fensaddler

2 Bos 1 VDV

Decent performance in awful conditions. Take the points and move on. Virtually a six pointer given the opposition. I'd been at the test all day (in the shade) but couldn't take any more of the heat and went home rather than heading to AAMI. Got home in time to see the second half. Terrible conditions for anything, never mind a game of football.

Nice to have that option!

I'm currently at the MCG in deep shade and it's... unpleasant.

Heat, test match, active ban, general bad vibes, transport disruptions. It'll be a very small crowd.

I understand it all as far as it goes, but where will active members actually go? They don't have allocated seats elsewhere, and if they go to GA active will just gather, de facto, at the North End.

I guess it ties in to determining what happened and who is to blame for it. So it's pretty complex and a lot of evidence to sift. Also priorities I guess. More important to resolve other things right now.

Both have been charged with serious offences, so I'd imagine many of these details are sub judice. Much of this can't be discussed because it would impede the potential for a fair trial.

Not sure. I think there will be a reaction both ways. Some will be put off, others will rally round to support the players and to ensure that the bad guys don't win.

You're right Bela I think. Maybe a first task for Active is to identify their trusted regulars, so that they can also identify and if necessary eliminate the derby specials. They'll need help from the club and possibly VicPol. This is a complex job well beyond the resources of an active supporter group.

Agreed. First they need to recognise the problem and their part in it. One of my strongest emotions out of this is a sense of broken trust with Active. I and so many others trusted them to do this right. But because the issue of hooliganism in their ranks has been overlooked for a long time, it all went very badly wrong, and killed the protests for all the fan groups in the A League. And I really don't like having to say this, because I don't think active leadership are bad people, or had anything but the best intentions. We're all to some extent guilty of overlooking a growing problem. We collectively can't overlook it any longer.

Something else that occurs to me. Our club is only off the hook on this because the Victory active went so far beyond. If they hadn't invaded the pitch and assaulted people, likely the story would be how City fans stopped the match because they set the net on fire. That's how close we were to being the pariahs in this. We were so close to being the club looking at sanctions. We're only saved because the Victory active are be several degrees more vile. We need to take action and dob in our dickheads, or we'll be next. Some of our active support really let us and football down, and if active even continues to exist after this, they need to get serious about self policing. Can't keep turning a blind eye to the problems in their midst.

Two things to note for me beyond a deep sense of sadness that we're not talking about a football game lit up by that fabulous O'Neill goal. 1. Despite all that was done by the Victory terrace, on whom much of the blame must lie, we need to get our own house in order. There is a low life element in our own active support which has been getting more prominent. Our active threw several flares onto the pitch, on or near the opposition goalkeeper. That is way beyond acceptable. These people need naming, weeding out and banning. I'm glad some of the photos being circulated are from our end. But there are still far too many prominent voices close to Active who are excusing or covering for these morons. 2. The protests are dead. Any credibility died last night. Finals will be going to Sydney. What case could we make for a final in Melbourne after that? We can't have nice things. Other clubs supporters won't thank us for that. No use saying not us, our supporters were at least partly complicit, even if only a small proportion of the overall damage.

No idea what will be left. The real hard core rusted on are the people who've hung on since the Heart days, and coped with the change of name and colours, and being owned by sportswashing bastards. I suspect it's now many of them (us) for whom this is the final straw. I'm no longer going to attend and one other of our group is similar. But it's split our group of mates down the middle in an epic online conversation last night about how to respond to this. Heartbroken because this has been so much part of my life, and a real part of feeling I belong since we rocked up from the UK just over 11 years ago. I fear this has wrecked the A League. Just hate my own club right now for what they stand for, and it hurts to watch the other two clubs in Melbourne acting far more on principle. Honestly can see myself walking away from City, waiting until WU have a ground in Tarneit and then going to watch my football there. Won't be the same, but living most of the way to Geelong it makes some sense. Utterly disgusted with City, they have nothing to redeem themselves in my eyes.

I fear it will be for me. I don't think I can carry on as a member if City management backed this cluster fuck. I don't know what else I can do but withdraw my support. As jw says, I think the damage is done. I'm both ropeable and heartbroken.

Yes, one or two odd selection decisions. Tilio surely deserving of a start.

Lolley looks almost untouchable for Sydney tonight.

He was being mugged by Retre...

Could be a little worse jw. He's taking over a team in form, individually and collectively, confident and stacked with talent. I suspect they don't need too much managing.

Biggest concern for me is if he takes players with him. Confident CFG will have a candidate already to take over if Paddy is off to Troyes.

I don't want him. He's a nasty piece of work with some dubious off field stuff floating around. He'd be poison in the dressing room. I've no wish to watch him or support him.

We've got a side stacked with talent, but I do think that if they're good enough they will see game time. Bos (2002) is a clear example. But we're also playing Talbot (2001) over an older and more experienced player, with Tilio (2001) also starting regularly. Also note we've finished 3 out of 6 games with ten men, which is not necessarily a good situation in which to bring inexperienced attacking players.

Problem is we've already got three or four fabulous attacking players knocking on the door of our first team! I'd have loved to have kept Moonib, but the truth is that our youth program is generating so much talent now that there just isn't room to keep them all. It's definitely a problem of success! And good luck to Moonib.

WSW won't score many, but they'll be bloody hard to score against, and they'll battle hard. They are contenders this year. Safe to say that Adelaide are also in that category. Victory are mediocre and Sydney verging on poor.

We were away. Jets are a good side on their day. We got the result. It was tough. Sometimes it's like that even for the best sides. And a PS, Jets have made a great youth signing in Moonib Adus, who was brilliant in our youth side last season.