Media The Vampires: A Smiles retrospective

Remove this Banner Ad

On the 8th of April, 2020 a notification popped up in the top right corner of my screen.
View attachment 1682765
Pictured: The PM in question

A PM from Millky95, or as I’d known him until then, Parxboy. I’d had absolutely nothing to do with The Milk Man prior to this PM and had limited knowledge of his time in the league, knowing simply it involved Ant Bear and some backstabbing. The PM contained a simple proposal; to join him in an attempt to enter a new expansion team into the league. This was my first introduction to the Pennsylvania Vampires.

JeeRxnL.jpg

Pictured: magpienato 's logo which was used in the bid

Since then, 3 years have flown by and a lot has happened in that time (including a visit to Pennsylvania, where I didn’t see any vampires :( ). Which got me thinking, what if? What if the team in purple, red, and black managed to get up? In this retrospective I’ll be looking over at the proposal and the list profile and comparing it to others in the leagues. So get yourself some garlic, open up the curtains, and have a stake at the ready, cause it’s time to meet the Vampires!

Black And White Vampire GIF

Pictured: Dingster flashes the pearly whites on the inaugural photo day

This thread will go over the following:
The team's initial proposal
The reaction to that proposal
Would it have mattered?
An analysis of the build up of the list and how they've faired in the seasons since
A poster by poster analysis of the list
Final thoughts
200w.gif
 
SarahSmiles, as S37 admin, I will formally grant the Vampires the SFA's 14th licence. You're just not allowed to play for them. I'm locking you up in the Royal basement.
I can only assume works are underway to have TheInjuryFactory and I as co-captains?
 

Log in to remove this ad.

The list
The list

Another big issue raised by the league was the build up of the list. Millky95 was not in the league at the time of the bid and though a few experienced posters such as Jezmiester40 , Dingster , PhenomenalV1 and the late Deaneus! were signed up, the league was seriously concerned at how the team would perform posting wise. Though the majority of the established posters had been in the league for a while, they weren’t the most active bunch. The prospect of merely 5 posters currently in the league joining forces with 17 rookies and returning posters raised eyebrows.

So let's take a look at the list and at each individual poster involved with it.

The final Vampires list had 22 posters, so let's compare where those 22 are against 2 other lists from the time. Those being the S29 Premiers, The Swamprats, and the Wooden Spooners, The Gumbies.


Posters still in the league:

This stat looks at how many of the posters on a team’s list in S29 are still on a list in the league at the moment.

The Swamprats: 12/25 or 48% of posters on the Rats list for S29 are still in the league

I discovered a lot doing this research, for example, did you know Firestarter was still in the league? S29 was a good season for the Rats, winning their second flag in three seasons. A surprising amount of that premiership core is still together 7 seasons on.

The Gumbies: 15/26 or 57.7% of posters on the Gumbies list for S29 are still in the league

I was pretty surprised doing this research too. This was a surprisingly good list and to keep a fair amount of it together and in the league is no mean feat given the poor on field record of the Gumbies, they’ve always been captained very well under Barrybran and I think a great deal of this retention can be attributed to him

The Vampires: 12/22 or 54.5% of posters on the proposed Vampires list at the end of S29 are still in the league

Perhaps helped by a smaller list, but this ratio is quite impressive. Worth noting too, that a few players left the league in S34. Strangely a large proportion of this list is at the Swamprats.

Players who never made their debut: 3

For 13 of the 16 posters to find a club after the collapse of the Vampires bid is great to see. While this expansion bid failed, it can’t be denied that it didn’t introduce new posters to the league and revitalise the interest of some returners.


Posters having won individual accolades:

A singular from these 3 lists have gone on to win individual accolades since the end of S29 (excluding stat based accolades). That is of course, future league Hall of Famer Barrybran who has earned many the accolade including a Frankston Rover and a Beez medal in S31

Posters still at their clubs:

This stat is pretty irrelevant in regards to the Vampires but I still found it mildly interesting. Of the posters on the Rats and Gumbies list, this is how many are still on that same list

The Swamprats: 10/25 or 40% of posters on the Rats list for S29 are still on the Rats list

The Gumbies: 10/26 or 38.4% of posters on the Gumbies list for S29 are still on the Gumbies list
 
It doesn't matter how good your bid was. The timing wasn't right.

Some important Posters were never going to endorse it or approve it.

Its as simple as that.
Vampires walked so the Old Boys could run. The first try of expansion was (in hindsight) always doomed to fail

But the Vampires were about bringing new and returning players to the league. And I think we achieved that despite not becoming a club ourselves
 
The list poster by poster breakdown: 1
The list: A poster by poster breakdown

In Alphabetical order, here is the inaugural 22 that never was.

1683618762087.png
Anti Septic

Anti Septic joined BigFooty in 2013, posting a mere 6 times before the turn of the decade. Their interest in the site seems to be reinvigorated by the Chess Club, a Chipmunk led initiative. They posted on the Sweet FA board just once, in the expansion exhibition game yet never made it onto a Sweet FA list. They’re still active on BigFooty and a Qooty career isn’t out of the question, get onto it captains, you may have the next tony on your hands.

1683618762096.png
Bastyy

Bastyy made a splash in the Sweet FA to say the least. They were set to join the Vampries after an explosive first season with the Furies. Bastyy stuck around in the Sweet FA as a player until S34 where they were delisted by the Furies. Still active in the league, and on BigFooty bastyy‘s Qooty career may not be done…

1683618762103.png

Bradesmaen
The Dublin based Vampire was recruited from the Association Football and despite supporting Everton, he has managed to carve out quite the impressive little career for himself. He joined the Dragons following the collapse of the Vampires bid for Season 30 and went on to establish himself in their team, winning the S32 flag. He’s still active in the league and on BigFooty, approaching his 100th game in a few weeks time.
 

