How did you end up following the Mighty Dees?

[Frosty Demon 153]

1. Third generation Demon supporter. My great uncle played for the Dees.

2. Robbie Flower - say no more.

3. Like most of the above posters - 1987.

4. Until we played Geelong this year, I had not moved on from 186.

5. My daughter was wearing a Demon's jumper on her first day of life, she converted to Collingwood as a teen and this year has seen the light, dumped Collingwood and is now back in the fold. We both have a major crush on Bernie Vince! Both of my dogs are pet members and I proudly walk them with their Melbourne leashes.

Love it. I'm signing my dog up, didn't know that was an option.

[Jaded No More 68,879]

1. My best friend at the time as a Melbourne supporter. Hate that [censored] now!

2. Robbo

3. St Kilda Elimination final win

4. So many I can't pick. No really.

5. I'm too loyal to ever think about switching teams and Melbourne will always be my only football love. But my love is diminishing every year.

[Adzman 2,154]

1. How did you start following the Demons? Born into it, 3rd generation Demon.

2. Who was your very first favourite player and why? Graeme Yeats. If you have to ask why then you don't get what made Graeme Yeats great!

3. Best moment as a fan? The Freo comeback at the MCG,what a second half.

4. Worst moment as a fan? The last 8 years....seriously though how hard has it been!

5. Anything else you would like to share? My son was born this year and will be a forth generation Demon.

[pineapple dee 2,892]

1) I started to follow the dees in 1964 when I was 7. They were the best. I think at age 7 you really start to understand footy. Paradoxically now I no longer understand footy( at least our version of it )

2) First favourites Ross Dillon and Greg Parke. I thought Hassa Mann was pretty good too.

3) Beating Carlton in that 2000 Qualifying Final with Schwarz on fire and Cam Bruce kicking the sealer. Never had so much joy in seeing opposition fans suffer.

4) Having Essendon peg back a 51 point lead from 6 minutes into the last quarter to beat us in a canter.

5) in 1965 I watched Melbourne lose their first match that season after 8 straight wins. I thought us unbeatable that day. I had the same thought as I walked into the G yesterday against guess who.

[dazzledavey36 54,730]

1. How did you start following the Demons? It was a choice between my father's dees or Uncles Bombers. Almost like a flip of the coin! but at the end I chose the dees.

2. Who was your very first favourite player and why? Well I moved to Australia at the start of 1998 and instantly I fell in love with the Wizard! Being 8n years old I seriously thought he was the greatest! during school lunches my mates would call me wizard aswell because they all knew how much I loved him and even tried to do freaky stuff in junior like he use to do. Even to this day he is still my favourite player of all time.

3. Best moment as a fan? Supporting the dees in 2000. The joy of watching a young side tear teams apart is something I hope I see the dees do again in the future. My memories of Steven Febey and Peter Walsh dashing off a half back dishing it off to the likes of Yze Woewodin and Rigoni who would then drill it into the hands off Neitz or Ox and Wizard crumbing off these two kicking goals from just about anywhere! I remember a red hot Jeff White would leap over just about every ruckman in the cop. This was before the center circle was introduced. That was defiantly my most enjoyable year. My other good memories was watching footy with dad. Both passionate supporters and its the moments like these I cherish all the time. I just hope we get a premiership one day before he leaves.

4. Worst moment as a fan? When Jeff Farmer left.. was gut wrenching. 2013 was by far the darkest year during my time of supporting this. Liam Jurrah fiasco.. Thought he was going to be the next best thing after the Wizard.. Jim Stynes passing.

5. Anything else you would like to share? I still think about the good times as a supporter from 1998 to 2007 during Daniher era where it was actually exciting being a Melbourne supporter. I know we had topsy turvey years but you would go into every single game knowing you could win because we were so unpredictable. Sometimes I forget that feeling of that winning rush and the finals experience. The 2000 finals campaign was by far the most exhilarating experience as a Melbourne supporter! That final against Carlton.. wowee..! and then the week after against the roos in the Prelim when Wiz went absolutely berserk kicking 8 goals!

They were happy times for me as a supporter.

Makes me think also if we will have another star like player like the Wiz who could seriously pull the crowd through the gates and gives us that pure excitement and adrenalin rush!

[frankie_d 1,471]

1, My Dad was the physio there in the good days

2. RDB - picture of me sitting on his shoulders on the back page of the Age - Friday 'pre 64 GF

3. Do it for Robbie

4. The sainted Jimmy running through the mark.

5. I inflicted this on 2 of my kids - we need to win. We don't look like winners. We look like losers. We need to be feared. We need hard men.

