Is there a Premiership for the 'cleanest' club?

[Johnny Member]

Does anyone know?

It seems that's what a lot of footy fans out there (and on here) are really hoping to win.

Not me. I'm only interested in winning footy matches.


I couldn't care if The Night Stalker played for the Saints. As long as he could kick straight on Grand Final day, I'd be happy.

That's why I watch and love the footy. For the game.


If people feel that their footy clubs, and the players that play for them, represent them in some way, then I suggest you need to get fair dinkum. There are doctors and world leaders out there who are doing things that are actually important, and are actually worthy of our adulation.

Once the siren goes on a Saturday arvo, I go home and happily settle back in to my real life. Granted, it's much happier if the Saints win!

I can understand the clubs themselves being worried about the 'brand' and their image being tainted in the eyes of the public. They need to sell their product, so it's important that what they're selling is appealing.

But why does the average footy fan care what happens once the siren blows?


I don't care at all.


If you want to walk around taking pride in someone else's achievements, make Nelson Mandela your hero. He's done good stuff for the world. Or maybe even try Ghandi or someone.
That'll make you walk taller on your way to work each day.

But jesus, what has Zac Dawson or even Nick Riewoldt done for the world?

Let's put some perspective on the following of footy. Surely we follow the footy? And not follow the lives of those who get paid handsomely to do it?

Once a movie finishes, I go back to reality. I don't spam internet forums and newspapers and talkback radio with outrage when I hear that the star of the movie rooted a hooker whilst hanging his child over the balcony of an apartment somewhere.

Again, I don't care.

I have enough to care about in my own world. Footy allows me to have a release for 2 hours on the weekend, which is enjoyable. But f***, if I was to worry myself sick like you lot about the actions of 40 young guys who I've never met (nor want to), I'd go mental!!


It's footy. It's a sport.

What that saying? Don't ever forget that playing sport should be fun?

Well, here's another one:

Don't ever forget that following sport should be fun.



Relax.

It's only a game.

[InkerSaint]

You should post more often.

[WinnersOnly]

Well put Johnny Member I agree - everyone needs to maintain a sense of 'reality'. But I dont believe that should excuse the offending players from their responsibilities to the club, the members and the general; public. After all it is us that pay there wages and I think the members are entitled to be unhappy!

At the end of the day Johnny Member all the Saints people want is to win a flag and I dont believe these sort of distractions can help acheive that goal in anyway! I doubt half the people on here would be as emotive if the Saints had of won the 2010 GF....

Hopefully when all this blows over the club/players will make significant changes and learn from there mistakes !

[Johnny Member]

Well put Johnny Member I agree - everyone needs to maintain a sense of 'reality'. But I dont believe that should excuse the offending players from their responsibilities to the club, the members and the general; public. After all it is us that pay there wages and I think the members are entitled to be unhappy!

From my own perspective, the only responsibility thay have to me is to try their best each weekend.

I just love watching the footy.

If I cared about other people's lives, I'd watch Keeping Up With The Kardashian's!!

[Moods]

What you say Johnny makes sense - however I reckon what the underlying concern is amongst supporters is this - are these distractions indicative of the attitude of the players? Also what effect do these scandals have on the psych of the group? WE have already read today the impact the dikileaks fiasco has had on Zac. WE all read how Roo exploded at a couple of punters a couple of weeks ago.

Long term what impact does all this have on sponsorship and even membership of the club? Personally I don't want to follow a club who carry on like the Dallas Cowboys in the 90's. A footy club is quite often just another extension of a passionate supporter's personality. Everyone wants to be proud of their team, otherwise the club itself just becomes a passing interest.

RE the latest incident - I'm sure the majority of supporters would like to think that the boys were away preparing for another assault on a flag, knuckling down, and training hard. Not carrying on with alcohol and prescription pills, sneaking out of the team camp and pretending they're on the set of American Pie.

Personally, I wasn't too concerned about the school girl 'scandal' or the ensuing photographs. Even Lenny and Bakes wasn't a major thing as it happened well and truly in the off season, and I've heard Lenny was very much the victim in all of it.

