I'll take another spoon but.............

[tigerjoe]

We must win at least a couple of games!

For the sake of my 4 tiger cubs at home, a winless season is just not something that really young supporters ( or older ones) can take. Whilst I was dissapointed with another bad loss last night my 7 year old who went with me last night had nothing whatsoever to cheer for, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to appease him
and his brothers.

With a better draw in the second half of the season I really hope the club can muster at least a couple of wins.

For the sake of our tiger cubs!

 

[Jack]

Wait till they cry mate.

I reckon if I said to mine that we are going to change clubs, that they would be rapt. They have asked me before if we can. It is a real love hate relationship for them.

Its funny. I used to say to people that my kids won't have to go through what I went through growing up. Meaning, that years ago I assumed that by the time my kids got into the footy, that we would be more successful by then. How wrong I was.

Months ago there was an article written by Cheryl Chiffney ( something like that ) in the HS. She is a well known big Tiger supporter. The article said over the summer she decided to let her kids barrack for who they want, instead of basically forceing them to follow RFC. I have heard other Richmond families do the same. That is really sad. But having kids I understand. I remember how much I hated, hated, losing all the time as a kid, and supporting a team that was hopeless every year. And I don't want my kids to be the loosers at school either when it comes to footy. But of course if my kids become big footy people as they get older, I want us to always go to the games together like footy families do and support our team together.

My kids will almost certainly stick as long as I let them. But it very sad that we have been so bad for so long that you grow up and part of you doesn't want your kids to go through the same as you, and you are tempted to let them support someone else to make them happier.

 

[tigerjoe]

Well Jack I am banking on that very theory that by the time my kids are older we won't be crap anymore!

Time is running out for my kids and I'm sure it has run out for many others.

 

[TOT70]

A few years ago, when Carlton were going through their consecutive spoon years, several of my Carlton supporting friends suddenly decided that they were Melbourne Victory fans and were going to get excited about that instead of following the Blues. They have suddenly rediscovered their arrogance recently though.

That's the problem with this "bottoming-out" crap. It sounds great in theory but the fans have to go through it, their kids have to go through it and everyone else takes every opportunity to give it to them. Adults can barely cope with this, let alone young kids.

I guess its all right for clubs like Melbourne and Hawthorn to do it, their fans just stayed away for a couple of years and pretended they didn't like footy, preferring to take overseas holidays, go skiing and work in the garden. Us Richmond fans are cut from a different cloth and wear our footy team, literally, on our sleeves and on our backs and just about anywhere else one can wear one's club colours.

Maybe we'll just have to pretend that we're Melbourne Heart fans for a couple of seasons. It worked for the Bluebaggers.

The kids'll be all right when the Mighty Tiger Army finally marches down Punt Road and reclaims its rightful seat at the head of the AFL table.

Keep the faith.

 

[Phar Ace]

Yeah, have some real concerns for us over the next three years given how little we are likely to win (though recent showings offer hope). Never been a fan of the 'bottoming out' and I think this time is our riskiest time to be do it.

Not sure kids (generally) are that loyal to a team these days, they'll bend with the breeze a lot.....................

 

[23.21.159]

This is where I think the AFL's equalizing efforts (draft, salary cap) have a bit of a problem. In terms of spreading the premierships around, they work well, arguably. But in terms of individual matches and how teams progress through the seasons, I reckon they have the reverse impact.

These days I reckon there are at most five teams in any one year seriously even trying to win the premiership. The rest are in various phases of their "windows", bottoming out, what have you. It means that more games are non-competitive issues from the start.

When I grew up, in the 70s and 80s, every team was trying to win the flag every year - they had no choice. The current system means that clubs realise they are no chance, do not even try to win the flag, and in some cases actually try to lose games in various forms.

Not saying the system is wrong, and I can't think of any obvious alternative, but this is just an observation on the side-effects of the AFL's attempts to spread premierships around evenly.

 

[RemoteTiger]

This is where I think the AFL's equalizing efforts (draft, salary cap) have a bit of a problem. In terms of spreading the premierships around, they work well, arguably. But in terms of individual matches and how teams progress through the seasons, I reckon they have the reverse impact.

These days I reckon there are at most five teams in any one year seriously even trying to win the premiership. The rest are in various phases of their "windows", bottoming out, what have you. It means that more games are non-competitive issues from the start.

When I grew up, in the 70s and 80s, every team was trying to win the flag every year - they had no choice. The current system means that clubs realise they are no chance, do not even try to win the flag, and in some cases actually try to lose games in various forms.

Not saying the system is wrong, and I can't think of any obvious alternative, but this is just an observation on the side-effects of the AFL's attempts to spread premierships around evenly.

You saw a different VFL in the 70s and 80s than I did - there were teams that had no hope of winning a premiership back then because they did not have the money to attract the playing list needed to win flags. Carlton did - the Kangaroos bought their first premiership - Richmond through Graeme Richmond's astute stewardship did have the money.

South Melbourne, Footscray, St Kilda and Fitzroy were easybeats - Hawthorn rose to premierships on the back of sponsorship dollars.

The system today of drafts and salary caps is by far the best system for the AFL.

Just imagine how rich the West Coast would be - or the one town teams - the Victorian clubs bar Collingwood and to a lesser extent Carlton would be no hope.

Sorry but back in those decades premierships were bought not won.

Today you have to be a well run club on and off the field with strong financial support to win a premiership - this gives every club a chance.

Why has Richmond failed? - because the club has until this year not been a well run club..............

 

[Streak]

I agree with you RT.

We have had opportunity by the bucketload, and never captialised fully on it. We trust we are now heading in the right direction.