Edited July 12, 2015 by frankie_d

[Biffen 12,940]

1.My Grandmother who was born in 1908 in Kalgoorlie to Victorian parents.

2.The Tulip-an artist.

3.1987-even the last bit.

4.1988 GF-a triumph of evil over good.

5.I would not be even slightly sad if Hawthorn FC had massive engine trouble as they crossed Bass Straight tonight.

No .in all seriousness,

I mean it.

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,383]

I just woke up one day and here I was.

[Hellaintabadplacetobe 4,294]

1 As a 5 yo i was a Tiger with Wayne Walsh no 7 on my back. Dad n older bro were Dees. Old man told me id never get to see them play unless it was against the Dees, so wisely made the change. Little did i know Id be doomed either way.

2 Laurie Fowler. We got in the rooms after most home games and he always had time for us, as did Robbie and believe it or not Jacko, but Laurie was my man!

3 87 rd 22 v Footscray and following elimination n semi

4 The past 10 years

5 Ive cried twice as a Dees fan. 87 prelim and at Tulips ceremony at the G last year

[Moonshadow 17,675]

Whiff your grandmother worked the Hay St Golden Mile? Explains a lot.

Edit. Excuse the Freudan slip Biff.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Moonshadow

[Je Roos Salem 661]

1. Through my dad via my Grandma (also through my older siblings back when we all went as a family). Never felt tempted to support another team, it'd just feel wrong. I'd had a friend change to Essendon and it made me sick

2. Schwarz. Loved the number 5 because of him and used to wear it. Only saw the latter part of his career and was really upset when he retired

3. I can't recall much of 2000, so probably either the Freo comeback game or the 1-point win V Brisbane in 2008. They were both beautiful wins and the whole crowd were jumping up and down and roaring at the end, making 20,000 sound like 100,000. Even though we were bad, we were playing exciting footy, Jim was onboard and that frustration and pessimism hadn't crept in to the players or supporters like it has now.

4. Any time from 2013 onwards (maybe 2012 too). I didn't watch 186 and mentally binned it, and I felt excited about getting a new coach (retrospectively regret). Just seeing the team I grew up loving becoming unrecognisable and questioning why I was bothering to show up. Seeing slow players kick sideways and show no heart. Starting to feel increasingly frustrated and depressed. 2013 v GC and NM and last year against GWS were the worst for me. Also in 2007 when I played footy and kept finding out we'd just lost by under a goal on the car radio, made me choke up.

5. Sometimes I wish I would walk away, but come gameday I just wanna go (I don't have anything better to do anyway). The game will still happen and I feel like I'm involved. I may not love it like I used to, in fact I have more moments of frustration than of love. Sometimes I'm loud in support, sometimes I'm mentally cursing the players and just giving up on barracking. But I like seeing footy and the score being 0-0 at the start. It's not so much that I love the club, but I love what it means to me. I can't see success coming as soon as others but I really hope it takes me by surprise.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Je Roos Salem

[Adam The God 30,209]

1) I started to follow the dees in 1964 when I was 7. They were the best. I think at age 7 you really start to understand footy. Paradoxically now I no longer understand footy( at least our version of it )

2) First favourites Ross Dillon and Greg Parke. I thought Hassa Mann was pretty good too.

3) Beating Carlton in that 2000 Qualifying Final with Schwarz on fire and Cam Bruce kicking the sealer. Never had so much joy in seeing opposition fans suffer.

4) Having Essendon peg back a 51 point lead from 6 minutes into the last quarter to beat us in a canter.

5) in 1965 I watched Melbourne lose their first match that season after 8 straight wins. I thought us unbeatable that day. I had the same thought as I walked into the G yesterday against guess who.

Brad Green's last quarter was amazing on Andrew McKay. I remember pulling my groin from jumping up out of my seat when Bruce kicked that goal.

[Skuit 10,031]

My auntie was a mad Glenelg supporter and took my older brother to his first SANFL match against Norwood shortly before I was born. She also gave him 50c to lay a bet and when it returned $1.50 on a Redlegs win she reclaimed her stake and then split the winnings. Feeling financially aggrieved as a kid he decided out of spite to support the Leggies from thereon in. I followed suit and then carried the colour scheme to the VFL, wondering so often since how much that 50c quibble from before my existence has ended up costing me in real terms. I suppose it at least saved me from being a Richmond fan.

Jakovich & Tingay.

