team wins or not so there is nothing in it for the AFL to make Collingwood competitive and to give them a competitive advantage. We will keep going from 6-12 for the next 10 years and supporters will be happy with the odd season in the finals rather than any long term tangiable success.

But Cameron has something that Travis hasn't. GRUNT. Since we let him go along with Heath Scotland (another BOG on Friday night) to our most hated rivals, the Scum, Cameron Cloke has blossomed out of site. Because someone cared about him rather than treating him like lemon sarse. Cameron Cloke is a young man going places. But no one at our great Club from Alan Richardson onwards could see that.

I am beginning to think that we kept the wrong Cloke.

But at least with the pedigree he had, and our lack of ruckman, Cameron Cloke should have been kept. For nothing less than to help his brother Travis. And because his father was a Club Champion.

Heck we have kept Ryche Shaw, the turnover king forever. how many times do we have to watch ihm butcher the ball and the game. Just because he is Ray's son?

With players like Ryche, we are never ever going to get to the promised land.

But at least Ryche Shaw tries week in and week out, it is not something you can say for "Lazy Daisy".


and how about Mick Madhouse. All he does is blame the players when we lose. He is such a conceited and arrogant so and so that nothing is ever his fault or he never gets the game plan right. This goes all the way back to when he made the smart arse comment about Jason Cloke after the Grand Final when Madhouse moved him to the forward line and expected him to win the game off his own boot. Then Madhouse said "Jason Clok, Jason Cloke - he played better last year". Smart Arse. We all know Jason Cloke didn't play the year before.

Malthouse was a reasonable defensive minded coach but does need to go. He and Leigh Matthews are from the old school and are the last two coaches of that type left. Malthouse is desperate to win a flag for Collingwood but also for his own preservation. But the Pies have never tired to get quality midfielders because Madhouse likes tougher players without skills. We got 30 clearances yesterday to the Hawks 33. But that is a stat that is so misleading.

Earth to Madhouse.

It is what you do with the footy that counts in today's modern chip, chip chip, netball style.

Madhouse said on Thursday we would go down the centre and corridor and you know we did the exact opposite yesterday. More reason for me to believe that Madhouse has lost the players. He seems to not know what they are doing. Then in the after game press conference, he blames them. I know he is on Nathan Brown’s back and the kid is feeling the strain. He will ruin Nathan Brown’s career just by not giving him the mentoring that this young generation need.

Madhouse is a dinosaur; we need to give someone else a go.

He is killing our chances continuing to play the older players instead of biting the bullet and doing a Hawthorn or Carlton. Play the young ones teach them the game at AFL level and be prepared to sacrifice some games to do it. Call this year a "rebuilding year" and teach the kids.

I truly believe it is Madhouses job to alienate players. He acts like the school principal and doesn't really work with the players closely enough. Then for PR exercise, he takes the young recruits to his sea side holiday home once a year to talk to them about his OBSESSION with war and warriors and then basically if they don't sit around and say :- "Yes Mick, Yes oh great one. Please, please tell us all your words of wisdom. We love you like a demi god!". If they don't do that and slightly question him or look at him in the wrong way, he cuts them and never talks to them again. I hear currently his relationship with Travis is very tenuous and he basically won’t talk to him. How is that a way of trying to get our most prized possession to try and play for him?

No good Mick.

The ox is slow but your time is OVER!

We need a new age coach for a new age time. the latest generation want to qwuestion everything and need a coach who lets them and will be with them every step of the way.

The ox is old and outdated.

Joffa, my old mucka. time to get your game over flag and gold jacket out and shake it in Mick Madhouse's face.

It is "Game Over" after 10 years for him.

Else we are never going to get anywhere.

but we probably wont get anywhere anyway. The AFL doesn't need a strong Collingwood. They know that they will get 70,000 or 80,000 through the doors to all our games if we win or lose. So why would they care. They only care about new markets. We need a president that will question the AFL and take it to task for not giving us what we deserve. We always compare ourselves to Manchester United. Manchester bloody United, what a joke. Infact that was the first "Clown" thing that Madhouse said when he got to Collingwood and I almost SPEWED out my cornflakes when I read it the first time. But the reality is, would Sir Alex Ferguson accept the bullship that the AFL gives Collingwood if the WPL treid to put restrictions on Manure. I doubt it. infact he would go off his friggin Rocker and take a FLAMETHROWER to the whole of the country of dear ol England if it hapened.

