Getting your kids to support MFC

[pantaloons 2,019]

Ha! While I still get her a membership, my wife generally stays home with the kids during Melbourne games. I'm able to vent and debrief with the rest of the crew before I get home so it doesn't normally get discussed beyond "How'd we go?" *throws scarf on ground* "Oh".

[Moonshadow 16,273]

Growing up, I just thought this was normal and that Melbourne was one of the best-supported clubs.

You've been living in a dream, unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately). I went through primary and sec school being the only one wearing Dees colors. I fear for my daughter.

[P-man 13,224]

Grew up in Camberwell! Wife and two young kids - Melbourne. Dad, brother and sister are Melbourne. Both uncles, three of six cousins are Melbourne. Two brothers in law and a sister in law are Melbourne. Three guys I go to games with and have been mates with since primary school (including one who converted me in 1985) as well as the wife of one of them - Melbourne. Including myself, there are nine from this list who have reserved seats and sit together at home games.

Growing up, I just thought this was normal and that Melbourne was one of the best-supported clubs.

So jealous. I'd kill to have that kind of Dee support network..

[Deemon 47]

Don't have kids, yet, but was contemplating something similar during one of my more insightful/drunken moments earlier this year. I decided that I couldn't inflict the heartbreak of the Dees on any potential offspring the way my Dad had "gifted" it to me. This led me to contemplate just who I could put up with in my household: there's no way a member of the filth could live there and anyone who claimed to be a bomber would find themselves up for adoption, sacrificed by the light of a full moon or similar. So after a solid 60 seconds of contemplation I decided that actually my kids wouldn't have any say in the matter, there's no way I could put up with anything else and I pay the bills. Suggest an approach similar to this combined with some good old fashioned bribery to get them across the line!!

[wattsup 470]

making your kids follow the filth should be classified as a form of child abuse

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,636]

I'm just interested in peoples' thoughts on getting their kids to support the MFC did you win or lose, I have a 10 year old daughter who follows the cats got me stuffed why but i call her a glory hound.

I have a boy on the way about 5 weeks away and I am gonna smash him from day 1 with MFC stuff and memberships and hopefully by the time he is old enough to understand we will be good which will make it easier and because im having a boy it should be easier to convert him to one of us, at the very least it will build some character.

Has anyone lost the battle or given up trying to get there kids to support MFC?

Start singing "grand old flag" to your missus tummy. Works a treat. When she cries for first 6 months, most times he'll stop when you sing the song. Your starting late, so sing the song at least twice a day.

It may feel stupid, but worked a treat with my little girl

[do it 4 robbie 1]

Take them to as many clinics as possible where they meet the players. Get them to try and form a bond with one. They'll be hooked hopefully.

[mdemonski2 403]

My six and four year old are told they will not get donuts post game unless they go for the dees (the threat of not going to the game did not work nearly as well!).

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

Bribery. I like it. Although I can't blame them. Many times at the G the highlight of the afternoon for me was the donuts. And the booze.

Anyway when I have a kid, his or her room will be adorned with Demon paraphernalia. I'm talking pictures of demons, footballs, maybe Garry being carried off on a stretcher.

When they grow up they will either be Demon supporters or they will be demon worshiping goths. Here's hoping the former!

[jane02 3,366]

Oh - I have failed miserably as a mother. Both my son and daughter were in baby demon jumpers at about two weeks of age. I signed them both up BUT my son got brainwashed when Wayne Carey visited his school and he promptly came home and told me he was going to support North. My husband bribed my daughter with hot donuts, merchandise and promises of great things if she became a magpie supporter. It was a very sad day in my life when that happened. Both my kids tell me that Melbourne is there second favorite team but thats all.

I tried everything possible so I am about to start working on some nieces who are expecting this year. Neither are interested in football so I may stand a chance.

[low flying Robbo 979]

Grew up in Camberwell! Wife and two young kids - Melbourne. Dad, brother and sister are Melbourne. Both uncles, three of six cousins are Melbourne. Two brothers in law and a sister in law are Melbourne. Three guys I go to games with and have been mates with since primary school (including one who converted me in 1985) as well as the wife of one of them - Melbourne. Including myself, there are nine from this list who have reserved seats and sit together at home games.

Growing up, I just thought this was normal and that Melbourne was one of the best-supported clubs.

Support for the Dees has been passed down through the family so it's the only team i've ever supported. Luckily the GF is a Dees supporter so when kids come along theres not going to be any fight when it comes to donning club colours. I guess us Dees supporters have to stick together as it's only been getting tougher recently. Could be a growing up around Camberwell thing too. I remember quite a few supporters walking down our street to the station on game day.

