At first, the news didn't exactly hit like a thunderbolt; it just seemed ludicrous. A lame, not very funny practical joke. A captain - OUR captain, Ryan Griffen - walking out on the club, weeks after the season's end? Even more far-fetched, supposedly seeking a trade to GWS - not even, more plausibly, poached by one of the powerhouse clubs, dangling premiership success in front of him, but the vacuous, orange-clad, artificial franchise. This was a ridiculous rumour, surely, the product of over-heated minds, stirred up by the frenetic speculation that's become part of the Trade Week environment. Too outlandish, too farcical and ludicrous to be true. Even for the accident-prone Dogs, who've lost more than their fair share of champions over the years.
12 Comments
Kate C
21/10/2014 02:13:03 am
Beautifully written as always, BT. One of your very best.
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Tragician
21/10/2014 12:42:21 pm
It certainly lifted my spirits to see Boyd's appearance in our colors today and he spoke well. A new era for us, and now some of the shock has settled, I am looking forward to 2015. I just wish it hadn't all happened in such an ugly way.
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C
21/10/2014 01:49:34 pm
Superbly done, BT.
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Joe Loh
21/10/2014 05:18:04 pm
Great piece. Best I've read on the whole situation. As a new Bulldog gave me a real insight into the love of Griffen. Of course it's all an illusion, but the community is real!
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Tragician
22/10/2014 03:48:02 am
Your comments are interesting, Joe; as a former Bombers' fan, you've had one of the greatest shatterings of the club-fan bond that could be imagined. It's also interesting what you said about the community being real. When the Griffen news broke, I found myself wondering what the reactions were, of people who sit around me at the footy, who I only know through that context, often never even learning their names, just exchanging wry smiles and headshakes more often than not. Wondering how they felt, and wishing somehow I could talk to them as well as the zillions of text messages that were flying around my family.
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Neil Anderson
22/10/2014 09:00:19 am
Since you and your followers are my only link to the Club, I thought I'd wait for your thoughts on...well, everything.
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Tragician
23/10/2014 04:00:15 am
Hi Neil, it's true that as the dust settles, I do see that these tumultuous events have almost certainly better positioned our club into the future. As I reflect on events, the strange thing is that in many ways the cleanout has been accomplished that was probably necessary. Earlier in the season I saw on various fan websites that we should offer Griffen up for trade, an idea that was anathema to me at the time but which many people saw as reasonable - I suppose one of the things I was musing about is how it seems quite different when a club 'moves on' a player, but it still hurts badly when that player bails on us. And of course the fact that it's a captain (though you are quite right that he was ill-fitted to the role), adds much more emotion.
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John
26/10/2014 12:40:44 pm
Nice piece Tragician. Would be interested to hear more of your thoughts about Macca. For me, he was a class act and his resignation letter should not have been accepted. He'll be a hard man to replace.
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I was in tears by the time I finished reading this... You have a way with words... I think I'll pace myself as I read through your other posts.
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Tragician
12/11/2014 07:51:38 am
Thanks so much Michelle and I'm glad you found the site, hope you enjoy meandering. I'd also seen your blogpost and you will find that this is what I try and capture, or more accurately wrestle with, on this blog. I love your comments about being a 'bulldog for life', there is a certain irony in the fact that around this time last year I wrote about how as fans we're in it for the long haul and about getting a club-generated email about that - from one R Griffen. You might find it strikes a chord http://www.bulldogtragician.com/the-tragician-blog/reflections-of-a-draft-dodger
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John Carr
2/10/2016 11:03:30 pm
Just re-read this wonderful piece, and it's difficult to reconcile what has just taken place in light of it. It will go down in history as a turning point I guess. I still believe McCartney was very hard done by but very clearly Beveridge was an inspired choice. I feel that he and Bob have reinstalled some of that loyalty and passion which you, and I, thought was nearly lost from this game. But BMac should also take a bow...I believe he started turning the club around.
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About the Bulldog TragicianThe Tragician blog began in 2013 as a way of recording what it is like to barrack for a perennially unsuccessful team - the AFL team, the Western Bulldogs. Categories
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