Demons3031

Thanks for the thoughtful replies- some good perspectives and I enjoyed reading your views. You are spot on Loges-LOL- at my older age these time warps pop up every now and then. We relied a lot on radio for VFL coverage back in my day-and they really brought the footy alive even without the visuals. Though we did enjoy Pelaco Inquest with Mike Williamson and the TV replays on a Saturday night before reading the Sporting Globe! If I start rambling and calling Langdon "Bluey Adams" in my posts then I think a cup of warm milk and a pair of slippers and a nap might be needed on my part!

Hi all Am looking forward to seeing these two (Dunkley and Rivers) in the team together at some stage next year. Wondering what others think about the positions and roles they will play and how they will contribute in a game. Interested to hear your analytical responses and also some possible match scenarios for the creatives in the Demonland group. I can already hear the voices Of Mike Williamson, Phil Webb Jack Dyer and others commentating on some of those scenarios! Thanks in advance.

I seem to remember he played some handy games at centre half forward too.

I know..and thats OK.

Pick 42 would have been nice to have kept. Still not sure why we gave that to the Hawks. Regardless of how we feel about losing Frost I'm not sure we did all that well in other parts of the trade. I suspect it might have been possible to get what we got (Pick 50 and future second rounder etc) and still kept Picks 42 and 61 and future fourth rounder if we were tough enough. I fear we were so anxious to do the deal and weren't strong enough in our negotiations. I reckon having 42, 50 61 might have been quite fruitful for us. Thats my feelings anyway..interested to hear what others think. Have I got this right or confused things?

Plenty of love here. Those were wonderful years and he was a key part. Thx FarND

Thanks 58'er..some good memories there. Thanks everyone for contributing to this thread..bringing back good memories and filling in lots of gaps for me.

Yes Matt Whelan......and Derek Feldman-Number 28. Solid back pocket. His brother Rick played HFF No 39 Phil Roden( 3 games). Clint Bizzell seemed to be shifted around a bit for us..up forward then down back..but i think did play at full back or in the pocket too on occasions. Bernie Massey and Tassie Johnson might have been a bit of a conundrum for the selectors. Round 1 in 1964 Had Bernie at full back and Tassie Johnson first ruck. Oh yes..Spud Dullard..remember him well..think he also might have worn no 28?

Hi Bush Demon..yes I had heard that too. Barassi never denies contact..but is adamnant that he was trying to punch the ball out of Dean's arms and made incidental contact with his chest near his throat..if there was any contact with the face or head Ron never felt it and was sure it never happened. Not having been there, I'm guessing ... but based on all that if it there was facial contact, and it was not a fist as Barassi says, who knows.... it might only have been an incidental brush with his arm as his fist was punching the ball and chest. ..certainly not a direct fist or punch to the head. Gaudion claimed Dean fell forward..the film the Demons wanted to introduce in evidence showed him falling backwards..but they were not allowed to use it as evidence..if it hadbeen, he wuld have been cleared according to most observers. When asked at the tribunal by Barassi's advocate if he was known for "staging", Dean replied "no more than other players".. Barassi says (in Lalor's biography) if he wanted to punch him he easily could have done that with a straight punch but that he never did. He was "Flabbergasted" he was reported. According to Lalor, Norm Smith had to send the runner out 3 times to get Barassi off. He was so angry at the report but with the roar of the crowd it was hard to hear the runner. (I would not like to have been the runner on that occasion!) Despite his anger on the ground at the time, Barassi didn't publicly slam Gaudion- instead just saying he made a mistake.- thats the character of the man. A very sad event that caused a lot of anguish for a great man. P>S There was a post on this in 2014 by Whispering Jack in a post called Fifty Years On.

Yes thanks Dieter..my poor expression.:)

Good memories there Dieter! They were wonderful days to be young and watching a great side with a coach like Norm and captains in Beckwith and Barassi!

Yes Dieter..a great back pocket--handy up forward before that too. I seem to remember he played some of his early games on a wing before Norm Smith used him in a forward pocket or as a "decoy" full forward before his days in the back pocket. Norm Smith seemed to like that style of full forward with players like Alan Rowarth.(2)..not all that tall . Was the great Athol Webb similar?.. I remember him playing and kicking heaps of goals-had a feeling he too was not overly tall. From memory they were good leads or freed up the goal square for talls like big Bob Johnson? Norm Smith did a have a strategy for that from memory. Barry Bourke was a good goal kicker wasn't he . I have a feeling he also was one of the first Melbourne defenders to take kick outs ( I could be wrong..anyone else remember?)..before that Bernie Massey and Tassie Johnson used to kick long kicks. Tas Johnson would sometimes drop kick the ball from full back to the centre to the likes of Terry Gleeson, John Lord and other talls...a wonderful sight!

Good one Neil Crompton. Am I right in saying he played the first half of his career on a half back flank before moving to the back pocket around the time he was captain? I seem to remember him being knocked out by a stray Justin Madden arm in an Essendon-Melbourne game at the MCG when he was on the HBFlank before becoming a great back pocket?

Yes Laurie Fowler -top Player Fork 'em...From Richmond originally? Did he also ruck rove for a while? Was wondering whether Denis Clark played a short stint there in his later career after his centre line career or is my mind wrong on that one?

Some good ones there '55! Just remembered Matthew Febey too. Trying hard to think of the mid late 60;'s and the 1970's....?

Trying hard to remember the line of back pocket players from early 60's to the present. Anyone like to have a go? Starting with Beckwith then Neil Crompton........ Beckwith Crompton

He played his early years on the forward line then mid career in the back pocket. He then relinquished the back pocket to Kevin Sheedy and went back to the forward line again later in his career. He is chosen on the half forward flank in Richmond's team of the century.Roger Dean Back pocket and HFF - Wikipedia 1957–73, 175cm 73k, 245 games 204 goals

Roger Dean Back pocket and HFF - Wikipedia. 1957–73, 175cm 73k, 245 games 204 goals Some other interesting information from Peter Lalor's Barassi biography:- Barassi's advocate was Mr Gaudion, the father of the umpire who laid the report! Barassi claim's he hit him on the chest near the throat as he was trying to knock the ball off his chest and that Roger Dean exaggerated it. He was "flabbergasted" to be reported. Melbourne attempted to submit TV footage but is it was not allowed then - the rule was changed after that.

Well said SWYL!

A very thoughtful selection-hope the selectors take note of this.

Remember you well Ian...watching you when I was just a kid. Thank you for the great memories. R.I.P.

Thx DN9..that brings back a lot of memories.

Thanks DN 9 -yep no12..trying to think of other No 12's here..Dom Tyson Hugh Bromell Neil Crompton..any others stand out?

Thx Hemingway. Just checked on Demonwiki - he wore No 12. 1975-77 was cleared back to Sandringham and eventually played in a premiership and then later coached their Reserves.

Marty Lyons..can anyone confirm-I think he wore Number 29?