Also Pantaloons i believe we have some mutual friend supporters too

[pantaloons 2,019]

Also Pantaloons i believe we have some mutual friend supporters too

Intrigued! Actually, if demonland ever had a get together, I'd probably see a few friends I didn't know posted here.

Oh, and I'll keep the donuts in mind.

[faultydet 7,593]

My young blokes 2, I dont see him much, but they decked him out in Norf gear.

I nipped that in the bud, they slapped an AVO on me - but at least he is a Demon.

Love it!!

So you lost the house, car, and a good deal of your future income, but the little one is a Dee?

Reason to smile every time CSA dips into your pocket.

[Daz's Dee's 113]

I here everyones pain that has children and struggle to keep them on our side! I have a 10 year old daughter was a MFC member from her first day on earth until she was 6 and decided she barracked for the dogs (we do not know any dogs supporters) my side of the fam is melb except mum she's saints and my other side is a mix of collingwood, Carlton (wife) and swans. My 7 year old daughter is still dees ( just ) and my young bloke who is 2 years old is dees I and has been signed up since day one, he randomly says "go dees" at any given time and I hope like hell when his old enough to understand footy we are competitive because anymore of the last 5 years I won't be able to keep him going! We have a rule in our house you must hate collingwood and essendon!

Edited September 20, 2012 by Daz's Dee's

[Deeoldfart 7,782]

We have three grown up kids, all are Dees members and one has converted his partner from NM to Melbourne. My wife was a Dogs member when we were courting, but part of her wedding vow was to support the MFC. She's been one of ours ever since!

Currently working on the 4 grand kids ..... a 5yo is wavering between Melbourne and Richmond, but leaning towards Richmond because she likes their song better; a 4yo says she will barrack for the Dees if they change their colours to pink and purple; a 3yo is already a Dee through and through and one is still in nappies but loves her Dees teddy and bib.

[faultydet 7,593]

My two boys were not given a choice.

Their mum was Collingwood, but too thick to attempt to swing them.

It was an expectation in my house that, if you follow football, you follow the dees.

I still buy memberships each year for them, even though they are both adults now, and they don't get too excited at the thought of sitting down and watching a game with me, but you can see that enough interest is there, just waiting for a spark to re ignite the passion.

My Nephew however, is a crazed obsessed meathead when it comes to the Dee, just like me and my Brother, and simply Lives for anything Red and Blue. He introduced his girlfriend to the game, and swung her over, and it kills him to have moved to Perth, and have to suffer through the over the top guff, that folks from the west have shoved down their throat about West Coke. (Chook from Perth, is it really that bad? He says they even interrupt radio broadcasts, to let the public know that the Eagles plane has taken off for an interstate game)

Dad, Brother, Sister who converted from Norf recently, both of my sons, nephew, 3 nieces, and a swag of uncles follow Melbourne,probably because we grew up in the old Zone in the G.V

I agree with the statement that you have failed if your kids don't follow us. they should not be given a choice. Appreciate that it is getting harder to hold onto them, which is why we need to start putting wins on the board soon.

Edit for stupid iPad spelling

Edited September 20, 2012 by faultydet

[Dee*ceiving 921]

My son is 18 months now and I have a daughter on the way any day now. I think the boy is well on the way to be a diehard demon already. Loves the singing bear and his little Demons jumper (albeit with a number 24 on the back, not quite the right choice in retrospect). Towards the end of the season he was pulling that bear out and pressing it to play the song while I was sitting on the couch watching them get flogged. Not sure if it's a coincidence or not but it made me feel better.

I have also made it well known to him, my wife and anyone else that will listen that mychildren are free to support any team they want. But if it's not melbourne it's probably best they find somewhere else to live. I am sure they'll se it my way.

Heck if I am going to be misreable, so are they right?

[nutbean 8,837]

Its about holding firm.

I have two girls and one wasnt interested in footy from an early age but the older one was (and is).

At age 11 she decided she couldnt take the losing and wanted to barrack for Carlton. Using gentle parenting techniques I told her that I will never take her to the football again and her name on the MCC waiting list would be scratched off because I wouldnt pay MCC dues for a non dees supporter. Harsh but effective.

I can now confirm that the highlight of my week is sitting with my now 22 year old daughter being miserable together watching the Dees play.

Edit- without getting too mushy -for those parents out there with kids who come with you to the footy with you and barrack for the same team, especially when they get older and start doing their own thing - it really is one of life's joys to put your arm over their shoulder at 4:30pm on a Saturday after a win and belt out the club song together after winning.

