Demons3031

Like me Farmer.. I think I saw Stuart Spencer once or twice I think in 1955-6 when he paired with Ian Ridley. According to Demonwiki, 82 goals between them in 1956!If I remember, Denis Cordner might still have been playing and Peter Marquis. :)

We were were only a few streets apart-we should have organized a match down at Watson Park!LOL Do you remember the time the train went too far and hit the buffers at Alamein station and almost knocked them out of the ground? I remember once walking the track you played on down to Gardiners Creek...and probably then looked for golf balls. I had a couple of teaching colleagues up here in Wangaratta, who lived in Ashburn Ave back in Ashy in their youth.-one of whom was John McKenzie? Another colleague up here was Terry Magree - his parents owned the Milk Bar next to the Civic theatre in the early to mid 1950's.

I always felt we were double blessed having both Bernie and Tassie J in the side at the same time-for so many reasons.

He had great foot skills. Wonderful, player.

Yes wasn't he great. Doug Wade must have thought all his birthdays had come at once playing in a side with Polly Farmer and Billy Goggin serving it up to him on a plate-though he himself was very skilled. You've reminded me Bitter about all the good competitions and other segments they had on World of Sport. The Education side about how to kick and handball etc with icons such as Billy Goggin, RDB and Bob Skilton etc. The wood chop, the cycling with two opponents on stationary bikes cycling their hearts out with a big dial with pointers recording who was in front.

You are right about those players Hemingway- but they seem to have been effective-even Brian Dixon's awkward kicks seemed to be well placed. Thinking back, if he hadn't done that mongrel punt in 1964 that was too high for Barassi to mark, the ball might never have spilled the way of Neil Crompton. :) They were great days weren't that-Geoff Tunbridge-No 23-what a flanker...and Athol Webb at full forward We used to sit upstairs in Bay 13 with Dad. A guy with a hessian bag used to sell brown paper bags of peanuts-which people would shell and eat (and leave the mess). The boy yelling "Hot Dogs, Meat Pies" and another selling "Lollies and Potato chips". Dad used to park in Richmond off Punt Rd in one of the side streets-probabaly to save a bit of money. Men would buy or bring bottles of beer (in the days before cans) until Umpire Ron Brophy was hit in the back by a half empty bottle one day. At various grounds, men would bring wooden boxes/crates that used to hold soft drink and the like, to stand on in the outer-especially if you could only get Standing room tickets in the finals. Those were the days! What was your favourite spot to sit and watch Hemingway?

Was that near the railway line near Alamein Willmoy?

Great memories there Nosoupforme. Yes Barry Price, Skilts and Pax Papley-and in another post John Bonney was mentioned. WE were witness to a wonderful era. Yes the type of boot made a difference as did the condition of the ground. It those days it was often muddy!

Great versatile player Bryan Kenneally. Number 22

Yes I remember Paul. Number 20. Played full back. I was reading up on him recently on Demonwiki. I think injury might have cut short his career? Here is the link http://www.demonwiki.org/Paul+Rowlands

Yes he played Back Pocket (no 41?) but because of his kicking skill he often would kick the ball out from full back after a behind. I was lucky to see him in a few games as in those days we got to the footy early and watched the Reserves before the firsts - a feast of footy on a Saturday! :)

Keep on keeping up the traditions Meggs! Thats a real memory of the Paul Goss kick. A really good VFA player (Port Melbourne like Norm?) but just didn't quite cement a spot at VFL.

Yes Barry Davis-No 32-I agree La Dee. he had the ability to give himself time and space to execute a drop kick from half back-usually to Essendons Ken Fraser at CHF! :)

Didn't notice any Timothy but I haven't yet watched the whole quarter. I do remember Billy Goggin in an earlier final that year-several times taking taps from Polly Farmer on the runat full pace and executing superb stab kicks and hitting Doug Wade on the chest in front of goal. He was brilliant. As an an aside, I was talking with someone at Christmas about our old street in Ashburton where we would practice leading and stab kicks and take chest marks running full pelt toward our brick fence- fond memories of marking at the same time as throwing out the front foot to step onto the fence and over into Dad's garden!

Good memory there Hampton...wonder what Barassi's reaction would have been if he had done that in the seniors. I reckon RDB was so madly into team discipline and rules he might have dragged him even if he had goaled from full back! :) Reading both the Norm Smith biography and RDB's biography they both were so maniacal about team rules. Barass used to cop it from Norm for trying to do too much to turn things in a game instead of following directions. I think Norm reportedly told off Neil Crompton for disobeying rules and following his rover down from the back pocket when he kicked the winning goal in the '64 Grand Final-no doubt Norm also gave him a pat on the back too. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv5jel79vRQ Some nice drop kicks from both sides in the early minutes..and some great ruck work from Polly Farmer. Gotta love Ian Cleland's Clelo's) commentating error between the 3-4 minute mark when he stumbled over his words and claimed Gary Young was "fricked" An understandable error when trying to say "free kicked" too quickly! LOL :)

Yes I remember Phil Rhoden kicking out in the Reserves at Glenferrie oval one day...and Don Williams on the half back flank-what a great attacking footballer. When our lera years started his career was i sunset time - I remember in one game he was switched into the centre from half back. Am I correct in thinking Ronald Dale B as coach was a prime mover behind the drop punt replacing the drop kick?

This is probably one for some of us more mature Demons-but what are your memories of players skilled and proficient with drop kicks.? I have wonderful memories of the great Tassie Johnson kicking out from goal and consistently landing them around the centre circle. And the roving Ian Ridley seems to relish the drop kick as well. I have a feeling Trevor Johnson maybe?? Keen to hear others memories. With other clubs, I remember Billy Barrot for Richmond and perhaps Fred Swift at Full back and Geelong CHB named Walker?

Wonder if ye olde Chook Fowler (Number12) is unconsciously egging people on to contribute these posts. No more from me..:)

I trust we wouldn't be accused of poaching?

Funny you mentioned him Ohio-I was only thinking about him a couple of weeks ago and wondering hy his career was so short..I still have a clear picture of him from Footy Replay (In Black and White of course!) rucking a boundary throw in near the members wing- and he never seemed to play a game after that.

Thanks for the memories Blair-both when playing against us and with us. :)

I would be keen to keep Hannan too Dr D.

Great post Farmer. I enjoyed the memories you share very much. We seem to have had quite a few players who moved on a bit too early. The days of low player payments meant that an offer of coaching interstate or a country club in Victoria must have been enticing. Hassa Mann was one amongst quite a few. Players also seemed to retire earlier than today too..like at 28-29. Maybe the medical expertise wasn't there back then to help them play on. I remember sitting with Dad in the old Bay 13 on the wing. INnthe early 60's they changed the numbering system and it became Bay 15. We sat upstairs. I remember Dad pointing out the members on the other side wearing their gaberdeen coats and hats. Boys selling unshelled peanuts from hessian bags ( and boy did they leave a mess) and men lining up at the bars and toilets. I remember I used to collect all the beer bottle tops to use as boundary markers for home games of penny footy! They banned beer bottles after the umpire, Ron Brophy, got hit in the back at a match one day by a bottle. Glad you lived through that era too Farmer and have those wonderful memories.

Yes you make a good point Moonshadow. I guess I was thinking that if Tom McDonald and maybe Jetta were part of the two way package trade , that might free up some $ in the finances.