Hawthorn Demons

[Ohio USA - David 107]

Who remembers the Hawthorn Demons jumper... At least we would have won a Premiership or three since 1964

 

Edited April 17, 2020 by Ohio USA - David

[Sir Why You Little 34,430]

1 minute ago, Ohio USA - David said:

Who remembers the Hawthorn Dermons jumper... At least we would have won a Premiership or three since 1964

 

I don’t want to remember it

[Diamond_Jim 11,712]

You have to remember that it was an MFC lead merger where Hawks were the target club.It is reasonable to think we would have had the usual suspects leading the club and we would have been the basket case we are anyway. (MFCSS requires no other response.)

What is interesting to speculate upon is what our membership numbers might now have been. I suspect about the same as Carlton 55-60k

Edited April 17, 2020 by Diamond_Jim

[Demonstone 19,084]

I've kept the literature we received from the club at the time, including a brochure with the new jumper designs and new theme song.

There's also a proxy vote for the merge option, but not the other proxy.  I sent that one in, but to no avail as it turns out.

Horrible time in my supporting life and I said back then I'd rather finish bottom every year than merge and become The Dawks.

It's funny to look at now, but apparently we had the players and Hawthorn had the money.

[Demonland 64,633]

Wasn't it going to be the Melbourne Hawks?

Dawks?

[Demonland 64,633]

Had the merger gone ahead do you think we would have had the ultimate success?

[Ohio USA - David 107]

My gut feeling is we would have.. Just think Jordan Lewis would have played for only one Club.... Ha ha ha ha 

[Demonstone 19,084]

Were those questions directed at me?

1.  Just a play on words - dorks/dawks.

2.  The new entity may well have won premierships, but it wouldn't have been my team any more and would feel hollow.

At the time, I was working with a former Fitzroy supporter who just gave up on AFL when his team was screwed by the league into forcing to merge with Brisbane and followed his local team instead.  I think that's I would have done as well.

[Diamond_Jim 11,712]

23 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Had the merger gone ahead do you think we would have had the ultimate success?

you can divide this into several categories:

Financial

Coach selection

Player selection

On field performance

Membership

Other than membership there is no real reason to think we would have been drastically successful.

The so called glory years of the Hawks ended in 1991 as their players aged. In 1995 the year before the proposed merger the Hawks were near the bottom of the ladder at 15th.

Fascinating discussion as one of my pet loves is alternative histories.

Edited April 17, 2020 by Diamond_Jim

[Ohio USA - David 107]

1 minute ago, Diamond_Jim said:

you can divide this into several categories:

Financial

Coach selection

Player selection

On field performance

Membership

Other than membership there is no real reason to think we would have been drastically successful.

The so called glory years of the Hawks ended in 1991 as their players aged. In 1995 the year before the merger the Hawks were near the bottom of the ladder at 15th.

Fascinating discussion as one of my pet loves is alternative histories.

No it did not... As late as four years ago they were a strength

[The Stigga 879]

6 minutes ago, Ohio USA - David said:

My gut feeling is we would have.. Just think Jordan Lewis would have played for only one Club.... Ha ha ha ha 

You weren't spearheading the charge to merge back in 96' were you?

Tried to get into Dallas Brookes Hall that night to vote but wouldn't be let in.

 

 

 

[Diamond_Jim 11,712]

1 minute ago, Ohio USA - David said:

No it did not... As late as four years ago they were a strength

if you are referring to the post 2005 era  (the Clarkson years) you have to assume we would have made the same coaching and player selections....why would we do that when as I pointed out Melbourne was the dominant player in the merger. The decisions were likely to be similar to those we did make and not those made by the Hawthorn board.

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

No one remembers the Hawthorn Demons, because it was the Melbourne Hawks. And, in all honesty, it was a Melbourne takeover. We wanted their social club and training facilities (prob players too) but it would have been the Melbourne Football Club and as Don Scott said, the Hawk would have disappeared from the jumper pretty quickly. 

[Moonshadow 16,156]

1 hour ago, demonstone said:

I've kept the literature we received from the club at the time, including a brochure with the new jumper designs and new theme song.

There's also a proxy vote for the merge option, but not the other proxy.  I sent that one in, but to no avail as it turns out.

Horrible time in my supporting life and I said back then I'd rather finish bottom every year than merge and become The Dawks.

It's funny to look at now, but apparently we had the players and Hawthorn had the money.

Can you scan some of it and post on here, ds?

