One member of our Sydney Bulldogs Supporters Group ain't too happy with Smith re his comments in the Australian about Steve Kretiuk and
the Western Bulldogs.
I think it is worth reading and look forward to your comments.
Attention Patrick Smith c/o Feedback in The Australian
Reference p 21 The Australian 8th July 2002 "Bulldogs still have old bite"
Dear Patrick
I have been a Western Bulldogs (formerly Footscray) supporter since 1945 when, as a 9 year old boy, I was taken to a Footscray v Essendon match by a Sunday school teacher. The Dogs won a tight match and I was hooked for life!
From that day to this I have followed the fortunes of the Dogs with a combination of excitement, disappointment, anxiety and exhilaration. I have been fortunate to watch great players like Sutton, Collins, Whitten, Templeton, Hawkins, Wallis, Hardie, Royal, Grant, Beasley, Wynd, Johnson and many others.
I have contributed time and money to the Club, located now, but not initially, in a low socio-economic area, as it has struggled to survive in the face of rising costs and an expanding competition with subsidised interstate clubs.
I have been amazed at the loyalty and tenacity of the "workers "around the Club as they gave everything they had to ensure that the Club survived.
I attended and spoke at the rally organised against the VFL's proposal to merge the Dogs with the ill-fated Fitzroy and was humbled by the thousands of poor people who gave 20 and 50 cent pieces that day to help the cause, as best they could.
Mostly I have seen Bulldog teams which have given their utmost, which have had more than their share of brilliant players (who has had more Brownlow Medal winners?) and which have played with plenty of guts and determination - the great attraction to all AFL supporters over
the years.
Certainly since the early 1990's the Dogs have been one of the more exciting teams in the competition with regular finals appearances and third only to Essendon and North Melbourne in wins since the 16 team competition was established The administration of the Club has shown initiative and vision. It has embraced the nationwide competition enthusiastically and played "home" matches interstate. It was one of the first clubs to grasp the opportunity to
move to Colonial Stadium in order to secure the Club's future. It realised that in cold and windy Melbourne, Colonial Stadium would eventually prove to be a real winner-a conclusion Collingwood, Carlton and yourself have been slow to grasp
If any further evidence of the maturity of the Club was needed the "Team of the Century" dinner held this year provided it. A brilliantly produced and executed event way in advance of any similar event held by any AFL club.
Over the years I have also followed the media coverage of football, eagerly awaiting the Sporting Globe on Saturday nights after matches or the careful analysis of the games, the players and the tactics by Alf Brown or Hec De Lacy. And the crap spewed out by Richards, Newman and Hunt has appalled me. I have, by and large, enjoyed the coverage of AFL by The Australian, especially since I moved to AFL - starved Sydney in 1991. Like players there
have always been excellent, average and poor writers and commentators about the game.
Your article of the 8th July 2002 about the Western Bulldogs Club, and many articles that have preceded it, ranks you well towards the bottom of the latter category.
The article is grossly unfair, biased and sarcastic and not worthy of a so-called "Award "winning columnist. In short you should be ashamed to put your name to it. It is of course so similar to other smart- arse articles you have written about the AFL, Colonial Stadium, St. Kilda or Carlton
The match, which was central to your article, was a fast, rigorous, exciting and highly skilled event-just like many WB v Ess matches in recent years e.g. late in 2000.The crowd of 44000+ would have left the ground reluctantly accepting that a draw was a fair result for such a great contest.
The most despicable feature of your article is that while you feign to acknowledge the fine contribution made by President Smorgan, Coach Wallace, Captain Grant, players Darcy, Smith, West, Johnson and Bandy and several young players, are making to the AFL in general and the Club in particular, you use one incident, by one player, in one club, in a tight
game to denigrate the whole Club, its players, coach, administration and supporters-past and present. In doing so you resort to some incredible feat of memory manipulation involving the West Coast's Gardiner (did you ever see Worsfold or Lewis play?) and Sumich? Did you ever check the facts about that incident? Ask Steve Wallis, a fair player if ever there was one.
Essendon seems to escape your attention. Can you remember elbows Hardwick, sniper Barnes and kicker Moorcroft in recent years?
Your article fails to mention, except by inference, Tony Libratore (a Brownlow, Morrish and Gardiner x 2 Medal winner, a Victorian player and a Club Best and Fairest winner) who happened to be out with injury that night. He, of course, has given and copped a fair bit in matches and in the press. Who can blame him at 5ft 3 inches for looking after himself? Why doesn't the press, including yourself, report how often Libba collects a backhander or has to leave the ground with split eyebrows or lips? In comparison with most other clubs over the years the Dogs present day so called "tough guys" are no contest.
