On 11/12/2023 at 16:26, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Dad has memories of attending the 64 GF and still tells me how the Neil Crompton the defender who wasn't suposed to be there kicked the winning goal.

@Neil Crompton.. well you’ve been keeping this bloody quiet. 

  On 11/12/2023 at 08:34, Dees_In_October said:

If only everyone in Melbourne had such a thought process, our membership would be through the roof!

New membership strategy based on this thread:

• Put a membership delegate at the Irish embassy.
• Find a way to reach out to influential older siblings in families likely to produce several children (and then occasionally check in to make sure none are secretly harbouring disloyalty!)
• Have a "give your neighbours a scarf" membership option.
• (After googling what the "Tarax Show" was) get a Dees player on an episode of Bluey ASAP.
• Seek out regional/international sporting teams with the same colours and convert on that basis.
• Reach out to players with short or non-playing careers and cement the friendship for generations to come, so no one can question the validity of their claims.
• Give junior members money for playground bribery.
• Start enforcing the "no choice" clause when it comes to house-kicking-out.
• Pets with red and blue strings attached.

Every club in Aus (there are many) which plays in the red and blue, and calls themselves the Demons should be offered some kind of affiliation status, even it is merely symbolic.

I come from a big Melbourne family on my mothers side

My uncle bought me a Demons jumper with Robbie Flowers number on the back when I was born. I was the first grandchild in my mothers family so there was never going to be any doubt I'd be a Demons supporter - my dad wisely did not protest

  On 10/12/2023 at 22:58, Sir Why You Little said:

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 

A Saint and a Demon in one family. I think I read about this in the Bible somewhere. 

Totally ignoble - when I came to the big smoke and the kids at primary school wanted to know who I barracked for, I abandoned the Devenish Redlegs and picked the team on top of the ladder (in the 50's). Stuck with Dees since through thick and, mainly, thin.

I was born in another country but emigrated to Australia in 1949 and when I went to school I was asked which team did I barrack for?

Since in my original country we support the town were we lived, in Melbourne but resided in Caulfield, it was the logical club to barrack for.

  On 11/12/2023 at 03:47, Ethan Tremblay said:

I just came across this board one day and started posting. 

I don't barrack for the Dees either.

I'm a professional moderator and this is the only job I could get.

But I'm learning lots about Aussie Rules and it seems like a really great game!

Was originally a Geelong supporter, as I was conned by my mother (whose whole family had been catters).
However, my father played 2's footy for the Dees back in the late 40's - early 50's. He then went on to be a recruiter and became heavily involved with both the club proper (finished up on board as Treasurer) and the former players & officials association. He never hassled me to follow Melbourne, but if I was going to the footy with him - then I was going to Melbourne games. He was so heavily involved during my formative years of the 70's & 80's that he would be there for the Under 19's at 9am (then the reserves before the main attraction at 2pm) and would still be in some club function at 10pm. Subsequently I basically grew up at The G, exploring every inch of the place. I also had the (under-appreciated at the time) joy of having full access to the rooms pre & post game - and at half time.
I still remember the day that I changed from Geelong to Melbourne. The 2 teams were playing each other (in all 3 games, as you did in those days) in 1976 and I'd wandered down to the end of the race from inside the rooms during the 2nds game to watch. I distinctly recall thinking " I claim to be a Geelong supporter, but I can name only 1 player out there. Every single player for Melbourne has been around to our place for a BBQ at some stage. Who am I kidding - I am Melbourne".
Then the hard part came: telling mum that I had jumped off Geelong. It took about 3 weeks to pluck up the courage before I cornered her while she was busy making dinner. I summoned up the courage & explained that I had something very important to tell her; she looked concerned and stopped to listen. When I finally blurted out that I had defected, her response was quite calm. "Well that took considerably longer than I had anticipated". God love her - and here I am almost 50 years later still welded on to the club.

Grew up out east and Hawks had a following. There’s colour photo of me wearing Hawthorn jumper early 60s. 

March 1965 and we’re in town, MSD (Melbourne Sports Depot) Elizabeth Street. 

