Couple of things for context.
I joined as a member in 1989 as a 19 year old. I've seen it all—the good times and the bad. I've seen us get buried at Kardinia Park, the Western Oval, VFL Park and everywhere in between. I was there when Geelong started their run in 2007 (and stayed until the bitter end); I attended the so-called Mothers' Day Massacre; I watched North and the Blues overrun us in elimination finals we should never have lost; I saw, first hand, Ablett Snr, Dunstall and Lockett tear us apart; I was there when we won the whole darn thing in 2017 and 2019; before that, the second semi final in 1995 was my greatest day at the footy.
I went to a handful of games last season, more out of habit I think. I had an epiphany at the St Kilda game, which was a horrible night at the footy. It was cold, the useless ticketing had people sitting next to each other as the community was still trying to socially distance, and the footy was awful.
Perhaps I feel I've done my bit? Dunno. Never thought things would turn out this way.
The trust thing is my best effort at explaining what is probably a confluence of problematic events.
But my frustration around trust is that it's totally controllable ... if our players and coaches choose to own the problem.
I don't look at it like that. We're in transition, I think we've done well this year. I view the blown lead games, except the Geelong game which was its own thing and we were shafted on multiple levels, just as losses. We were on top, then they got on top, we lost, it happens. Do you look at comeback wins in the opposite way? Its unrealistic to expect us to win every game we get a lead in, especially when we are in transition.
At a broader level, I think you might be experiencing changes in expectations, success hangover, natural barracker cycles.
I have a theory, I've put it on here before, clubs supporters go through various stages in a cycle:
King of the mountain. (for us, late 60s early 80s)
Decline, (83- 84, it was fast)
cellar dwelling (84 - 2011)
Ascent, building (2012 - 2017)
King of the mountain. (2017 - 2020, and onwards IMO)
Different supporters can react differently but there are broad trends, and cycles within each stage depending on how long it lasts.
For me, us, we were kings 70s and very early 80s. We went to the footy expecting to win, to dominate.
then the decline was rapid, we were in denial and didn't realise how deep seated the fall was, we kept going for another couple of years.
Then it sank in, a lot of us dropped off, I lived in Ballarat, only ever went to home games, plus a few away. Then 85 to 92 I dropped off to maybe 6 or 7 games a year, often at the instigation of an opposition team supporting mate when we played them. The crowds were smaller, but more intense, 10-15K tigers could lift the roof if we played well.
Then we started to come back to games. We were still down but the crowds grew, It was as if our expectations went expecting to win or dominate to wanting to see us have a crack, compete, improve.
Then we have been in our current success phase for 10 years, take out 2016, we have won a lot of games every year. Now we are back to expecting to dominate, which took a while to happen.
I've seen this happen with us, Carlton, Essendon. Particularly in the cellar dwelling phase, the supporters drop off for a few years, then they come back even though they are still a bottom side.
I don't get the trust thing, you don't trust us because we aren't as good and lose more games?
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