On 30/01/2022 at 02:38, Dee Dee said:

Mentioned by Eddie McGuire during post GF Fox Footy review. Said it was all but signed, sealed and delivered in the mid ‘80’s! Melbourne Kangaroos, play at MCG, train at Arden Street. For the life of me I can’t remember this being mooted. 
Can anyone fill me in please? (However, I well remember the Melbourne Hawks saga).

Of course Eddie may have just been trying to have a dig at the new premiers and making a bit of mischief (not sour grapes I hope)!

I think a few mergers were 'signed and sealed' in the 80s. Most likely on a napkin. 

There were a few nervous bankers around in those days. Who would be the first to take possession of a grandstand or two.

Saved by the commission and the sale of licences interstate. It was close for several clubs.

I don’t remember the Fitzroy talks, but I certainly remember Bob Ansett prancing around for a while

He was on the Telly and Radio every day flogging products

I believe that was right Ron Casey was involved in it for North, Melbourne Roos I believe, training base at Arden st.

 

 

  On 30/01/2022 at 22:46, Sir Why You Little said:

I don’t remember the Fitzroy talks, but I certainly remember Bob Ansett prancing around for a while

He was on the Telly and Radio every day flogging products

The Fitzroy one was either before the North one or after it they were only short talks though.

Gee glad we dodged this hairbrained idea.

I wonder if there will be another merger....relocation or just plain waxing....that's AXING ( damn autocorrect)and who?

I know they do their homework but I cant see gcoast growing much in the next decade (fan wise).

Edited January 31, 20223 yr by leave it to deever

Glad this never happened. Although a permanent training base would be nice!

The Melbourne Demons certainly dodged a few merger bullets with possibilities in North Melbourne, Fitzroy, Hawthorn, Richmond and even St.Kilda being mentioned.

I was there Round 22 in 1996. My first ever game live! The atmosphere was electric! I remember spraying the person's back, who was sitting in front of me at the MCG, with spittle when I was screaming and barracking so loudly for our beloved Demons to win! I still can't believe Hawthorn won by 1 point! Paul Salmon (Hawthorn ruckman at the time) should of been pinged for deliberate out of bounds when he kept knocking the ball out of bounds on the boundary line in the last few minutes against Jimmy Stynes.

The Melbourne Hawks came close. But fortuitously never came about. We can thank Don Scott for that I think. Although we all know there was more to the story back in 1996 with all those dodgy proxy votes and people not allowed into the hall to vote due to capacity limitations. 

Almost 10 years later, I remember a very drunk Mick Molloy (radio presenter/comedian and Tigers supporter) suggesting the Melbourne Tigers outside the MCG a few years ago. He was blind drunk. I told him to shut his [censored] hole. Luckily the Demons won that game back in the mid 2000s.

Having the name Melbourne and our MCC connections helped when we are an absolute laughing stock in the AFL. Interesting a lot of VFL clubs were in dire straights financially in 1986 and the introduction of the Brisbane Bears and West Coast Eagles helped prop up many clubs at the time apparently.

  On 30/01/2022 at 10:44, Bring-Back-Powell said:

My parents had a 1990 version of the Melways (published at the time of the proposed merger) and in the index it mentioned that the Western Oval was the home of the Fitzroy Bulldogs.

Yep Fitzroy Bulldogs playing out of Western Oval was all done and dusted until the Doggies fans rallied and secured $1.1m via tin rattling and door knocking as well as a 3 year sponsorship from ICI 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitzroy_Bulldogs

A great podcast series on this by the guys who did The Greatest Season That Was 1993

  On 31/01/2022 at 04:05, Supreme_Demon said:

Glad this never happened. Although a permanent training base would be nice!

The Melbourne Demons certainly dodged a few merger bullets with possibilities in North Melbourne, Fitzroy, Hawthorn, Richmond and even St.Kilda being mentioned.

