First game?

[biggestred 5,138]

This sort of backs onto the other post about how you became a demon but yet again its 1am and I'm wondering what everyones first game was (yes i know a few have mentioned it in the other thread).

Bonus points if you can find it on afl tables.

Mine was as a 6 year old.

John Longmire kicked 14 and we got pumped 😂

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1990/111219900707.html

[BLWNBA 1,123]

 

11 minutes ago, biggestred said:

This sort of backs onto the other post about how you became a demon but yet again its 1am and I'm wondering what everyones first game was (yes i know a few have mentioned it in the other thread).

Bonus points if you can find it on afl tables.

Mine was as a 6 year old.

John Longmire kicked 14 and we got pumped 😂

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1990/111219900707.html

Mine was also as a six year old. Great memory of heading into the G with my Dad.

 Round 14, Sunday 7 July 1996 - MCG

Melb 14.10 94

def

Footscray 10.7 67

[Rab D Nesbitt 8,496]

Round 1 of 1981. Barassi’s first game as coach. Went to every game except the one in Sydney against Geelong. 

We won a single game that year. By 1 point when Robert Flower marked in the goal square deep into time on at the railway end of the Western Oval in round 3.
 

 

[Demonstone 22,820]

Mine was the West Portland Under 15s footy trip on 12th August 1972.  It was Round 19 at Kardinia Park where we handed out a thumping to Geelong.  Greg Wells and Paul Callery dominated and Greg Parke kicked seven goals. 

Melbourne 21.16.142 def Geelong 11.19.85.

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1972/091119720812.html

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, Demonstone said:

Mine was the West Portland Under 15s footy trip on 12th August 1972.  It was Round 19 at Kardinia Park where we handed out a thumping to Geelong.  Greg Wells and Paul Callery dominated and Greg Parke kicked seven goals. 

Melbourne 21.16.142 def Geelong 11.19.85.

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1972/091119720812.html

Little did you know this was an outlier 😭

PS: I’m impressed you remember the date! 

Edited December 12, 2023 by WalkingCivilWar

[Timothy Reddan-A'Blew 5,286]

This thread will filter out the geriatrics and/or those taken by someone who was possibly breaking some sort of infant abuse law.

Me? First category.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,939]

Round 20 1988. MCG

Melbourne V Bulldogs. We lost by 10 points after being down by 8 goals at 3 quarter time. We were in the midst of some really poor football in late 1988 after an 11-3 start to the year.

My second and third games were much better. Early 1989 wins over Fitzroy and Richmond at the MCG as well.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,939]

1 hour ago, Rab D Nesbitt said:

Round 1 of 1981. Barassi’s first game as coach. Went to every game except the one in Sydney against Geelong. 

We won a single game that year. By 1 point when Robert Flower marked in the goal square deep into time on at the railway end of the Western Oval in round 3.
 

 

Geez and I thought 2013 was bad.

[640MD 3,429]

Another Geri,  well close. 
first game pestered my dad for days 58 Queens birthday at the G, can only remember the crowd and me running down to the fence . I was only 8.

next game last couple in 1966. Met up with John, Stan, Don and Gordon and we were firm friends for years. Summer and winter.

Went to 3 marriages and one funeral.

any of the last 3 read this rubbish, no contact for 25 plus, are you still around ?

still in contact with a few others from back then. Go Dee’s 

its fair to say we were not very good from 66-79 !

Edited December 12, 2023 by 640MD
More

[dl4e 5,851]

Some time in the 60s. I can always recall my dad and uncle stopping at a pub in Burwood road and I would be stuck in the car for 2 to 3 hours while they got [censored] to the eyeballs. This went on for a few years.

[Diamond_Jim 12,628]

Melb v Bulldogs at the MCG

It was a long time ago with my father (not a footy fan)... 1962... I believe we won

The next was Hawthorn v Melb at Glenferrie in 1964. Age 9 went with a few grown ups (11 and 12 year olds). Things were different in those days.

Can recall a game at Princes Park in 1965 perched on the roof of a tin shed. Barassi's first game against Melb. We won.