The 1998 season backing up from the spoon.

Mark Neeld

2011 was fun.

[Phadraig 760]

1. My dad, he used to take me every week when I was younger and I remember hating it but it ended up growing on me and now look where I am.

2. Neitz. It was out of him and Farmer but I remember him playing more. Jurrah is up there as well because he was the only reason I was excited to go to the footy for a few years. The only player in recent years who could single-handedly win us a game like he did against Brisbane in 2011 when he kicked 5.

3. I've never enjoyed a game of footy more than when we came back against Freo when we were down by 52 at half time in 2008(?).

4. The last 8 years have been the worst experience. This game against the bombers was the first time in a few years when I was genuinely upset after we had lost. I still love the game and am watching more matches than ever this year but man it is depressing when you realise you much prefer to watch other teams play than your own.

5. I'll share my most embarrassing supporter moment. I was one of the people who were cheering when we lost against Richmond after the siren to get the number 1 pick. I also feel like this has been a blessing in disguise because I used to take the football way too seriously. Now I can just watch the game and although I do get frustrated during it I can just move on after the game has finished and not be upset for a few days afterwards.

[praha 11,240]

1. How did you start following the Demons?

Born into a family of delusional Melbourne supporters

2. Who was your very first favourite player and why?

Sean Charles. I was a casual fan as a kid from 1990 until 1993, and 1994 was my first year as a "real" fan going to every game. Charles just had that x-factor (when he wasn't injured).

3. Best moment as a fan?

Gee, I want to say the comeback against Freo in '08, but the rest of the season kind of makes it a sad memory overall. I'd have to say it's a tie between our two finals victories against Carlton in 94 and 2000.

Growing up in the northern suburbs surrounded by Carlton fans, those wins were pretty sweet, especially considering we were rank outsiders (especially in 94) for both. That 1994 probably takes the cake because we were 7th, they were 2nd and everyone was certain they'd be playing off for the Premiership. We absolutely destroyed them. Chopper Lovell and Sean Charles killed it that day.

4. Worst moment as a fan?

Round 2, 2013 vs Essendon. I didn't watch the Geelong loss because I was at a wedding that day. I watched parts of the replay and I think the two losses are considerably different from one another.

The Geelong match was a protest.

The Essendon match was just genuinely a bunch of spuds that had no idea.

5. Anything else you would like to share?

I highly recommend the film "The Perfect Catch" with Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. It's about a fanatical Boston Red Sox fan who goes to every game and watches every away match, win, lose or draw. The film is set on the backdrop of the Red Sox winning their first World Series in 80-odd years. It's a bit of a cheesy rom-com but I appreciated it from a Melbourne fan's perspective.

There's one scene in particular that gets to me. They're in the park and she asks him why he's so invested in something that he can't control, and something that continually lets him down.

"I like being part of something that's bigger than me. It's good for your soul to invest in something that you can't control."

And her response:

"You're a romantic. You have a lyrical soul. You can love under the best and worst conditions."

I think that scene in particular sums up a lot of us here.

God have mercy on us.

[Red and Bluebeard 2,083]

1. My Dad. The family moved to Melbourne from Bendigo in 1965. He toyed with South Melbourne before choosing the then premiers (!!). He took me to games from when I was too young to remember. He talked about Barassi but I don't recall seeing him play.

2. Greg Wells and Gary Hardeman. Wells always seemed to be in the play. Hardeman was a great mark and rarely beaten one-on-one. Robert Flower soon took over, with long raking kicks from the wing after a clearance.

3. 1998 was good, with 2000 a little better. Hard to go past the final against Carlton, especially Schwarz when he ran around Silvagni at the city end.

4. Sheesh! Watching the highlights of the 1987 preliminary final on a bedroom floor in London would be close. It was all good apart from the last 10 seconds ...

5. When we do win another, it will be hard to look at footy the same way, and that will probably be a good thing.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Red and Bluebeard

[FireOath 290]

1. How did you start following the Demons? Was an Adam Yze fan.

2. Who was your very first favourite player and why? See above.

3. Best moment as a fan? 2006.

4. Worst moment as a fan? The Geelong pumpings.

5. Anything else you would like to share? No matter what happens, I will still be a supporter.

[Mazer Rackham 14,971]

1. Barracked for St Kilda as a kid. Swimming against the tide as it seemed like everyone else barracked for Collingwood. We lived in a Collingwood zone. Every home game one of the teachers would take keen kids to watch Collingwood at Vic Park. Collingwood??? No effin' way. (I knew some things at that tender age.) Years later that teacher got himself into a touch of bother with the law for taking little boys ....... to the football. Favourite players were Big Carl and Paul Callery. When they went to Melbourne, so did I. When they went back to St Kilda, I was old enough to barrack for the team, not the player, so I stuck with the Demons.

