Whispering Jack steps out of the Tardis for a moment to contemplate the start of a new season

A HIGHWAY OF DEMONS by Whispering Jack

CHAPTER EIGHT - TOMORROW

"If today was not a crooked highway,

If tonight was not a crooked trail,

If tomorrow wasn't such a long time,

Then lonesome would mean nothing to you at all."

- Bob Dylan "Tomorrow is a Long Time"

In the Samuel Beckett play, Waiting for Godot, Vladimir and Estragon are waiting in vain for a person named Godot. Both claim he is an acquaintance but we wonder whether they really do know him because it is clear that if they were to see Godot, they would not recognise him. The two occupy themselves with various things "to hold the terrible silence at bay" but still, Godot never comes.

In football terms the terrible silence started on 20 September, 1964, exactly a day after the story of the Highway of Demons began. The sounds of that silence still reverberate to this very day.

In the real world, life went on, there was education, love and marriage, a home, a job and children; the joys of life and confronting the death of loved ones. Kids left home, one by one with the last to due to go next month.

And in a universe of more than ten thousand tomorrows there is always one elusive tomorrow - the one in which I join Vladimir and Estragon and we sit and wait patiently together for one more taste of the sweet magic of September.

The memory of the last taste is fading but the story should be told elsewhere. Now is not the time to discuss the joys of the premiership victory, the thrill of the game, the brilliance of number nine, Brian Dixon on a wing, the strong marking of John Lord wearing the coach's old number four, those moments of despair after Ray Gabelich ran and bounced unhindered into goal, the exhilaration of Neil Crompton's only goal of the season which gave us back the lead, Barry Bourke's last minute game-saving mark in defence, the jubilation of the siren sounding and moments later watching Ronald Dale Barassi dip into his last reserves of energy to lift up the premiership cup on what turned out to be the very last day he would ever wear the red and blue guernsey with the famous number thirty-one on its back. Let's not speak here either of the other five premierships won in the glorious decade that ended that day.

Now is not the time to believe in yesterday - we've obsessed with that thought for far too long. Rather, it's time to talk of the day following that last premiership, the day when the long wait began in earnest, and of the days, the months and the years after that.

The common thread of every one of those days is the fact that each of them started out as a "tomorrow".

One of those early "tomorrows" was the day in December 1964 when we discovered that Barassi was leaving to coach Carlton. We were good enough to win the first eight games of 1965 but then came another dark "tomorrow" with a humiliating defeat at the hands of St. Kilda on Queens Birthday. A month later, the era's stunning postscript was etched in history when the Red Fox,

. It was the club's saddest day. Smith was reinstated a week later but Melbourne was never the same again. The club failed to make the finals for over two decades and the Demons are yet to collect a premiership cup since that fateful day in September, 1964. The number of "tomorrows" has mounted. The long wait continues.

Tomorrow, it all starts again. Early in the morning at Gosch's Paddock in the shadows of the MCG, the campaign for September, 2011 begins with the year's first intraclub practice match. It's a modest start to the season but the times have changed. Now the expectation is for the young Melbourne side led by new captain Brad Green to proceed cautiously but with a purpose along the path of improvement that the team showed last year with the emergence of new heroes wearing 31, 4, 9 and other famous old numbers.

After waiting in silence for almost half a century, Vladimir and Estragon have disappeared and there is a growing belief that tomorrow is no longer such a long, long time away.

TO BE CONTINUED

Beautifully written piece WJ... reminds me more than a little of a particular journalist who went on the Demons journey last year (and that's a compliment by the way). I look forward to the next installment.

Whispering Jack steps out of the Tardis for a moment to contemplate the start of a new season

A HIGHWAY OF DEMONS by Whispering Jack

CHAPTER EIGHT - TOMORROW

"If today was not a crooked highway,

If tonight was not a crooked trail,

If tomorrow wasn't such a long time,

Then lonesome would mean nothing to you at all."

- Bob Dylan "Tomorrow is a Long Time".........

TO BE CONTINUED

Plucking the strings beautifully there WJ

Good stuff. Speaks for many of us.

I long ago stopped reading MFC history. For too long it's all that has sustained us.

It's time to write some new chapters.

Waiting for Godot, His Bobness Lord Dylan & The Melbourne Football Club all in the one article!!!!

Brilliant, add Stanley Kubrick and i would be in awe!!!!

I think you should write romances WJ.

Brilliant, add Stanley Kubrick and i would be in awe!!!!

Well, we could say it's been slim pickin's since the 60's as far as flags go.

Well, we could say it's been slim pickin's since the 60's as far as flags go.

