Demon Army Cheer Squad

[WalkingCivilWar 33,428]

10 hours ago, Macca said:

 

That should ensure a bumper crowd!

I’m not sure ANYTHING will ensure a bumper crowd, Macca. 

(Top spot on the ladder, 10-2, and a premiership hasn’t worked)

Soz, wrong thread. 😬 

[Fork 'em 6,572]

We Melbourne supporters are an introverted bunch.
Have suffered much embarrassment over the years.
Probably lost a generation or 2 of young supporters in the carnage.
Supporters who would be young adults at games making noise .... But we aint got 'em.
Petracca would be right about our age demographic, that we're an older supporter base.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7, 2022 by Fork 'em

[Macca 16,173]

1 hour ago, Fork 'em said:

We Melbourne supporters are an introverted bunch.
Have suffered much embarrassment over the years.
Probably lost a generation or 2 of young supporters in the carnage.
Supporters who would be young adults at games making noise .... But we aint got 'em.
Petracca would be right about our age demographic, that we're an older supporter base.

Sometimes there is a simple explanation to a complex question

Not only do we not have anywhere near enough younger supporters but because our members are generally much older, they are staying away for all sorts of reasons.  And I suspect the oldies much prefer day games

And the oldies aren't very loud nor do the oldies like noise.  Especially loud nouse.  This is true even when we're not talking about the footy.  Nothing much is going to change either despite all the urgings.  It's not rocket science

And it will take more than a decade to change the age demographics of our supporters.  And only after a long period of sustained success

So we're not necessarily introverted, we are just a quiet, older, more consevative crowd situated mainly in a conservative and more quiet part of the MCG (MCC area & Northern stand)

That is who and what we are

Edited June 7, 2022 by Macca

[loges 6,245]

On 6/6/2022 at 10:22 PM, BoBo said:

50 would do the trick.

You bring yours?

These days they'd probably kick you out of the ground

[forever demons 1,878]

5 hours ago, Fork 'em said:

We Melbourne supporters are an introverted bunch.
Have suffered much embarrassment over the years.
Probably lost a generation or 2 of young supporters in the carnage.
Supporters who would be young adults at games making noise .... But we aint got 'em.
Petracca would be right about our age demographic, that we're an older supporter base.

 

 

 

 

you are dead right

[BenJamin on Deesy St 792]

On 6/6/2022 at 5:08 PM, Kozzie4PM said:

I've had a gutful of people getting stuck into their fellow dees fans on this site. Some people are quiet. So what? I carry on like a pork chop at the footy but that's my personality. Other people are quieter than me. That doesn't make them less passionate. I go every week but some people can't make games for a million different reasons. That doesn't make me a "better fan". We've all gone through decades in the wilderness. We have our highest membership ever, our attendances are amongst the highest in the comp, we're top of the ladder and we're bloody premiers. And you know what? I reckon we're going to win the bloody flag again. Is there any danger people take a second to smell the roses? These are great days for our club. Let's enjoy the ride.

Well said.

A bit of unsavoury, ill-informed and mean-spirited commentary is being bandied about here and in the ‘low attendance’ thread. We endure more than enough taunts about the so-called stereotypical Melbourne supporter from opposition fans and media, than to entertain it from our own.

I personally couldn’t care less how vocal or otherwise fellow Dees’ fans are at the game, as long as they don’t incessantly bag our players or tell me to sit down when I go berserk after a goal! And despite Trac’s throwaway comments the other day, I don’t think it makes much difference to the players how numerous or noisy we are anyway. After all, our boys won a premiership on foreign soil, in a pandemic-affected season no less, sometimes with stark silence cheering them on. We’d like to think we’re hugely important and can influence performance and results but, really, are we, do we?

Funnily enough, our crowds this year have been pretty good. Last time I saw we were sitting 5th on the 2022 average attendance ladder (at ~33k per game) behind only Richmond, Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon. Not only that, we are one of only two teams (Bulldogs being the other) whose crowds have increased from the 2019 (pre-COVID) season.