Joffa, me ol Mucka. Your current obsession seems to be with the cletic football club. An obsession you tend to change as often as you blow your nose. But do you think Gordon Strachan would accept it if the SPl put limitiations on the bouys so a small team like Queen of the south were competitive with them. Of course not Joffa, me ol Mucka.

What we as a group headed by Eddie, or whichever president we vote in to replace him should do is march of AFL house and burn the place to the ground. That would make a statement.

We want a competitive advantage that the size and amount of money that we make for the AFL should deliever for us. Not just to roll over and be given the full treatment like the AFL's little pool boy.

Instead, Eddie and the rest of the namby pamby presidents are going to let the AFL cipher off draft choices to the new franchises and thus stiffle any chance that those clubs on the bottom and I will name them, Melbourne, Essendon, Collingwood will still be on the bottom for the next 10years as we see good Victorian kids sent to the new hinterland to try and give the AFL more money through ratings and advertising.

Meanwhile, WE, the true supporters are given the bum stear. The lemon and sarse as I call it and we have to keep turning up to that "shite on a stick" that we saw yesterday.

Jeez Joffa, my ol mucka. Do you understand? Have you got any idea where our great Club actually is at? At the moment? Along the journey? A journey that has yeilded one premiership in 50 years and seems unlikely to yeild any more premierships for another 20 years.

Yet we keep turning up at the footy. And coping it up the backside without any question. No analysis, no reasoning. Just blind Dumb Faith. Which gets you zip in this a world. We are like any crucified group through human history. The Negros in the American 1700s, the Jews in World War 2, the girl in the basement in Austria just recently. We just cop it sweet and don't complain as we stand in line to get our just deserts.

I don't blame you Joffa, me ol mucka.

You can't change who you are or what you stand for. Even though supporters from other clubs think you have become a parody of yourself. To the point where the joke is painfull.

Enough from me.

So Joffa, me ol mucka, me ol pal, you have a bat phone hotline ot Eddie or Mick or Jack Regan or Gorden Coventry or Darren Millane or whoever you need to call to get things done at the Club. Make the call, son. Make the damn call.

Because, WE the SUPPORTERS of the Collingwood football club will not and SHOULD NOT have ot put up with that Bullship ever again.

Do you comprehend, Joffa, my old mucka.

If Celtic get beaten by Rangers. The fans don't cop it and nor should we if we play clap. Loyalty is one thing but BLIND loyalty without questioning is plain stupid and it puts us behind the 8 ball by another ten years.

All the pain. All the suffering we have endured over the last 50 years and all you are owrried about is singing in the Ponsford Stand?? My old mucka, get off the gunga.

I am back off to my nuff nuff hosptial.

nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff
nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff nuff

[Magpie Girl]

^ wow, why don't you tell us what you really think.....

[die4pies]

El Greco, me old malaka.

Have you voiced your concerns at Lexus Centre?

The people you have mentioned above are actually very approachable and open to new ideas, aside from Mick of course who takes his guidance from his assistants only and rightly so.

By the way, most of what you have said does not belong in a thread dedicated to how the supporter can support better. How any of it is relevant to how Joffa Corfe supports the Collingwood Football Club is beyond me. Regardless of what you say, you are implying that somehow the failings of the Collingwood Football Club are Joffa's fault.

[The Collingwood Turtle]

Our supporters are too apathetic for games in Melbourne apart from finals.

As an old cheer squad member from the days in the 80’s, I am sorry but the current cheer squad just does chant enough for my liking. Then again bar a few people on the second tier in the Ponsford Stand most people up there don’t chant enough either.

Anyone who has been interstate for a game can attest the energy and support of the club by the supporters is far greater than for games in Melbourne. Why is that ?

[Magpie Girl]

[~Madness~]

FWIW, there is a couple of guys on the 2nd level ponny who get the crowd going where we sit, but they were silent yesterday, but really, what was there to chant about? It is a bit hard to get going with most people around you not wanting to get into it. One or two "collingwood, collingwood" was all that would happen. No matter how hard they tried.

What some don't realise though, a very very small percentage of people read this forum. In the big scheme of things, hardly anyone reads this compared to the numbers who attend the games. You need to focus on the crowd when ya there. Flyers and stuff handed out at the games. It wont work by just using this or any other forum. Good luck with ya projects Joff..