"Nuclear Combat with the Ruskies-Toe to Toe"

Slim just played himself in Strangelove-what an absolute Film!

"Nuclear Combat with the Ruskies-Toe to Toe"

Slim just played himself in Strangelove-what an absolute Film!

Indeed, a brilliant film that came out about the same time as the original (and depressing) Fail Safe... I recall seeing them as a double feature. Along with Being There, Dr S was Peter Sellers' finest moment.

"Gentlemen, please stop fighting, this is the War Room!" (not Sellers)

Beautifully written piece WJ... reminds me more than a little of a particular journalist who went on the Demons journey last year (and that's a compliment by the way). I look forward to the next installment.

I think you nailed it hardtack. Great stuff WJ ..... almost like sitting in the Great Southern Stand back in '64.

Indeed, a brilliant film that came out about the same time as the original (and depressing) Fail Safe... I recall seeing them as a double feature. Along with Being There, Dr S was Peter Sellers' finest moment.

"Gentlemen, please stop fighting, this is the War Room!" (not Sellers)

HaHaHa!! "You can't fight in here this is the War Room"

or my other Fave...."Well how do you think i feel??"

Fail safe-i must track it down, i am yet to see it. It is mentioned on the Strangelove Doco that is on the DVD.

A friend of mine has a theory which I think is somewhat misguided that the players should take heed of how a club's supporters regard their club. After all, they're professionals and they get paid to do a job.

Still, I hope there is a bit of emotion and passion running through their veins and that it plays a part in how the team presents for the seasons ahead.

Well done WJ.

Indeed, a brilliant film that came out about the same time as the original (and depressing) Fail Safe... I recall seeing them as a double feature. Along with Being There, Dr S was Peter Sellers' finest moment.

"Gentlemen, please stop fighting, this is the War Room!" (not Sellers)

Actually, that was a Sellers line (You can't fight in here, this is the war room!).

Well, we could say it's been slim pickin's since the 60's as far as flags go.

Actually, that was a Sellers line (You can't fight in here, this is the war room!).

Oh yes, of course... in his role as President Merkin Muffley (love the name).

OK, so let's assume that it's game on and our aim is to, at the very least, play a game or two in September this year.

What is it that will improve our record from 8½ wins to the 11-12 wins we need to make the finals bearing in mind that we've lost two players in James McDonald and Cameron Bruce who not only provided great leadership but also have been regularly in the top 10 in our B & F?

Give me a reason to believe in tomorrow!

OK, so let's assume that it's game on and our aim is to, at the very least, play a game or two in September this year.

What is it that will improve our record from 8½ wins to the 11-12 wins we need to make the finals bearing in mind that we've lost two players in James McDonald and Cameron Bruce who not only provided great leadership but also have been regularly in the top 10 in our B & F?

Give me a reason to believe in tomorrow!

Good question and one that was partly covered by a few of the speakers at the AGM.

Most years, teams lose players through retirement or to other clubs and, in our case, we lost two who have been great for us in the past but they were on the decline in 2010 even though they were among our better contributors. IMO they won't be leaving much of a void as long as we aren't monstered by injuries. The slack will be picked up by several players who had injury interrupted seasons - Liam Jurrah, Cale Morton, Ricky Petterd and Austin Wonaeamirri are four who come to mind. Further, because we have a team with plenty of young emerging players who are at the stage where we can expect rapid improvement, any deficiencies in losing Junior and Cam Bruce should be covered. We'll miss them and their leadership but their time was up and we have the material with which to fill their shoes.

That's exactly why I'm really looking forward to tomorrow and not looking back to the yesterdays when a different generation represented the club.

I think you nailed it hardtack. Great stuff WJ ..... almost like sitting in the Great Southern Stand back in '64.

You nailed it and does it bring back Great memories.

OK, so let's assume that it's game on and our aim is to, at the very least, play a game or two in September this year.

What is it that will improve our record from 8½ wins to the 11-12 wins we need to make the finals bearing in mind that we've lost two players in James McDonald and Cameron Bruce who not only provided great leadership but also have been regularly in the top 10 in our B & F?

Give me a reason to believe in tomorrow!

You're Sigmund...you can obviously work it out for yourself. If not, have a look at the current team list. Bruce and McDonald were supplementary to requirements.

Without breaking the posting rules I trust, this is a pedestrian rhetorical post seeking attention.

Our form for the upcoming season will come down to depth and injuries. How much we miss Junior and Bruce will be better known after about Round 15.

But our depth is my main interest for this season..i certainly believe in the talent.

Anyone hear the late Sandy Denny sing that song?

Absolute goosebumps!