Thought of the Day: The price of success

Another post from www.danichols.com:

The Victorian Bushrangers recently won the Sheffield Shield, the prize for the best state-based team in Australian cricket. The Sheffield Shield is one of the oldest sporting competitions in the world and something that I grew up following with more than a passing interest, giving it the same attention you do to your second-team in other sports.

Being Victorian, I was always going to have some interest in our colonies team, but I was further drawn to the team because they were (generally) so very, very bad.

A Sunday morning in summer could easily be spent in front of the TV, watching the Vics getting smashed by every other state (even Tasmania) in front of seven blokes and a dog at the ‘G. Our players seemed so mediocre that you really felt for them, and even harboured thoughts of taking their place.

Then tragedy struck, we won the Shield in 1991. It was incredible. Our starting XI of misfits and larrikans with questionable skill but great mo’s pulled togethor a brilliant season to bring the Shield ‘home’. And here (courtesy of someone else) they are:

The victorious Victorians circa 1991

This wasn’t to last, obviously. Our captain, Simon O’Donnel, was never sure if he wanted to be a borderline cricketer or footballer and became neither. Darren Lehmann went back to Adelaide. Damien Fleming and Paul Reiffel developed into proper bowlers and were whisked off to the National team. etc.

Still, they were our team, and knock-about blokes to boot.

Lately though, something changed. The Vics (I’m reticent to use the marketeers “Bushrangers”, as much as I like the name) have poached brilliantly from the other states (read: D Hussey, C Rogers, D Wright etc) and developed some good young state players of their own (read: C White, D Nannes etc). This has resulted in success in all three state-competitions, and winning the Sheffield Shield final.

Colour? What, What?!

But at what price? Barely a moustache to be seen and other those caps, tinted hair. Indeed, the best representatives of Victorians were no-where near the Junction oval for the final, the three best players (two of which are rangers and the other a pretty ordinary spinner) were off on national duty and we still won. Do I feel proud? Yes. Do I feel an affinity with the team? Probably no.