2. Big Carl was my first love, little Paul Callery second. But for perennial long lived favouritism, it has to be Robbie. He kept us alive through those dark years (you know, the ones before the current dark years. The second round I mean, and after the first lot of dark years ... I'm losing track of our dynasties of dark years ... that's the damage that following the Demons can do to a man's brain.)

3. Making the finals in 87 was stupefying for someone who had only experienced finals vicariously through other teams I was partially, slightly, temporarily going for ... usually only because they were against Collingwood. Beating up on North and South in the first two finals was incredible ... something totally outside of anything I could have imagined possible. But beating Carlton in 2000 ... nothing could top that. That's the only game I have ever sought out and watched again.

4. 87 prelim. Had to go to an engagement party. Sneaking out for occasional listens to the radio. Are we going to do this??? Is this really happening??? WE MIGHT WIN THIS!!!! Then the blow. Dammit, I felt ill. Everyone at the do thought I had had a seizure. It damn well felt like I had! 2000 GF was pretty bad too. Goddam I hate Sheedy. I'm glad he didn't coach us.

5. Hate the term "Dees". Makes us sound soft and cuddly and harmless. We should be Demons. Fierce, fearsome, intimidating, etc, etc ....... a man can dream .... going for the Demons in the seventies was a lot tougher than in current times. If you can believe that. We were NEVER on TV replay, NEVER in the finals. If you think we are irrelevant now, you didn't follow the Demons in the 70s. That was the decade that really gutted us as a club. However, I do not like going over ancient history. Even last Saturday is now ancient history. Onwards and upwards! Go DEMONS!

[66frank 63]

1. How did you start following the Demons?

2. Who was your very first favourite player and why?

3. Best moment as a fan?

4. Worst moment as a fan?

5. Anything else you would like to share?

Okay lets see what you got.

1. 1957 at five I started school at St. Margaret Mary's in Brunswick and started passively following the Demons (most kids followed them in those days)

2. First favorite player was Hassa Mann (my all-time favorite though was Allen Jakovich the best kick on both sides of his body I've ever witnessed).

3. Best moment was the 1987 the night grand-final win against Essendon.

4. Worst moment was 2011 loss to Geelong by 186 points closely followed by the Fitzroy loss by 190 at Waverly in 1979.

5. I first began seriously following them and became member in 1965, I'm 63 and I fear that I will never witness a Premiership!

[Mazer Rackham 14,971]

The film is set on the backdrop of the Red Sox winning their first World Series in 80-odd years. It's a bit of a cheesy rom-com but I appreciated it from a Melbourne fan's perspective.

Funny, that is exactly why I follow the Red Sox. Started following them in the late 90s. As a Demon fan I could totally relate to their catalogue of woes over many years.

[daisycutter 29,610]

. Worst moment as a fan? 1987 Prelim final - a game we had many chances to win and only one chance to lose and the rest is history

i like that. sums it up beautifully

[mauriesy 7,277]

1. How did you start following the Demons?

My grandfather was a Carlton supporter, but my mum barracked for Melbourne. I just took after my mum. She followed Melbourne because George Bickford was a family friend.

2. Who was your very first favourite player and why?

Frank 'Bluey' Adams. A red-head redleg who could dash. He was also one of the few to feature in all six Melbourne premierships.

3. Best moment as a fan?

All those grand final wins in the years 1955 to 1964.

4. Worst moment as a fan?

When Ron Barassi left for Carlton. When Jim Stynes ran across the mark. The turmoil of the merger, Gutnick, Bailey and Neeld years.

5. Anything else you would like to share?

I will never follow anyone else.

[M_9 2,082]

1. How did you start following the Demons?

I thought it was because my aunt (the mother of former radio announcer Denis Scanlan) was a Dees supporter, but my mum told me some years ago that when I attended the YMCA in the early '60's one of the leaders was a Melbourne supporter and it was most probably his influence..

2. Who was your very first favourite player and why?

Robbie Flower - skill and grace.

3. Best moment as a fan?

Round 18 1987.

4. Worst moment as a fan?

Preliminary Final 1987

5. Anything else you would like to share?

I was a cheer squad member in the early '60's. We'd either sleep out on the Friday night or get the first train (4:15 AM) to the ground. We'd spend the best part of Friday night tearing up phone books and then on Saturday morning raid the toilet blocks in the Olympic Park precinct for toilet rolls (to use as streamers).

