Fifty years ago today … Robbie Flower debuts

[Whispering_Jack 28,009]

13 minutes ago, forever demons said:

Another kid made his debut that day on the other wing,shane Fitzsimons i could be wrong but i hope not

Shane Fitzsimmons made his debut in Round 2, 1973 against Hawthorn at Glenferrie Oval.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,465]

52 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

My memory is that Robbie won the b & f in the Fourths in 1972 after initially being refused a clearance from Murrumbeena. He moved up the ranks pretty quickly after starting 1973 in the Under 19s, played 2 or 3 games in the Reserves. I remember him kicking 3 goals at the Western Oval against Footscray in the ressies in Round 9 and that gained him promotion to the seniors by Round 10. I think he ditched the glasses very soon after that. 

Friday Flashbacks: Robert Flower by Lynda Carroll on Aug 30, 2013

“Dream come true – Robert Flower was – and is - a Melbourne supporter, who played for Melbourne, and is highly regarded to this day.   He was still at school when he made his senior debut, a skinny kid with glasses who thought it was all ‘surreal, unbelievable to be realising a dream.’  With that first game against Geelong at the MCG in Round 10, 1973 – a win, Flower kicked a goal – he was on the way to seeing the dream come to fruition.”

I thought 'surreal' was word reserved for footballers starting their career in this millennium. I'm quite pleased to see it was already in use by footballers in 1973.

[YearOfTheDees 3,095]

Remember watching his brother Tom come up though the twos. finally played together but not in the same league ability wise.

[forever demons 1,854]

He lived in mooroolbark opposite me used to run into him sunday mornings buying the sunday papers,good bloke

[Demon Disciple 11,034]

Dad was friends with him. He was shattered when Robbie passed away.

Despite having broken ribs, he would’ve played in the 87 GF. Tough.

[Demonstone 19,319]

I think Robbie's injury was to his shoulder/collarbone after being collected by Dipper.

He could barely raise his arm and I doubt he could have played the next week.  We'll never know, alas.

[Superunknown 3,343]

Still makes me teary watching him.

My home ground guernsey has #13, away game has #5, and Anzac premiers one #2. I hope we hold JVR and he salutes a long time in that number. The last holder also did it proud. 

[Bitter but optimistic 21,329]

Flower was a football genius - pure and simple.

It amazes/disappoints me that ( outside MFC) he doesn't get the recognition he deserves.

[Hellaintabadplacetobe 4,092]

Forever grateful I watched him play for a good 5 or 6 years nearly every game. Often got into the rooms after home games and sat next to him as a 10-11 year old in awe.

He was poetry in motion. Did things nobody else could do and never will.

Shed tears at his memorial at the G 

RIP Robbie 

Edited June 9, 2023 by Hellaintabadplacetobe
Spelling

[Roost it far 6,234]

9 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

It was Saturday 9th June, 1973, exactly 50 years ago today that a lightly built bespectacled 17 year old Robert Flower took to the field for the Melbourne Football Club on the hallowed MCG turf for the first time. There were 19,900 spectators on hand for the game to witness the debut of a player who ranks among the club’s greats.

Melbourne beat Geelong by 58 points in a game where another youngster, Glenn Swan starred with 8 goals at full forward and John Tilbrook finished with 6 for the day. Flower booted one on his debut.

Melbourne 2.6.18 8.13.61 16.16.112 20.19.139

Geelong 3.7.25 4.9.33 6.12.48 11.15.81

Robbie went on to play 272 games and kick 315 goals before he retired at the end of 1987. His last game was that season’s preliminary final and, at the time, he was games record holder at the club. He was captain from 1981 to 1987 was Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medallist in 1977, twice MFC leading goalkicker, made the Melbourne Team of the Century on the Wing, made the Melbourne Hall of Fame and the Australian Football Hall of Fame and was twice All-Australian (1980, 1983). His exploits on a wing for Victoria in State of Origin matches were legendary.

His football exploits were sublime, he was a great team player, loved the club and was a champion person who passed away far too early at age 59 on 2 October, 2014.

 

Brings a tear to my eye watching that. He held this club aloft alone for a dozen years. I so wish he was seated beside Gary Lyon that grand day in Perth. 

[redandbluemakepurple 318]

5 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Shane Fitzsimmons made his debut in Round 2, 1973 against Hawthorn at Glenferrie Oval.

I too have been telling people for 50 years that Shane Fitsimmons debuted the same day: incorrectly.  On Channel 7's League Teams the previous Thursday, Jack Dyer could not believe that a VFL club would field a side with a Flower on the wing and a Swan at FF.  He opined that it must actually be Fowler, that's right Fowler.

When RDB moved Robbie from the wing, a thing of beauty was snatched away from us.  Have we forgiven him?

[MelbCup 11]

Thanks Whispering Jack for correcting the mistake in my initial post where I wrote  Robbie kicked two goals when actually it was one goal in his senior debut. 

I couldn't let the day pass without some recognition of the great man that I loved to watch playing and I rushed my typing. 

 

 

[robbiefrom13 877]

Robbie Flower did not wear glasses in his debut match.

I sat in my usual spot - on the upstairs fence on the wing, Great Southern Stand, and he was right below me.

When the teams were announced, Melbourne brought in two players on the two wings - Flower and Fitzsimmons - and Alves was moved to the half back flank.  On the Saturday this still seemed outrageous to many of the Melbourne supporters who were naturally very happy having Alves on the wing.  It took some time in the game for them to stop heckling about it.  Not only was Robbie's surname a bit hippie-ish sounding, but Fitzsimmons had the full afro.  It seemed like the club had gone very left field, and in those days the expression "flower-power" had a definite San Francisco whiff about it.

By half time we were utterly mesmerised - as were the Geelong players - nobody could get the ball off him.  Stan Alves would be proud today, I reckon, that he gave up his wing for the great Robbie Flower to get a start.  I sat right behind the goal that he kicked - late in the game from the forward flank, by which time it seemed only right that he should get into the scorebook as well.  My most memorable day ever, at the football, and that includes the 100-to-7 rampage in Perth.  There will never be such an improbable-looking start turn out so quickly to be the best thing you have ever seen.  In the rooms afterwards, the ten pounds award went straight to the skinny seventeen-year-old.  Thuggery and brute force, stand aside.  I was teaching poetry for a living at that time...

[No. 31 578]

Robbie Flower taught me to handball. He came along to a footy clinic at my primary school. Had a soft spot for the Dees ever since.

[spalding 1,118]

An island oasis in a sea of misery through the mid 70s to kid 80s 

as an aside, I recognise just about all the umpires’s names in the record from that day of his debut, and I think every single one of them is better than what we see today. 

[D4Life 2,301]

He was a genius, if Demons had played more finals and won a flag while he was playing, he would get much greater external recognition.

A few of the state games highlighted his skill and superb play!

The only reason to go to see the Demons fir about 5 years!