Dreadful! But hardly new?

[thejiggingsaint]

Like most Sainters, I'm bitterly disappointed and angry at that (ahem) "performance" against Essendon. But I'd respectfully suggest that this result, and this performance are hardly a "new development" at the St Kilda footy club. Over the 32 years I've been following and supporting the club, except for a few precious seasons [2003-2011] I've seen similar results and performances occur with monotonous regularity. Yes, I'm spewing my hoop about it now, but by midweek when the blood cools, and sanity returns (?!?!) I'll get on with supporting the club in their next match. Does this mean I'm "happy with mediocrity/failure"??? Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr NO! But what alternative (other than giving it all away?!) do I have? If I was a bloke driven by just results, I'd have given the Saints away DECADES ago! I just enjoy going to the match with my pal Tom to watch footy! GO Saints! (To hell with the rest!!!)

[Sainternist]

Well said, Jiggster!

In following the Saints we have to remain philosophical and just accept that it’s not all about winning. My girlfriend said she hadn’t seen me so aggrieved over a loss on Friday night. It had me thinking that maybe I’m taking it all too seriously. I really shouldn’t let these losses ruin my weekend. I was in good company and they all felt the sting of defeat as well.

One for all, all for one and up the mighty Saints (to hell with the rest!)

[Ghost Like]

Good post mate.

Must admit I checked my travel insurance (after Friday night) and being a St Kilda supporter is not a valid reason to cancel our trip to Sydney. I'll be there Saturday night. I'll sit in the Members Pavillion and through gritted teeth answer their "supporters" questions like, "Whose that white haired chap wearing the red & white number 5?"

C'mon Captain Jack, get them high Saturday night & right this season in one of our favourite graveyards!

[Laurie]

I will be there at the SCG Saturday night as well much that the loss hurt against the INJECTORS RED BLACK AND WHITE runs through my veins
GO YOU BLOODY SAINTERS

[B.M]

And therein lies the problem

We accept mediocrity

[Gershwin]

Some people invest a lot of themselves into this club.
I went with a mate who has just had his bladder removed and will wear a bag for the rest of his life. He left at 3/4 time saying that after the week he has had he didn’t need this.
Another friend came with her husband who is having chemo. for cancer. She was bitterly disappointed for his sake.

I have been following them for 55 years and have developed some sort of ‘shield’ to help me move on.
I’m sure the supporters are far more invested than the players who keep it in perspective.

[older saint]

Like most Sainters, I'm bitterly disappointed and angry at that (ahem) "performance" against Essendon. But I'd respectfully suggest that this result, and this performance are hardly a "new development" at the St Kilda footy club. Over the 32 years I've been following and supporting the club, except for a few precious seasons [2003-2011] I've seen similar results and performances occur with monotonous regularity. Yes, I'm spewing my hoop about it now, but by midweek when the blood cools, and sanity returns (?!?!) I'll get on with supporting the club in their next match. Does this mean I'm "happy with mediocrity/failure"??? Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr NO! But what alternative (other than giving it all away?!) do I have? If I was a bloke driven by just results, I'd have given the Saints away DECADES ago! I just enjoy going to the match with my pal Tom to watch footy! GO Saints! (To hell with the rest!!!)

growing up watching the late 70's and 80's i was conditioned to go to games expecting to lose, and this then made the wins o great but generally it sucked. From there the moments have swayed between being a finals team and expecting to win almost every game you went to 1997. 1998 2004-2005, 2008,2009,2010 to being in the cellar again ala 1980s .
The issue with Friday is we have moved back into the should be a finals team and expected to beat the bottom teams. Unfortunately, this expectation, combined with Essendon, leads to inevitable anger and frustration - which may well in some ways be increased when we come out and beat Sydney in Sydney next week, then look back at end of rnd 23 and get engry again when it costs us a top4 or home final or top 8 spot.
oh the self inflected agony

[Teflon]

Don’t xxx accept that performance demand more

[thejiggingsaint]

And therein lies the problem

We accept mediocrity

Agree to disagree with you there Colleague. As I said in my OP, these sort of "performances/results" are hardly a "new phenomena" at the St Kilda footy club. just WHAT "alternative" do we have? other than to express our disappointment at a poor result and then get back to supporting the club...... OR walking away?

[B.M]

Why accept mediocre performance?!

As a club we’ve never had high expectations

That’s the issue!!!

[thejiggingsaint]

Why accept mediocre performance?!

As a club we’ve never had high expectations

That’s the issue!!!

No colleague, I'd argue that we do at times have "high expectations" to be playing finals when the admin and playing staff (apart from a few precious seasons) have been well below the standard for a good well-run AFL Club.

[maverick]

Yep simply demand more that will do it
How about we get membership up to 80k and get more than 30k to a game and then we can demand more from the club
We continue to be mediocre because supporters are apathetic and we don’t attract the best to manage the club
Simple as that

[Yorkeys]

So manage expectations?
Hard when Club doesn't/can't give us full story (notice Tony74 has been quiet, yes?)
Against:
Short break after hard game/travel;
Lost DMac, Owens, incorrectly dropped Windhager;
NWM rusty had not played for weeks
Billings Clark Higgins still to find form/fitness after significant breaks
Wood lost form
Roma a shadow of himself for whatever reason;
Hill busy but not creating as he was
Byrnes still learning the trade and not physically impressive, Dons opponents too big for him;
Sides load up on Max and we are powerless.
Essendon have been a sleeping talent and after stage fright for their 150th came out smoking - they have excellent on ballers Shiels and Draper stand outs.
Objectively reasonable to expect Dons win.
I made the mistake of thinking Butler and Higgins would stand up but not only did they butcher chances repeatedly their opponents killed us on the rebound.
My expectation is if we continue to play the familiar fwd set up we will continue to slide. So no "PTSD" for me. Looking forward to the next missive from the president about how we might use our better draft picks and how Butler has to play because he is in the commercial shoots, or something.

