Jump to content

A legacy into which Paul Roos is tapping

Featured Replies

Posted

The history of this club is often ignored or neglected by the current generation of Melbourne supporters, possibly because they know of no success with which to identify. I hope that changes very soon and in the meantime, I commend this wonderful article about one of the club's great personalities:-

A legacy into which Paul Roos is tapping

 

Is the suggestion that Roos will be the modern Checker? Finding an amateur mindset and playing group and instilling a culture of professionalism. Let's hope it leads to a swag of premierships....

 

The only Legacy they seem to be near has a cracked cylinder head and uses a lot of oil


really need both clubs to push for that Anzac eve game

maybe we can exorcise some demons whilst exercising others !!

good read WJ

really need both clubs to push for that Anzac eve game

maybe we can exorcise some demons whilst exercising others !!

good read WJ

Seconded!

I think the point of the article can be linked to what Martin Flanagan said in that it's always been outsiders who have made us great. I remember reading Phil Cleary's autobiography many years ago and him describing a scene where Norm slapped Bluey Adams across the face. The bloke next to him said, 'Upper class Melbourne is a lot different to here'. Unfortunately, that bloke and Phil couldn't have been more wrong. Norm was a Northcote boy (before the inner suburbs started to become gentrified) and made a clear point in his interview with Tony Charlton that 'while he went to a state school and they went to a public school, they both still spelt principle the same way'. Norm and Checker weren't cut from the cloth of old Melbourne.
As class divisions in football clubs aren't really important anymore (all board members are usually in the social elite and despite Collingwood supposedly being the proletarian club, they are sponsored by Saudi Arabian airlines, insurance companies, Westpac, McDonalds and a car company who is about to sack all it's Australian based production staff), Roosy is as big an outsider as you can get. PJ is in the same boat. Before they lobbed here, they weren't involved in the power struggles and crap that came before hand. I think what the article is saying that Roosy is an outsider so he has a good chance of turning us around.

 

Could also be a reference to the way Roos brought the old South Melboure history to the Sydney Swans and taught them all to really value their heritage. In fact the Sydney Swans called themselves by the old Sth Melb name of the Bloods in private and it really helped bond them as a team...remember the 'blood' brothers reference after they won the grand final. The writer may be expecting Roos to invoke the spirit of Checker to help motivate the players and for them to value their playing heritage, in the sme way he did with the Bloods spirit.

Also, a bit of de ja vu happening for us now given the last paragraph in the article: When Checker came to Melbourne, he found an amateur football atmosphere. He gave it discipline, dedication and team spirit...

So on several ways I can see the relevance of the title to Melbourne today and where Roos may be wanting to go.


The history of this club is often ignored or neglected by the current generation of Melbourne supporters, possibly because they know of no success with which to identify. I hope that changes very soon and in the meantime, I commend this wonderful article about one of the club's great personalities:- A legacy into which Paul Roos is tapping

Fabulous narrative - I must say I never appreciated just what an influence Hughes had on the glory days, which I and many have usually attributed to Norm Smith and Jim Cardwell. My dad used to refer to him but never explained the huge effect he had.

I think the point of the article can be linked to what Martin Flanagan said in that it's always been outsiders who have made us great. I remember reading Phil Cleary's autobiography many years ago and him describing a scene where Norm slapped Bluey Adams across the face. The bloke next to him said, 'Upper class Melbourne is a lot different to here'. Unfortunately, that bloke and Phil couldn't have been more wrong. Norm was a Northcote boy (before the inner suburbs started to become gentrified) and made a clear point in his interview with Tony Charlton that 'while he went to a state school and they went to a public school, they both still spelt principle the same way'. Norm and Checker weren't cut from the cloth of old Melbourne.

As class divisions in football clubs aren't really important anymore (all board members are usually in the social elite and despite Collingwood supposedly being the proletarian club, they are sponsored by Saudi Arabian airlines,* insurance companies, Westpac, McDonalds and a car company who is about to sack all it's Australian based production staff), Roosy is as big an outsider as you can get. PJ is in the same boat. Before they lobbed here, they weren't involved in the power struggles and crap that came before hand. I think what the article is saying that Roosy is an outsider so he has a good chance of turning us around.

* nearly but not quite - the Emirates are Arabian but not Saudi....far more liberal, or at least far less fundamental.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Featured Content

  • PREVIEW: West Coast

    It was bad enough that the Melbourne Football Club created yet another humiliating scenario inside its wretched season at Marvel Stadium last Sunday, but the final insult is that it has been commanded to return to the scene of the crime to inflict further punishment on its fans this week. Incidentally, if this match preview, of a game that promises to be one of the most unattractive fixtures in the history of the game, happens to cut out of your computer screen three quarters of the way through, it’s no coincidence. I’ll be mirroring the Demons’ lacklustre effort against St Kilda from last Sunday when they conceded the largest last quarter turnaround for victory in the history of the game.

      • Haha
    • 3 replies
  • REPORT: St. Kilda

    When looking back at the disastrous end to the game, I find it a waste of time to concentrate on the final few moments when utter confusion reigned. Forget the 6-6-6 mess, the failure to mark the most dangerous man on the field, the inability to seal the game when opportunities presented themselves to Clayton Oliver, Harry Petty and Charlie Spargo, the vision of match winning players of recent weeks in Kozzy Pickett and Jake Melksham spending helpless minutes on the interchange bench and the powerlessness of seizing the opportunity to slow the tempo of the game down in those final moments.

    • 9 replies
  • CASEY: Sandringham

    The Casey Demons rebounded from a sluggish start to manufacture a decisive win against Sandringham in the final showdown, culminating a quarter century of intense rivalry between the fluctuating alignments of teams affiliated with AFL clubs Melbourne and St Kilda, as the Saints and the Zebras prepare to forge independent paths in 2026. After conceding three of the first four goals of the match, the Demons went on a goal kicking rampage instigated by the winning ruck combination of Tom Campbell with 26 hitouts, 26 disposals and 13 clearances and his apprentice Will Verrall who contributed 20 hitouts. This gave first use of the ball to the likes of Jack Billings, Bayley Laurie, Riley Bonner and Koltyn Tholstrup who was impressive early. By the first break they had added seven goals and took a strong grip on the game. The Demons were well served up forward early by Mitch Hardie and, as the game progressed, Harry Sharp proved a menace with a five goal performance. Emerging young forwards Matthew Jefferson and Luker Kentfield kicked two each but the former let himself down with some poor kicking for goal.
    Young draft talent Will Duursma showed the depth of his talent and looks well out of reach for Melbourne this year. Kalani White was used sparingly and had a brief but uneventful stint in the ruck.

    • 0 replies
  • PREGAME: West Coast

    The Demons return to the scene of the crime on Saturday to face the wooden spooners the Eagles at the Docklands. Who comes in and who goes out? Like moving deck chairs on the Titanic.

      • Sad
      • Like
    • 243 replies
  • POSTGAME: St. Kilda

    This season cannot end soon enough. Disgraceful.

      • Haha
    • 484 replies
  • VOTES: St. Kilda

    Captain Max Gawn still has a massive lead in the Demonland Player of the Year Award from Christian Petracca, Kozzy Pickett, Jake Bowey & Clayton Oliver. Your votes please; 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

      • Sad
    • 27 replies