[Geek]

G'day Joff. Bummer about the result.

Here's my spin on your question. She goes for a while, so hopefully some of it has some gold. It's not a coherent piece, but just a stream of consciousness with a few themes. Sorry for the readability, but the only writing I do these days is tech.

Let's start at the base.

Why do people cheer at the footy?
What stops them from doing it?

Yesterday, I don't recall the Hawks fans chanting that much until they started to pull away. Of course, maybe they were all at the other end and I couldn't hear them from the ponny.

So is it a generalised thing that footy fans these days only sing when they're winning?

Are you asking for what would need a change in the whole culture of AFL supporters?

Tough job. Also means that their fans are helping out the oppo.

...

How many times, in any endeavour, do you see people wildy chanting and getting up a mob whilst sitting down? From protest marches to gospel churches, to your boys behind the goals. When you wana make some noise, you get off your a***. Is that the first step? How do we achieve that en masse? To stand up and be counted.

Well a bit of pride and belief can go a long way. Remember those protests against hte Iraq war? All that "not in my name" stuff? We all thought that it was the wrong thing to do and we turned out in our droves - chanting, singing, waving signs. 5 years later, everything we believed has been proven, but since nobody believes that it will make a spit of difference, nobody is protesting the fact that we're still bloody there. We don't believe that chanting makes a difference.

...

Australia has a very image conscious society. It has no end of people waiting to take you down also. You of all people should know this, yeah? Bond. Singleton. McGuire. Corfe. Me. Yes this country believes in a fair go, but whilst bogans may have the right to exercise it, they'd better bloody not succeed.

One day, Eddie's going to take a big fall. Bigger than losing the GTV gig. And there's going to be a long line of true aussies waiting there to stick the knife in. They'll celebrate the falling of "Eddie Everywhere". You mention to these creeps that he got some kind of Queens Birthday honour.... what for turning around the CFC? "Millionaire?" TFS? No... so much bloody charity work, that they give him a medal, yet he's still written off as a selfish bogan.

When we lose they show your face, deep in your disappointment. They laugh. Just like Collingwood, they say. Bogan club followed by bogan nuff nuffs. Celebrate, Australia, that these chumps have been reminded of their eternal place in this gracious land of the fair go.

I'd say a bit of why we don't put ourselves out there as much is because of the very real chance of public humiliation or even assault. The verbal kind is guaranteed. Sounds lame, but most people are lame. We can't take the same degree of crap that you and Ed do. Sorry. Really. But when you have nothing tangible to back up your passion, you're on a hiding to nothing. We've been going places since before I was born and in the 3 and a bit decades since, we only got there once and only the truly one-eyed amongst us would think that we were the best team that year. In fact, if Sheedy didn't rest half his squad before we drew with the Weagles forcing the older Dons off the boil, then it would have been a totally different finals series. Yes yes.. lots of ifs involved in our losses too, but...

Chanting for Collingwood is fun to do when we're in the clear. For once, there's no spectre over your shoulder that it's about to all be taken away from you. That you're back to 1 flag in 50 years. Until that point though, there just isn't enough belief in the club or the overall team to think that it will make that difference

Mind you: I have no problem with waxing lyrical about our players at the game. They stuff up and I'll be all about "butter up Johnno. You've got the next one" or whatever. When one of my faves does something good, better or awesome, I'm on my feet for the next 30 seconds screaming about what a rare talent that young kid is. It's why I identify with that crew up the back of level 1 sining their player songs. Love it. Maybe that's where I should be, instead of sitting out near the 50 with a bunch of other fans that have been let down too often to believe

Because the club itself isn't something that I identify with or believe in to the extent where I'll chant some predefined thing. Just don't have the belief for it. Which is sad, because when that long slow chant takes off as it has on occasion, there are few more haunting, inspiring and powerful sounds on earth.

In Europe, they can get a bit more into it, even if the club isn't the best. In many cases, it's their local footy team. They are chanting for their borough and that connection gets the tribal thing going. If my teams shit, my home's shit and if my home's shit then so am I. So they do whatever they can to haul their mobs sorry carcasses over the line. It's a deep personal thing. There's a connection between supporter and club. They have something to believe in. Something that demands belief. Somethign personal.

