A typical European infuenced story.

Started in the tackers back in approx 88 as a short pacey left foot centreman/HFF; aka soft.

Shot up in height and started shaving around under 12's to see a shift to a key postion forward; enforcer.

By under 15's I was back in the centre, now short again, a little less pace but still a nice left slipper; back to being soft and now worried about redemption.

Soft tissue injuries kicked in and I couldn't play successive games from around 15, salt tablets and the rubdown table were my best friends, volunteers never worked so hard.

I am now a 34 year old European influenced version of Yoda, minus the wisdom. Luckerly for me, I have been with my wife since I was at school. At that stage there was still hope that I get another growth spurt and that my lush hair would remain.....alas, I am now batting well above my average, Bradman like, life is great.

Go Dees!

Played 3 years of Football at East Burwood in the EFL after playing a year of 18s in 2004.. But managed to fracture my Scaphoid bone twice in twos years against the same team same time of the year.. Dam you Seymour, well first time I was pushed in the back and the second time I tried to shoulder charge instead of tackle.. So missed about a years worth of senior footy..

Then went and played 4 years of Country Footy down at Foster in the Alberton league in Gippsland. Played about 30 senior games but played abit of reserve football after having a bone spur cut out of my heal.. So missed out on having a crack at playing seniors in 2010 when we won the flag.. But my god was it a good 4 years playing country footy.. Cars parked right around the ground and having a whole town behind you! Great blokes great times!

Edited October 25, 201311 yr by PurpleHaze12

Who's going to be the first smartarse that chooses "been on an AFL list?"

Well I was actually a paid AFL player.. Alberton Football League.. Hahaha!!

Played 5 years of Junior footy in traralgon, one flag in u/14's. Missed 5 years from about age 17 due to cricket, then came back and have played the last 4 years in the Mid Gippy league, 3 in the ressies and last year in the ones.

Lived in the Berra for my young adult years. Which club are you with? Is that ACTAFL or Monaro League. (Don't even know if they're called that anymore tbh). There was a big connection with the basketball guys and Eastlake for a while.

Monaco League was div 1 ammos and now is div 2 in actafl.

It's a bit of a mess up here, the league below NEAFL has 5 teams and is an absolute waste of time. Div 2 has 11 and div 3 has about 14 from Goulburn and Yass down to Cooma and Cootamundra, and both 2 and 3 play a South Coast team that is good and terrible in alternate weeks...

Played lots of junior footy in the country, then came to Melbourne for uni. Too busy for footy for a few years, then got the itch and looked for a local team needing players. Ended up in an E grade amateur club - not an old boys' team - and played there for ten years or so, a premiership and a couple of B&Fs. Great days.

While I am not particularly proud of my personal footballing achievements (I played 1 game for Camberwell Under 19s at the Sandringham Oval, 1 season in EDFL and then 2 years in E or F Grade Amateurs - mostly in the seconds!) I have played in 2 memorable finals games...

A long time ago on a footy field far, far away our local team (under 11s it was) made the finals. In the First Semi final I was playing at CHF and a young 9 year old (future champion) was filling in at CHB. We won that day by a couple of goals, I even jagged one myself! We were very excited to progress to the Prelim. It was the Page-McIntyre Finals 4 system in those days.

Anyway the weather for the Prelim was cold, raining and windy. The other team (eventual premiers) seemed bigger and stronger (peptides in their oranges?) and we got close, so very close. Our CHB, just a youngster, was easily best on ground and I know I tried because I cried hard after the siren sounded as we'd lost by a point.

Sadly no Grand Final and that was my last game for this local team. However for the young 9 year old he would go on to become club champion for Beverley Hills and of course find his was to VFL / AFL stardom, first as a player and then as a premiership coach.

Now he's with us, let's hope he repeats his coaching successes!

4 years of junior footy at Brentwood Football Club

Under 17s at Mulgrave Football Club

Under 18s at East Burwood Football Club

168 senior games with East Burwood in div 1 Eastern Football League with a year at Pascoe Vale Football Club in 2004.

colac district league battler for 12 years 2 flags senoir

colac player in the Hamden footy league.premiership player senior

geelong footy league 1 year

warnnambool district league 1 flag 2 years

coached juniors and seniors 1 flag

footy is so rewarding.

booked in for new knee next year

back rooted

foot broken and painful

broken jaw no lasting effects

takes 3 minutes to get out of bed in mornings

enough broken fingers to start a knitting club

but otherwise forfilled the dream

didn't see dees for most of my life and now semi retired and just watched my first full season

how lucky am I,looking forward to meeting and spending time with fellow dees in the stands for the next 20 years supporting the beloved.

your welcome to sit with me and over analyse every game with immunity if want

colac district league battler for 12 years 2 flags senoir

colac player in the Hamden footy league.premiership player senior

geelong footy league 1 year

warnnambool district league 1 flag 2 years

coached juniors and seniors 1 flag

footy is so rewarding.

booked in for new knee next year

back rooted

foot broken and painful

broken jaw no lasting effects

takes 3 minutes to get out of bed in mornings

enough broken fingers to start a knitting club

but otherwise forfilled the dream

didn't see dees for most of my life and now semi retired and just watched my first full season

how lucky am I,looking forward to meeting and spending time with fellow dees in the stands for the next 20 years supporting the beloved.

your welcome to sit with me and over analyse every game with immunity if want

I'm there....

