A HISTORY OF THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB: PART 9

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A HISTORY OF THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB: PART 9

IN THE WILDERNESS ... by the Professor

Melbourne's 1964 premiership pennant was unfurled before the opening game of 1965. Missing from the lineup were Ron Barassi (who had been lured to Carlton as its captain coach) and "Bluey" Adams (retired) as the Demons struggled to win by 6 points against co-tenants Richmond who had been mauled by 113 points when they met in round 10 of the previous season.

Although Melbourne won their first eight games straight to hold premiership favouritism, the times were a changing. Carlton and Richmond were emerging with new forms of professional administration that was to considerably alter the football balance of power.

When the crash came, it hit Melbourne with a vengeance. Melbourne was thrashed on the MCG against St. Kilda on Queen's Birthday. The team's form slumped over the following weeks and then came the shock sacking and reinstatement of Norm Smith. Considering Smith's record - 4 premierships as a player and 6 as coach - the dismissal was an incredible blunder. This was recognised by the club when Smith was re-appointed after just one week. To his credit, Smith "ate humble pie" and resumed his duties for another year and continued to coach until the end of the 1967 season. By that time Melbourne had lost its magic touch in recruiting and the golden era was over. By 1969 the once mighty Demons could win only three games and claimed the dreaded wooden spoon.

Melbourne suffered a number of reversals of fortune during the 1970's. In 1971, former great player Ian Ridley was appointed coach. Under captain Frank Davis the team began the season in brilliant fashion winning 8 of their first 9 games. With the talent available including Stan Alves, Gary Hardeman, Greg Wells, Ross Dillon, Greg Parke, interstate stars Graeme Molloy and John Tilbrook and a young giant in Peter Keenan there was a great deal of optimism in the camp. But a wet winter and a drop in form put paid to Melbourne's year and the team slumped to finish seventh. This decline continued in 1972 and again in 1973 despite the recruitment of St. Kilda star Carl Ditterich. By 1974, with triple Brownlow Medallist Bobby Skilton as coach, the team finished last. Melbourne's ability to improve was restricted by unproductive recruiting zones and a lack of initiative in recruiting as its unimaginative administration lagged behind its more progressive counterparts.

The doyen of Club Secretaries, Jim Cardwell, retired from his post after 25 years in 1975 as the Demons began to make a little headway under Skilton's coaching. A new young star in Robert Flower was emerging as a football of exquisite skills and Melbourne also gained from the toughness of Laurie Fowler who crossed from Richmond to win the club best and fairest.

The advent of colour television led the club to alter the club's colours to royal blue in place of navy blue - a decision that was reversed in 1987.

By 1976, Melbourne was ready to return to the finals but luck dealt the club a cruel blow. After a reasonable start was followed by a mid-season slump, the Demons hit their straps to win the last four games by big margins. They had only to win their last match against Collingwood and hope for an in-form top team Carlton to defeat Footscray to topple the Bulldogs out of the final five. History records that Carlton and Footscray drew meaning that Melbourne missed out by two premiership points. The Demons were doubly unlucky because the Bulldogs had won their previous game with a goal after the siren. Captain Stan Alves was lured to North Melbourne at the conclusion of the season and Melbourne plummeted to the depths once again. New coaches Dennis Jones and then Carl Ditterich (as captain-coach) could stem the tide. Melbourne was hampered by poor administration, poor recruiting zones and a lack of direction. By 1981 it was time for Ron Barassi to return to the fold.

During 1980 the Melbourne Football Club began a total rebuilding process which saw a partial break between the Melbourne Football Club and the Melbourne Cricket Club with the football club becoming a public company limited by guarantee. Ron Barassi - Melbourne's greatest son - had been successful as a coach at Carlton and North Melbourne and supporters were clamouring for his return as coach. Barassi did return to Melbourne but his task was a difficult one. The team disappointed in 1981 to collect the wooden spoon but showed some promise under Barassi's youth policy to improve to eighth position in 1982. North Melbourne recruit Brian Wilson won the Brownlow Medal after a stellar season. Gerrard Healy and Mark Jackson were emerging as promising forwards.

Despite the recruitment of Brownlow Medallists Peter Moore from Collingwood and Kelvin Templeton from Footscray, the Club was unable to improve its position on the ladder over the ensuing years and, apart from a second Brownlow to Peter Moore the Demons made no headway and Barassi resigned at the end of 1985 having failed to lift the club in five seasons.

The club was thrown into turmoil after the 1985 season when a reform group attempted to overthrow the existing Board headed by Sir. Billy Snedden. The high cost of legal action dampened the spirit of the challengers.

Barassi's replacement was a low profile coach in John Northey who was disappointed after the team struggled to finish in eleventh position in 1986 - the same position it occupied in the previous season. There were whispers during the season of Melbourne's possible participation of a merger with another V.F.L club. The face of football was now changing rapidly as teams from Western Australia and Brisbane were invited to join the former South Melbourne (now Sydney) as the competition's interstate clubs for the 1987 season. It was clear that with the inclusion of new teams there would be pressure on a number of Victorian teams to improve their performance. The Demons had to emerge from the rut of more than two decades of failure if they were to survive in the new national competition.