This is something to be proud of because, let’s face it, we have a relatively small supporter base - due to decades in the wilderness - a large chunk of which belongs to an older and diminishing demographic which followed the club in the 50s and 60s (like my elderly father who - as fate would have it - introduced me and my brothers to the Dees in the 70s but finds it difficult to attend games now). 

Despite this, we have the highest ratio of club members to supporters. So our fans, although they’re not many, are the real deal. That is, a large proportion of us care about and contribute to the existence and growth of the club, and have done so for a very long time.

Broadening and invigorating our fan base is obviously important and I think the Gen X-ers among us, the once-long-suffering descendants of those who saw and grew accustomed to so much success, play a crucial role. We are the ones who need to pass the baton on and generate excitement and interest among our own kids, nephews and nieces - indoctrinate them if you will - in playing our great game, going to the footy and following the mighty Dees. We don’t need to bicker amongst ourselves and criticise or make value judgements about the very people who show up without fail every week, and who are the club’s most loyal and vocal supporters, win, lose or draw.

Looking forward to mixing with the Demon Army in Adelaide in a few weeks, and painting the City of Churches red and blue!

[Katrina Dee Fan 2,483]

On 6/5/2022 at 9:44 PM, brendan said:

Agree with all of this, I like to be loud at the footy but everywhere I get reserved seats I feel like I’m being judged, and once had a fellow Melbourne member tell me to be quiet  as I was being too loud, I have changed seats many times now and the only place I have found I can be myself without ridicule is in the standing areas 

I had a similar experience at the Essendon game this year.  I am a member of the Demon Army, I was doing my bit to cheer loudly and wave flags, and had a Melbourne supporter from the GA bay next to us physically manhandle me by grabbing me on the shoulder, telling me to stop waving the (insert f word here) flag down.  He didn't take to kindly to me saying to him why is he sitting next to the cheer squad if he doesn't like flags.  

This is what we cop from fellow Melbourne supporters.....

[brendan 3,418]

3 hours ago, Katrina Dee Fan said:

I had a similar experience at the Essendon game this year.  I am a member of the Demon Army, I was doing my bit to cheer loudly and wave flags, and had a Melbourne supporter from the GA bay next to us physically manhandle me by grabbing me on the shoulder, telling me to stop waving the (insert f word here) flag down.  He didn't take to kindly to me saying to him why is he sitting next to the cheer squad if he doesn't like flags.  

This is what we cop from fellow Melbourne supporters.....

Yep it’s disgraceful 

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,588]

I agree with the premise of this thread started by @Sam the demon .  To have interstate teams like Freo and Sydney provide a louder crowd presence than us is absolutely pathetic (Freo in particular as at least Sydney have some local ex South Melbourne supporter base).

It's an indictment on our whole supporter base, not just the Cheer Squad.

However, I personally don't buy the meek Melbourne supporter rubbish.  Growing up supporting our club through the 90s and early 2000s, we were significantly louder and prouder, even though the team was less consistently high performing.  I even think back in 2018 finals series we there was more passion and crowd presence.  Going to the footy pretty much every home game this year, since returning from 18 years of life in the Sunshine State, I've been particularly disappointed in how quite and how little chant support there has been for our might DEMONS.  I feel it becomes somewhat of a vicious circle when our games lack atmosphere and home crowd support, it's no wonder we are struggling to attract a bit crowd from week to week and the lack of any prior vocal presence leads to quiet timmid crowd interactions the next week.

I actually think @BoBo is on the right track here, that we need more people who are prepared to be vocal interspersed over a larger area, than all concentrated into a single pack behind the goals.  Those of us that don't sit in the Cheer Squad need to get behind any chant that starts - people are like sheep in this respects, once a few start up, others join.  While I'm not directly having a go at the cheer squad, as from all I can gather the Demon Army has built a great culture of inclusiveness, I do think the lack of noise is a failing of the group's purpose.  I'd love to see them plant a few more clusters of people who are vocal and prepared to coodinate and get our chant going over a wider area.

On 6/6/2022 at 9:39 PM, BoBo said:

We need to expand the cheer squad across the ground and change our meek culture. We can do this by making us demonlanders easily visible to each other, which means when we see earth other in our uniform, we’ll know that were going to have someone nearby that’s going to join in with chants and be loud.

