10 minutes ago, tilly18 said:

One of my close mates had a full beard in year 12.

And kids?

Did he live in Frankston or Dandy?

4 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

I remember going to a game at Princes Park as a 16 year old. 

They let me in for the Under 14 concession price then served me cans of beer at the booth in the outer.

One year at Arden street as a 16 year old I was complaining to the bar staff there was no CUB beer for sale 

3 minutes ago, tilly18 said:

One year at Arden street as a 16 year old I was complaining to the bar staff there was no CUB beer for sale 

Always wanted to sit in the street outside the ground behind the goals at Arden street and pinch a footy that come over the fence.

Edited January 18, 20223 yr by Fork 'em

11 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

Always wanted to sit in the street outside the ground behind the goals at Arden street and pinch a footy that come over the fence.

The ball rarely re-appeared if kicked into the Collingwood fans at the Yarra Falls end.

My memory is a bit hazy on some aspects, but I remember going to Vic Park for the last game of the season in 1976, with my Dad. He had somehow got 2 tickets to sit in the stand (Social Club?) behind the goals at the railway end.  I was just 12 and Dad laid out strict rules for the day, no Melbourne gear and no barracking for Melbourne!  He was spot on with his warning, as from what I could tell, no one was barracking for Melbourne in that entire stand. 
 

We were an outside chance to make the finals (6?) if we won and another result went our way. I think Henry Coles got his head knocked off and stretchered off early on, Bobby Skelton was coach. We won, I think relatively easily, and we stayed to listen on the radio to the result of the other game, perhaps it was the Dogs?  A lot of Pies supporters also stayed after the siren to do the same.  When the other game ended with not the result we wanted, meaning we missed the finals, the Pies supporters were jubilant, chanting & cheering, you’d have thought they’d one the game.  It just showed how much they hated Melbourne even though we’d been a krap team for over a decade by then.

it was the last game of footy I ever went to with my Dad who died relatively young the following year. 

50 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

Always wanted to sit in the street outside the ground behind the goals at Arden street and pinch a footy that come over the fence.

Arden street was a strange one. Pretty much on a main road (Macaulay Road). When I was an apprentice I worked directly across the road and if I was at work on a Saturday, me and the other apprentices would wait around after knocking off because they used to let people in for free at 3/4 time. North had great fans. They were well known for having a core group of nannas as their biggest fans. 😁

35 minutes ago, The Chief said:

it was the last game of footy I ever went to with my Dad who died relatively young the following year. 

I hope your Dad enjoyed cheering the house down up there on that glorious night last September! ❤️💙

On 1/17/2022 at 8:35 AM, Deeoldfart said:

……. and a pig (not Hibbo) running around the SCG, interrupting play, and being chased by players and security guards.  I think it was Tony Lockett who eventually caught it.

No it wasn't Lockett as he couldn't bend down that far. Was another Swans player that jumped on top of the pig. Quite funny to watch on TV at the time.

52 minutes ago, The Chief said:

My memory is a bit hazy on some aspects, but I remember going to Vic Park for the last game of the season in 1976, with my Dad. He had somehow got 2 tickets to sit in the stand (Social Club?) behind the goals at the railway end.  I was just 12 and Dad laid out strict rules for the day, no Melbourne gear and no barracking for Melbourne!  He was spot on with his warning, as from what I could tell, no one was barracking for Melbourne in that entire stand. 
 

We were an outside chance to make the finals (6?) if we won and another result went our way. I think Henry Coles got his head knocked off and stretchered off early on, Bobby Skelton was coach. We won, I think relatively easily, and we stayed to listen on the radio to the result of the other game, perhaps it was the Dogs?  A lot of Pies supporters also stayed after the siren to do the same.  When the other game ended with not the result we wanted, meaning we missed the finals, the Pies supporters were jubilant, chanting & cheering, you’d have thought they’d one the game.  It just showed how much they hated Melbourne even though we’d been a krap team for over a decade by then.

it was the last game of footy I ever went to with my Dad who died relatively young the following year. 