But Collingwood FC is a brand at the moment. Who's got deep seated passion and loyalty to a brand? I love my iPod. It changed my life as I can now walk, jog and get around without it skipping or me having to change tapes or discs all the time. I got music 24/7 and that makes me so happy. Anytime I like I can get that tune that just chokes me up at that point. It gives me more happiness, more consistently than my club ever has. But you won't see me standing in the middle of Myers chanting "iPod" *clap clap clap*

So perhaps that's the secret. It's fine having loyalty. I'll give up watching footy before I ditch the pies (happened once for a few months in 99 and for a few weeks after the Caracella disgrace), but I'm not going to get as fired up for a brand that is there for its own sake. That serves up a product but doesn't represent anything deeper. I'll consume the product and that's it.

Hmph..... "product" There's a problem.

What is Collingwood? What does it represent? What is it there that makes me go out and proclaim myself as the gap toothed, dole bludging, nuff nuff pies supporter and to be continually treated as such? (even if it is my roots - I'm proud to talk about it, but you won't see me chanting for it)

At the moment, Collingwood is a brand trading on its name. It's opponents have succedded in branding it far more strongly as something that this country despises. But from our quarter, It's a name. A jumper. A jumper that doesn't say anything but that we must respect. There's nothing deeper to it and the way we are headed there won't be until we get some success. Then we can go back to "we're the best" which would be nice, I'll admit, but success in this league now is transient. You must relinquish it every couple of years. But that's when you need those fans getting up and supporting. Success is the ends here, not the means.

So until then, if you want people to get up and at em, you need something more than "well me dad made me go for them and I don't switch teams." That's not just a Collingwood thing by the way, so co-opting loyalty as our idea is a bit like saying the USA invented democracy. (2,000 years after the Greeks had it).

Well how about the fallen hero? The maligned yet worthy adversary who made bad choices, fell over and then got scorned for 50 years by our tall poppy cutting country. The drunken former warrior who traded on his tradition and his "once I was somebody" for so long that he lost his dignity and respect. Who then drew that line. Who cut the deadwood and the hangers on. Who got down to work, with all the resources at his disposal. Who blocked, dodged and rode the punches they desparately throw at him as he rose to his knees, then his feet. Who fell again. Who rose again. The reborn force that will, with honour, dignity and strength wrest back that which is his from those who have conspired to keep him down.

We all know people like this. The mother with cancer. The disgraced businessman who found his conscience. The bad kid trying to atone for his stupid youth. The Collingwood Football Club. I'd get behind that concept - that ideal - and cheer it on. But at the moment, it's just a name. If my uncle never sat me down that day, I'd have been a saint or a dumper. Never saw him much after that so I was very nearly almost lost. Had a lot of filth influences around in those days too. Who you go for can be determined by something that chancey.

What you believe in is a totally different matter.

Thanks for your time.

[Lone Ranger]

That novel from Greek was too long to read ... anyone know when the movie is coming out?

[Greek Style]

Based on yesterday, It is a Horror Movie mate.

Your worst nightmares are visited.

[Dale61]

If The Ponny is the cheer squad, why are opposition supporters allowed to sit there?

[Geek]

[kickit2me]

...and well worth the read.

As for why don't the fans chant? If Eddie was up in the stands leading it we'd all be chanting....whether we are winning or getting pumped!

No offence Joffa, but you don't have that charismatic appeal, superstar status and 'pretty' appearance that a superficial society craves....and follows.

I love your efforts though.

[jack_spain]

Now Greek Style that is one helluva post!

Sorry that it kinda distracted from your thread Joffa, but at least it has given us increasingly disillusioned ol' time Collingwood supporters some heart.

At least somebody out there cares enough and has passion enough to call The Club to arms again! We have become the AFL's convenient mistress. Damned if they want us to win a Premiership, but at least our supporter base will underwrite the league financially. Half the Melbourne teams would be extinct right now if it were not for the equalisation funding that comes out of the Magpie coffers.

And don't get me started on the Brissie Boys' call to expand their salary cap. In fact, don't get me started on the salary cap, the draft, the whole socialist clap-trap that is the AFL right now. Because you're absolutely right Greek Style, Manchester United (which I proudly support) wouldn't accept the AFL conditions for one moment. In fact the European trade agreement would make the AFL rules illegal! Why can't Collingwood flex its financial muscle, instead of being forced to accept mediocrity in a system designed to give Premierships to non-Victorian teams (e.g. Gold Coast 2010)?

Maybe that's why we don't chant anymore Joff!