So here we are coming up to another game against Hawthorn. I think I hate being beaten by Hawthorn even more than I do by Collingwood. In the last couple of years we have been on the receiving end of some drubbings. Did not the unfortunate Dean Bailey coach his first game for Melbourne against Hawthorn with unpleasant results?

I can remember Barry Vagg, who wore number 32 as I recall, potting the winning goal with the last kick of the day in 1968. I seem to remember Barry Bourke getting four weeks for smacking my sports teacher, the late Peter Crimmins, although I can't remember if it was in the same game. Most of all, I remember THAT game in 1987.

We were sitting in the northern, (I think it's northern, but like many, I used to get disoriented at Arctic Park), end at Waverley almost directly behind the goal square. From the opening moments it was clear that Hawthorn had based their strategy around eliminating Robbie Flower. Robbie started from the goal square. At the opening bounce he led wide towards the half forward flank to receive the kick from the inevitable tap-out from Strawberry O'Dwyer. He was met in a vicious sandwich comprising Gary Ayres running in one direction, and Robert Dipierdomenico in the other. (I later heard that they had practiced during the week with a side of beef although that may be apocryphal.) Robbie had his shoulder reconstructed in the opening minute of the game. He played thereafter with one useable arm.

Even though we played with half a Robbie Flower, there was no doubt that we were the better side. In a critical move in the third quarter, coach Northey sent Rod Grinter to full forward where he kicked three goals. Even though Hawthorn lifted in the last quarter and challenged, we should have won if not for the errors of three senior players in the last 15 minutes. Although I know their names I will not repeat them here. Two marked within meters of the goal line only to fluff extremely gettable goals, one chose to blaze away rather than handball over the top to Robbie, who although he had but one arm, was still the best player on the ground.

When in a widely celebrated moment, Jim ran across the mark, after the siren sounded, I did not blame him then and I do not blame him now. It is a measure of our ability to mythologize, that the failure of those three senior players to nail a grand final appearance has been forgotten, yet Jim has been universally held responsible for that failure.

And so, we come up against Hawthorn again. And the prospects aren't too flash. And I imagine what revenge might look like...

Great post.

I still maintain the sublimely talented Buckenara would have split the middle from 55 anyway.

I remember in 1961 when hawthorn Ruck man Winneke up ended John Lord in a rucking contest early in the preliminary final putting him out for a fair % of the game Lord had to spend most of the game in a forward pocket. They beat us and went on to win their first Grand Final. I'm a bit sketchy on the details as I was only a kid at the time.

I remember in 1964 when Hassa Man kicked a goal in the dying minutes of the last match against Hawthorn to secure our spot in the finals, we went on to win the flag. I was down the end when Hassa kicked the winning goal and up the other end when Froggy kicked his to win the game.

Edited May 10, 201213 yr by RobbieF

Although I know their names I will not repeat them here.

Everyone here knows those names.

20 years later my brother was surfing in Qld when he saw one of those three names also surfing. The surfer in question did not appreciate being sledged by my brother in the Qld surf. He thought he'd escaped feral Melbourne supporters with long memories.

Ah the memories........or is it aaaaargh the memories?

I do remember the GREAT Robbie Flower saying in an interview after the game, and in his book, that he missed but should have kicked an easy 'snap' goal in second (from memory) which would have also changed the result......but nobody highlighted that.

I felt sorry for Jim on and for a long time after that day but for a lot of the past 15 or so years I felt more pain for Robbie Flower because even if we had won he wouldn't have played in the big one regardless because of his broken collar bone.

After the event I always held out that one day Big Jim would be apart of a Premiership. It didn't happen in his playing days and now it is a 'fait accompli' that, that won't happen for him now that he has left this life.

I will always have a small void where I believed Jim's missed premiership should have been.......but as I have been instructing my kids about life...I now need to heed my own advice....."life is not fair so just suck it up princess and get on with it".

Go Dees ...Do it for Jim...and Robbie....and Gazza......and Oz.......and......all those long suffering sub 48 year old supporters......and ME.

"Don't bring it up" ...

I was there. My mates car was parked next to the Whorethorn cheer squad van. I will never forget the 2 hours i had to endure after the game inside the waverly car park.

I hate the Brown & Gold

BUT i do want the MFC to play just like them.

After 24 years we are still $13 on the Bet.

DO SOMETHING.

I saw one of those three senior players, the one in the video above, at the pub after Jimmys funeral. Was so tempted to go up to him and say

something, but time and place of the circumstances of him being there dissuaded me.

Nothing beats that huge hit Neita put on Luke McCabe and shattered his shoulder and football career really.

I remember in 1961 when hawthorn Ruck man Winneke up ended John Lord in a rucking contest early in the preliminary final putting him out for a fair % of the game Lord had to spend most of the game in a forward pocket. They beat us and went on to win their first Grand Final. I'm a bit sketchy on the details as I was only a kid at the time.

I remember in 1964 when Hassa Man kicked a goal in the dying minutes of the last match against Hawthorn to secure our spot in the finals, we went on to win the flag. I was down the end when Hassa kicked the winning goal and up the other end when Froggy kicked his to win the game.

Your experience of being a Demon is so different to mine (Born in 72) . AT Waverley for the Stynes /Bucky game. At the G for the 88 slaughter .Perfect seats.