The Big Heart for me in 2012/13

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Ash

At the start of 2012, I decided to give myself a challenge, and that was to blog for the year. This started out with blogging about movies, some F1, and generally writing about nothing. Then leading up to the 2012/13 A-League season, along with my friend Max, we decided to create a Melbourne Heart fan blog site.

The movie blogging went well, I think, I kept the layout simple, and on a monthly basis. The toughest part was when MIFF2012 was on. In that two week period I went to over 35 movies, and of course wrote a blog for each one. In one way, I was relieved when the festival was over and I could get back into my normal daily routine. After MIFF, my blogging slowed down due to preparing TheBigHeart site and getting it up and ready for round one of the A-League.

Going by my movie blogs from the first half of the year, I decided to set our football site goals low and achievable for the season, and I didn’t expect too much activity, mainly from our family and friends. Another of my targets and goals for the site was to inform my family and friends of my passion for Melbourne Heart. Looking back on the year and A-League season, I think I totally under estimated how passionate my fellow Heart supporters are. In the first month we hit the goals I was expecting to hit for the whole year, and it just got better and better. We received such huge support from the members, fans and to my surprise the club itself. Melbourne Heart even provided, both Max and I, the opportunity to be able to sit pitch side for a game, and go behind the scenes and into the press conference. I never believed that TheBigHeart was going to open so many doors, so quickly.

I never considered myself a movie critic, like my friends, “Hell is for Hyphenates” or a sports writer, just a blogger. That is someone writing about things they are passionate about. What am I looking to achieve in the next part of 2013 with my blogs? I have decided not to keep the movie blogs going, and mainly concentrate on TheBigHeart site. Working out ways of improving TheBigHeart, and how we can help increase the profile of Melbourne Heart. I would also like to say a big thank you to all our followers, fellow members and Melbourne Heart FC for helping making the site such a success for the 2012/13 season. We look forward to it continuing into the next season.

Rollercoaster season nearly over

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Max

Now that finals football is totally out of the question, Melbourne Heart can only hope it doesn’t finish the season in last place. Tonight Heart faces the Mariners in Gosford, a team priming itself for finals football and ACL action after somehow losing the Premier’s plate, so we can only hope that Wellington loses its final game (to Victory of all teams!).

Despite its most loyal fans talking up its chances of scraping into 5th or 6th spot (ourselves included), the truth is now obvious that Heart has been on the slide for a while, particularly the costly hoodoo of continuing to lose away games. We haven’t even been able to draw an away game for too long. Had we fought back in 3 or 4 more games this season to at least gain a draw, then we’d be in finals contention.

Heart’s strong home form seemed to be its salvation, until we crashed to Adelaide and then the Wanderers. I thought we didn’t play that badly against WSW with Golgol’s stunning goal providing real hope of at least a draw. However again we faded and lost to an ordinary looking team whose momentum seems to have carried it on to the Premiership – congratulations to Western Sydney for an amazing achievement. Of course Heart fans look forward to such glory in future seaons, but much change at the club is needed…more on that in the next few weeks. For now in case you’re about to tune out of the A-league until next season, a huge thanks to our readers / followers / supporters, it’s been an unexpectedly rewarding first season for The Big Heart. Keep up the faith and maintain your support for the Heart into the 2013/2014 season, it’s early days yet. Melbourne Heart forever!

Home pride at stake

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Max

At times of disappointment you tend to look back at happier times. Since Monday’s home loss to Adelaide I have found myself re-living the pleasure of the Heart’s first game of the season – a 2-1 away win against the Victory (our only ‘away’ win 5 months later). Of course the result was satisfying, but it was the team’s dedication to win each challenge and ultimately the game that has stayed with me. I think you have to look back sometimes to remember the reasons why you keep on believing.

Enough of the philosophising. I’m sure the Heart players have been doing some similar soul searching this week. We all know the team can play with conviction, it just unfortunately deserted them on Monday night when we needed it most. Perhaps the previous weekend’s continuation of losing away games (and to the bottom club Wellington), and with it our best chance to stay in the running for a finals place, was a psychological blow that has stayed with the team.

The truth is though there remain plenty of reasons why we the supporters, and hopefully the players, should continue to believe in our team. Our home record over January and February was second to none so there’s no reason why we won’t bounce back tonight against top team Western Sydney Wanderers. Their unbeaten run has to come to an end soon and such is the competitiveness of the A-league that a few times this season lowly teams have surprised the top teams. Let’s hope Aloisi’s team selection favours a strong attacking formation to break down a tough Wanderers defence. Shinji Ono will be rested apparently so that gives us more of a chance to control the midfield, but still we will need to be switched on for 90 minutes and challenging for every ball. We have nothing to lose, only our pride is at stake. Go Heart in our final home game!!