However people choose to support their Club, it is right for them. I don't need to agree with everyone on anything, much less about the way they choose to support Richmond. All I need to know is that they do.
Our own supporters are our harshest critics. You can look at it and say that they are not true supporters. Or you can say that they are reflecting back to the Club what they already think of themselves.
Coping with outside pressure, scrutiny and criticism is part and parcel of being in the AFL. If you can't handle it, perhaps you shouldn't be in it. And if people having an opinion causes the downfall of another then perhaps they have more to worry about than they realise.
If you have self-respect, you can show it to others. At various times, our footy Club has demanded respect. If the Club and players want respect then they should develop some of their own, because how can anyone show us respect when we don't have any for ourselves? When we deserve it, we won't need to ask for it.
I don't see the point in pretending things are OK when they are not and the best way anyone can support our footy Club is by being honest. Whether positive or negative, as long as people are constructive in their views, I think it gives a balanced picture of where our Club is at.
A lack of trust has been our biggest downfall, as a Club and as supporters. We have used short-sighted, short-term decisions to bring about our own downfall. As soon as things go awry, we think we need to change someone. In reality, the results achieved by anyone will determine their destiny. So, over time, if it becomes apparent that they are incapable of creating and bringing about positive change, then they will move aside for someone else soon enough.
But because people aren't prepared to trust, they think the only way to get results is to bring in new people as soon as things start to go pear shaped. That's all well and good, if the new people aren't going to be operating in the same old environment, because it is certain that can only achieve the same results as those before them. I believe the Club has now realised this and is doing something about it. However, as results are not always apparent in the short-term, people become anxious and think that things are not changing.
And I guess because we don't know what goes on behind the scenes, we can't understand why some things are the way they are and become impatient. Why can some players play as though nothing is wrong and others play as though the weight of the world is on their shoulders? Why has a Club such as ours been so unsuccessful for so long? Because I don't know, it frustrates me and no doubt it frustrates others. How that frustration is expressed will be different for everyone. Doesn't make one supporter less of a supporter than anyone else.
I appreciate having this board to share in the knowledge and views of others, because it makes some things clearer.
P.S.: Great post Dean
Our own supporters are our harshest critics. You can look at it and say that they are not true supporters. Or you can say that they are reflecting back to the Club what they already think of themselves.
Coping with outside pressure, scrutiny and criticism is part and parcel of being in the AFL. If you can't handle it, perhaps you shouldn't be in it. And if people having an opinion causes the downfall of another then perhaps they have more to worry about than they realise.
If you have self-respect, you can show it to others. At various times, our footy Club has demanded respect. If the Club and players want respect then they should develop some of their own, because how can anyone show us respect when we don't have any for ourselves? When we deserve it, we won't need to ask for it.
I don't see the point in pretending things are OK when they are not and the best way anyone can support our footy Club is by being honest. Whether positive or negative, as long as people are constructive in their views, I think it gives a balanced picture of where our Club is at.
A lack of trust has been our biggest downfall, as a Club and as supporters. We have used short-sighted, short-term decisions to bring about our own downfall. As soon as things go awry, we think we need to change someone. In reality, the results achieved by anyone will determine their destiny. So, over time, if it becomes apparent that they are incapable of creating and bringing about positive change, then they will move aside for someone else soon enough.
But because people aren't prepared to trust, they think the only way to get results is to bring in new people as soon as things start to go pear shaped. That's all well and good, if the new people aren't going to be operating in the same old environment, because it is certain that can only achieve the same results as those before them. I believe the Club has now realised this and is doing something about it. However, as results are not always apparent in the short-term, people become anxious and think that things are not changing.
And I guess because we don't know what goes on behind the scenes, we can't understand why some things are the way they are and become impatient. Why can some players play as though nothing is wrong and others play as though the weight of the world is on their shoulders? Why has a Club such as ours been so unsuccessful for so long? Because I don't know, it frustrates me and no doubt it frustrates others. How that frustration is expressed will be different for everyone. Doesn't make one supporter less of a supporter than anyone else.
I appreciate having this board to share in the knowledge and views of others, because it makes some things clearer.
P.S.: Great post Dean
