I am forever in shame that from about five rounds into 1995 until halfway through 1997 I fell out of love with football. I blame the delisting of Allen Jakovich, I really do. Once the great man was gone I showed up and realised that it just wasn't the same without him kicking 5.6, having an argument with somebody and getting injured. Didn't help that I was 14 years and probably spending Saturday afternoons sleazing onto myself. And thus it was that I ended up watching the Hawthorn merger fiasco from the sidelines.
Seems ludicrous now, but it was probably Don Scott ripping velcro Hawks off Melbourne jumpers that saved us. Rampant stacking of the vote and apathetic knobbery caused our members to vote for it, and if you think we're ever going to hear the end of that you're sorely deluded. In 2056 we'll win the flag - at last - and it'll be "Yeah, but you voted to merge!"
The point of this is that I saw the R22, 1996 game against Hawthorn for the first time ever last night and it looked like nobody cared that both clubs were about to be dicked. Granted most of the people in the ground were probably bleeding about it but where were the mass protests, sit ins on the ground and threatening banners reading "MFC BOARD: WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE"? Just a few dinky "No Merger" signs being waved around. I'd like to go back in time and just lose the plot. Organise a mass pitch invasion when Dunstall kicked his 100th and refuse to leave. Burn effigies of the board etc..
Do you think we'd so apathetic now? I'd like to think not.
Your memories of the time please. Fill me in on what people were thinking, and what was going on. Would Danny O'Brien have gotten a guernsey in a merged squad?
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