bush demon

Maintaining old grudges is gifting other clubs premierships. Just look at Richmond/ Bartlett/ Wallace and the divisiveness that quickly spreads and festers over decades. As an eight year old I was stunned when Barassi left Melbourne. By the time of Dennis Jones as coach i was legless. The Gutnick era caused a lot of heartache in recent times, but i think the club now is more united than ever. You only have to feel the atmosphere aroiund the cheer squad to appreciate the difference. this in turn rubs off on the players. note the way they ran to the supporters on the fence after the game on Sunday.

What a laughable thread. The guy did a great job today... with a little confidence in his game he could have had a bag today. Took good contested marks as well. Richardson was also missing lots of set shots at the other end - just another example of the serial bagging of our players by anonymous no-hopers.

I think it was "Greatest Ever Exponents of Perfection Football". We also had a banner which read, "Melbourne, Masters of the MCG".

Where can I find a list of player numbers for 2009 pls?

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/fit-...4632893770.html NOt sure how to do this...

"wouldn't HAVE played" Get Cameron to help you with your English.

I paid my membership yesterday and suffered a horrible depressing afternoon in the southern stand after driving two hours from Gippsland. Time to think about some of the posts (and reactions to) posts on demonology and demonland. A fair degree of sniping and cheap shots are only natural when your team is way down and sometimes make insightful reading. But judging comments by (Chris Connolly?) in the media recently, not always appreciated. As a means around this negativity, and in order to foster some accountability amongst d'landers and ologists, (as we expect from the club) why isn't it mandatory to put your mfc membership number somewhere when registering a post? That way the true believers can vent their spleen and the barrackers can scream from the sidelines. That way those from the club who occasionally read these websites will know what the genuine gut reaction of paid-up members is. There has been talk about no sub-committees at melbourne and how we are run by the staff. well this is a way to have a genuine 'online', sub-committee which all can genuinely bounce around ideas and emotions about the future direction of mfc. Secondly, why do the car stickers not have 1858-2008 printed on them? Instead some wordy vague phrase about 'being a part of it'.

The hit on Hird remains a low act. Hird is a ball player and that's how teams typically try to neutralise him, garnished of course with "hip and shoulder bla bla bla" justifications.

Jumping Jack, I have been irate about this issue ever since I noticed the James Hird clip used by one of the posters. Do you celebrate this kind of thing when you socialise with your mates who support other clubs? Jumping Jack Clennett, i know you go back a long way, further than me. What about Carl Ditterich's unpremeditated violence on anyone going near the ball, what about John Greening being felled behind the ball, what about Neil Balme king-hitting Southby in the (?71 grand final) what about grinter taking out Terry Wallace's teeth in the late 80's? Thank goodness a lot of this stuff has been cleaned up. While you guys drool over the punishment dished out to footballers from other clubs, somewhere someone will be keying in their delight at Daniel Bell being flattened last year. How you guys can celebrate this cowardly head-hunting blind-sided gutlessness is beyond me. What distinguished aussie rules for me as a kid was that (unlike rugby) it didn't celebrate violence yet permitted body contact if delivered in a fair manner. A lot of the stuff celebrated in this link no doubt involves taking a player out because 1. he got to the ball first; 2. he had the courage to get down low over the ball. As for the intellectual 'sideswipe', I didn't know that knuckle-dragging was a qualification for posting, but I will re-check the site rules.

Sorry, this is pathetic.

Neil Daniher did this kind of thing in his first year in 1998 and a lot of fuss was made about it.

Was Graeme Watson one of them? I seem to remember an all-rounder by that name.