THis latest incident however has occurred twds the business end of pre-season, and could easily be a gauge of the attitude of a select few within the group. THAT'S what concerns me.

[Dr Spaceman]

What you say Johnny makes sense - however I reckon what the underlying concern is amongst supporters is this - are these distractions indicative of the attitude of the players? Also what effect do these scandals have on the psych of the group? WE have already read today the impact the dikileaks fiasco has had on Zac. WE all read how Roo exploded at a couple of punters a couple of weeks ago.

Long term what impact does all this have on sponsorship and even membership of the club? Personally I don't want to follow a club who carry on like the Dallas Cowboys in the 90's. A footy club is quite often just another extension of a passionate supporter's personality. Everyone wants to be proud of their team, otherwise the club itself just becomes a passing interest.

RE the latest incident - I'm sure the majority of supporters would like to think that the boys were away preparing for another assault on a flag, knuckling down, and training hard. Not carrying on with alcohol and prescription pills, sneaking out of the team camp and pretending they're on the set of American Pie.

Personally, I wasn't too concerned about the school girl 'scandal' or the ensuing photographs. Even Lenny and Bakes wasn't a major thing as it happened well and truly in the off season, and I've heard Lenny was very much the victim in all of it.

THis latest incident however has occurred twds the business end of pre-season, and could easily be a gauge of the attitude of a select few within the group. THAT'S what concerns me.

I agree with the OP, but only up to a point.

This stuff does concern me in as much as it potentially affects our club’s ability to successfully operate, and indeed survive, and therefore to enable folk such as us the opportunity to continue to watch them play.

[Johnny Member]

Look, each to their own and I'm not going to start telling people how to support or follow the club.

But what happens at the club has no impact on me. And what happens to me or what I do, has no impact on the club. I know some don't see it that way, but sorry - that's the reality.

I love watching them play footy. They're a footy club. Nothing more.

They don't help the needy. They don't solve world hunger. They don't stop wars. Nor should they. That's not what I want from a sporting club.
They play footy!! And that's what I want from them.

They certainly don't exist to make me feel better about myself. They exist to entertain me. And to that end, they do a wonderful job and I thank them for it.

[Dr Spaceman]

Look, each to their own and I'm not going to start telling people how to support or follow the club.

But what happens at the club has no impact on me. And what happens to me or what I do, has no impact on the club. I know some don't see it that way, but sorry - that's the reality.

I love watching them play footy. They're a footy club. Nothing more.

They don't help the needy. They don't solve world hunger. They don't stop wars. Nor should they. That's not what I want from a sporting club.
They play footy!! And that's what I want from them.

They certainly don't exist to make me feel better about myself. They exist to entertain me. And to that end, they do a wonderful job and I thank them for it.

That's my point JM - they need to exist.

If the players actions go too far it can potentially threaten that very existence.

To that extent we can't always ignore these antics even if our passion itself is for blokes in red, white and black jumpers running around on a footy field.

[matrix]

dunno (to op question) but there seems to be ones for the not cleanest over the years

[SainterK]

Look, each to their own and I'm not going to start telling people how to support or follow the club.

But what happens at the club has no impact on me. And what happens to me or what I do, has no impact on the club. I know some don't see it that way, but sorry - that's the reality.

I love watching them play footy. They're a footy club. Nothing more.

They don't help the needy. They don't solve world hunger. They don't stop wars. Nor should they. That's not what I want from a sporting club.
They play footy!! And that's what I want from them.

They certainly don't exist to make me feel better about myself. They exist to entertain me. And to that end, they do a wonderful job and I thank them for it.

I'd like to watch them win premierships.

[Armoooo]

I agree to a certain extent, but I do believe they have to hold up the most basic principles of our society, they can't be wife beating, rapist, thugs.

I would refuse to support any player whom I believe to be a scumbag and I believed that I knew this with great authority.

[Johnny Member]

Look, each to their own and I'm not going to start telling people how to support or follow the club.