Check the records of Oppy, Dyer, Fraser, Richards, Balme, Devine, Jarrod, Icke, Bushby, Andrews, Chitty, Kennedy, Peck, Morrow, Rhys-Jones, Muir, Johnston or Brown, to say nothing of the coach with an official record of violence-Matthews. Where are the cynical, undermining articles about the clubs who have selected these players? What about the playing style of current players Pike, Hall or Dunkley? Why don't you cobble together an
article about incidents involving these players, and, in the process, dump on the same clubs that selected great players Coventry, Cordner, Ablett, Knights, Hudson, Daicos, Reynolds, Bunton, Baldock, Skilton, Coleman, Stewart, Blight, Foote, Voss or Mc.Leod?
The fact is that Australian Rules has always produced the rough and tough, the brilliant and elegant, the exciting and dour, the clean and the dirty, the brave and the cowardly and it is this mix which has made the game the number one spectator sport in the country.
Your words, "You are looking at the old and nasty culture. And it stinks. Mean spirited and begrudging, indulgent and cynical," are offensive to thousands of decent people who just happen to follow a pretty competitive footy team and love Australian Rules as it is.
Certainly the actions of Steve Kretiuk, taken in isolation, were unbecoming, but you failed to acknowledge the pretentious, often snide, and time wasting actions of Lloyd. How often has he been reported compared with Steve Kretiuk? How about the decking of Nathan Brown well after a clean mark just moments before the Lloyd incident with no 50 metre penalty or mention in your article?
It is writing such as yours - cowardly, negative, selective and uninformed- which turns spectators away because it fails to acknowledge or understand the real fabric of the game. If you think our Club stinks let me tell you your writing makes decent people vomit.
Australian Rules, under the threat from so many sports, needs clubs like the Western Bulldogs. It needs loyal supporters, talented and vigorous players, creative coaches and tireless administrators. It needs writers and commentators who are knowledgeable, factual, frank, interesting and fair. It does not need scribes who continually knock and who never make a constructive suggestion to assist the game that feeds them.
If a player performed the way you write he would be told by the coach to lift his game or get out of the club. Which are you going to do?
Doctor Ron Ikin
President, Western Bulldogs Sydney Supporters Group
the Western Bulldogs.
I think it is worth reading and look forward to your comments.
Attention Patrick Smith c/o Feedback in The Australian
Reference p 21 The Australian 8th July 2002 "Bulldogs still have old bite"
Dear Patrick
I have been a Western Bulldogs (formerly Footscray) supporter since 1945 when, as a 9 year old boy, I was taken to a Footscray v Essendon match by a Sunday school teacher. The Dogs won a tight match and I was hooked for life!
From that day to this I have followed the fortunes of the Dogs with a combination of excitement, disappointment, anxiety and exhilaration. I have been fortunate to watch great players like Sutton, Collins, Whitten, Templeton, Hawkins, Wallis, Hardie, Royal, Grant, Beasley, Wynd, Johnson and many others.
I have contributed time and money to the Club, located now, but not initially, in a low socio-economic area, as it has struggled to survive in the face of rising costs and an expanding competition with subsidised interstate clubs.
I have been amazed at the loyalty and tenacity of the "workers "around the Club as they gave everything they had to ensure that the Club survived.
I attended and spoke at the rally organised against the VFL's proposal to merge the Dogs with the ill-fated Fitzroy and was humbled by the thousands of poor people who gave 20 and 50 cent pieces that day to help the cause, as best they could.
Mostly I have seen Bulldog teams which have given their utmost, which have had more than their share of brilliant players (who has had more Brownlow Medal winners?) and which have played with plenty of guts and determination - the great attraction to all AFL supporters over
the years.
Certainly since the early 1990's the Dogs have been one of the more exciting teams in the competition with regular finals appearances and third only to Essendon and North Melbourne in wins since the 16 team competition was established The administration of the Club has shown initiative and vision. It has embraced the nationwide competition enthusiastically and played "home" matches interstate. It was one of the first clubs to grasp the opportunity to
move to Colonial Stadium in order to secure the Club's future. It realised that in cold and windy Melbourne, Colonial Stadium would eventually prove to be a real winner-a conclusion Collingwood, Carlton and yourself have been slow to grasp
If any further evidence of the maturity of the Club was needed the "Team of the Century" dinner held this year provided it. A brilliantly produced and executed event way in advance of any similar event held by any AFL club.