A few weeks later the Saints beat us and 57 years of failure began

[Bimbo 940]

Father took me to Melbourne (180 miles one way as it then was) as an 8 year old to watch Ron Barassi at the Lake Oval in 1963.  Demonwiki informs me it was 1 June.  I recall being amazed by the huge crowd.  Demonwiki informs me it was 17,160.

I remember being desolated by the loss but Demonwiki informing me the score was: 

South Melbourne 11 goals 8 behinds 74

Melbourne 8 goals 22 behinds 70

suggesting some things dont change over 60 years

[JTR 2,856]

I'm the NZ'er from the other thread who moved to Melbourne in mid-1999 and settled on Melbourne as my team a few weeks into the following season. 

My partner (now wife) was initially thrilled that I had come from a country that knew nothing about AFL and was hopeful that I wouldn't become obsessed with the game, get a membership, put stickers on my car and either watch games on TV all weekend or go to see them live.

Long story short, after realising there was absolutely zero chance of me not going full AFL-nerd, she took me along to see the round 3 game between Collingwood v Carlton, figuring that'd be a good introduction to live AFL.

My lasting memory of it was how loud and involved the crowd was throughout the game, which is something I'd never experienced before at live sport events in NZ (rugby, league or cricket).

(Sav Rocca monstering the Carlton backline and kicking 6 almost got me over the line as a filth supporter too, but the less said about that the better... 🤢🤢🤮)

Needless to say, that game got me hooked on watching AFL live and wanting to see more. 

We had to go away for a while after that, so my first Melbourne game (by which point I had finally settled on the Dees as my team) wasnt until a couple months later in round 14, also vs Collingwood, where the Wiz kicked 9 and we smashed them by 65 points.

I've barely missed a Dees game in Melbourne since!  😎

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by JTR

[Dees_In_October 3,495]

2 hours ago, JTR said:

We had to go away for a while after that, so my first Melbourne game (by which point I had finally settled on the Dees as my team) wasnt until a couple months later in round 14, also vs Collingwood, where the Wiz kicked 9 and we smashed them by 65 points.

I've barely missed a Dees game in Melbourne since!  😎

What a welcome the Dees gave you!

 

I don't remember my first game because I was probably 3 or so. My first few years of watching were curtailed by lack of height or ability to have any idea what was going on except when we kicked a goal. Just the rise and fall of the crowd's reactions, while I busied myself with snacks and other diversions, and hoped for the song at the end. All I knew was red and blue = good; everyone else especially black and white = bad, and that's just how it is. I wasn't particularly accustomed to winning or aware that success could be a thing. So, no one specific 'first game', just a gradual dawning of awareness.

[whatwhat say what 22,948]

moved to melbourne in late 87; first game attendance was r1, 1988

melbourne 23.16.154 defeated richmond 16.12.108

tony campbell kicked 7 straight, dollars lyon 4 goals 3, eishold 3 goals 2, while brian wilson was EVERYWHERE with 30 disposals

glorrrious

[hardtack 10,627]

Having parents who had no interest in VFL until I won the autograph of a Saints player at a school training session and gave it to my mum who from then on became a staunch Saints supporter. We finally persuaded my father to take us to the Saints v Dees game in Round 12, 1966 at Moorabin Oval.

From memory, it was wet, freezing cold, I was absolutely miserable and we were standing in probably the most exposed part of the ground and, to make matters worse, we had a scoreless last quarter in which they kicked 4.6 to end up winning by 43 points.

i did not enjoy my first game at all.

[Neil Crompton 5,625]

My first game? The ‘64 grand final. Not a bad start at all. Don’t remember much except getting a flat tyre on the way there and holding up all the traffic on High St wanting to turn right onto Punt Road heading to the game. I remember Ray Gabelich’s long run and goal, and my namesakes goal from nowhere at the end. Other than that, not so much. 

[Dee*ceiving 1,690]

R15 1993 vs Geelong at the MCG.

I always remembered it being epic and the stats certainly justify that memory. As a 12 year old I'd waited sometime to finally get to go to a game, could barely have been more fortunate.  

