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Oldest premiership/surviving player/s.

bush demon
bush demon
in Melbourne Demons

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I think Noel McMahen from '48 is still with us!

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    51 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

    Was trying to findout the answer to your question and came up with this great link on the MFC website.

    Makes for fantastic reading....

     

    https://www.melbournefc.com.au/history/premiership-years

    I was interested so ran this page through the Wayback Machine. Here's what it looked like BEFORE we broke the drought:

    https://web.archive.org/web/20210319055523/https://www.melbournefc.com.au/history/premiership-years

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    1 hour ago, bush demon said:

    Who would that be, and what premiership year?

     

    Or earliest year, regardless of premiership.

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    1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

    Was trying to findout the answer to your question and came up with this great link on the MFC website.

    Makes for fantastic reading....

     

    https://www.melbournefc.com.au/history/premiership-years

    Bought back so many memories as I have seen the GF's from 1955. Thanks to my Poppa.

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    42 minutes ago, bush demon said:

    Or earliest year, regardless of premiership.

    I reckon Noel McMahen might have that covered, too?

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    22 minutes ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

    I reckon Noel McMahen might have that covered, too?

    He must be the only player left from 1948 from either side 

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    Noel McMahen.  94yo.  95 at end of October. 

    My late father said he was one of the toughest blokes on the team but a true leader.  Played in 48, 55&56 premiership teams. Captained 1955-56.  MFC team of the century half back. Life member. 

    Never got to coach us unfortunately. Probably would have been a successor to Norm Smith 

    I remember Noel from the Redlegs function that I was invited to in the 1990s.  He loved the Dees. So passionate.  So vocal.  Sometimes had to be “advised” to calm down given he was about 70 at the time.  

    One of our greatest players.  

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    I hope we get a photo of Noel, and others, with the Cup.

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    I saw him play and he was a very good center half back at a time at 184cm he would be a half back flanker in the modern game where center half forwards are upward of 194cm.

    It shows how the modern game has changed when you compare the modern rover/ruck rover, 178cm upwards to 194cm, to the past ruckmen Wise 188cm, Denis Cordner 191cm, Don Cordner 188cm, Terry Gleeson 193cm and a tall Bob Johnson 198cm the one thing they all had in common the played for MFC in premiership some might not get a game in MFC 2021 team?

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    2 hours ago, durango said:

    I saw him play and he was a very good center half back at a time at 184cm he would be a half back flanker in the modern game where center half forwards are upward of 194cm.

    It shows how the modern game has changed when you compare the modern rover/ruck rover, 178cm upwards to 194cm, to the past ruckmen Wise 188cm, Denis Cordner 191cm, Don Cordner 188cm, Terry Gleeson 193cm and a tall Bob Johnson 198cm the one thing they all had in common the played for MFC in premiership some might not get a game in MFC 2021 team?

    Bob would be able to kick further than Steve, and he had a better hair do.

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    5 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

    Noel McMahen.  94yo.  95 at end of October. 

    My late father said he was one of the toughest blokes on the team but a true leader.  Played in 48, 55&56 premiership teams. Captained 1955-56.  MFC team of the century half back. Life member. 

    Never got to coach us unfortunately. Probably would have been a successor to Norm Smith 

    I remember Noel from the Redlegs function that I was invited to in the 1990s.  He loved the Dees. So passionate.  So vocal.  Sometimes had to be “advised” to calm down given he was about 70 at the time.  

    One of our greatest players.  

    He must have been tough. I recall Lou Richards on World of Sport complaining that when he played against Melbourne Noel used to rough up the Collingwood players.

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    46 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

    He must have been tough. I recall Lou Richards on World of Sport complaining that when he played against Melbourne Noel used to rough up the Collingwood players.

    But an absolute gentleman in his latter years. I was lucky to attend a number of small lunches where he regaled us with his recounts and tales of the times. I hope that he gets to the ton!

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    I know it's been a big couple of weeks but Michael Hibberd is still around isn't he?

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    Ken Melville, Best and fairest 1953, played in the 1956 Premiership team. Ken lives in Perth and would be around 90 years old. The other 1956 premiership player would be Clyde Laidlaw who would be a similar age to Ken. Both were fantastic players.

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    15 minutes ago, Bobby McKenzie said:

    Ken Melville, Best and fairest 1953, played in the 1956 Premiership team. Ken lives in Perth and would be around 90 years old. The other 1956 premiership player would be Clyde Laidlaw who would be a similar age to Ken. Both were fantastic players.

    Looks like Noel is winning the race:

    Born 30/10/26,(94) 

    Ken 11/2/31  (90)

    Clyde 27/11/33 (87)

    I met Noel by accident one night after a game.  He had taken the wrong turn leaving Box Hill station and was wandering the street when he flagged me down.  I set him on his way to where his daughter was meeting him.

    Interesting I am sure it was Clydes son was featured on Australian Restoration on the ABC recently, as they had restored a house they owned in Beaumaris.  Showed pictures of the son with his brothers as young boys decked out in Demons gear.

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    39 minutes ago, Bobby McKenzie said:

    Ken Melville, Best and fairest 1953, played in the 1956 Premiership team. Ken lives in Perth and would be around 90 years old. The other 1956 premiership player would be Clyde Laidlaw who would be a similar age to Ken. Both were fantastic players.

    A great centre man but gave it away too early like Stuart Spencer who did not live to see the premiership and Bluey Adams passed away before this triumph as well.

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    4 hours ago, durango said:

    A great centre man but gave it away too early like Stuart Spencer who did not live to see the premiership and Bluey Adams passed away before this triumph as well.

    Another two oldies from Premiership years are Laurie Mithen and Brian Dixon. Must be others too. Neither Brian nor Laurie could match Noel McMahen though.

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    6 hours ago, george_on_the_outer said:

    Looks like Noel is winning the race:

    Born 30/10/26,(94) 

    Ken 11/2/31  (90)

    Clyde 27/11/33 (87)

    I met Noel by accident one night after a game.  He had taken the wrong turn leaving Box Hill station and was wandering the street when he flagged me down.  I set him on his way to where his daughter was meeting him.

    Interesting I am sure it was Clydes son was featured on Australian Restoration on the ABC recently, as they had restored a house they owned in Beaumaris.  Showed pictures of the son with his brothers as young boys decked out in Demons gear.

    Johnny Beckwith is still with us. 

    And yes Andrew Laidlaw from the Royal Botanic Gardens is one of Clyde’s sons. 

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    16 hours ago, hemingway said:

    Johnny Beckwith is still with us. 

    Wow that’s great. Hopefully he enjoyed the win. My late father said he was an absolute champion. I remember in the 80s, Peter Mckenna was commentating and always referred to a ball kicked cleverly out of bounds that it was “like the great John Beckwith”. 

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