Thanks for sharing.  A sad story re your father but it's great you have fond memories.  That's the real beauty of the game I reckon.

I was fortunate enough to have my dad live till his 80s but lost him four years ago.

I was born in 65 and my dad and I always laughed about me never seeing a flag. I told him he gave me a bum club in jest.

I'm sure I'm was not alone in thinking about loved ones gone by when we won last year. 

1 hour ago, tilly18 said:

One year at Arden street as a 16 year old I was complaining to the bar staff there was no CUB beer for sale 

That horrible beer they served was almost reason in itself to avoid Arden Street.  I know Courage Breweries were North's sponsor, but their product was so bad that people were coming home sober from a day at the footy.

My brother had a paper round and back in the day he loved selling the Herald on a Saturday if North had a win as all the old blokes at the pubs after the match would tip really well. He used to take me with him because he would make way more in tips with a little sister in tow. One pub in particular, the Shakespeare, iirc in Dryburgh Street, had the same bunch of regulars. The old blokes would give my brother extra tips if he could get me to sing for them. So I’d (reluctantly) bust out a few lines of Oh My Darling Clementine, it was the only song I knew. And the tips would instantly double. 
Years later, as adults, we were reminiscing and I said, “I can’t believe you used to pimp me out like that!” He says, “Hey! You never had a problem with it while eating your weight in Eskimo Pies!” 😆

2 hours ago, The Chief said:

My memory is a bit hazy on some aspects, but I remember going to Vic Park for the last game of the season in 1976, with my Dad. He had somehow got 2 tickets to sit in the stand (Social Club?) behind the goals at the railway end.  I was just 12 and Dad laid out strict rules for the day, no Melbourne gear and no barracking for Melbourne!  He was spot on with his warning, as from what I could tell, no one was barracking for Melbourne in that entire stand. 
 

We were an outside chance to make the finals (6?) if we won and another result went our way. I think Henry Coles got his head knocked off and stretchered off early on, Bobby Skelton was coach. We won, I think relatively easily, and we stayed to listen on the radio to the result of the other game, perhaps it was the Dogs?  A lot of Pies supporters also stayed after the siren to do the same.  When the other game ended with not the result we wanted, meaning we missed the finals, the Pies supporters were jubilant, chanting & cheering, you’d have thought they’d one the game.  It just showed how much they hated Melbourne even though we’d been a krap team for over a decade by then.

it was the last game of footy I ever went to with my Dad who died relatively young the following year. 

That was Laurie Fowler who was knocked out at the bounce. Wearmouth.

He came to on the stretcher going up the race and had to be restrained trying to get back on the ground. 

6 hours ago, mo64 said:

I remember that game with Steven Clark well. Pretty sure he had that kick for goal to tie the scores. I was up the other end and knew his kick was on line. However I had a flight to Perth that night, so immediately left the ground without knowing whether he kicked it.

I grew up within walking distance of Windy Hill, so aside from the MCG, that was my 2nd most attended ground. I'd go with school mates and we'd meet under the windsock at the scoreboard end. I never felt intimidated cause I knew most of the people around me, but I could understand why opposition supporters hated going there. The crowd was 95% Bombers supporters.

As a young tacker, I would go to either Footscray (Wester Oval) or Hawthorn (Princes Park) games with my 2 oldest brothers. I never found their supporters to be feral.

My 1st experience with feral supporters was on the train home from a Dees game at the G. I was on the Broadie line, and when the train stopped at North Melbourne, feral Richmond supporters and a few North supporters got on. The Richmond supporters directed every expletive under the sun at the North supporters. That was the only time as a youngster that I felt scared that a fight was going to start.

From memory, most of the Dee's supporters were up the other end. It would have been a draw if he kicked it. I thought we had won, and it was only when the Bombers fans started on me that I realised we had lost.

6 hours ago, Fork 'em said:

Always wanted to sit in the street outside the ground behind the goals at Arden street and pinch a footy that come over the fence.

I managed to snaffle one of the red & blue Exacto sponsor footies the team used to kick into the crowd at the G in 1981 & 82. Early on I sat in those two rows of seats on the fence behind the Ponsford End goals where it was still concreted. I then took it down to training, also still at the G and got it autographed by everyone.  