Despite 11 goals from G Ablett snr the Dees suck away with a 14 point win in a four quarter performance. 

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1993/091119930710.html

We only laid 17 tackles for the whole game, just incredible compared to today's stadards!

Edited December 13, 2023 by Dee*ceiving

[Palace Dees 2,340]

1971 R18 at Arden Street. I was 17yo and although a Demon from my earliest memory, I had never seen them live. Dad rarely went and I never saw a game with him, despite chasing his car in tears as he went with a neighbour. 

I either played myself or followed the races in those days. I had started my first job in a bank in the city and had become good friends with a North supporter. Given our teams were playing and I wasn't, we went and were two of a crowd of just 6500 to brave the wind and rain that day. 14 of the 17 match goals were scored at one end. Game day reports show Max Walker replaced 'Crackers' Keenan in the last quarter, we had just 32 handballs for the day and over 100 frees were awarded.

I remember we were 26 pts down at 3/4 time but kicked 5 of our 9 match goals in the last quarter to draw the game. My mate's smug look evaporating with every goal. 

As my mate's brother was good friends with David Dench, I joined them in the social club post match. Last thing I remember was being escorted out mid evening after cheering Melbourne's goals on the replay being shown and singing It's A Grand Old Flag. 

Edited December 13, 2023 by Palace Dees

[Fork 'em 6,991]

On 13/12/2023 at 06:52, Rab D Nesbitt said:

Round 1 of 1981. Barassi’s first game as coach. Went to every game except the one in Sydney against Geelong. 

We won a single game that year. By 1 point when Robert Flower marked in the goal square deep into time on at the railway end of the Western Oval in round 3.
 

 

I once had an autograph from my then favourite player of the time that read ....

To Fork 'em.
Keep barracking hard.
Demons in '81.

Steven Smith.

Edited December 13, 2023 by Fork 'em

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,909]

2 hours ago, Neil Crompton said:

My first game? The ‘64 grand final. Not a bad start at all. Don’t remember much except getting a flat tyre on the way there and holding up all the traffic on High St wanting to turn right onto Punt Road heading to the game. I remember Ray Gabelich’s long run and goal, and my namesakes goal from nowhere at the end. Other than that, not so much. 

It's the first game I can remember that I went to. Whether I was taken to any games before that I can't recall. And I don't remember anything from the GF itself, other than a very vague memory of Barassi handpassing the ball to a teammate (no idea who) who then handpassed it back as they were both running to the city end. I was 6 at the time.

[Rab D Nesbitt 8,496]

1 hour ago, Fork 'em said:

I once had an autograph from my then favourite player of the time that read ....

To Fork 'em.
Keep barracking hard.
Demons in '81.

Steven Smith.

Smudge! Do you remember when he had an illness a few years later and wore an old style bicycle helmet over what I guess was a toupe? One of a number of quality players at the dees that never got to grace the G in September. 

[Fork 'em 6,991]

8 hours ago, Rab D Nesbitt said:

Smudge! Do you remember when he had an illness a few years later and wore an old style bicycle helmet over what I guess was a toupe? One of a number of quality players at the dees that never got to grace the G in September. 

Vaguely remember the head gear.
But I do remember booming torp goals while he was CHF which originally caught my attention as a kid.
I also remember back in the day when the players would run onto the field they'd boot half a dozen footys into the crowd at different points of the ground.
The cheer squad was always on the 2nd tear on the outer wing and of course at least one footy was sent up to us.
This day Smith come wandering toward us with his footy.
I turned around to enable him to see the #35 on my back.
He sent it on it's way and I was gearing up for a chest mark when a big kid in front of me took an overhead.
I was spewin'.

I remember saving up my pennies to get

Steven
  35
Smith

on my duffle coat which I had ironed on at the sport shop over the off season.
Round 1 he trots out in jumper#1.
Spewin' again .... I coulda saved about $6 as it was one less number and #1s we're cheaper than 3s & 5s.
Think it was about $15 all up.
A fortune.
Same price as KISS Alive II 😎

I also remember Leigh Matthews knocking him out with a round house king hit at Princess Park.
Smith was giving him a bath but we still had a monumental victory that day.
One of many false dawns I witnessed.
And I saw it Sandy and Bobby.
Right in front of me.
Should've got about 6weeks but didn't get reported. 
And didn't we give the blind goal umpire hell about it.
 

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by Fork 'em

[Rab D Nesbitt 8,496]

2 hours ago, Fork 'em said:

Vaguely remember the head gear.
But I do remember booming torp goals while he was CHF which originally caught my attention as a kid.
I also remember back in the day when the players would run onto the field they'd boot half a dozen footys into the crowd at different points of the ground.
The cheer squad was always on the 2nd tear on the outer wing and of course at least one footy was sent up to us.
This day Smith come wandering toward us with his footy.
I turned around to enable him to see the #35 on my back.
He sent it on it's way and I was gearing up for a chest mark when a big kid in front of me took an overhead.
I was spewin'.

I remember saving up my pennies to get

Steven
  35
Smith

on my duffle coat which I had ironed on at the sport shop over the off season.
Round 1 he trots out in jumper#1.
Spewin' again .... I coulda saved about $6 as it was one less number and #1s we're cheaper than 3s & 5s.
Think it was about $15 all up.
A fortune.
Same price as KISS Alive II 😎

I also remember Leigh Matthews knocking him out with a round house king hit at Princess Park.
Smith was giving him a bath but we still had a monumental victory that day.
One of many false dawns I witnessed.
And I saw it Sandy and Bobby.
Right in front of me.
Should've got about 6weeks but didn't get reported. 
And didn't we give the blind goal umpire hell about it.
 

 

Those red & blue footballs had Exacto printed on them. I know because I snaffled one from where I used to sit right behind the goals at the city end where there were only two rows of seats and a lot of bare concrete behind it. I got the whole side to sign the footy in the rooms after training, back when that was at the G. 

I was so excited to get my first duffel coat. It was navy blue and my mum sewed red & blue 'piping' around all of the edges and I had it plastered with name tabs, badges and sew on patches from the little demon shop next to the old time clock at the Punt Road end of the ground. I had Mark 25 Jackson printed as the main number and Crackers 10 Keenan directly under that. This was right at the end of the 1982 season but before '83 came around Jacko had left for St Kilda and Crackers had retired. With a stanley knife blade I managed carve enough of Jacko's name & number off to get Dale 29 Dickson printed over it. 

As I remember it the cheer squad at the time had already moved to the members side of the ground next to the race and only used those seats on the Southern Stand flank when it rained heavily as they still had crepe paper floggers in those days. The family house was in Noble Park and I'd often see a couple of their members get on the train at Malvern (I think) with floggers to bring them to the ground. 

 

[Fork 'em 6,991]

8 minutes ago, Rab D Nesbitt said:

Those red & blue footballs had Exacto printed on them. I know because I snaffled one from where I used to sit right behind the goals at the city end where there were only two rows of seats and a lot of bare concrete behind it. I got the whole side to sign the footy in the rooms after training, back when that was at the G. 

I was so excited to get my first duffel coat. It was navy blue and my mum sewed red & blue 'piping' around all of the edges and I had it plastered with name tabs, badges and sew on patches from the little demon shop next to the old time clock at the Punt Road end of the ground. I had Mark 25 Jackson printed as the main number and Crackers 10 Keenan directly under that. This was right at the end of the 1982 season but before '83 came around Jacko had left for St Kilda and Crackers had retired. With a stanley knife blade I managed carve enough of Jacko's name & number off to get Dale 29 Dickson printed over it. 

As I remember it the cheer squad at the time had already moved to the members side of the ground next to the race and only used those seats on the Southern Stand flank when it rained heavily as they still had crepe paper floggers in those days. The family house was in Noble Park and I'd often see a couple of their members get on the train at Malvern (I think) with floggers to bring them to the ground. 

 

You're lucky man.
Thought you coulda been the bugger the got my footy.
I hold grudges.