Almanac Footy: Why you should never leave early
A quick hypothetical for you if I may?
Just for a moment imagine you’ve been a diehard supporter of your footy team for…I don’t know…say sixty years?
Your devotion runs so deep that your daily mental state is solely dependent on the fortunes of this team. You love this club as much as your partner and kids.
So would you walk away at ¾ time when your beloved team is losing by forty six points?
This was the scenario I faced at Marvel Stadium last Sunday. I’d only marched out once before and it was the most insipid game of footy I’ve ever seen. Saints v North Easter Friday 2018. I almost had bile in my throat it was that bad.
On Sunday it was simply the lack of effort. I’ve never cared about winning or losing as a player, coach or fan. I just want to see effort and we were poor for three quarters.
I said goodbye to my Saints neighbours feeling dirty and in need of a shower.
I put my headphones on and tuned into the ABC. First it was a Higgins goal greeted with minimal applause as if the fans were clockwatching to get to their own train.
Then it was another goal followed by another and the reception from the fans increased proportionally. By the time I was seated in the Ballarat train I couldn’t fathom what was about to happen.
There were some other ‘deserters’ in the carriage who were also glued to the radio and were hooting and hollering up and down the aisle when the siren went and Nas nailed the sealer.
Suddenly both my daughters rang to share their joy and were appalled when I told them I had left early, then I was bombarded with texts from friends happy for me but disgusted with my ¾ time exit.
If you haven’t seen the last couple of minutes, this final quarter effort has been considered by other Saints ‘tragics’ to be the most exciting thirty minutes they have seen at Marvel. I’ve attached it below.
There were so many heroic efforts in that quarter from across the team not just Nasiah, but it is as if he is now the chosen one. We probably haven’t had a generational player since Plugger, someone who you pay good money to see. (apologies to Rooey, Harves and Lenny)
Waiting to get Nas’s signature at the moment is painstaking for us faithful.
His kicking skills are sublime and he’s not alone.
Youngsters like Nas, Nick Daicos, Gryan Myers, Finn Callaghan and now Murphy Reid have developed their skills to suit the modern game.
To find targets through the walls of opponents they face each week requires deft talent and courage. They are breaking down the flood with amazing speed and trajectory of their kicks.
Anyway, I watched the last quarter three times when I got home but it couldn’t wipe the grime of guilt from my person. Never again. Forgive me Saints and my neighbours at Marvel.
Check out the last two minutes of St Kilda’s historic win on You Tube.
To read more from Ian Wilson click here.
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About Ian Wilson
Former army aircraft mechanic, sales manager, VFA footballer and coach. Now mental health worker and blogger. Lifelong St Kilda FC tragic and father to 2 x girls.
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For every happy there is an opposing sad ~
Sorry that you left early Ian. I was tempted to leave myself at three quarter time. I wanted to see if St Kilda could get the first goal of the last quarter, if only to get junk time goals in the last quarter. Had Melbourne got the first goal of the last quarter, I would definitely have left.
In the end, I am so happy I stayed. It was absolutely incredible and it will give the team confidence for the rest of the season.
Nasiah is the Messiah!
Hope St Kilda can keep NWM and Marshall for next year and beyond. If St Kilda can get TDK and Leek Aleer for 2026, then a flag by 2030, with the continual improvement of the younger players is possible.
Things can change quickly nowadays. Look at Adelaide, 15th last year, and now a premiership contender.
Carn The Mighty Saints!
Thanks Anon. Im happy for all of you who stayed. The chances of that event happening again will be minuscule. I wont be leaving again. Im a bijt scared we will lose Ro as he is such a heart and soul player and leader. Cheeers
Us PAFC folk have long held to the law of stay until the bitter end, while, of course, jeering the Crowbot mob who roll up their knitting to get the early bus. For millennia, this has been the law, writ on tablets of stone handed down by Fos Williams. Raised also on the back of numerous last quarter recoveries under JohnCahill. However, this year I faced the ultimate dilemma with granddaughter no.2 who I took to a very one-sided game. Even my diehard sisters left 10 minutes before the end, prompting GD2 to ask the question. NO, said I, we are Port Adelaide and we never leave early. Anything as late as 3 seconds after the final siren is OK though.
My method is give them at least 15 minutes into the last quarter until I determine if I am going to ‘beat the traffic’
Dogs have been competitive in the Beveridge era so thankfully there haven’t been many beat the traffic days.
A couple of leave early regrets:
Jim Jess kicking 3 in the last 5 minutes to grab a win over Hawthorn circa rd 3 1977.
Leaving the Boxing Day Test after Kim Hughes’ century out of 198 and the Windies 1 wicket down, missed the other 3 of DK Lillee to make it 4 for 10 at stumps
Although they have great talent all over the ground, the thought of the Brisbane Lions overcoming significant deficits in the finals against GWS and Geelong to win the flag in 2024, as well as overcoming a half time deficit against Collingwood in the 2025 PF to win the flag in 2025, got me thinking about the following:
I was thankful I left at three quarter time of the 2010 Grand Final replay, when St Kilda were trailing by 41 points. I could have left at half time of the match when St Kilda were trailing by 27 points, but I remembered the previous week of the Drawn Grand Final, which I also attended, where St Kilda were trailing by 24 points down at half time and miraculously led by 6 points, with 5 minutes to go in the last quarter. Enough said about that, but at least they were good enough to get to that position.
Should St Kilda make another Grand Final in our lifetimes and we’re lucky enough to attend and St Kilda are trailing by 46 points at three quarter time, let alone 30 points or more, should we stay or go, assuming you barrack for St Kilda? Firstly, let’s hope St Kilda do play in another Grand Final and aren’t in that position of trailing by a significant margin at three quarter time. Hopefully, they’ll be leading at three quarter time, like they were in 1971 and 2009, but this time win the premiership in the last quarter.
Otherwise and less preferable, I’d probably stay if St Kilda were around 30-46 points down in their next Grand Final, assuming the brilliant NWM were playing, but if the opposition got the first goal of the last quarter or no team were getting any goals in the first ten minutes of the last quarter, I would definitely leave. I would also leave if it were pouring with rain at the start of the last quarter, regardless of which stars were playing for St Kilda and the deficit was around 30-46 points.