[thejiggingsaint]

Yep simply demand more that will do it
How about we get membership up to 80k and get more than 30k to a game and then we can demand more from the club
We continue to be mediocre because supporters are apathetic and we don’t attract the best to manage the club
Simple as that

As I've said on previous occasions Colleague, IF I was driven by RESULTS and nothing else but success, then (naturally) I would have dropped the Saints like a hot snot YEARS AGO! Does my loyalty and support of MY club mean that I (ahem) "accept mediocrity"? Absolutely NOT!!!!!! I'm as angry and disappointed as anybody could be at friday nights shitshow..... does it mean I'm ready to roll up the swag and move on from the Saints? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

[Banger9798]

There is a difference between "accepting mediocrity" and managing your expectations and responses.

The OP seems to me to be giving advice about the latter, which is fair enough, being Saints supporters, if you expect this club to win the games they are supposed to win, you're in for a hiding.

[B.M]

Supporters don’t drive performance- nothing to do with it

[The Fireman]

No one is accepting mediocrity BM. Stupid comment

[thejiggingsaint]

Well said, Jiggster!

In following the Saints we have to remain philosophical and just accept that it’s not all about winning. My girlfriend said she hadn’t seen me so aggrieved over a loss on Friday night. It had me thinking that maybe I’m taking it all too seriously. I really shouldn’t let these losses ruin my weekend. I was in good company and they all felt the sting of defeat as well.

One for all, all for one and up the mighty Saints (to hell with the rest!)

Hiya Colleague! We both share a common love for the St Kilda Footy Club. We also (from conversations I've enjoyed having with you) share a love for the GAME. As an expat scouser it took me a wee while to get to grips with Australian Rules Football, but once I was "smitten" I was smitten for LIFE! Perhaps my philosophical view of results does convey (in some folks' eyes at least) an "acceptance of mediocrity".....I would respectfully argue to the contrary. No, I've now decided to simply get back to tin tacks and concentrate on simply enjoying, in these latter years of my life, the joy and pleasure to obtained from just meeting up with my pal Tom for pre game drinks or lunch, and enjoying a good natter about the game, politics, art, life..whatever! and then taking our seats to enjoy the footy!!! Just for the sake of the GAME!

I realise of course that others may disagree with that approach, they have my sympathy, they're (IMHO) missing out on a lot of fun!

[Ghost Like]

And therein lies the problem

We accept mediocrity

You are a dead set stupid f@ck, drunk on your own bath water. We support them regardless of results, that is what supporting St Kilda means. Whether we like it or not.

How dare you pollute an essentially positive thread with this "look at me, I'm a hard man" comment. Flog!

[B.M]

Did I say look at me or I’m a hard man?

I just made a truthful comment - we are not ruthless in our pursuit of high expectations

We make excuses like - we are StK we are not supposed to be winners

I don’t subscribe to that.

BTW
You abusing me Ghost seems to suggest you think you’re a bit of a hard man? Easy thing to do on a keyboard.

[Ghost Like]

Did I say look at me or I’m a hard man?

I just made a truthful comment - we are not ruthless in our pursuit of high expectations

We make excuses like - we are StK we are not supposed to be winners

I don’t subscribe to that.

BTW
You abusing me Ghost seems to suggest you think you’re a bit of a hard man? Easy thing to do on a keyboard.

You are always a "look at me" poster B.M.. Sometimes quite rightly because you make reasonable comments some of the time.

You have hijacked a relatively positive thread to have a crack about people's acceptance of St Kilda. Hard man B. M. again imposing himself.

Not a hard man B.M., I've sent you PMs in the past to catch up & chat at Moorabbin or Sandy but "crickets". No replies.

[Devilhead]

I would say at times over the years we have attempted to be very ruthless and calculating ..... unfortunately we just aren't very good at it or least haven't had that magic ounce of luck all clubs sometimes need

[happy feet]

I’m sorry but I’m with B.M on this. To win Premierships you need to be ruthless and we are nowhere near ruthless. I was only 3 in 1966 and I’m starting to wonder if I will see a premiership in my lifetime.

[Ghost Like]

I’m sorry but I’m with B.M on this. To win Premierships you need to be ruthless and we are nowhere near ruthless. I was only 3 in 1966 and I’m starting to wonder if I will see a premiership in my lifetime.

Fair enough happy feet but was that what the OP was about? Perhaps B.M., yourself and anyone else could have started a thread about being ruthless, "flint hard" and whatever other rubbish descriptive term to describe the beliefs of St Kilda supporters & the Club. The jigging saint was about sticking fat regardeless of our obvious shortcomings in history and current results.

[The Fireman]

I’m sorry but I’m with B.M on this. To win Premierships you need to be ruthless and we are nowhere near ruthless. I was only 3 in 1966 and I’m starting to wonder if I will see a premiership in my lifetime.

I'm confused...who needs to be ruthless....the supporters or the club and players ?