I apologise to all the St. Kilda listeners and readers who frequent Footytalk Central on a regular basis but I can’t help myself.  After copping an absolute barrage of abuse for 9 years from these people who should know enough about footy not to get ahead of themselves,  I find it remarkable that they are beginning to eat their own down there at Linton Street.

Something is not right down there and whether it has something to do with the ill-fated pokies venture at Linton St, the fire at the heritage listed grand-stand at a would-be training venue in Frankston or the fact that their new training venue in Seaford is not actually listed in the current edition of the Melway yet, I don’t know, but whatever the reason, the knives are out.

It seems many supporters are not confident with Ross Lyon’s coaching ability.  This for a man who took the team to its best ever 22 game season and only faltered at the very end thanks to a Matthew Scarlett toe-tap.

It seems many supporters are calling for blood from A to Z. From Adam Pattison to Zac Dawson.  There are no sacred cows down there at Linton St anymore.   Whereas in 2009, no-one could do anything wrong, 2010 sees very few players who can do something right.  And the supporters don’t mind verbalising their opinions from the outer, from the internet or even from the inner sanctum

I find it laughable that a club whose ‘records’ sit at how many wooden spoons they have won would have become all ‘uppity’ and arrogant about its side when, effectively, the current crop of players has done NOTHING.  Well it has avoided adding to that ingnominious record which is something they can hang their hat on I guess, but with a plethora of big names and number one and two draft picks on its list, the expectations for premiership glory seem to have been given up on already in 2010.

27 wooden spoons to stir in their single premiership cup.  The only other ingredient is the tears and sweat of 44 years of pain from their ardent supporters.

I feel no sympathy for St Kilda.   As a club, it has made its own rod for its back.  And I am not just talking about the pre-season from 2009-2010.  I mean over the past 114 damn years. Patheticism at its very best is the only ‘accolade’ that can be heaped upon the poor suffering souls at at the Junction Oval – cum – Moorabbin-cum-Seaford-via-Frankston.

For its  club and supporters to conveniently forget the previous 110-odd years of poor performance both on and off the field and focus on a short run of good form and winning culture against most other clubs seems very short-sighted from this reporters point of view, and to see and hear the comments coming from long-suffering supporters only serves to tell us why.

Humility is something they know nothing about. Respect for your opponent and being a gracious winner are also things that seem to be lacking.    To see the team self-destruct without its biggest match winner is pure comedy – almost as funny as watching re-runs of Caddy Shack, Flying High and the Naked Gun trilogy over and over again.

I, for one, would not be sad to see the ‘superstars of today and tomorrow’ slip out of the 8 on the back of NUTS hamstring and a game plan built around one man.

This is a real test for Ross Lyons coaching ability.  The questions are already being asked around Moorabbin……has he lost the players?  Is the dream still alive down there?  Is there ANYONE capable of standing up and saying, “Let’s Deliver”.  Time will tell.

No-one in their right mind would imagine they would slip out of the 8 – it is wishful thinking really – but in all honesty, would any of us really care if they did?  (If you don’t barrack for St. Kilda).  Call it the tall poppy syndrome…the Saints supporters are suggesting it is, but for that to be the case, they need to be a tall poppy in the first place…not a long-running rabble of rubbish whose current side has been built on a disgraceful history and pathetic performances in the late 1990′s that allowed them so many early draft pics.

The loss against Essendon examplified a lot of what footy is all about.  A proud club who has gained success and respect over 110 years against a rabble who is trying to tell us how good they are rather than showing us.

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To kick things off, check out what the fickle Carlton supporters are saying about one of their saviours – the great man Brett Ratten.

“Ratten not a long term coaching option”

We’ll be investigating and exploring each week to find some of the more crazy things that fans say, so beware that your comments are out there and if we find them, we will report them.