 

[Ronby]

Still makes it hard to bear when you get all and sundry sticking the boots in!

Even commentators that aren't calling our games are having constant digs - have given the exemaple of Walls & Quartermain on another thread - and yesterday Commetti had a dig during the Hawks v Blues game.
Richo (you gotta love him) made a quck reply about being sick of all the Tiger references!

Said it before and will keep saying it - can't wait to see the Tigers stick it up the lot of them!

Lets hope the Hardwick reign is a long and fruitful one - even better than the Hafey era.

 

[rockstar_tiger]

You need to get them interested in specific players.

This is why you need a superstar player like Richo - he kept me going early on!

I guess you could tell them to cheer for Jack. Or Deledio.

Try to distract them from the result and get them interest in more specific things to cheer about, then they can brag about having the best young players or something at school.

If you teach them a couple of basic comebacks their peers aren't exactly going to know any good return comebacks, you just have to teach them to spin like Terry... :hihi

 

[mtench]

Well Jack I am banking on that very theory that by the time my kids are older we won't be crap anymore!

Time is running out for my kids and I'm sure it has run out for many others.

LOL thats what im telling everybody , by the time my boy (16 months) is old enough to know any better the Tiges will be a force again! They all just laugh

 

[thisistigerland]

This is a massive problem for Richmond. Perhaps a whole generation of supporters lost? I asked my young lad, who is 8, if he wanted to come and watch us play the dawks. His reply "why do you want to watch those loosers for". I told him that we are on the way up and he said he would rather follow Collingwood. I felt like vomiting.

 

[btoz_01]

If we actually started picking a team that would be half competitive would be a good start.
Why is Morton continually overlooked? Ok send him to Coburg for a game then bring him back in. At least Morton would kick a few goals.
We need to support Jack in the forward line by having a strong bodied player alongside so that Jack doesnt have to beat 3 defenders.
Also a crumbing forward would be good too (Nahas) have him play around the packs especially for the ball that comes off back of the pack and as there are no crumbers there defenders easily run the ball out.
I too wish that we win a couple of games this season because if we dont I can see us losing a lot of young supporters to other clubs

 

[Spanish Prisoner]

I used to say to people that my kids won't have to go through what I went through growing up. Meaning, that years ago I assumed that by the time my kids got into the footy, that we would be more successful by then. How wrong I was.

I honestly don't think things will ever improve. 30 years of this rubbish is an entire generation, and I see no way back....

 

[Tigers of Old]

Shedloads of kids at Auskick in Tiger jumpers.
Has to be frustrated fathers forcing their kids into supporting the club hoping that we come good.
If they don't though it'll be hard work keeping their support and the next generation won't be as strong..

 

[Spanish Prisoner]

A few years ago, when Carlton were going through their consecutive spoon years, several of my Carlton supporting friends suddenly decided that they were Melbourne Victory fans and were going to get excited about that instead of following the Blues.

That was a couple of years. Not the 30 we have had to put up with. There is no light at the end of this long tunnel!

 

[RemoteTiger]

This is a massive problem for Richmond. Perhaps a whole generation of supporters lost?

This is a fear - but I feel that is all it is an - ungrounded fear. Why? Because when the Tigers begin a true contenders march to the flag - just watch the supporters come out of the woodwork, jump out of the trees, fill up the talk back airwaves etc etc.

The fickle behaviour of humans at its best - nobody likes to associated with a loser - but - when you turn the corner towards success everybody likes to be known around a winner.

 

[BBC80]

Adults can barely cope with this, let alone young kids.

I guess its all right for clubs like Melbourne and Hawthorn to do it, their fans just stayed away for a couple of years and pretended they didn't like footy, preferring to take overseas holidays, go skiing and work in the garden. Us Richmond fans are cut from a different cloth and wear our footy team, literally, on our sleeves and on our backs and just about anywhere else one can wear one's club colours.

Maybe we'll just have to pretend that we're Melbourne Heart fans for a couple of seasons. It worked for the Bluebaggers.

The kids'll be all right when the Mighty Tiger Army finally marches down Punt Road and reclaims its rightful seat at the head of the AFL table.

Keep the faith.

One adult daughter comes to every game with me (she saw our last GF as an 18 month old) the other was only weeks old and I have to bribe her to come along, as happened on Saturday night, alas after that game it will take an effort by me to get her to another one in the near future. She does have 25 on her jumper which goes back as far as Benny Gale, was embarrassed to wear it when it was *smile*, but doesn't want to take the number off so at the moment it is in the bottom drawer. The one that does come with me has had 12 on hers ever since she really took an interest in the game and also wont take that number off.
Even with adult children it is a never ending battle to keep them interested but at least they can see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and its just water off a ducks back in regard to the comments friends and work colleagues make to them each week.
During their primary school days we had many incidents, that these days would be akin to bullying, in the school yard, and its a wonder that they do still follow the Tiges.

 

[thejinx]

I'm of a similar age of your children (If I can deduct properly, I was born in '83), and yeah, it's definitely tough being a Tiger supporter.

All through school, I always copped it, but now whenever anyone gives me crap, I just agree with them. Because we are crap... I just come back and say that you can't truly enjoy the highs without first experiencing the lows.

Hopefully your kids stick through it, because they'll definitely be rewarded as true supporters when we're good again.

 

[hopper]

Geez, people. This isn't rocket science.

Hopper parenting 101
Kids don't eat unless they barrack for Richmond.
There endeth the lecture.

They'll love you for it later! For now, suck it up kids - life (especially as a Tiger) isn't meant to be easy!