Deeoldfart

I remember your cousins playing with the Dees (well Wrecker and Terry anyway. John only played two senior games). I have a bit of stuff that may interest you, including a small b & w photo of the 1960 premiership team and a photo of Terry in 1966, his first year with the Dees and the year he won the Bluey. I'll email you with details, and you can tell me what you want.

I have always made a point of not bagging Melbourne players on here, but (sadly), I feel compelled to agree with you 100% Einstein. Robbo's actions were hypocritical in the extreme!

1. Sylvia - career best game by a mile 2. Rivers - starting to work his way back to best 3. Green - very good first up from injury 4. PJ - improving with responsibility 5. J.Mac - probably his best for the year to date 6. Maric - great skills, great promise.

I certainly wouldn't regard myself as one of the 'wiser' posters here, but I've been around for a while, and remember Kenny's playing days reasonably well. Kenny was a lightly framed rover / crumbing small forward for Melbourne for about 8 years during the 1960's, and was 19th man in the '64 Premiership Team. He was what I would describe as a 'solid' contributor, but I don't recall him having any remarkable attributes like blistering speed or outstanding foot-skills. I guess he was like many of his team mates in that era, ie. good honest footballers without being anything special (many members of the star studded teams of the 1950's and early 60's had either retired or were in the twilight of there careers by the time Kenny arrived on the scene). Ken averaged about a goal a game over his hundred odd games for the Dees, but as I recall, he always seemed to play in the shadow of more highly distinguished fellow rover / forward Johnny Townsend. Off the top of my head, I find it hard to draw a comparison with any current or recent Demon players (the game was much different back then) but maybe he was a bit of a Steven Armstrong type. I'm sure that the 'wiser' ones around here will be able elaborate further, or correct my recollections.

Great story Einstein. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Me neither. I'm firmly in your camp on that one.

Neither of our main 'run with' players (Bartram / Dunn) have been selected, while Bateman, Mitchell, Sewell and Rioli are all going well for the Hawks. The match-ups will be fascinating!!

I see where you're coming from Rhino, but if your view is correct, the term should never be applied to any footballer. It's really just colourful jargon that actually means bugger-all, but personally, I think it has a place in the language of our great game. Let's just agree to differ on that one. I also loved the three other great players that you mentioned, but two of them did end up moving to other clubs for the lure of more $s and/or the prospect of playing in a premiership. I guess it could be argued that they didn't share the same degree of loyalty to the Red and Blue, as Robbie, but then again, another legend of the of the MFC, the great RDB, moved to Carlton in 1965.

Sensational that we are starting to get some real depth and competition for spots. Cheney, in particular, is extremely unlucky after an excellent game last weekend. The future is looking brighter and brighter.

................ and Rhino, even though its not a term you like to use liberally, you would have to acknowledge that he 'bled for the jumper'. All Robbie ever wanted to do was to play football for Melbourne. When he was a scrawny, bespectaled 16 year old he stayed out of the game for a year because he didn't want to jeopardise his chances of playing for the Demons. And after he had established himself as an elite footballer, he regularly turned down offers to move elsewhere for more $s. The following extract from his 1987 autobiography sums up his passion for the Red and Blue: ".........A rival club once offered to pay off the mortgage on a new house I had just bought - all I had to do , of course, was sign to play with them. The deal would have been worth $60,000 there and then - and it did not include a playing contract. That would have been extra. This happened eight years ago when I had not been married long. It was an enormous amount of money then, and very, very tempting. But I said no. For one thing it would have meant selling my loyalty, and I was never able to bring myself do that, even though there were plenty of chances over the years to cash in on my abilty.......... IMO Robbie was an out and out champion with few peers. I was lucky enough to see our Premiership teams of the 1950's and early 60's, and I don't think I've ever seen a better player in the Red and Blue. He always seemed to be playing against the odds, but his silky skills, enormous courage and determination ensured that he was very rarely beaten.

Sure do! Pretty certain it was Garry Lyon with 'Balls' Grinter.

Sounds fantastic. Love the last para!

Memories indeed! ..... unadulterated joy followed utter devastation and disbelief. The media shots of Dees fans crying after the Prelim. loss are permanently etched in my brain. Big Jim has already repaid the Club in spades for his errant moment, but I reckon his next tilt at a Flag is is not too far away!

Former keen Footscray (Bulldogs) fan, but shortly after the wedding ceremony, I reminded her that she had just made a vow to take me 'for better or for worse' and that included my beloved Demons. She switched to Melbourne and has now been following the red and blue for almost 40 years (she is the first member I 'recruited' for the MFC, but there have been many others, including all of our tribe of kids and grand kids). While the 'other' love in my life is still waiting for her first Flag as a Melbourne supporter, she's consoled by the fact that the Bullies havn't won one over the same period, and she still has me as a husband. Lucky girl!

Another great article WJ. Thanks! .......... and yes, something is definitely happening here. For the first time in a long time, it's there for all of us to see, to feel and to believe in .......... but somehow this time seems better, more solid than the last ........ a new house built from the foundations up, rather than renovations and patchwork.

6 - Davey (precision) 5 - Moloney (tough and inspirational) 4 - Morton (exciting, and getting better with experience) 3 - Bate (very good ... but just in time) 2 - Warnock (ever so dependable) 1 - Grimes (experienced head on very young shoulders)

Yep!

Spencer is another Queenslander who I wouldn't want to lose, especially given our ruck predicament.

Disagree! ........... the 2000 Qualifying Final against Carlton comes to mind. Greeny put his 19 year old body on the line several times and was instrumental in Melbourne's come from behind win. It was his first season.

Frog faeces!!

I'm really enjoying the overall positivity of this thread, and agree with almost everything that has been said up to this point. Thats's a first!! Go Dees!!

Spot-on 1858.

6 - Jones 5 - Davey 4 - Morton 3 - Bennell 2 - PJ 1 - Moloney

Excellent summary E'stein.

Great to see Grimesy selected. The fact that they are prepared to take him on the long flight to Perth, suggests to me that they have a fair degree of confidence that his back is holding up.