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,588]

On 6/6/2022 at 9:23 AM, Macca said:

Why would anyone be dissatisfied with the efforts of a cheer squad?  Who cares how much noise they make

It's not like the players and team are going to be affected one way or the other anyway

They are volunteers doing their best to support the team.  Just like any other supporter

So we lose a game and it's the cheer squads fault?  How utterly ridiculous

 

Of course if we loose it's not the Cheer Squads fault, but crowd noise does add significantly to home ground advantage and right now I feel we have none or worse in that respects.  Most other teams know how to play the G and would feel zero intimidation factor comming to play us there from a home crowd perspective right now.  Even Brisbane crowds at the Gabba create more crowd noise for them than we do at the G right now.

When Max said after we won the flag at the end of last year, that he and the team wanted to win a flag here in Melbourne for our supporters, right now, I think him and the boys would almost be thinking -- "why bother, our crowds and supporters are so meh".

Edited June 8, 2022 by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

[Macca 16,173]

11 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

 Max said after we won the flag at the end of last year, that he and the team wanted to win a flag here in Melbourne

Well, if we're going to win that flag in Melbourne we need to smarten up

Brawling in French restaurants, a forward line that is fast becoming dysfunctional and a backline missing it's best player because he can't adhere to the no grog rule

All the yelling & support won't matter a jot if the players can't get focused

Sydney & Freo made the team look rather ordinary in the last 2 games.  The Pies will smell blood and so will the Lions in 2 weeks

Need a win don't we?

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,588]

23 hours ago, Macca said:

Sydney & Freo made the team look rather ordinary in the last 2 games.  The Pies will smell blood and so will the Lions in 2 weeks

Need a win don't we?

Sydney and Freo made us look like a team that was tired from winning 17 games in a row.  Freo made us look a little second rate, but honestly loosing to Sydney by 12 points making us look ordinary?  FFS

The team isn't exactly firing at 110%, but if you are complaining about the teams performance at this point right now, after suffering a lifetime of mediocre rubbish, then God help you.

 

I'm backing our boys led by Max to show the Pies what a real footy team looks like on Monday.

GO THE MIGHTY DEMONS!!!

 

Get behind our boys MFC supporters.  Get angry and get [censored] LOUD!!

[Macca 16,173]

52 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Freo made us look a little second rate

They did and if the Swans had have kicked straighter we would have lost by 5 or 6 goals

We need to start playing a lot better

52 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

After suffering a lifetime of mediocre rubbish

A lifetime of mediocre rubbish?  Are you serious? 

We were terrific during the Northey years as well as in the Daniher era.  A total of 11 finals series contended during that time

We didn't win the ultimate prize back then but we played some great footy

We're you around then and if so, why would you describe those times as mediocre? 

I was lucky enough to see Robbie Flower's entire career. Was he mediocre in your eyes as well?

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Macca

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,588]

8 minutes ago, Macca said:

A lifetime of mediocre rubbish?  Are you serious?  Are you an adult? 

We were terrific during the Northey years as well as in the Daniher era.  A total of 11 finals series contended during that time

We didn't win the ultimate prize back then but we played some great footy

We're you around then and if so, why would you describe those times as mediocre? 

I was lucky enough to see Robbie Flower's entire career. Was he mediocre in your eyes as well?

I was well and truely alive that whole time and watched pretty much all of it live, much to my disappointment and mediocre is exactly how i would describe it.

During that period, we played with flashes of brilliance, but never had the complete complement of players, administration, team buy in and system to put it all together on a consistent basis, which all lead to scraping into the finals series and 40 years of finals fails.  It was the very definition of mediocre.

Individual players don't make a team.  There's no need to tarnish Robbie in any of this, he was a star and from what I can make out, epitomised what every team player should aspire to, but the teams he played in never won a flag and thus those teams don't come close to being great.

The thing that sets our current team apart is the consistency of effort, system and winning, which gave us a credible chance of winning a flag and then grabbing the opertuity that presented when it was there to be taken.

Got a framed picture on my wall that is captioned "PREMERSHIP GREATNESS".  Everything else is mediocre.

