Its the off season, its midnight and i cant sleep and got suddenly curious as to how we all became dees. For me it was my cousins who were up the road who are all mad dees and that was 35 years ago and the rest is history. So how did you end up a dee?

My old man who was a Collingwood supporter was recruited to Melbourne from Dandenong High School as a 15 year old and went on to captain the under 19s in the mid 50s.

He went on to play reserves for the club during the golden years but sadly never managed to play a senior game. He then left to play for Springvale in the Premier League.

The rest is history and I was born with a hand knitted red and blue jumper.

It’s a love hate relationship.

Undertook many satanic rituals 

My father chose the dees in their successful era (in amongst a Richmond supporting family) but I have two older brothers collingwood and Richmond. I grew up without access to a television so would pick between whichever two teams featured on the Saturday radio broadcast each week. After barracking for every team at various points I settled on Carlton early nineties. But their cheating to win a flag burnt me and I didn’t follow a team for a long time after. But when Jimmy put out a plea I jumped on the demon wagon and rode through the lows. Unless they burn me like Carlton (or the Aussie cricket team) I’m here for life. 

I was born in 1976, and my dad was a demon supporter. His dad was a demon supporter too. So was his dad. I don’t know about his dad.

Needless to say, my 2 kids (teenagers) are Melbourne supporters too.

Birth trauma - forceps too vigorously applied.

Grew up in the 1980’s in Sydney when we would wait for the mail to read newspaper clippings sent up from Melbourne by extended family who took pity on us. 
 

As for why, well that’s easy. I was told it was the Demons or you can move out of home. Fifth generation - the family story goes that a Collingwood supporter hit my great great grandmother with an umbrella in 1904 and the rest is history. 
 

Ron Barassi giving instructions on the Tarax show back in the early 60's.

I was seven years old and it was at the matinee session of our local cinema where they used to play Cinesound Movietone newsreels (boring) and cartoons (yay) before the feature film.

On this occasion, they showed colour footage of a Melbourne v Collingwood game and I was simply entranced by the red and blue of our guernsey.  I was hooked and became a Demon supporter, despite urgings from my old man (Collingwood), brothers (Footscray and North Melbourne) and neighbours (Essendon and South Melbourne).

It was late 1964.   Had I known it would be a 57 year wait for a flag, I may have reconsidered.

  On 10/12/2023 at 13:50, Beetle said:

My old man who was a Collingwood supporter was recruited to Melbourne from Dandenong High School as a 15 year old and went on to captain the under 19s in the mid 50s.

He went on to play reserves for the club during the golden years but sadly never managed to play a senior game. He then left to play for Springvale in the Premier League.

The rest is history and I was born with a hand knitted red and blue jumper.

It’s a love hate relationship.

Interesting story Beetle.

I grew up in Dandenong in the early 60’s & followed the mighty redlegs. They wore the same jumpers as the Dees so it was an easy decision.

Geez Dandy had some great players - Alan Morrow, Hughie Mitchell, Rodney Evans, Frosty Miller et al.

I was 5 years old in 1958 when the older English kid in the upstairs flat told me I had to barrack for Melbourne as they were the best.

I have never considered changing even though my father followed Essendon.

My fathers side and brother are St Kilda.  Mothers side all on the Tiges.  I was on the fence until 1991.

I was 7 years old in 1991, a certain Irishmen won the Brownlow and I just thought his accent was the best.  I started going for him and then afterwards the dees.

I slightly recall this, but my dad tells me after Echuca (were I grew up) played Shepparton United (dees colours) that I strolled into there room and tried to pinch the 11 guernsey from whoever the Shepparton United player was which quite a few of players had a laugh when I got busted.

The United property steward at the time gifted me a kids woolen guernsey with no number on the back which really was a lovely gesture.

I went home that night and cut 2 straight lines out of white t-shirt and got some wood glue and tried to apply them to the back for my magnificent number 11.  Sadly, the glue didn't work but I still loved my un-numbered Shepparton United guernsey.

 

I followed my dad, he loved Checker Hughes, Norm Smith and the whole Romance of RDB Junior he had a lot of passion for the MFC. My older brother went for the Bombers but I have stayed with the Dees through thick and thin, whereas my dad followed RDB to the Blues and znorth. Unreal Lol.!!

I was born to be a life time Demon lover. My father and his half bro were dees. Dad was a social club member in the late30s early 40s but left to help start the Ashburton FC. Lucky for me the local butcher was a MCC/MFC (A Mister Head) member so I went most sats with him, we would go into the rooms after a game and i got to shake hands with the giants of Melb, like the Cordner bros ect so as a maybe 5 year old i was hooked. 

/ 

I had no choice. Dad was an MCC Member until this year.
My Brother broke ranks and barracks for St. Kilda, which I find highly amusing 

Part of the 1950s vibe. Who else but the dees.?

Kids and grandkids never had a choice.

GO DEES

Some interesting stories here, mine not so interesting. As a young lad I knew I lived in Melbourne, found out there was a team called Melbourne and decided that was for me - that's it aha. 

My dad played for Melbourne in the Norm Smith, Percy Beames era of the mid to late forties. I didn’t stand a chance

Greg Parke and Greg Wells visited the primary school I was at bk in 1970 when I was 10.  Greg Wells smiled at me and patted me on the head.   That was my fate sealed .. the laying on of hands was complete…the curse officially laid. 

Edited December 11, 20231 yr by Wells 11

  On 10/12/2023 at 23:15, djr said:

My dad played for Melbourne in the Norm Smith, Percy Beames era of the mid to late forties. I didn’t stand a chance

respect djr. That’s pedigree. 

  On 10/12/2023 at 21:54, Cyclops said:

I was 5 years old in 1958 when the older English kid in the upstairs flat told me I had to barrack for Melbourne as they were the best.

I have never considered changing even though my father followed Essendon.

Similar storey asked when 5 who I barracked for. Two snotty nosed little brothers with missing teeth said you only follow them cos they’re on top. Always assumed they were Collingwood.

and the big boy in the flat next door would have hit me if I said anything other than Melbourne.   Like other’s history.

never thought about changing.

In my little hometown of Whyalla, South Aus i played for South Whyalla Demons and the SANFL i followed the Norwood Redlegs. 

So i always had a leniency to the red and the blue, but never followed the AFL super closely.  But then a good friend of mine (Issac Weetra) was drafted to the Dees which sealed my loyalty and on going membership.

  On 10/12/2023 at 13:25, biggestred said:

Its the off season, its midnight and i cant sleep and got suddenly curious as to how we all became dees. For me it was my cousins who were up the road who are all mad dees and that was 35 years ago and the rest is history. So how did you end up a dee?

Am loving this thread - thank you!

Was a Hawks supporter until Grade 3. Made a bet with my Grade 3 teacher - who was a fanatical Melbourne supporter - that I'd follow the team that won the H&A game between Hawthorn and Melbourne. Round 7, 1988 changed my life. For good or bad, ill leave that up to you all. 

 

Born that way and so was my daughter…..