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

Very good

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....

It's a great story, but I don't understand the Paul Roos connection.

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.

There are strong similarities....

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.