I sat with the cheer squad on Saturday night, just as I’d always wanted to when I was a kid. It was SheedIsOurFather’s idea, and I’m so glad I took her up on it. They cop a bit of flak on this site but I’m going to stick up for them.
Don’t get me wrong, the grog squad are ace and they have much better chants. But the cheer squad was just magnificent. For a start they all know each other and totally wear their hearts on their sleeves. They chat and joke around and know the names of all the kids who sit in the row behind and belt them over the heads with those blow-up sticks. They have Essendon tattoos and duffle coats and one guy has the letters EFC shaved into his hair and it just didn’t matter how bad we played they just kept going and going. The grog squad had gone silent long ago.
The guy I sat next to was about my age and had Hepp’s number painted on his face. He spent the entire third quarter writing a long email to the club (“Dear Essendon, …”) with some truly imaginative spelling and grammar, telling them that they had to tell the players to “tighten up” while pledging his eternal support. He booed EVERY Geelong set shot and ran to the fence to hold up his sign about a hundred times.
There was a kid in my row who did a Cab Calloway dance (you sort of strut along with your knees bent, one finger pointing at the ground) back and forward along row H every time we got a goal. Another kid tried to start his own Essendon chants and failed every time, but it didn’t stop him. The guy behind said that he did it every week, and I suspect all our cheer squad leaders went through the same apprenticeship.
The Essendon clap clap clap chant is a bit dumb, I know. But I don’t want to hear these guys getting bagged. If more fans made that sort of noise we’d be a better club. Our cheer squad’s the f*cken business.
Thanks for sharing Humbert, that’s really nice.
Should have bought the kids some chips with your winnings.just joking mate,nice post that.
Great post HH, felt like I was there, wish I was…do it again and tell us all about it…
Stood out like dog’s balls during the VFL game.
Geeeeeeeeeeelong
Geeeeeeeeeeelong
Suuuuuuuuuuper
Super Tom
Super Tommy Haaaawkins
Geeeeeeeeeelong
Geeeeeeeeeelong
We all live in a Harry Taylor world apparently…just awful.
You weren’t kidding about it being an education HH!
Glad you enjoyed the experience and I had no idea that guy was writing an email… 
SheedsIsOurFather, I got the feeling he was a regular correspondent.
Savio and Stallion - thanks for that … 
How lame were the Geelong grog squad chants! But to be fair they kept it “positive” by supporting their boys and not having a crack at us - even if we did give them a lot of material.
Cheer squad is markedly better this year than last. Anyone noticed that chick who goes the big arms flourish in between ‘essendon clap clap clap?’. Quickly becoming Arms Girl 2.0.
Stood grog squad second half, as lifeless as I’ve seen it sadly. Geelong mob painfully average too.
What do you know?
All this time I thought SheedsIsOurFather was a fella.
What do you know?
All this time I thought SheedsIsOurFather was a fella.
Definitely not a fella, Diggers, lol
Didn’t see a single cheer squad member in our #BackOurBoys campaign.
Saw plenty of Grogers there.
Says it all really.
#Essendonclapclapclap
Bunch of bogans in both.
You do know, that much of the population sees any football supporter/fanatic as a bogan don’t you? Bogans calling bogans bogans! LOL! We’re all bogans, it’s just that some are more so than others!
…and that includes the bogans that don’t follow footy!
Didn't see a single cheer squad member in our #BackOurBoys campaign.
Saw plenty of Grogers there.
Says it all really.
#Essendonclapclapclap
Cheer squad were all busy checking the spelling on the run-through.
What do you know?
All this time I thought SheedsIsOurFather was a fella.
Definitely not a fella, Diggers, lol
She’s a laaaaaaaady, and she does lady things!
What do you know?
All this time I thought SheedsIsOurFather was a fella.
Definitely not a fella, Diggers, lol
She’s a laaaaaaaady, and she does lady things!
“Lady things” eh? Sexist!