Should I stay or should I go?
By Jeff Wortman
As Warren Tredrea kicked one of Port Power’s 24 goals late in the final quarter on Sunday afternoon, I pondered a long standing footballing question: is it okay to leave the game early?
The reasons for an early exit are clear. The prospect of getting a seat on the train ride home is attractive, or avoiding the traffic jam. The pain of sitting through the opposition team’s triumphant sing-a-long after the siren will also be avoided. The reasons to stay though are also compelling, especially on this day, Matthew Richardson’s 250th.
A week earlier, when Kevin Sheedy reached the record-breaking milestone of 879 games as player and coach, Bomber fans faced the same conundrum. Sit there and watch the Bulldogs pour on eight goals in the final quarter or sneak out ahead of the final siren? Given the legendary coach’s subsequent demise, I wonder if the consciences of some Bomber fans are troubling them. Sheedy acknowledged the dedication of those who stayed for his post match presentation, by waving and applauding generously. Perhaps there have been times in his 27 year tenure at the club when he wishes he could have had an early night.
As a Richmond fan, one of my few fond memories is our win over the dominant 2001 Essendon team in round 22 of that season. I watched the Bomber fans leave the MCG deep into the last quarter. The disappointment must have been an unfamiliar feeling for them after such a long period of success. I almost let myself believe that we had caused the team to fracture as the supporters all chose their separate moments to leave and wandered off in different directions. In contrast, I felt my team was unified. The tiger fans sang the song in perfect unison and left the stands together, celebrating our elevation into a top four spot on the ladder. The week after, roles were reversed and Essendon beat the Tigers in first week of the finals. I caught the early train home that night.
At the game we use our voices. We shout ‘get rid of it’ when an opponent is closing in on one of our players. We advise them to ‘Kick it long’ at other times (though less frequently in today’s game.) ‘Go back and have a shot’ is another well rehearsed stanza for Richmond fans as we know all too well that Richo can sometimes let his impetuousness get the better of him when he takes a mark inside 50. The Tigers cheersquad do their best to intimidate the opposition with insults and diligently drag yellow and black floggers to the game every week to distract the opposition forwards when they shoot for goal. In this way, supporters are part of the team. When the team plays well, we share in the success.
When the team plays badly however, there are too few things a supporter can do. When it all becomes too much, some invoke the tough love approach by abusing the players or perching above the race and giving the coach a bake after the game. Or there’s the well-rehearsed routine of cutting up your membership into little pieces and posting it to the club. Maybe the most dignified way to voice your disapproval, though, is to revoke your patronage prematurely.
What would be the fallout of me leaving early on this day I wondered. After all, according to my membership I am ‘part of the Richmond movement.’ If I decided to leave early, I would be no more a team player than Brendan Fevola, who allegedly took his boots off with three minutes remaining in the Blues loss to Fremantle in round 13. I did the team thing, I stayed. What’s an extra ten minutes in the car park anyway when you’re celebrating a Richmond legend.