But what happens at the club has no impact on me. And what happens to me or what I do, has no impact on the club. I know some don't see it that way, but sorry - that's the reality.

I love watching them play footy. They're a footy club. Nothing more.

They don't help the needy. They don't solve world hunger. They don't stop wars. Nor should they. That's not what I want from a sporting club.
They play footy!! And that's what I want from them.

They certainly don't exist to make me feel better about myself. They exist to entertain me. And to that end, they do a wonderful job and I thank them for it.

I'd like to watch them win premierships.

As I said above, I couldn't care less what these guys do off the ground. If it's impacting their ability to play (which is what I think you may be alluding to) then the coaches need to act on it. And I trust that with the physical scrutiny these guys are under, if it was impacting them it would be picked up pretty quickly in skin folds and all the other health, fitness and strength tests that they do regularly.

As I said, if I want to walk taller by pumping up my own self-esteem through other people's social and humanitarian efforts, I'll choose Nelson Mandela or Bob Geldoff or someone. Not a footballer.

But if I want to get enjoyment out of watching a game that I loved playing, and grew up watching, then I'll choose the footy.


If I was a West Coast fan I'd have still enjoyed watching them play throughout 05 and 06 regardless of the s*** they were up to.

[Johnny Member]

I agree to a certain extent, but I do believe they have to hold up the most basic principles of our society, they can't be wife beating, rapist, thugs.

I would refuse to support any player whom I believe to be a scumbag and I believed that I knew this with great authority.

But that depends on what you mean by 'support them'.

If it means having a poster of them on your wall at home, and/or defending them at work on Mondays when people start bagging the club, then I agree.

But I don't idolise these players as people. They're footballers. They wear the beloved red, white and black on weekends and I see them for what they are - young dudes playing a game which I love watching.

I 'support them' to the extent of wanting them to help the Saints win. That's it.

I don't know, nor do I want to know what they get up to in private. And even if I did, it would make difference to me wanting them to help the Saints win a match.

What's next? Me wanting to know who they vote for before I accept them as a Saints player!!

[Armoooo]

What if you see one of our players kill somebody two days before the Grand Final and for one reason or another they don't get arrested. Would you be happy to have that man playing for your club?

[Johnny Member]

What if you see one of our players kill somebody two days before the Grand Final and for one reason or another they don't get arrested. Would you be happy to have that man playing for your club?

I don't know where to start with answering that question, or if you are even serious about it.

[AnythingsPossibleSaints]

Well put Johnny Member I agree - everyone needs to maintain a sense of 'reality'. But I dont believe that should excuse the offending players from their responsibilities to the club, the members and the general; public. After all it is us that pay there wages and I think the members are entitled to be unhappy!

From my own perspective, the only responsibility thay have to me is to try their best each weekend.

So you wouldn't mind if they just f***ed around all week and stayed out all night and ate lots of s*** that made the unhealthy and unfit, as long as they then "tried their best" for the 3 hour period of the match each weekend?
That's the only responsibility they have to us, the ones who are largely paying their wages (especially without a major sponsor)?

[Johnny Member]

Well put Johnny Member I agree - everyone needs to maintain a sense of 'reality'. But I dont believe that should excuse the offending players from their responsibilities to the club, the members and the general; public. After all it is us that pay there wages and I think the members are entitled to be unhappy!

From my own perspective, the only responsibility thay have to me is to try their best each weekend.

So you wouldn't mind if they just f***ed around all week and stayed out all night and ate lots of s*** that made the unhealthy and unfit, as long as they then "tried their best" for the 3 hour period of the match each weekend?
That's the only responsibility they have to us, the ones who are largely paying their wages (especially without a major sponsor)?

Nah, I said this above...

As I said above, I couldn't care less what these guys do off the ground. If it's impacting their ability to play (which is what I think you may be alluding to) then the coaches need to act on it. And I trust that with the physical scrutiny these guys are under, if it was impacting them it would be picked up pretty quickly in skin folds and all the other health, fitness and strength tests that they do regularly.