How young were you when Barass last raised the cup?

[Docs Demons 1,791]

Yep like a few on here I was 12 and as mentioned a few times was at the G that day and could not get into the Dees rooms after the game so went into the Magpies. In those days the rooms were open to whoever could get in. A great day and since then we have lost 2 GF's but really had not much chance against the Hawks and Bombers respectively. This year it is more of a open slather and if we play anywhere near our best we can and WILL take it. I bloody hope so.

[Flower Magic 776]

I was 7 and already a Dees supporter but I can't remember anything about 1964. Who can remember stuff 57 years ago? I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday in these dreary lockdown days. Apparently I was taken to the second semi but not the GF in 1964. My Melbourne memories become a little clearer from about 1966 with Ed Burston and Ross Dillon prominent. Now I look them up and find that Ed only played eight games! But he did kick six goals against Collingwood so maybe that explains my clear memory of him. I was thinking after the Geelong game that I have probably attended around 950 Melbourne games since 1970 and it cuts me to the core that I will be unable to attend the finals this year. May have to consider 14 days quarantine in Perth if that's what it takes!

[John Dee 445]

I was twelve

[I'va Worn Smith 973]

15 minutes ago, Flower Magic said:

I was 7 and already a Dees supporter but I can't remember anything about 1964. Who can remember stuff 57 years ago? I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday in these dreary lockdown days. Apparently I was taken to the second semi but not the GF in 1964. My Melbourne memories become a little clearer from about 1966 with Ed Burston and Ross Dillon prominent. Now I look them up and find that Ed only played eight games! But he did kick six goals against Collingwood so maybe that explains my clear memory of him. I was thinking after the Geelong game that I have probably attended around 950 Melbourne games since 1970 and it cuts me to the core that I will be unable to attend the finals this year. May have to consider 14 days quarantine in Perth if that's what it takes!

FM.  Ross Dillon.  Number 24.  He used to live up the road from me. Do you remember the night games at the Lakeside Oval?  I have fond memories of Phil Roden's powerful drop kicks, kicking out from fullback.

 

 

[Maldonboy38 6,403]

I was born 6 months AFTER the '64 flag, into a family (on my Mum's side) who had passionately supported the Dees for 3 generations before I came along.

I have seen some great things:

• Gary Hardeman at CHB
• The late and great Robbie Flower
• The 2nd coming of Ronald Dale
• The Ox and the Wizard
• Jurrah

But I have never seen a flag. The waiting continues.

[Macca 16,969]

This is a true story

 

I was 5 years old at the time and I reckon I knew way more about footy then than I do now.  A pure fanatic at a young age.  Obsessed with the game

Anyway, when the final siren went in that '64 GF I was devastated.  The premiership was wrenched away from me in the final moments.  I couldn't believe it as I felt sure that my team was going to win!

The following year I was given a complete Demons outfit for my 6th birthday and once again, I was devastated!  How could my own family do this to me!* This team had just beaten my team in last years GF!

A week after my 6th birthday the Demons won and I was a demon for life.  Didn't take long to switch. 2 weeks later we beat the Pies and I was joyous

A few weeks after that the club sacked Norm Smith but I was way too young to understand the impact of it all

 

 

 

*There was no way that I was going to be allowed to be a Pies supporter in my family (big family, nearly all Fitzroy supporters and they hated Collingwood with a passion)

[RalphiusMaximus 6,053]

I have never seen a Melbourne flag.  I missed by well over a decade. 

[dworship 3,342]

I was 8 and loved the Club even then but never got see a game live until I was 15.

[forever demons 2,220]

1 hour ago, Flower Magic said:

I was 7 and already a Dees supporter but I can't remember anything about 1964. Who can remember stuff 57 years ago? I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday in these dreary lockdown days. Apparently I was taken to the second semi but not the GF in 1964. My Melbourne memories become a little clearer from about 1966 with Ed Burston and Ross Dillon prominent. Now I look them up and find that Ed only played eight games! But he did kick six goals against Collingwood so maybe that explains my clear memory of him. I was thinking after the Geelong game that I have probably attended around 950 Melbourne games since 1970 and it cuts me to the core that I will be unable to attend the finals this year. May have to consider 14 days quarantine in Perth if that's what it takes!