TIA

[Demonstone 19,084]

Sorry Moony.  I'd love to oblige but lack both the technology and the know-how to do so.

I can provide the proposed team song, but make sure you've got a bucket handy:

We're the Melbourne Hawks

We're the high-flying Hawks

We're the mighty Melbourne Hawks

We play each game and we play to win

Watch us, we play it with a grin

Every heart beats true for the gold red and blue

As we sing this song for you

One for all and all for one

Two will make you stronger

Keep your eye on the mighty Melbourne Hawks.

[Rab D Nesbitt 7,081]

I was living overseas when all that stuff went down and coincided with a time when footy wasn't at the forefront of my mind. I'm glad that it all fell over though. Supporting a club is an emotional investment first and foremost and an opportunity to ride the highs and lows with the rest of your tribe. Nothing beats that. As the Melbourne Hawks who's to say we wouldn't now have Jeff Kennett as our president and be playing four home games a year in Launceston. 

[Macca 16,173]

The irony of the Brisbane/Fitzroy merger is that Brisbane have been propped up by the AFL for over 2 decades.  Ongoing with large amounts of money thrown their way

No such money was thrown Fitzroy's way of course. 

The thinking has changed dramatically from League HQ's and now all the clubs are financially protected. 

It's just a real pity that the same AFL has overseen the decline in the actual sport as a spectacle (unless watching scramble-ball ... congestion-City) does it for you.

There won't be any mergers once things are up and running again ... downsizing across the board is well and truly on the cards though

The broadcast rights money could be greatly reduced and as a flow on effect,  the salary cap reduced as well.  Along with FD numbers etc etc

And the league might even make a concerted effort to fix the sport as a spectacle.

If the MFC ceased to operate most demon fans I know would walk away from the sport.

Edited April 17, 2020 by Macca

[Rab D Nesbitt 7,081]

18 minutes ago, demonstone said:

Sorry Moony.  I'd love to oblige but lack both the technology and the know-how to do so.

I can provide the proposed team song, but make sure you've got a bucket handy:

We're the Melbourne Hawks

We're the high-flying Hawks

We're the mighty Melbourne Hawks

We play each game and we play to win

Watch us, we play it with a grin

Every heart beats true for the gold red and blue

As we sing this song for you

One for all and all for one

Two will make you stronger

Keep your eye on the mighty Melbourne Hawks.

You're not wrong. That really is vomit inducing. 

[drysdale demon 4,146]

52 minutes ago, Leoncelli_36 said:

No one remembers the Hawthorn Demons, because it was the Melbourne Hawks. And, in all honesty, it was a Melbourne takeover. We wanted their social club and training facilities (prob players too) but it would have been the Melbourne Football Club and as Don Scott said, the Hawk would have disappeared from the jumper pretty quickly. 

Exactly correct, that was sure to happen.

[gs77 3,284]

44 minutes ago, demonstone said:

Sorry Moony.  I'd love to oblige but lack both the technology and the know-how to do so.

I can provide the proposed team song, but make sure you've got a bucket handy:

We're the Melbourne Hawks

We're the high-flying Hawks

We're the mighty Melbourne Hawks

We play each game and we play to win

Watch us, we play it with a grin

Every heart beats true for the gold red and blue

As we sing this song for you

One for all and all for one

Two will make you stronger

Keep your eye on the mighty Melbourne Hawks.

That "two will make you stronger" line is nauseating in its appeasement. 

[bush demon 1,876]

3 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

I don’t want to remember it

Who would have thought the players would have to wear a 22.

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,577]

2 hours ago, Leoncelli_36 said:

it would have been the Melbourne Football Club and as Don Scott said, the Hawk would have disappeared from the jumper pretty quickly. 

Sounds pretty good to me.

[dee-eee 231]

I would have walked had we merged . The thought of a shared history with the likes of Lethal and Dermie ........yuk !  I am sitting in a study with a framed NO MERGER sign overhead .

[Demon Disciple 10,916]

4 hours ago, Demonland said:

Wasn't it going to be the Melbourne Hawks?

Dawks?

Yep, the merger would've resulted in the formation of the Melbourne Hawks.

I vividly recall a very raucous crowd at Dallas Brooks Hall. Funnily enough, outside they were asking members who had voted against the merger if they wanted to reconsider their vote, but not members who had voted for it.

[Diamond_Jim 11,712]

Can anyone recall the money offer from AFL for a merged team?