 

Mum had canny eye for bargain, nodded towards a promotional basket of guernseys at 10/6d, saying, “Radar needs new footy jumper”. Guess which one fit. 

 

The rest is history. 

At least I came on board at dawn of our darkest era. 

Younger brother remains a Hawk. He can’t quite remember all the Premierships he’s seen. 

 

The only happy fact out of all this is I was one size too small for the StKilda jumper. 

  On 12/12/2023 at 03:05, Grapeviney said:

I don't barrack for the Dees either.

I'm a professional moderator and this is the only job I could get.

But I'm learning lots about Aussie Rules and it seems like a really great game!

I’ve never watched a game. 

  On 10/12/2023 at 23:59, Gawndy the Great said:

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. 

 

Wow, that's going from fine wine to a boiled lolly that's been dropped in the dirt in a matter of weeks

  On 11/12/2023 at 01:04, praha said:

All this thread had told me is that I'm probably the youngest person on here.

hmmm, we may need a succession plan 

I was born 6 months after the 64 flag. When I was born, and Dad got to see me for the first time, he said "G'day Barrass!" He wan't a Dees fan, but loved the way Barrassi played. I think my fate was sealed at that point.

Mum came from a long line of Dees supporters. Strangely enough it is the women of my family who are the mental Dees supporters: my Nan, my mum and now my 2nd daughter. My mum's grandfather was the secretary of the MCC bowling club in the 1920's, and both he and his son won cricket trophies playing for the Redlegs in Norwood in SA. So very strong red and blue in the bloodlines. 

Dad was born in South Melbourne and was a die-hard Swans fan. We went to go the Lakeside oval a few times to watch the Swans play (Dad got into a few blues unfortunately!) and got to meet some of the players. I went to Bob Skilton's home once, met his sons, and was gob-smacked that his house had a swimming pool! He was born in 1935 - two years afgter the great Swans era. He waited 70 years to see his team win a flag.

I went to a lot of games as a kid, and remember the 70's as an era of constant losses, with me going home both sad and disappointed. The only other Dees supporting brother cracked the sads and switched to Collingwood. I went to the MFC open day at the MCG in 1973 and got all the players' signatures, including that of a very young Robbie Flower. If I was a fan before, I was totally hooked after that. Flower, Biffen, Fowler, Hardeman, Callery. I remember crying when Hardeman got pipped at the post for the Brownlow by Keith Greig. 

Never tempted to jump ship, never attracted by the successes of other teams. I hated the long periods of being really poor as both a club and as a team but I am a Dee through and through. 

My (late) parents were migrants. They had less than zero interest or knowledge of AFL (VFL at that time).

As a little tacker, I apparently had a beanie that had red + blue colours on it. (It wasn't specifically a Demons beanie.) I was asked from time to time whether I barracked for Melbourne. My simplest option was to say yes.

I guess that was in 1966, but the first GF I can remember was 1968. Prior to 2021, it was pretty slim pickings.

My 3 children all barrack for Melbourne, with relative (but reasonable) degrees of enthusiasm.

My firstborn married a Carlton supporter. I didn't put pressure on my daughter to ensure that their daughter (my granddaughter) barracks for MFC. So she will no doubt barrack for Carlton. In all likelihood, her father will take her to many more matches than I'm likely to; for various reasons ... decrepitude and/or death.

 

  On 11/12/2023 at 01:04, praha said:

All this thread had told me is that I'm probably the youngest person on here.

Are you Gen X ? Or Millennial?

My Mum took me to the football Round 1 1965. She was a passionate Dees fan and I had no option but to be a Dees fan. Instantly fell in love growing up with, at various times, 29, 26, 24 and 19 on my back. In 69 when Greg Wells came along it was 11.

My son as well had no option other than to be a Dees fan. He has been a member since birth.

Over the journey there were times when he asked me why have you done this to me. He was up against it being the only Dees fan as a Grammar school in the North/Western suburbs. But he simply loved them and remained loyal.

As another poster pointed out 25/9/2021 has wiped away all the misery. It certainly has.

