bush demon

That is sensational. Would very much look forward to seeing that.

Our best last year was mid-table. We beat Carlton, Essendon, Richmond and Adelaide without a forward line to straighten us up. With the addition of Hogan and good players coming in, we could expect to get at least 10-12, imo. Frawley is a loss.

Why don't the phantom drafts show us having BOTH picks 2 and 3?

Long been a gripe of mine. Our last premiership coincided with the last year of ritually wiping the football videos of grand finals. Ironically our best early footage is a black and white TV commentary of the last ten minutes of the '58 grand final, when we fell over. I once rang Col Hutchison and he told me that an (unnamed) TV executive at an (unamed) station had wiped several grand finals, including ours in spite, after that station losing the TV rights coverage.

The crowd scenes show how we have changed as a society. There is a togetherness that is totally absent in today's selfish world. Everyone seems to belong to the same family in these shots. It is the same with 60's youtube footage of the kop, Liverpool's home ground.

I bet you couldn't kick five goals in an AFL match, let alone for the MFC.

I also like the national competition, and Sydney Swans is my second or third favourite team. But drawing players out of Victoria to fund teams such as GWS is going to hasten the demise of one or more foundation clubs. Who knows, that may even be a good thing. But GWS will remain heavily subsidised and heavily unsubscribed well into the future just so the AFL can prove a point. It will be quite interesting to see the impetus that football gets with next year's Asian cup being held here.

GWS, an expensive drain on Aussie Rules, congrats Western Sydney Wanderers on winning the Asian Champions League after a courageous overnight draw in Riyadh. Started after GWS, on much lower funding. A genuine, grass roots football organisation. On the weekend, Gill said they wanted to collaborate with football in western Sydney. Well now they are going to have to. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-02/western-sydney-wanderers-win-asian-champions-league-title/5860430

He was a shonky kick.

ok, fair enough. i'll start my own super-league.

I'm thinking Glenn Swann, Darryl Cutherbetson, David Cordner, George Lakes, Peter Yeo, Peter Weekes, John Gallus, Russell Reynolds, Vincent Cattogio, Russell Collcott, Phil Carmen, (pipping P. Keenan, Jacko, Alan Jakovich, Steven O'Dwyer and Brent Crosswell), and not to mention Ed Burston, the boom recruit of 1966. So much for this much-maligned era.

What a highlights reel. The guy is a big unit, and a good user of the ball. I don't think you could put together a highlights reel like that for Frawley.

Footscray and Port Adelaide only just over the line against us. Hogan, Lumumba, Frost, Garlett, and X - factor of draft picks gives us reason for optimism. There is some swill going on at a few clubs, gives us a chance to sneak through and pinch an extra 3-4 wins. Clark was non-existent last season, so no loss. So down to net loss of one player, Frawley.

A mixed blessing. Experiencing these highs as a supporter makes it all the worse, having to put up with the long years since.

This was Round 5, and Melbourne desperately needed to show their credentials against a top side, and bounce back after Skilda had easily run over them the previous week. The tipsters were favouring Essendon, but in the end, Melbourne dominated, overtaking Essendon on the ladder, and showing themselves to be serious contenders in 1964.

Very sad news, from a life-long demon supporter, and life-long admirer of Robbie Flower. My abiding memory of Robbie is seeing him standing alone in the goal square with one useful arm, calling for the overlap handball that would have got Melbourne into the 1987 Grannie. Unfortunately it never came.

6th Instalment, Donna's 1964 Scrapbook, featuring Melbourne's fourth round defeat by St Kilda.

Thanks for the all the great comments guys, it is an absolute pleasure to share this collection. It certainly takes me back in time. We had a charismatic club back in those days. Only hope the good times will one day return. Will upload rest as I am able.

This is epic. Hird standing on 'principle'. Another coach once fell on the matter of principle. Once again, the game is bigger than the individual. This game is worth billions to the media backers. If that is lost or the game becomes tainted it will be more than Essendon or James Hird that falls. Edit= sp.

You just get a sense, reading through these pages that Melbourne were the main game in those days. Wait till you guys see the rest of this collection. I have skipped 'personalities' (another 20 or so pages) and am currently uploading 'practise matches'.... it's a bit slow because i want the images to be good. Donna's father went to training one night, mid-season, and nearly all players have signed their names in the scrapbook.

There are well over a hundred pages. This is just a first instalmenent under her title, "Personalities". It goes round by round...

I thought this deserved its own thread (apologies, WJ as you have had a fantastic 50 Years Ago thread running during the year. In 1964, 16 yo Donna Steele was an absolute demon fanatic. Inspired by her Demon-loving father, Don Steele, Donna kept a scrapbook of her beloved team throughout this special year. Now I have custody of this book and would like to share it with you all out there. I am posting a couple of pictures to get the ball rolling. The book covers the fortunes of the team, round by round and is a magical read. Few of the pictures would have been seen by modern-day footy fans. All in all, it is a treasured tome. Over the next few days I will put it all together into a slideshow. For now, I just want to get the text clear enough to read. http://postimg.org/image/nktjk0f05/ http://postimg.org/image/3ns7oslit/ http://postimg.org/image/ycr3z3ugl/ http://postimg.org/image/aaevhz379/ http://postimg.org/image/z8nlek451/ http://postimg.org/image/s1qhwfilx/ http://postimg.org/image/ftctlgaut/ http://postimg.org/image/vhe0s8qgl/ http://postimg.org/image/gk5jr8d85/ http://postimg.org/image/5r2mwglbp/ 2nd Tranche: http://postimg.org/image/tofphnunp/ http://postimg.org/image/yj9efxsz9/ http://postimg.org/image/44dfb899x/ http://postimg.org/image/qrsohdotx/ 3rd instalment: "... in which the '64 Demons go about their paces in a series of practise matches, and serious injury overcomes one of their new recruits." 4th Instalment. Includes coverage of thrilling season-opener v Geelong. Melbourne went down in a close match, but served notice that it will be a contender in 1964. 5th Instalment These selections review Melbourne's defeat of Carlton. Note commentary on Frosty Miller, later to become a star in the red and blue for Dandenong.

It means he is positioning hmself for D's defection, feigning 'being staggered'. Otherwise he would just reiterate and confirm what is assumed, that Dangerfield is happy to stay at the club. Why even speculate, if they are so sure. Make sense?

Interesting quote that 'they would be staggered' if Dangerfield wanted to leave the club. That implies they aren't totally convinced that D. does want to stay.

Not sure if this has gone up yet: http://www.news.com.au/sport/breaking-news/adelaide-says-no-to-melbournes-offer-to-poach-star-midfielder-patrick-dangerfield/story-fnect155-1227073870024