Over the years I have also followed the media coverage of football, eagerly awaiting the Sporting Globe on Saturday nights after matches or the careful analysis of the games, the players and the tactics by Alf Brown or Hec De Lacy. And the crap spewed out by Richards, Newman and Hunt has appalled me. I have, by and large, enjoyed the coverage of AFL by The Australian, especially since I moved to AFL - starved Sydney in 1991. Like players there
have always been excellent, average and poor writers and commentators about the game.
Your article of the 8th July 2002 about the Western Bulldogs Club, and many articles that have preceded it, ranks you well towards the bottom of the latter category.
The article is grossly unfair, biased and sarcastic and not worthy of a so-called "Award "winning columnist. In short you should be ashamed to put your name to it. It is of course so similar to other smart- arse articles you have written about the AFL, Colonial Stadium, St. Kilda or Carlton
The match, which was central to your article, was a fast, rigorous, exciting and highly skilled event-just like many WB v Ess matches in recent years e.g. late in 2000.The crowd of 44000+ would have left the ground reluctantly accepting that a draw was a fair result for such a great contest.
The most despicable feature of your article is that while you feign to acknowledge the fine contribution made by President Smorgan, Coach Wallace, Captain Grant, players Darcy, Smith, West, Johnson and Bandy and several young players, are making to the AFL in general and the Club in particular, you use one incident, by one player, in one club, in a tight
game to denigrate the whole Club, its players, coach, administration and supporters-past and present. In doing so you resort to some incredible feat of memory manipulation involving the West Coast's Gardiner (did you ever see Worsfold or Lewis play?) and Sumich? Did you ever check the facts about that incident? Ask Steve Wallis, a fair player if ever there was one.
Essendon seems to escape your attention. Can you remember elbows Hardwick, sniper Barnes and kicker Moorcroft in recent years?
Your article fails to mention, except by inference, Tony Libratore (a Brownlow, Morrish and Gardiner x 2 Medal winner, a Victorian player and a Club Best and Fairest winner) who happened to be out with injury that night. He, of course, has given and copped a fair bit in matches and in the press. Who can blame him at 5ft 3 inches for looking after himself? Why doesn't the press, including yourself, report how often Libba collects a backhander or has to leave the ground with split eyebrows or lips? In comparison with most other clubs over the years the Dogs present day so called "tough guys" are no contest.
Check the records of Oppy, Dyer, Fraser, Richards, Balme, Devine, Jarrod, Icke, Bushby, Andrews, Chitty, Kennedy, Peck, Morrow, Rhys-Jones, Muir, Johnston or Brown, to say nothing of the coach with an official record of violence-Matthews. Where are the cynical, undermining articles about the clubs who have selected these players? What about the playing style of current players Pike, Hall or Dunkley? Why don't you cobble together an
article about incidents involving these players, and, in the process, dump on the same clubs that selected great players Coventry, Cordner, Ablett, Knights, Hudson, Daicos, Reynolds, Bunton, Baldock, Skilton, Coleman, Stewart, Blight, Foote, Voss or Mc.Leod?
The fact is that Australian Rules has always produced the rough and tough, the brilliant and elegant, the exciting and dour, the clean and the dirty, the brave and the cowardly and it is this mix which has made the game the number one spectator sport in the country.
Your words, "You are looking at the old and nasty culture. And it stinks. Mean spirited and begrudging, indulgent and cynical," are offensive to thousands of decent people who just happen to follow a pretty competitive footy team and love Australian Rules as it is.
Certainly the actions of Steve Kretiuk, taken in isolation, were unbecoming, but you failed to acknowledge the pretentious, often snide, and time wasting actions of Lloyd. How often has he been reported compared with Steve Kretiuk? How about the decking of Nathan Brown well after a clean mark just moments before the Lloyd incident with no 50 metre penalty or mention in your article?
It is writing such as yours - cowardly, negative, selective and uninformed- which turns spectators away because it fails to acknowledge or understand the real fabric of the game. If you think our Club stinks let me tell you your writing makes decent people vomit.
Australian Rules, under the threat from so many sports, needs clubs like the Western Bulldogs. It needs loyal supporters, talented and vigorous players, creative coaches and tireless administrators. It needs writers and commentators who are knowledgeable, factual, frank, interesting and fair. It does not need scribes who continually knock and who never make a constructive suggestion to assist the game that feeds them.
If a player performed the way you write he would be told by the coach to lift his game or get out of the club. Which are you going to do?
Doctor Ron Ikin
President, Western Bulldogs Sydney Supporters Group