I reckon, after a few coldies, the (chest) marks will be speccies, the left foot snap banana on the run (off the ground two metres out) will be retold and the massive shirtfront (broken fingernail) will rule the conversation.....as Howe REALLY does take a speccy, Vince massive snap right through the middle and Viney lays out Scully!

Monaco League was div 1 ammos and now is div 2 in actafl.

It's a bit of a mess up here, the league below NEAFL has 5 teams and is an absolute waste of time. Div 2 has 11 and div 3 has about 14 from Goulburn and Yass down to Cooma and Cootamundra, and both 2 and 3 play a South Coast team that is good and terrible in alternate weeks...

Wow. The term dog's breakfast comes to mind. Did they make these changes because they were sick of having just 3 quality teams or did this decision come from higher up the chain?

I'm there....

I reckon, after a few coldies, the (chest) marks will be speccies, the left foot snap banana on the run (off the ground two metres out) will be retold and the massive shirtfront (broken fingernail) will rule the conversation.....as Howe REALLY does take a speccy, Vince massive snap right through the middle and Viney lays out Scully!

I do like to see players develop and hope that the team learns from mistakes/close losses and dream of the build becoming a force

even this year I saw improvement and shape to the team

also I don't listen to the naysayers hoping for smithy like behemoths taking all before them

being a realist,my hopes are the objectives are slowly being reached and a slow build will see us on the track to a flag

our new coach loves to take mistakes out of the game ,thereby giving you a shot at winning

interest will centre around players that make errors and how many of those errors will be around by the end of season

everybody said chris yarran had a bad season ,but in reflection mm made him chase and be accountable for his opponent.makes it exciting for his supporters on what he will do next year

To all the contributors .. One of the great threads I have read on demon land guys and girls!!

Some really great stories, well done to you all, it really makes me appreciate and understand those dees players, in fact all AFL players, what they have had to endure to get to the top what with injuries etc. etc.

Again, thanks to you all.

IHS

Just ended my TAC Cup career.

Two years for roughly 12 games - was a little out of favour by the coach.

However, I will hold my league B&Fs over Christian Salem, Nathan Freeman and Josh Kelly as my claims to fame.

MSJFL u 12s, 13s & 14s.

Played under 16 at studfield/fairpark and then didn't play till about 28 at Nyora Saints for twos seasons.

Well i'm still playing under 16s,, and i had my best year last year, i play rover and i kicked 35 goals last year, we made the finals and in the preliminary final we were losing and we had to kick 3 more goals, our runner came on and told me we had 2 minutes to go and we had to get into gear, so our ruckmen hit it out towards me i just cleared it into our 50 and our CHF marked it and i ran back to FF and took a specky and then kicked a goal, and then our RR ran with the ball from the centre square and kicked it from 50 for a goal, and then our runner came back on and told me we had 50 seconds to kick a goal, i told myself if we win this ruck we win the game, we lost the ruck and i began to close my eyes and when i opened them i saw our half back running on the wing shrug off two players and bomb it to me i ran in shrugged off a guy and sold the candy to another and then booted it to our FF who had kicked 83 goals for the season, and he took a Jeremy Howe screamer and then the siren went, he went back and booted the goal, and we went crazy all the fans ran on the field and started hugging everyone and that was the top team we were playing and we hadn't beaten them all year, the first grand final Huntly had made since the 70's, the best day of my life.

Recruit me Dees

Edited October 26, 201311 yr by thedeeman

Great stuff deeman ^^.

Probably the last few post reminds us that Demonland doesnt have to be a place where grumpy old has beens come to whinge. We need a blend of youth and experience.

Great thread nasher.

Edited October 26, 201311 yr by jabberwocky

Great stuff deeman ^^.

Probably the last few posts reminds us that Demonland doesnt have to be a place where grumpy old has beens come to whinge. We need a blend of youth and experience.

Great thread nasher.

We were talking about a theme song for the boys to run out earlier in the year. I have suggested theme songs for individual posters....

Now I give you the official theme song for Demonland.

I could have been a champion but something scared me away from actually playing the game

Edited October 26, 201311 yr by TheBigFrog

Grew up in NSW. Thought AFL was a stupid game and, like all of my friends, didn't play the game or even watch it.