I was there Round 22 in 1996. My first ever game live! The atmosphere was electric! I remember spraying the person's back, who was sitting in front of me at the MCG, with spittle when I was screaming and barracking so loudly for our beloved Demons to win! I still can't believe Hawthorn won by 1 point! Paul Salmon (Hawthorn ruckman at the time) should of been pinged for deliberate out of bounds when he kept knocking the ball out of bounds on the boundary line in the last few minutes against Jimmy Stynes.

The Melbourne Hawks came close. But fortuitously never came about. We can thank Don Scott for that I think. Although we all know there was more to the story back in 1996 with all those dodgy proxy votes and people not allowed into the hall to vote due to capacity limitations. 

Almost 10 years later, I remember a very drunk Mick Molloy (radio presenter/comedian and Tigers supporter) suggesting the Melbourne Tigers outside the MCG a few years ago. He was blind drunk. I told him to shut his [censored] hole. Luckily the Demons won that game back in the mid 2000s.

Having the name Melbourne and our MCC connections helped when we are an absolute laughing stock in the AFL. Interesting a lot of VFL clubs were in dire straights financially in 1986 and the introduction of the Brisbane Bears and West Coast Eagles helped prop up many clubs at the time apparently.

Yep $4m license fees from WCE (Indian Pacific/WAFC?) and Brisbane (Skase?) helped save the Vic clubs although I think Oakley had real trouble prying the $4m from Skase and the WCE fans have never let us hear the end of it. They forgot their local comp was all but in the gutter as well and propped up by the transfer fees of the Vic clubs (which were incidentally part of what was sending the Vic clubs broke).

A very interesting time in the sport, I recommend reading Football Ltd by Gary Linnell for anyone interested in the evolution to the national comp.

  On 30/01/2022 at 06:24, Ollie fan said:

Now that is a good thought!! We have had lots of great players come across from North - off the top of my head:  Steven Icke, Crosswell, Brian Wilson, Alan Jarrott, and now of course BBB. And I am sure that is just a fraction of them 

Shane Zantuck was also a former North player although he may have spent some time at Swans on the way.  Each of the players you named were/are favourites of mine (although it has taken me about 3/4 of a season to warm to BBB)

  On 01/02/2022 at 03:52, Dr. Gonzo said:

I recommend reading Football Ltd by Gary Linnell for anyone interested in the evolution to the national comp.

I'd endorse that recommendation and add "The Boy's Club" by Michael Warner for a disturbing look at how the AFL has been run in recent years under the stewardship of Andy Demetriou, Gil McLachlan, Mike Fitzpatrick et al.

  On 01/02/2022 at 04:06, Demonstone said:

I'd endorse that recommendation and add "The Boy's Club" by Michael Warner for a disturbing look at how the AFL has been run in recent years under the stewardship of Andy Demetriou, Gil McLachlan, Mike Fitzpatrick et al.

Have to get a copy of that one.

Another one worth reading is Up Where Cazaly? It looks at the development of the game up to the early 80s (published around that time) so just prior to national expansion, quite an interesting read and is a good lead in to Football Ltd. I picked up a 2nd hand copy off eBay I think.

It’s definitely before my time but it seemed like a lot, if not most clubs, we really struggling between the 80s-90s (90s I remember as a kid with Fitzroy, the early years of Sydney, and of course the Dees/Hawks merger proposal). Also probably worth pointing out that the “successful clubs” were doing a lot of things on the sly. 

Much as I vomit at the idea, a merger between Melbourne and the Roos (becoming the Melbourne Roos or North Melbourne Demons) seemed like a logical idea to put forward when both clubs were struggling. That time has now well and truly passed as we have managed to crawl mostly out of the hole we created for ourselves, I feel like the final piece of the puzzle to all but ensure our future is to get our home base over the line. 

As for North, they’re still in their own hole which I can’t see them getting out of any time soon. Don’t really see a merger being possible but I don’t see how they get out of being where they are. 

  On 01/02/2022 at 23:43, Pates said:

It’s definitely before my time but it seemed like a lot, if not most clubs, we really struggling between the 80s-90s (90s I remember as a kid with Fitzroy, the early years of Sydney, and of course the Dees/Hawks merger proposal). Also probably worth pointing out that the “successful clubs” were doing a lot of things on the sly. 

