Gerard Joling was planning on 2018 Eurovision participation

1988 Eurovision entrant Gerard Joling said he was considering representing his country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, thirty years after his first attempt. He even had a song ready, but he was too late in submitting it to the broadcaster… Did the Dutch dodge a bullet or miss an opportunity?

I Can Count On You

During the talkshow RTL Late Night, Joling was a guest to talk about the Dutch entrant for Lisbon, Waylon. Before giving his opinion on that matter, host Humberto Tan asked him about his own hopes.
Joling then stated he was planning on submitting a song to represent The Netherlands in Lisbon. He however thought he could submit until the end of November, so he was too late. He had a song ready for his participation, called I Can Count On You, written by Bram Koning and Kees Koek.
When Tan asked him if it was a good song, Joling was clear:
“It was a damn good song. I might even send it in for Waylon, he would be perfect for it. There are gorgeous changes of tempo, it’s a colossal song.”
Now 57 years old, Joling also admitted that he might be too old to represent his country, as there is too much young talent that might be better. However, he feels he could still give it a go vocally and with his entire entourage.

Rumour had it…

Of course, Gerard Joling already represented The Netherlands back in 1988. His Shangri-La finished ninth that year. His return has since then been rumoured more than once, mainly because he is a big Eurovision fan.
In 2007, the Dutch broadcaster back then, NOS, selected Gerard Joling for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. However, looking at his participation in the De Toppers concerts, he had to pull out. A year later, De Toppers themselves were selected for Moscow. Due to fights within the group, Joling left De Toppers. He has since rejoined the group.

Missed chance or dodged a bullet with Gerard Joling?

What do you think? Did The Netherlands miss a chance at victory by not selecting Gerard Joling or did they just dodge a major bullet? Let us know below, on Facebook or on Twitter!
Here you can watch a recent performance of ‘Shangri-La’: