and another thing

So, I have a glass of O'Mara's in hand and it's time to have a bit of a rant about football. No not that round ball choreographed dance they call soccer, or thugby (rugby), or even that ugly throw-the-ball-backwards-to-go-forwards rubbish they call league (rugby league) (for our American friends your Grid Iron is not football either so deal with it). I am talking about the only game that could possibly call itself football, where men are men and the boys can go home, where padding is for the feint of heart and skills and fitness rule supreme. I refer to Australian Rules Football.

Now as everyone knows I am a slightly rabid Brisbane Lions fan. The Lions are having a very bad year . Actually bad doesn't quite cut it, HORRENDOUS is more like it. I know it, the media knows it, we ALL bloody know it.
Oh did I say media? MEDIA???? The bloody media ignores the crap out of the Lions when we are trundling along, not earth shattering wins or anything, just trundling, getting it done, winning some losing others. But you just wait until we do something wrong, like lose almost every game of the season so far (we've won one of thirteen to date) or some of our drafted players decide to go home (they're leaving in droves the headlines read). Suddenly the Lions are the hottest news in Australia. Suddenly every hack journalist has an expert opinion on what is wrong with the Lions and how to fix it.

Picture it: It's August 2013,13 August 2013 to be precise, the Normal Autistic Kid and I are at the hotel in Brisbane getting gussied up for the Brisbane Lions Gala Auction. We're keeping a weather eye on FaceBook and Twitter for messages from friends we will be meeting up with at the function. I am scrolling through the Tweets and there's something about Vossy (Lion's coach) I shake my head , reset my glasses and read again, Michael Voss, Lion's coach, has been sacked. WTF????? Two hours before a Gala event and they sack the coach? surely this is a joke, put the telly on, where's the news?
2013 was not the worst year for the Brisbane Lions. It wasn't a good one but hell Vossy was starting to come good, we thought. The media thought otherwise and in what can only be described as a sustained attack the media hounded Vossy up hill and down dale in the press, on telly, social media and anywhere else they could get a hearing. A man's career as a senior coach butchered by the press.
That evening was awful, truly awful. The players were stunned, the guests were angry and vocal in their anger.

Move to 2015 and the go home five. The AFL has a DRAFT system, where young players are picked up by teams these kids are supposed to be down with the fact that they may have to go interstate to get a gig on the big stage. For many it is their first time away from home and they get homesick. Nothing wrong with that, let them go home. But, the media cook it up as something else, they dream up tensions in the club – administration, coaches and even the fans.
How about we look at what the real issues are, how about we look at facts not fiction?
After the historical three peat of the early 2000's Eddie McGuire campaigned long and hard to have our retention allowance removed. Why did he do that one might ask??? Because two of the the Premierships were won against his team. Sour grapes much Eddie? He tried the same game when Sydney Swans started beating his team regularly. So, money that had helped to keep players at the club was suddenly removed and there was an exodus.There was the usual turn over over retiring players and coaches.

There was of course the incredibly idiotic recruiting debacle when Vossy thought getting Fev was a good idea and ended up losing two very good servants of the club over it.(that was also blown out of proportion in the press but Fev asked for it)
Then the AFL in its infinite wisdom decided that Queensland needed a second team and created what the Normal autistic Kid refers to as the fantastic plastic – the Gold Coast Suns (2011)- or cold toast scums, depends who you are right? Fans from the Gold Coast who used to be Lions supporters switched allegiance to 'their' team starting a membership loss for the Lions which the media ascribed to the fans being disenchanted with the Lions.
2016 – Brisbane Lions has the youngest list, we had a very tough draw, even the press agree, Leppa (coach) is changing the game plan. This year we have re-signed key players, some early because they want to stay.

There is more but you get the picture. Some good stuff and bad stuff and through it all the players keep on keeping on. When we win we are ignored by the media (unless it's against Eddies team) when we lose we're a basket case.

It is extremely difficult watching your team lose week after week. I loathe when so called fans think social media is there for them to abuse the players and coaches. I DETEST the media for  the continual negative press and their attempts to get yet another Lions coach sacked. In all fairness the media have been responsible for the sacking of other teams coaches as well but as they are not MY team I am not concerned with them here.
The media have set themselves up as demi gods, king makers, coach breakers and I for one have had quite enough. I am extending my media boycott to include such shows as AFL360, On the Couch as well as all print media, I am also culling my Twitter 'following' list to remove the more rabid negative so called Lions fans.

One day soon the tide will turn and my Lions will be up there winning and I am with them every tricky step of the way…

We are the pride of Brisbane town
We wear maroon, blue and gold
We will always fight for victory
Like Fitzroy and Bears of old
All for one and one for all
We will answer to the call
Go lions, Brisbane Lions we'll kick the winning score
You'll hear our mighty roar!!!!!!