Jeff Farmer goes mental at the SCG

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Guys, I have to tell you what happened during the last quarter yesterday, as I have on very rare occasions since such behaviour from an AFL footballer as I saw from Jeff Farmer. We were making the usual barbs about being a reject from Melbourne etc etc, then suddenly he starts swearing and gesticulating at us. At one stage, he was even trying to mock the girth of people like myself and Shannon the cannon, by holding his hands to his his side and starting to stomp like a sumo.


Of course seeing a player react to my taunts is like trying to tell a bear to keep away from the bees, all of us started heaping Farmer with steady, but generally good-natured taunts. Jude_Adam's_Babe will be able to confirm more of what he actually said, but from all reports he said stuff like "Sydney are dumb****s who can't play anyway" and stuff of that ilk.

Towards the end of the match Farmer appeared to have been moved away from our end. I'd assume Connolly knew what mental state his star charge was in in lieu of his alledged domestic violence charges and court hearing. But not since the days of Allen Jakovich, Hayden Robyns (remember that day Peter H?) and Nathan Brown have we been graced with a more unprofessional screwloss performance from an AFL footballer.

What a complete peanut-a once-great footballer, but almost as much of a headcase as Nicky Winmar.

Leaving on this note, "stand up if you hate Farmer".

JF

[Dpw]

I am a little confused its fine for you to taunt a player than as soon as he gives it back you jump up and down because you don't like what he said. Come on JF you must be kidding if your not prepared to take it don't dish it out because mate your not always going to like what's dished back at you.

[Destructive]

JF told me about this straight after the game. It sounded like it was unprovoked. It sounds like something Carey would do.

[Bear]

This might be a story Today Tonight or ACA would pay big dollars for... a high profile sportsman behaving badly...

Give them a ring.

[Beaussie]

Comon Jules you're not being completely honest about what actaully transpired. Farmer was sledged about his personal life/affairs. Not by anyone in the CS mind due. But from that things did get a little heated with Farmer having to be moved up field away from the CS when the frustration of song after song (Melbourne reject etc) eventaully got to him.

I haven't seen a player react like that for a long time.

Very funny all the same though

[Bear]

... and don't tell them you were just as bad... tell them you were just sitting there innocently when Farmer abused you... sounds better for TV.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by Dpw
I am a little confused its fine for you to taunt a player than as soon as he gives it back you jump up and down because you don't like what he said. Come on JF you must be kidding if your not prepared to take it don't dish it out because mate your not always going to like what's dished back at you.

Mate, I was loving it. Farmer was stomping around mimicking a sumo then pointing at me and Shannon. I spent most of the last quarter in hysterics, as Farmer continually spent more time gesticulating and mouthing off at us than watching the game. Not only did he look totally disinterested in proceedings, but his comments were all the more hilarious because they were so stupid. With hair unkept and sock down, he gave the impression to me of being a mere pale of the footballer he once was.

Yes, a guy behind me was mouthing off about him being a wife-basher. That is pretty low in my view. I was just saying your everyday stuff about Toorak cafes missing his business etc etc. Something that BARRACKERS all over the country have done for years.

Or do I sense that in these PC days that the art of clever-witted barracking at the footy is slowly dying? Especially considering the cotton-wool treatment in relation to any player of colour. (I would never be so pathetic to taunt anyone becasuse of their skin colour, so don't even insinuate that-Beaussie would bash me up anyway!)

JF

[Beaussie]

Originally posted by Bear
... and don't tell them you were just as bad... tell them you were just sitting there innocently when Farmer abused you... sounds better for TV.

To be honest I did think the original sledge was low. I did however join in the Melbourne reject chant. For the most part though I did sit there innocently having the odd chuckle at what was happening in the outer and on the field.

[desredandwhite]

As long as it's kept to footy, I don't mind a good barrack

I don't like the personal taunts though - some things are fair game (salary cap, bad form, lousy haircut etc etc) and others aren't.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by Bear
... and don't tell them you were just as bad... tell them you were just sitting there innocently when Farmer abused you... sounds better for TV.

Mate, I wouldn't dare bring anything like this up. There were already people in the Cheer Squad telling us to stop because of a possibility of things being taken to the AFL, who are totally paranoid about anything that could be seen as not being in the games' sponsors best interests.

Because I had the teremity to wave my big flag last year in Brisbane, the Lions had a whinge to the AFL about it. Apparently from what I hear, had I waved it against the Brions this year, the AFL would have banned them period across the AFL, even at the SCG and Stadium Australia. Messing with the AFL is fraught with danger at the best of times. Especially with Cheer Squads very much under the thumb of clubs etc etc in terms of what they can do and how they should act. If such a thing ever hit the media, the club could come down on me like a ton of bricks. Remember, I received an official reprimand from the office for singing "Today is Monday" at matches. And socially, having the tag of being a "sledger" is pretty hard to defend oneself against ; most of the mud sticks. As regards me, there are enough people involved with the Cheer Squads' League in Melbourne who would be only so happy to see us up here hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Plus I think it is slack to Farmer. He is apparently going through a tough trot at the moment. What gain would I have in making things worse for him, even if he was mouthing out the silliest of things.

I thought it was all very funny yesterday. However, the more I write tonight, the more worried I feel that this may not be the last I hear of this matter.

JF

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by desredandwhite
As long as it's kept to footy, I don't mind a good barrack

I don't like the personal taunts though - some things are fair game (salary cap, bad form, lousy haircut etc etc) and others aren't.

I agree completely Des. There is a very fine line at times. Maybe being a soccer fan (where non-stop taunting and antagonising of opposition players and fans is par for the course) I may say a few things that are at worst on the borderline side of things.Most of the time, I'm trying to get a laugh out of it. Because I still think wit is one of the most important parts of a supporter's make-up. And players show play their part and see the fun in it all. Just like Tony Hall did in 1995 when a few of us started on him about Andy Collins injuring him at an Origin game the year before; Shannon Grant was pissing himself laughing, and told us as much afterwards.

But yesterday it was all very tame. You know, just tepid stuff like "Hey Farmer, pull your socks up, you bloody clown.", "Hey Farmer, your shadow weighs 10 pounds mate." "Hey Farmer, where's your Joseph Gutnick under-the-table bank account gone, etc etc.

Or is heckling at the footy something that goes along with the stab pass and cut-up after goals as things of the past.

JF

[taurus]

JF,

I don't understand your position. Your first post implied that you were very outraged with Farmer's antics, but subsequent posts indicate you enjoyed the non/verbal transactions...


I also don't mind supporters barracking and heckling opposition players (in a good natured manner), however, if you dish it out, you must be prepared to take some as well. Personally I don't heckle opposition as I am too busy cheering for us.

[Wardy]

We were wondering what was going on with Farmer.

From where we were sitting (MA Noble up stairs) all we could see was him pointing and shouting - which we thought he was having a bit a go at his team mates, directly traffic etc.

We thought that odd that he was geing the "general" considering he wasnt playing that well himself.

thanks for clearing that up though.

[stellation]

I didn't read all the replies so this may have already been mentioned, but I seem to recall Plugger having a little crowd interaction with the Sydney faithful before he moved up here and became an angel.

[floppinab]

Amongst this lot this is worth noting. I saw something at the start of the game that I haven't seen in a long time.

Jared Crouch ran up to pick up Farmer, shook his hand and clearly had a word or two to him to no doubt wish him a good game.
Reminded me of a day when all players did this prior to game start not just when it finished, and I thought under Farmers current circumstances and tremendous thing to do.