Edited September 20, 2012 by nutbean

[Guest KingDingAling]

Love it!!

So you lost the house, car, and a good deal of your future income, but the little one is a Dee?

Reason to smile every time CSA dips into your pocket.

Nah, she was a one nighter, but stitched me up.

But, thats life, the young blokes a ripper though and he is a Demon for life.

None of this Norf [censored].

[Nathan Jones's Hairdresser 7]

if your kids arent demons you have failed as a father

Ease up there, fella. I bought my daughter a Melbourne jumper when she was two, got her a junior membership not long after, took her with me to see the Dees when she was about eight – and she repays me by following the Pies. Her cousins took her to a few Collingwood games when she was entering her rebellious teenage years, the Pies won, the Dees stunk, her cousins were cool – you can join the dots from there. At least my two sons follow Melbourne; two out of three ain’t bad, is it?

[IWAP 168]

My son is too young to take to the footy just yet. But my mate took his young boy to the footy for the first time this year, and i think he's got the right idea.

Took him to 2 games. Gold Coast and GWS. His son thinks we are awesome!

[Bossdog 2,002]

I even signed my dog up for a Pets Membership ($20)........He gets a demon rug to lie on and a great demons collar tag....He doesn't really care if we win or lose and is happy to watch the games with the family next to the heater........

I don't have to worry that he will change teams as I think he will be a demon for life......

[low flying Robbo 979]

Intrigued! Actually, if demonland ever had a get together, I'd probably see a few friends I didn't know posted here.

Oh, and I'll keep the donuts in mind.

Maybe if this get together were at Taco Bill Mornington

[pantaloons 2,019]

Gotcha! Good to put a face to the username.

And yes, good locale - provided it's an all you can eat affair again.

[Traja Dee 104]

Interesting topic and very relevant for me as I have two boys aged 8 and 6. In the period from March to now, they have gone from no interest to being avid Dees who wear their Demons jumper to school on most days. The low point was attending the Family Day at Luna Park in March. I persuaded the 8 year-old to come purely on the back of going on the rides. He came away furious as the Haunted Railway was closed, perhaps the only ride closed and the only one that he really wanted to go. I introduced him to Jarred Rivers, Cam Schwab and offered to introduce him to other players but that had no appeal at all. What was supposed to be a great father-son bonding turned into a source of tension.

Prior to this year, my boys have been members but had very little interest in Melbourne. They occasionally came to games but were usually board and restless by half time and I had to bribe them to stay with chips and ice cream. They occasionally flirted with following other teams: Hawthorn in 2008 because they were a "happy team"; Norf around 2009 because kangaroos are cute; and Collingwood last year because they were top of the ladder. I took the course of giving them no attention at all in the hope that they would move on. I did joke that the only games that they would see of these teams would be the games against Melbourne. Fortunately, none of that flirting amounted to anything.

The turnaround in April of this year was the footy cards that went through their school like wildfire. I shudder to think how much they spent on the cards but trading almost became an obsession in their peer group. My boys major goal was to collect all of the Melbourne cards in each of the tiers. It got to the point where my 8 year-old wanted to spend $38 of his birthday-present-from-grandad on the exclusive Jack Watts card on eBay, but we managed to distract him for long enough on this.

One appeal of the cards is the star rating, out of three, for each of the players on the cards based on kicking, marking and handball. Poor Issy is the butt of so many jokes as he has zero stars in each category purely on the back of not playing AFL in 2011. My boys are quite adamant that they are better kicks and marks than poor Issy.

As I said, my boys now wear their Demons jumpers most days to school where Collingwood supporters dominate. Somehow, they are philosophical about Melbourne's poor performance. Their attitude is that we will only get better while the teams at the top are bound to descend. They also make the most of all of our victories, so the Essendon, GWS and GC games' replays are frequently watched. In summary, I would say that the lure for them has been the pleasure in trading cards and the engagement with their dad.

Oops. I forgot to mention another key dynamic in my boys' new-found love for footy and the Demons. They have started to get to know the players and bits of their histories. For example, they are fascinated with Mitch Clark's journey to Melbourne. Another thing is that they love seeing who their mum likes; they will show her 10 cards and ask which one she would marry if she could marry any of them. From this, they have learnt that my wife isn't turned on by tattoos, for instance. This then led them into understanding what attributes counter the off-putting attributes like tattoos (cue Nathan Jones). Jack Watts is an absolute favourite in our house as he has such an approachable, happy face and features in the top tier of footy cards. Ellie McKenzie's "Getting to Know" clips have been a so valuable. It has been a fun journey for all of us.

Edited September 21, 2012 by Traja Dee