When St Kilda moved to Linton Street we lit a bonfire outside the ground on the Friday night. The timber came from the ground fence. The Saints cheer squad showed up and let us in to the St Johns room where stretchers and blankets were laid out. I was 15 years old and the goings on in that room were part of my sex education.

Edited July 13, 2015 by M_9

[CityDee 738]

1. How did you start following the Demons?

My mother was a demon fan she chose them because of Ron Jnr and as her sisters and brothers where filth or bombers supporters. interestingly none of her 7 siblings chose to support stkilda their fathers team and as his brother/mums uncle played for the saints after the war.

Thanks Mum sincerely. I have immense pride as a Melbourne supporter and still believe our supporters are some of the classiest/ knowledgeable and loyal supporters in the land.

My dad was also a demon his father a Melbourne supporter also and still to this day.

2. Who was your very first favourite player and why?

as a young fella ,Robbie Flower , he came to training a few times when I was a junior.

As I became taller and more interested as a player at around 12 I started to watch and admire Jim Stynes. Great days for footy fans, state games , champions across the league good melbourne sides and Ill never forget watching the brownlow with my little bro the night Jimmy won it .Sensational.

3. Best moment as a fan?

Loved the excitement as a kid going to training at the junction in 87 . watching us beat north in the prelim in 2000 .

4. Worst moment as a fan?

I remember during the 87 night series out at Waverley ( not sure if it was the GF ) but they turned the lights off about 10 minutes after the game and my little bro who would have 4 at time was no where to be seen. Mum was a little worried to say the least but we found him in the dark somehow around ten minutes later. On field there have been many tough times eh , seeing good players second guessing and bereft of confidence during the Neeld tenure was pretty bad.

5. Anything else you would like to share?

With both parents passing at 52 and 59 going to watch the dees gets me a little emotional at times. Not all the time and not in a sad way but its kinda like we are all there together.

Its a grand old flag was the last song played at a great womans funeral.

Go you Demons.

[Its Time for Another 4,203]

1. Grew up in a Saints household. But was always left to my own devices on Saturday mornings so used to watch the Happy Hammond show and it had a segment called the Western Star footy clinic which was Barass giving footy skills tips every week. To me he was the first rock star personality I had ever seen. For some unknown reason I stayed with the jumper after he defected. I think I was too shocked and angry at his betrayal to follow. I persevered even when the household went crazy at the drought breaker for the Saints in '66 which I remember well. Unfortunately I was just a bit too young to remember '64.

2. Robbie. I started to go to games every week in his first year and saw the majority of his games right up to the last.

3. After 23 years of wondering if I'd ever get to even see my team in a final little own a Premiership and then starting the '87 season in typical fashion and with 6 games to go being resigned to another lost season, then that incredible run winning the last 6 games every one of which we had to win to make the finals and then the highlight of my Dees life to date winning that final round at the Western Oval, being glued to the trannies all arvo to see if the Hawks would beat the Cats so if we won we would get in. Then the final siren signalling the dam had been broken and for the first time in my living memory I was going to see my team in a final.

4. '87 Prelim. Should have could have. Even the footy Gods smiled on us and gave us the wind for 3/4's. It was destined to be our day for doing it for Robbie. A series of ridiculous decisions and misses and then the Irishman finishing us off. Closely followed by the final round in 1976 where if we beat the Pies and the top placed Blues beat the bottom placed Dogs we would finally get into the Finals for the first time since '64. We beat the Pies and mindblowingly the Blues and Dogs drew and so the Dogs took our finals birth. The Pies Players looked up at the scoreboard at the end of the game while they were still on the ground and that result came up they cheered. Hated that Club ever since.

5. I've been out of Melbourne for 25yrs now and in Sydney for 20 yrs. I love the game so started going to games just to see some footy. In the early days there was only Free to Air and you'd only see a couple of Dees games a season. Ended up getting a Swans membership in '97 with a bunch of mates as a way to catch up. Have seen a lot of success watching the Swans but I've never had the passion for them I still have for the Dees. Its in the blood. My 17yr old son was born and breed in Sydney who got the passion, he's a fanatical Dees supporter as well. Players, Coaches, Boards come and go. Roos will have been here for a flea bite of time compared to most of us but you can still watch the same red and blue jumper running out week after week. We are Melbourne the rest are short term tenants.