Big Ed Burston i remember him well wonder why he didnt  become a regular player

[chookrat 4,250]

13 hours ago, TasJohnsonFanClub said:

One of the joys of this happy time is reading posts here and elsewhere from older lifelong Melbourne supporters who feared they would not see us rise to the top again and the joy they felt when Max slotted THAT goal.  Many seemed to have been made young again by that moment.

I’m one of those old enough (just) to have witnessed a Melbourne Premiership.  One thing that has long played on my mind is whether I might be among the youngest people to have enjoyed that privilege - a stark and bittersweet realisation now that I am in my 60s and the drought is deep in its 57th year.

Without giving my exact age away (well, actually I am), I was exactly 6 years, 3 months and 5 days old on that great day in September 1964 - sitting in the old Grey Smith Stand with my father and my older brother.  A benefit of my father’s MCC membership and being the third generation of Melbourne supporters.  Sadly, my sisters and two subsequent generations are yet to experience the joy.

So my question, fellow Demonlanders, is this.  Is there anyone out there who was at the 1964 Grand Final and is younger than me?

37. Tom Barrass was instrumental in West Coasts 2018 campaign.

[forever demons 2,220]

1 hour ago, I'va Worn Smith said:

FM.  Ross Dillon.  Number 24.  He used to live up the road from me. Do you remember the night games at the Lakeside Oval?  I have fond memories of Phil Roden's powerful drop kicks, kicking out from fullback.

 

 

Loved going to the night games at south,shocking conditions ,the toilets used to block up so if you went for a pee you would be standing ankle deep in [censored].Ah those were the days

[spirit of norm smith 16,457]

Zero

 

[gs77 4,251]

10 hours ago, Deesprate said:

What this post show is many of our supporters are post 50 like me. One of the great things about this Dees team is it will hopefully regenerate our supporter base. Young people especially like winners it hard to imagine how bad our membership would be if we had seen the Neeld era extended. Whilst this team is great the foundations were built with the Roos era. What it shows is there is no short term fixes it all hard yards which make success so much sweeter.

I am sure if we dip in the finals the nay sayers will jump out of the shadows but the foundations for an era of success are well in place. 

Definitely. Sunday morning I was doing some weeding in the front yard, and was delighted to see a kid aged 8 or 9 clad in a Melbourne guernsey with number 13 on his back having a kick of the footy with his dad on the road. At school drop off this morning I saw a Mum draped in an enormous brand new looking MFC scarf. I've lost count if the Dees caps and beanies I've seen around the streets recently. Great to see.

[Flower Magic 776]

2 hours ago, I'va Worn Smith said:

FM.  Ross Dillon.  Number 24.  He used to live up the road from me. Do you remember the night games at the Lakeside Oval?  I have fond memories of Phil Roden's powerful drop kicks, kicking out from fullback.

 

 

I sure remember Phil Rhoden, because I also used to go to the reserves matches, and that's where he played most of his games!!

[Flower Magic 776]

46 minutes ago, forever demons said:

Big Ed Burston i remember him well wonder why he didnt  become a regular player

From the Demonwiki website: "His inability to make training because of commitments in the country as a research officer with ICI concerned the club and he only played one season of senior football."

[TasJohnsonFanClub 19]

As an observer, rather than interested supporter, of most of the Grand Finals of the past 56 years, I tend to look for the elements of what makes this game our passion.  And much of this is in the stands - the faces and reactions.  I love the awe-struck looks on young faces, the teenagers and young to middle-aged adults going off their heads, and the older supporters just looking satisfied when a long drought comes to an end (anyone else remember the images of a red-eyed Kevin Murray in the stands after the Lions win in 2001?).  Not sure what they are feeling - but hope to have my own thoughts at some time not too far away.

What really hits me is the range of looks and backgrounds - footy club supporters don’t all fit into one box per club (well - perhaps Collingwood…).  And the stories in this thread highlight this so well.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Macca said:

This is a true story

 

I was 5 years old at the time and I reckon I knew way more about footy then than I do now.  A pure fanatic at a young age.  Obsessed with the game

Anyway, when the final siren went in that '64 GF I was devastated.  The premiership was wrenched away from me in the final moments.  I couldn't believe it as I felt sure that my team was going to win!