Much as I vomit at the idea, a merger between Melbourne and the Roos (becoming the Melbourne Roos or North Melbourne Demons) seemed like a logical idea to put forward when both clubs were struggling. That time has now well and truly passed as we have managed to crawl mostly out of the hole we created for ourselves, I feel like the final piece of the puzzle to all but ensure our future is to get our home base over the line. 

As for North, they’re still in their own hole which I can’t see them getting out of any time soon. Don’t really see a merger being possible but I don’t see how they get out of being where they are. 

North are debt free for the first time since the 80s, have close to 50k members and have state of the art training facilities and a home base. I think they're doing OK actually.

  On 02/02/2022 at 00:53, Dr. Gonzo said:

North are debt free for the first time since the 80s, have close to 50k members and have state of the art training facilities and a home base. I think they're doing OK actually.

Lol happily retract my comment then! Their team out on the park might not be great but looks like management is doing pretty well. 

Edited February 2, 20223 yr by Pates

  On 02/02/2022 at 01:20, Pates said:

Lol happily retract my comment then! Their team out on the park might not be great but looks like management is doing pretty well. 

And they’re about to appoint a woman president, Dr Sonja Hood.👩‍🦰.

  On 02/02/2022 at 02:29, Dee Dee said:

Dr Sonja Hood

I think I know that family.  Was her grandfather's name Robin?

  On 02/02/2022 at 00:53, Dr. Gonzo said:

North are debt free for the first time since the 80s, have close to 50k members and have state of the art training facilities and a home base. I think they're doing OK actually.

Problem for North is that their only major asset is the buildings at Arden Street. I expect that the ground itself is council/crown owned.

Most other clubs are building significant asset bases (mainly future funds) aside from the training facilities.

  On 02/02/2022 at 03:53, Diamond_Jim said:

Problem for North is that their only major asset is the buildings at Arden Street. I expect that the ground itself is council/crown owned.

Most other clubs are building significant asset bases (mainly future funds) aside from the training facilities.

That's true but also don't forget North were the first Vic club to rid themselves of pokies.

So they've got to the position they're in without the pokies windfall and while continuing to receive crappy fixtures and relatively crappy stadium deals (although an improvement on what it was 5 years ago).

What a depressing subject.

  On 02/02/2022 at 06:04, Dr. Gonzo said:

That's true but also don't forget North were the first Vic club to rid themselves of pokies.

So they've got to the position they're in without the pokies windfall and while continuing to receive crappy fixtures and relatively crappy stadium deals (although an improvement on what it was 5 years ago).

They have a major benefactor who gave them money to update Arden st for getting out of pokies. They’re doing ok but I’d fear a Tassie team will push them to the brink without that revenue and major sponsor in Spirit of Tasmanian. 
 

Credit to them they do a wonderful job with the local community and refugees in general, will they ever get back to finals success, who knows.

  On 30/01/2022 at 02:38, Dee Dee said:

Mentioned by Eddie McGuire during post GF Fox Footy review. Said it was all but signed, sealed and delivered in the mid ‘80’s! Melbourne Kangaroos, play at MCG, train at Arden Street. For the life of me I can’t remember this being mooted. 
Can anyone fill me in please? (However, I well remember the Melbourne Hawks saga).

Of course Eddie may have just been trying to have a dig at the new premiers and making a bit of mischief (not sour grapes I hope)!

I reckon he's confusing half-hearted talks with North and the potential Fitzroy merger in 1986.

Age 26/06/1986

Age 05/08/1986

Looking at the top article which mentioned Richmond approached Fitzroy about potentially merging, I wonder if the new club that came out of that would be referred to as 'the Ligers'?

Do remember one preseason no Melbourne or Nth jumpers were available to buy

As manufacturers were aware of a possible merger between the two clubs

No idea what year it was 

  On 06/02/2022 at 10:23, Old Bear said:

Do remember one preseason no Melbourne or Nth jumpers were available to buy

As manufacturers were aware of a possible merger between the two clubs

No idea what year it was 

If your in FNQ thats every year....