[Macca 16,173]

31 minutes ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

I was well and truely alive that whole time and watched pretty much all of it live, much to my disappointment and mediocre is exactly how i would describe it.

During that period, we played with flashes of brilliance, but never had the complete complement of players, administration, team buy in and system to put it all together on a consistent basis, which all lead to scraping into the finals series and 40 years of finals fails.  It was the very definition of mediocre.

Individual players don't make a team.  There's no need to tarnish Robbie in any of this, he was a star and from what I can make out, epitomised what every team player should aspire to, but the teams he played in never won a flag and thus those teams don't come close to being great.

The thing that sets our current team apart is the consistency of effort, system and winning, which gave us a credible chance of winning a flag and then grabbing the opertuity that presented when it was there to be taken.

Got a framed picture on my wall that is captioned "PREMERSHIP GREATNESS".  Everything else is mediocre.

Fair enough

We see things differently as I have fond memories of those Finals campaigns under Northey & Daniher. 

And you'll be pleased to know that I was there at the games yelling my head off in support!

But if I carried on like that now I'd give myself a coronary! (John Wren style)

'94 was a great ride too under Balmey

Even 1976 was exciting when we just got pipped for a finals berth after storming home in the last part of that season

Certainly not mediocre in my view but we all see things differently, RBG

[Katrina Dee Fan 2,483]

I'm a little bit tired of people criticising Melbourne's attendance.  

[layzie 29,770]

On 6/8/2022 at 3:08 PM, Katrina Dee Fan said:

I had a similar experience at the Essendon game this year.  I am a member of the Demon Army, I was doing my bit to cheer loudly and wave flags, and had a Melbourne supporter from the GA bay next to us physically manhandle me by grabbing me on the shoulder, telling me to stop waving the (insert f word here) flag down.  He didn't take to kindly to me saying to him why is he sitting next to the cheer squad if he doesn't like flags.  

This is what we cop from fellow Melbourne supporters.....

Good on you for doing your bit, I certainly appreciate it 😀

[WalkingCivilWar 33,428]

Might as well put this thread to some use. 
But this time for good, and not evil. 
This week’s banner looks AMAZING…
 

 

Neale’s gonna love it. ❤️💙

[Dee Zephyr 18,019]

@WalkingCivilWarhow can we get our hands on one of those giant heads? My daughter is very keen to find one of Rivers to stick on her ceiling.

Edited June 12, 2022 by Dee Zephyr

[WalkingCivilWar 33,428]

46 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

@WalkingCivilWarhow can we get our hands on one of those giant heads? My daughter is very keen to find one of Rivers to stick on her ceiling.

She might need to join the queue! 😁

JK. I don’t know who makes them. But I do know they’re very expensive. And I know not every player is available. 

[WalkingCivilWar 33,428]

Sneak peek at our banner for Thursday’s

💕PINK LADY 💕match…

 

 

Edited June 21, 2022 by WalkingCivilWar

[Bitter but optimistic 21,556]

Is this privileged info you're sharing WCW?

Are you a Demonland subversive, or this part of the Machiavellian politics within the cheer squad?

[WalkingCivilWar 33,428]

31 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Is this privileged info you're sharing WCW?

Are you a Demonland subversive, or this part of the Machiavellian politics within the cheer squad?

🤫 Shhh, it’s a secret. Keep it to yourself. If this pic leaks, I’ll know for whom to order a knee-capping.  

[WalkingCivilWar 33,428]

This week’s banner is the first “regular” banner since I’ve been here. No Big Freeze, no Pink Lady, no milestone matches.
Just red letters on a blue background. Simple… but magnificent nonetheless. 😁
 

Amirite?! You bet your a$$ I am. 😜

Edited July 5, 2022 by WalkingCivilWar

[Deeoldfart 7,820]

Outstanding effort by the Army on Saturday.  I witnessed first hand how vocal they were in support of our mighty Dees. Although outnumbered (maybe) 500:1, they made themselves heard throughout the match, and at one stage late in the game, the MELBOURNE chant is all you could hear around the ground.  The Crows and their fans were ‘dead & buried’! Loved it!  Well done Army!