The following year I was given a complete Demons outfit for my 6th birthday and once again, I was devastated!  How could my own family do this to me!* This team had just beaten my team in last years GF!

A week after my 6th birthday the Demons won and I was a demon for life.  Didn't take long to switch. 2 weeks later we beat the Pies and I was joyous

A few weeks after that the club sacked Norm Smith but I was way too young to understand the impact of it all

 

 

 

*There was no way that I was going to be allowed to be a Pies supporter in my family (big family, nearly all Fitzroy supporters and they hated Collingwood with a passion)

I love this story, Macca!

And how good is this thread?!

Loving all these precious memories being shared. ❤️💙

[TheWiz 766]

Was just a sparkle in my old mans eye.

I was lucky enough to get up close to it a few years ago. I jokingly asked him what was a bigger disappointment, me or the fact we haven’t won one since… the pause was a bit too long

[Macca 16,969]

24 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

I love this story, Macca!

And how good is this thread?!

Loving all these precious memories being shared. ❤️💙

I especially liked Faulty's comment re the old codgers & tech devices!

About 9 or 10 years ago here on this site we had a poster who talked about attending both GF's in 1948.  'Very Old Demon' was his name from memory

He also shared a some great memories with us about Smithy & Barass

A quick search and one can find his posts.  He'd be in his late 80's now so I hope he's still kickin'

[waverleyheartbreak 78]

7 months 

[Whispering_Jack 30,107]

46 minutes ago, Flower Magic said:

From the Demonwiki website: "His inability to make training because of commitments in the country as a research officer with ICI concerned the club and he only played one season of senior football."

I heard a different story that related to the reason why he was dropped after kicking 6 goals in a game against Hawthorn. 

Burston burst on the scene when he came back from an overseas holiday suntanned and looking like Superman to play in an intraclub practice match a couple of weeks before the start of the season. He was sensational in that game but his career never took off and he quickly disappeared off the scene.

[hardtack 10,537]

12, but coming from a family that wasn’t footy oriented, I only got to listen to the game on the radio… I’ve never actually  attended a GF.

Edited August 23, 2021 by hardtack

[Neil Crompton 5,557]

As a youngster in '64, my younger brother and I barracked for the Dees. Just down the road we had close friends (brothers the same age as us) who also supported Melbourne. Thinking back, I cannot remember why we all supported the D's. It was strange because their father had played full forward for St Kilda, and our father had played wing for the Swans. My friends mother had grand final tickets and asked if we wanted to go with them. Of course we did. On the way to the 'G driving down High Street Prahran, not long before Punt Road, we developed a flat tyre. We stopped in what seemed like the middle of the road (guess we were soon to turn right at Punt Road) in very heavy traffic, which were probably all heading to the G as well. As we sat there not knowing what to do - but sadly thinking we were going to miss the GF - the traffic, which included a tram, piled up behind us, and none of them appeared sympathetic with our plight, nor in a happy frame of mind. In fact I think the only thing we all had in common was that we thought we were all going to miss the Granny. Ultimately a kind policeman came along and put us all out of our misery by changing the tyre for us. I've never seen so many happy faces in my life as our car was on the move again - that is, until about 3 hours later. Again it's funny that I can remember details about a flat tyre, but can remember so little about the game itself - the Gabelich run and goal, and the winning Crompton goal are about all I can still see - and of course the sea of joy among the red and blue at the conclusion.  

Edited August 23, 2021 by Neil Crompton

[Its Time for Another 4,217]

I was just about to turn 4 but don't remember it. Grew up in a Saints family but I was always the first up on Saturday mornings and loved watching Ron Barassi's footy clinic on the Happy Hammond show so I was a Dees supporter. Too young to remember it despite supporting the team. Remember '66 because my father and elder brothers went crazy. 

[doc roet 1,287]

I can't remember how old I was but probably about 10 which means it was 1963.Ron Barassi had a segment on the Tarax show and I remember I rang the station and asked if I could speak to Ron. Don't know who answered but heard him call out to Ron that someone was on the phone for him. Next minute I hear the mans voice "hello", can still hear it today. We spoke for a while and I remember him telling me to practice my kicking and marking.