Criticism of Melbourne’s Bernie Vince smiling after an AFL loss misguided, says former Crows captain
THESE are different times with different ways and we of a different era should not pass judgment on what we don’t truly know or understand, says Chris McDermott.
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NEVER smile on a footy field. Well, almost never.
Such was the life of a footballer in the ’80s and ’90s, especially under coach Graham Cornes.
The Stud did have a sense of humour but not from 2pm to 5pm on a Saturday afternoon as it was back then.
Not on a Saturday night either, but that’s for another time.
Occasionally funny things happen or are said on a footy field and you can’t help but laugh but your game face returns pretty quickly.
In the ’80s and ’90s there were no friends on the field of battle.
Even your best mate was the enemy and was treated as such until well after the game, sometimes the next day if you belted each other like Stephen Kernahan and I did in the early ’90s at Princes Park in a Crows v Carlton clash. He belted me in the mouth and gave me a very unattractive fat lip.
I gave him some sort of bread bomb on his head that might have messed his hair up a fraction. There was only one winner on that day and I was a loser twice!
In the bygone era there may have been a handshake or two at the end of the game but nothing else. It wasn’t mandatory nor expected.
If you got one, you gave it back but if you lost you never went looking for one, you just dropped your head and headed for the locker room as quickly as you could.
One of the beauties of the game in the ’80s here in SA was after every game win, lose or draw you would go into the opposition’s clubrooms for a quick drink or two.
It was a chance to bury the hatchet with the opposition and their fans and move on.
Occasionally we didn’t move on.
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Prospect Oval caught us regularly in a very volatile era between Glenelg and North Adelaide and the company of Andrew Jarman, Mathew Campbell and occasionally Grenville Dietrich was too good to refuse. We did enjoy the after match.
Richmond Oval was similarly hospitable. Woodville of course. Sturt. Norwood, the list goes on and of course we returned the hospitality at Glenelg.
With the introduction of professionalism in the game, the landscape changed.
Graham Cornes must be cringing.
Surely he didn’t see Bernie Vince last Saturday night when the Demons took on Geelong and lost on the last kick of the night.
The Demons lost the unlosable with a kick from Zach Tuohy after the siren.
Yet Bernie smiled. His bright white teeth gave it away.
He was chatting with Patty Dangerfield so it’s no surprise but he’d just lost an important game that compromised Melbourne’s finals hopes. It was no laughing matter.
Not that you could do anything about it by that stage, but laughing?
I instantly didn’t like it but I am an old grouch these days if the feedback is correct.
Bernie loves his footy and plays it as hard and as tough as any. He comes from great stock. Good solid country stock.
I found myself not liking what I saw but remembered very quickly where I was 24 hours before and what I was doing. I attended a great mate’s father’s funeral.
No laughing matter. But I did. We did.
He was 91 and lived a great long life with great kids, great grandkids and great friends.
At times we laughed. Old mates caught up, reminisced and found humour on a sad day.
No disrespect meant and none taken.
We all loved this man and found a moment to smile and recall great moments.
There was nothing wrong with it. You can do both. Bernie can do both.
I watched most of the game. He didn’t laugh. Not even a smirk. He plays as hard as you would want every player to play.
I recalled watching Richmond not long ago at the MCG.
Players broke from their half time huddle laughing. Dustin Martin’s grin was as wide as any.
I cringed but they won with ease.
Weeks later, the same team was joking as they left the change room with one player handing the phone to another making out their was a call for him. Funny.
They won again.
These are different times with different ways and we of a different era should not pass judgment on what we don’t truly know or understand.
I’d have Bernie Vince on my team any day.
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