We hadn't moved here yet in 1976 but I remember a story someone told me about that last game of the season in 1976 at Victoria Park. There was a group of Melbourne diehards than we in the cheer squad named the grog squad and they used to hang around just behind us at away games just incase any trouble kicked off. From memory I think they were John Hartman, Ian Ball, a guy that was just called Animal who wore a brown oilskin coat and akubra hat ensemble plus one or two others. 

Anyway, after the game one of these guys tapped the nearest Collingwood supporter on the shoulder and said, "here, I believe this is yours" and handed him a wooden spoon. I think that might be the only one they've ever won in their history. 

1 hour ago, Rab D Nesbitt said:

I managed to snaffle one of the red & blue Exacto sponsor footies the team used to kick into the crowd at the G in 1981 & 82. Early on I sat in those two rows of seats on the fence behind the Ponsford End goals where it was still concreted. I then took it down to training, also still at the G and got it autographed by everyone.  

As a kid I had Steven Smiths number on my back.
Every game the players would kick a footy or 2 into the cheer squad on the outer wing.
One game Steven Smith headed over with a footy.
I turned around to show him his number on my back.
He sent it straight too me.
Bloke in front of me marked it.
Was spewing. 

Edited January 18, 20223 yr by Fork 'em

I consider myself luck to have been to these grounds and the good fortune of being at Princes Park in 85 to beat hawthorn, and 98 when we beat Carlton. Was at Windy hill in 90 for the comeback, Moorabbin in 91 for the Jako show and 1 pt win and his other show in 92 at Vic Park to knock them off top spot. Western oval 87 (my favourite day until 25/09/2021) and even had the good fortune to watch us beat Fitzroy at the Junction oval in 85 and Geelong at Kardinia Park in 88 (the country train travelling as 13 year olds alone was awesome). Never got to Lakeside or Arden S., they finished just before I started going regularly as a kid. The one thing I miss about those grounds was winning at those venues was always much tougher and when you did win it always felt like a win against the odds with a bit more meaning and excitement to a MCG win. I can also say that I never really felt unsafe at any of the grounds, although I do kunderstand the mid 80's were different to the mid 70's from all reports at these venues.

Always was worse going to Waverley and catching the bus and then  train to Flinders ST to then back up on train 2 on the broady line and walking home from Glenroy station was always a far bigger risk.  Walking home in recent years from Denis station and then Eaglemont station to the house hasn't felt right without the need to look over the shoulder to  see if the 3047 boys are about to try and decapitate you! Miss those days

I had the good fortune to attend all the suburban grounds. 

Its was footy in the raw. Honest, gritty and hard. 

For fans the conditions could be cold, wet, muddy and damn well inhospitable. But on a dry day, you were up close and personal to both the play and the spectators. You could see and hear the whacks and the intensity of play. 

As a kid, it was an education. The first time I heard men swearing, the first time I witnessed punch ups in the crowd, , got showered with beer, taken to the game. A kid with grown men. Treated as an equal. A ritual and an initiation. Watching the footy gods stride the turf. And don’t ever say that the Demons of the 64 era were soft. They were tough and ruthless.

Of course, we would not stand for the playing and spectator conditions today. However it was exciting then and memorable now. 

Favourite ground was probably the Lakeside. Swans fans were not too bad. The outer at other grounds could be frightening. But it was an education, an exercise in growing up. Of becoming a man. 

The game has become professional but has lost so much character. 

 

37 minutes ago, hemingway said:

become professional but has lost so much character. 

Pros and cons though.

The comfort of sitting in my lounge chair and watching isnt too bad.

Plus living interstate and not getting to Melb as much would be untenable without Kayo.

17 hours ago, hemingway said:

The game has become professional but has lost so much character. 

Interesting to see in Europe the continuing movement to re-introduce standing at the football.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10342633/Clubs-introduce-safe-standing-grounds-supporters-feet.html

Personally I've never understood the joy of it.

