A hard rain’s gonna fall!

 

Hearing that Mark Thompson had been  charged with alleged drug offences was overwhelming and heart breaking  to say the least. 

 

A much beloved Bomber, Thompson  now appears to be heading for a crash landing of a gigantic magnitude, and for long suffering Essendon supporters it is just another page in that long, sad, sorry saga that began with the arrival of the “dream team” and the subsequent supplements fiasco.

 

Without a doubt, the past five years or so, have been very difficult for Essendon supporters, and for many, the development of a thick skin has become a pre-requisite to follow the team.

 

As supporters, we’ve had to put up the taunts of “cheats”, “druggies”, and other disparaging words and terms from a generally hostile media, opposition supporters, and the general public who have gleefully put the boots into this great club as the Bombers slipped deeper into the quagmire of their own making.

 

It was difficult explaining to my young grandson in 2016 why his favourite players were suspended over the supplements scandal, as it was also difficult for me to understand how a supposedly professional sports club could find themselves placed in such a situation. Obviously appropriate checks and balances were not in place!

 

So, with the changes made in club administration, coaches, and other personnel put in place, the Bombers appeared to be making  inroads to finally overcoming the shame and disappointments of the previous seasons with the expectation of  a more promising season this year.

 

Some high profile players were recruited, and with the continuing improvement of  the likes of Daniher, Merrett, Fantasia, McKenna and others, had supporters  abuzz, believing the turnaround in fortunes was only a small step away  and were thinking of bigger expectations for 2018, and even talking of a  premiership!

 

Our come from behind first up win against the Crows reinforced supporters’ dreams that this was going to be our year, but little did we know! Except for a good win against the Power it has been all downhill since then. 

 

It’s been hard to explain and understand the poor performances of the team, particularly the dramatic drop in form of key players and those we were expecting  to lead the way with the renaissance of the club. 

 

The confidence level of the players is noticeable and the question has to asked as to what is being done about it! Pundits pre-season were suggesting the time was ripe for Joe Daniher to step up to “superstar” status this season, but unfortunately, he is just a shadow of his former self  and form. What’s gone wrong?

 

Bewildering to say the least!

 

Players arguing amongst themselves on the field is certainly not a good look. Clearly, players are frustrated by their performances, especially their poor execution and skill levels during the game. Importantly these facets need to eradicated post haste if any improvement can be made.

 

Now, all the past memories of the supplements scandal have re-surfaced with Thompson’s drug related charges, combined with the team’s poor performances,  and with some extremely difficult games ahead, once again, makes it a frustrating and despairing time to be a Bomber supporter. 

 

But, I’m a loyal supporter, and I  will be there cheering for Essendon, probably against the odds, as we take on the Hawks at the MCG on Saturday. I just hope we can put all those negatives behind us, and our season can be turned around and put back on track. We can only live in hope!

 

Onwards and upwards!

 

Go Bombers!