View attachment 1682910
Bastyy

Bastyy made a splash in the Sweet FA to say the least. They were set to join the Vampries after an explosive first season with the Furies. Bastyy stuck around in the Sweet FA as a player until S34 where they were delisted by the Furies. Still active in the league, and on BigFooty bastyy‘s Qooty career may not be done…

f0b.jpg
 
View attachment 1682910
Bastyy

Bastyy made a splash in the Sweet FA to say the least. They were set to join the Vampries after an explosive first season with the Furies. Bastyy stuck around in the Sweet FA as a player until S34 where they were delisted by the Furies. Still active in the league, and on BigFooty bastyy‘s Qooty career may not be done…
I hope this is a 'we're trying to recruit him' and not a 'he's actually returning' thing....
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

The list poster by poster breakdown: 2
The list: A poster by poster breakdown, cont.

1683625596578.png
Chipmunk
Twice voted the league’s favourite rodent (Sorry Swamprats), Chipmunk had a rather short but Sweet Qooty career. Recruited as one of the established posters by the Vampires from the Hawks for Season 30 after a big debut season. He was responsible for a big chunk of the recruiting of rookies behind the scenes. Following the Vampires bid failing, Chipmunk returned to the Hawks, staying through the rebuild and being one of the league’s more active participants earning 3 All-SFA selections. He called time on his career at the end of Season 34.

1683625596590.png
Deaneus!

Deaneus! Was a well loved poster all over BigFooty. He was particularly active in werewolf games. Recruited from the Demons as one of the established posters to help head the bid, Deaneus was involved in the planning of the proposal. He won a premiership with the Demons in S26 and rejoined them following the bid’s collapse going on to finish his Qooty career with 193 games. Sadly, at the start of 2021 Deaneus passed away. This thread on the Adelaide board illustrates just how widely loved he was on BigFooty.

1683625596598.png
Dingster

It’s not a bad effort to get a Hall Of Famer on your side. Dingster joined the bid as the Vice-Captain. Well known within the league for his recruiting skills, I reckon approximately ¼ of the league’s participants today got a PM from him asking them to join. Playing for the Wonders at the time of the bid, Dingster left them at the end of S29 to join the Roys. Still active in the league, he’s creeping towards game number 500, plying his trade at the Bears.

1683625596610.png
Doashuey

One of the 3 posters who failed to make their Sweet FA debut after the fall of the Vampires, Doashuey never actually made it onto the board. Despite this, he’s still active on BigFooty so an illustrious Qooty career isn’t out of the question…

DontArgue04

It’s pretty telling when a poster has no profile pic and a single post. Unsurprisingly, he was the other Vampire to never make their debut. The fact he had never posted was brought up in the committee amid accusations that the list wouldn’t be sustainable. Recruited by Chipmunk he made his one and only post on BigFooty in the S29 prelim between the Rats and the Furies.
 
I’d almost be willing to help them out for 1 season to bring in recruits and settle.

SarahSmiles for Captain 👏🏻




If they clean their watched list
They should revive the bid under a different brand. Here's an idea:

The Chiropteran Young Bloods.

Basically the concept would be that the expansion bid are a team representing an elite private school institution that plays out in Spotswood. It's a fresh, innovative idea that hasn't been explored yet and will no doubt capture the imagination of the SFA.
 
It doesn't matter how good your bid was. The timing wasn't right.

Some important Posters were never going to endorse it or approve it.

Its as simple as that.

This is true. And at least we remember the Vampires as opposed to whatever the other bid was called.
 
They should revive the bid under a different brand. Here's an idea:

The Chiropteran Young Bloods.

Basically the concept would be that the expansion bid are a team representing an elite private school institution that plays out in Spotswood. It's a fresh, innovative idea that hasn't been explored yet and will no doubt capture the imagination of the SFA.
An elite private girls school? That might catch on :think:
 
The list: A poster by poster breakdown: 3
The list: A poster by poster breakdown, cont.

1683630253205.png
Elmer_Judd

Another Association Football board find, Elmer_Judd joined the bid as a rookie. Despite the Vampires going down, Elmer_Judd stuck around, joining the Wonders. He stayed for 3 seasons before moving to the Roys where he won the S33 flag as well as gaining back to back all Sweet FA selections. He’s still active in the league and still kicking about at the Roys. Although at the time of writing, he’s been suspended 🙃

1683630253217.png
Gosaints12
Gosaints12 may not have understood the concept of a transparent background, yet despite this he managed to get a handful of Qooty games under his belt. Following the bid going down, Gosaints12 managed to find himself a home in the league at the Dragons. He played 9 glorious games and was delisted at the end of the season. It’s been over six months since he was last online, so it looks as though his Qooty career may be over.

1683630253227.png
Jezmiester40

The man, the myth, the Jez. Jezmiester40 has been a Bear since S22 (except for that one season he was delisted in S24). He won a flag in his first season. He was recruited to the Vamps bid as one of the senior players and was set to be instrumental in the development of rookies. Following the bid failing, he returned to the Bears where he remains to this day.
 
I don't even know HOW to clear them without unwatching them?!
Click on the eye
Then…

IMG_1038.png





IMG_1042.png







Then scroll down the bottom, you can use ‘select all’ to do your actions


IMG_1040.png



If you can’t work it out pm me :)

That goes for the rest of you untidy nuffies.
 
Last edited:

Remove this Banner Ad

Media The Vampires: A Smiles retrospective

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top