The standing areas at most AFL stadiums are an afterthought. I wonder if a movement similar to soccer could arise.

19 hours ago, hemingway said:

 For fans the conditions could be cold, wet, muddy and damn well inhospitable. But on a dry day, you were up close and personal to both the play and the spectators. You could see and hear the whacks and the intensity of play. 

 
When I go to games I always have my sister in tow who's favourite position is behind the goals beside the cheer squad.
You still see and hear the whacks and can be awesome when the big men are flying up close and personal.
 

19 hours ago, hemingway said:

The game has become professional but has lost so much character. 

The game has become too sanitised.
Once upon a time you'd go to the footy and anything could happen.
All in brawl before the bounce really revved the joint up to fever pitch.
The characters are all gone, the loose cannons who made the game entertaining.

Even at home watching games on TV.
Nothing got the family around the box faster than someone declaring "There's a fight!".

These days I'm just content to check in on scores for opposition games cause I know nothing from the ordinary will happen.
Most games are not much more than a continuous rugby scrum.
 

2 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

 
When I go to games I always have my sister in tow who's favourite position is behind the goals beside the cheer squad.
You still see and hear the whacks and can be awesome when the big men are flying up close and personal.
 

The game has become too sanitised.
Once upon a time you'd go to the footy and anything could happen.
All in brawl before the bounce really revved the joint up to fever pitch.
The characters are all gone, the loose cannons who made the game entertaining.

Even at home watching games on TV.
Nothing got the family around the box faster than someone declaring "There's a fight!".

These days I'm just content to check in on scores for opposition games cause I know nothing from the ordinary will happen.
Most games are not much more than a continuous rugby scrum.
 

I think the game is highly entertaining without the loose cannons. There are still plenty of characters in the game, our captain being one, of course.  The game's future is much more promising without the thuggery that used to be a part of it because more young kids will play it, leading to a better standard of game overall.  

5 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I think the game is highly entertaining without the loose cannons. There are still plenty of characters in the game, our captain being one, of course.  The game's future is much more promising without the thuggery that used to be a part of it because more young kids will play it, leading to a better standard of game overall.  

Never stopped any-one playing then.
Full leagues of minor competitions everywhere.

Best non MCG experiences following the Demons - definitely round 22 1987 at the Western Oval tops the lot.  Was the most remarkable atmosphere I've ever been a part of at the footy.  31,000 standing shoulder to shoulder, it might as well have been 100,000.  

Many good games at VFL Park - the night GF wins in 87 and 89, the 1988 elim and prelim wins and in non -Melbourne games was lucky enough to be at the 1986 elim when Fitzroy knocked off Essendon to halt the bombers charge at a threepeat.  Also lots of unhappy memories there, none moreso than the greatest Demon I've ever seen play his last game there in the 1987 prelim.  

Didn't mind Windy Hill, other than the old ladies with their umbrellas which they used like some sort of martial arts staff.  Princes Park was ok, saw a few wins there, the most memorable being 1998 against Carlton.  Beat Hawthorn there when we weren't expected to a couple of times as well.

Love the AFLW out at Casey Fields.  It's a ripper home ground advantage.

2 hours ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Interesting to see in Europe the continuing movement to re-introduce standing at the football.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10342633/Clubs-introduce-safe-standing-grounds-supporters-feet.html

Personally I've never understood the joy of it.

The standing areas at most AFL stadiums are an afterthought. I wonder if a movement similar to soccer could arise.

I would definitely prefer to stand at the footy, though it's not really an option now, aside from AFLW.

We didn't think about it at the time, but it was fantastic to be able to go to a game, pay your money at the gate, and stand pretty much wherever you like. I went to the races at Flemington on Saturday, and whilst standing in a queue with $20 in hand, I was told by a lady that tickets had to be bought online through Ticketek. The process was a knightmare, and If I wasn't meeting a large group of friends, I would have returned home. Everyone had the same knightmare experience.

The Hillsborough disaster had a fair bit to do with stadiums around the world becoming all-seating.

Edited January 20, 20223 yr by mo64