Played rugby at school and supported the North Sydney Bears in the NRL.

When the Bears essentially got punted from the competition, I figured I needed a footy team and, as my Dad and his side of the family were all passionate Demons' supporters, I thought I'd give it a go. This was in 1998.

Got totally addicted thereafter.

Played one game of Aussie Rules for my college at university. Spent the entire game running away from some thug/massive unit who was intent on punching me in the head every time I got near the ball. Only a week or so later did I work out that I bagged his ex girlfriend earlier in the year. He was feral about it. I was just confused.

Sporting claim to fame - played State cricket for NSW with Adam Gilchrist. In the under 12s.

Was also offered a couple of scholarships to play tennis at Arizona universities after school. Sensibly, I took a gap year instead and spent the entire year in the UK/Europe drinking booze, and have done nothing spectacular ever since.

Good to see some talent around. I'll keep it as brief as possbile as its not something I talk about unless asked.

Played school footy juniors (primary school) played in back to back premierships (school footy), inbetween the team won a state knockout (Vic) championship.

Played U13;s at the age of 10, for East Sandringham. Quit after a few months, when I found out where most of these kids went school, my life may have been in danger if they found out where I attended. Moved on to Sandy tech, had a scratch match involving the whole school of footballers. Again giving away ageheight and weight. Managed to mildly upset Shane Grambeau, by making him look a bit foolish. I got a free kick paid,And was threathened to that again I'll belt you. he was a few yrs older and a bit taller.

Playing in another scratch match again a mixed school team (Sandy tech), (older guys.) Bursting out of the middle from the 1st bounce. did the one two, after a few bounces nailed a goal, that took under 20 secs, to prove that wasnt a fluke, did the same thing, this time rejected the ball return and told another guy to kick it. 2 goals to us in under 40 secs, no opposition player has touched it. In under 40 secs had given 3 handballs, 10 bounces,and received 2 handballs.

My world was shattered when I found out I was zoned to Hawthorn. St.kilda was an option, but it was the Dees, or no-one.

Moved Suburbs, had 3 calls in a month to join a local team, never bothered. Kicked 14 goals playing in the center in a practice match for my new school. Opposition were crap. Gave off a few, got sick of kicking goals.

Gave footy away, played in a band for 12 yrs, then a mate after we were kicking the footy around in a park, conned me into joining his club. SE Suburbs.Seems he was impressed, at the age of 28 played B grade, he went off to play with Richmond 2nds, and I had my knee destroyed, that was the end of that.

Edited October 26, 201311 yr by DeeVoted

Well i'm still playing under 16s,, and i had my best year last year, i play rover and i kicked 35 goals last year, we made the finals and in the preliminary final we were losing and we had to kick 3 more goals, our runner came on and told me we had 2 minutes to go and we had to get into gear, so our ruckmen hit it out towards me i just cleared it into our 50 and our CHF marked it and i ran back to FF and took a specky and then kicked a goal, and then our RR ran with the ball from the centre square and kicked it from 50 for a goal, and then our runner came back on and told me we had 50 seconds to kick a goal, i told myself if we win this ruck we win the game, we lost the ruck and i began to close my eyes and when i opened them i saw our half back running on the wing shrug off two players and bomb it to me i ran in shrugged off a guy and sold the candy to another and then booted it to our FF who had kicked 83 goals for the season, and he took a Jeremy Howe screamer and then the siren went, he went back and booted the goal, and we went crazy all the fans ran on the field and started hugging everyone and that was the top team we were playing and we hadn't beaten them all year, the first grand final Huntly had made since the 70's, the best day of my life.

Recruit me Dees

Awesome story deeman. Hope you celebrated long & hard. Can you nominate for the PSD, reckon The Dees could use you. My footy journey was back in the mid 70's to mid 80's. Spent the decade as a wanna be wingman, trying to play like Robbie Flower, Doug Hawkins, Keith Grieg etc. I knocked out 100 plus games in the EFL which was the EDFL back then. Never played in a final but it was a tough violent era back then, you learnt to be game smart & use your fists when needed. Very happy my son is playing in a much cleaner, safer footy era today!

I played a season of junior footy when I was 13. As it turns out, I realised I wasn't that great (I have a lousy kick haha). Although I knew I wasnt that great, I still really enjoyed playing. I didn't play another season and instead of working on my kick, I instead became interested in game tactics and positionings. I then coached my old schools year 7 basketball team a couple years ago in a round robin style tournament. We didn't win, but it was still a lot of fun doing it!

Also, I'm really enjoying reading some if the stories flying around here. Some great stuff!

Did you play with Brian Cook?

edit: not sure if you were there at the time but he played his junior football with St Andrews.

Did not know that one. He must have played under 15's. when I knew him he was playing for Box Hill colts I think.

Im a master at kick to kick...