We sit together in the tridents and travel interstate together for games which is great fun. The MFC is a real part of the bond we have. We even went and got premiership tattoos. (My only tattoo).

I say to people the 21 premiership changed my life forever. Most cannot understand my sentiment.

Edited December 12, 20231 yr by tilly18
Fan changed to fun

My local team, Inverloch-Kongwak, were the only footy we went to. When I was about 8, they switched to Melbourne jumpers. So when I went to boarding school, Caulfield Grammar, I was asked which team I supported and I said Melbourne and I have been a Melbourne supporter ever since, as have my children and grand children..

  On 10/12/2023 at 22:58, Sir Why You Little said:

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 

My son who is mainly a basketball player and fan told me a couple of years ago he switched to the Tigers.

[censored] . All that after we won a flag.

Don't know where I went wrong with that one but at least my daughter is loyal to the Dees.

Interesting topic. Like most, Cos dad did.

I was born a year after the  last pies/ Dees flag and complained to the old man I was ripped off.

My dad saw our glory years but we missed the 21 flag together due to him going to that big member's seat in the sky. ( Miss you mate).

Footy is not just a great game but it's a wonderful bonding experience for many parents and kids that spans generations.

Ps Sorry about your brother. I'm sure deep down he's probably a good bloke.😃.

  On 12/12/2023 at 07:36, Maldonboy38 said:

When I was born, and Dad got to see me for the first time, he said "G'day Barrass!"

Your Dad named you Barrassi? Sweet!!

  On 11/12/2023 at 01:04, praha said:

All this thread had told me is that I'm probably the youngest person on here.

Welp, opposition forums don’t call us “Boomerland” for nothing. 

A lot is said about the fact that we weren't a club born out of a suburb and have suffered membership wise as a result of this but reading this thread has me thinking that we may also have picked up a good chunk of our overseas arrivals simply due to being named after this great city of ours. Swings and roundabouts as they say. 

To think none of us would even have heard of the game before we got here. I certainly hadn't. My first experience being on a borrowed portable black & white tv watching highlights of North v Collingwood in the preliminary final of 1979 from our little unit at the Springvale Migrant Hostel. 

 

 

  On 12/12/2023 at 08:44, leave it to deever said:

My son who is mainly a basketball player and fan told me a couple of years ago he switched to the Tigers.

 

At least he’s into footy, albeit not the Dees. I have three sons, all born in Melbourne, not one of whom is even remotely interested in footy. I figure I must’ve committed a heinous crime in a former life… mass murder or something. That said, I sometimes wonder if their lack of interest in footy altogether is better than them being passionately into footy, but for another team. I guess I’d handle it ok, unless the other team was 🤮 Essendon 🤮 in which case they’d be dead to me. Simples 😉 

  On 12/12/2023 at 09:19, He de mon said:

Your Dad named you Barrassi? Sweet!!

Yeah, it didn't stick as a nickname, but the story does hold a special place in family folklore. For some reason it was Barrass (without the letter "i"). 

We moved to Melbourne at the end of 1984, a family friend who was a mad Richmond supporter took my dad and me to my first game in 1986, Tigers vs Dees. As a young fella does, I picked the Dees because I liked their colours and nickname more. We lost by 9pts that game, but I don’t change teams. It’s been a frustrating run, but that feeling of when we won the flag was pretty special after years of pain. 🏆❤️💙

  On 12/12/2023 at 10:44, WalkingCivilWar said:

At least he’s into footy, albeit not the Dees. I have three sons, all born in Melbourne, not one of whom is even remotely interested in footy. I figure I must’ve committed a heinous crime in a former life… mass murder or something. That said, I sometimes wonder if their lack of interest in footy altogether is better than them being passionately into footy, but for another team. I guess I’d handle it ok, unless the other team was 🤮 Essendon 🤮 in which case they’d be dead to me. Simples 😉 

What would you do if you had the trifecta Essendon 😬, Carlton 🤢 and that team in black and white that I won't dare to utter its name 🤮🤮🤮.