Champagne under lights SPEED… FIERY CLASHES… and many brilliant passages of play – the Victoria v SA Premiers’ match at Norwood Oval under lights on Thursday had the lot. In a thrilling hard-hitting game that had 18,000 fans yelling throughout, the scores were seldom far apart. Melbourne trailing by 12 points at the last change, finished strongly to kick 3.6 to a point by South Adelaide and win by 11 points – 9.14 to 9.3. Despite their disappointment, the partisan crowd was satisfied that it had seen one of the best exhibitions of the season. South had their opportunities, but couldn’t come back after Melbourne rover John Townsend had snatched the lead in the 23rd minute of the last quarter. However, they were gallant in defeat. To lose four members of the premiership team and still hold the best club team in Australia to 11 points was a tribute to their courage and ability. Their rise from last in 1953 has been remarkable. Melbourne’s centre line, Frank Adams, Hassa Mann and Graham Watson was surprisingly quiet, and on the night was well beaten. FRUSTRATED. Melbourne, with a reputation for pace, were closely checked, often outsped, and frustrated into errors. Coach Norm Smith said after the game that South were on of the fastest teams he had seen. The Demons had three players in particular to thank for their win – back pocket Neil Crompton, Townsend and ruck-rover Ron Barassi. Three years ago Crompton was an ordinary player with Glenelg in the SA League, but if it hadn’t been for his sterling work in defence on Thursday, South might have won. Townsend kicked two timely goals in the second half when South threatened to break away, and a third that gave the Demons the lead with only seven minutes remaining. Barassi “the Villain” following his clashes with opposing captain-coach Neil Kerley, brilliantly set the handball pattern for the team. OPEN WAR Frequently he enticed an opponent towards him, created the loose man, and then accurately punched the ball to a lone teammate. Barassi and Kerley, who had clashed several times in the first half, declared “open ward” half way through the third term, when Barassi ran yards to rain blows on the back of Kerley’s neck. Former Broken Hill recruit Mick Rivers was South’s hero. Brought in after being an emergency throughout the major round, he turned many attacks from the half-back line. Lanky Darwin aboriginal David Kangilla proved that his match-winning Grand Final performance was no fluke by marking and rucking strongly. He also shook off pursuers to kick two goals. The turning point in the game probably came in the dressing room at half time when Smith instructed centre half-back “Doc” Roet to knock the ball away. Roet had been unable to cope with Peter Darley’s clever body positioning and safe high marking in the first half. DARLEY FADED As a result, South attacked from smart-moving centreman Lindsay Backman through Darley to the goalfront, but as Darley’s influence became less pronounced in the second half, South found scoring increasingly difficult. In the third term they had four scoring shots for four goals and in the last quarter only one for a point. Melbourne have played three end-of-season “premiership” matches at Norwood and have given full value in each. In 1963 they beat Port Adelaide by a point before 20,000 people, in 1958-9 (?) they won by 42 points before a crowd of 18,000 and on Thursday they again fought on to clinch victory in the closing stages. OUR BEST 3. Neil Crompton (Melbourne) didn’t drop a mark in the back pocket, where his anticipation and skilful interceptions foiled many South attacks. His kicks usually landed the ball near the boundary on the half-back line. 2. Mick Rivers (South Adelaide) he’s not big, nor a stylist, but he’s courageous and a real battler. Backed his judgmenet at times coming from half-back to the wing to meet the ball, handled it well on the ground and advanced to half-forward before disposing of it. 1. John Townsend (Melbourne) has a reputation for taking marks, but it was his pace and opportunism that impressed SA fans. Scouted the packs cleverly and kicked four goals. 6 Umpire Max O’Connell This was his first big game, although he has had charge of a few league matches. some Melbourne officials weren’t impressed, and there was some justification as south Adelaide appeared to get the breaks. However, some of his best decisions were against south players- breaches that any umpire would have been forgiven for missing. He should have adopted the 15 yard penalty long before he did in the third quarter for there were a few veteran Melbourne players who took advantage of his latitude. He mad mistakes, but he didn’t rob the match of glamor. Some of the frees that Melbourne complained about were the result of blatant infringements that are in the rule book. BARASSI DEMONS’ BEST Melbourne captain Ron Barassi has won the club’s best and fairest award for 1964. It is the second time that Barassi will receive the MCC Trophy and the Bluey Truscott Memorial Trophy for the best player. He last won them in 1961. Centreman Hassa Mann was runner-up for the third season in a row. Winger Brian Dixon won the Ron Barassi Memorial Trophy for the third best player. Other awards were: Outstanding service, ruck rover Bryan Keneally; outstanding service , rover John Townsend; and a special trophy for outstanding service to centre half-forward Ray Groom. The award for Melbourne’s most improved player went to follower Graham Wise and for the best first year player to follower-forward Graeme Jacobs.

Ron Barassi played a shocker on grand-final day 1964. He kicked four points and one out of bounds. The surviving TV footage shows him missing the run of the ball, and the Dixon kick (which fell to Crompton). Perhaps Ron's mind was elsewhere- where he was going to play in 1965. Wow! The game was a real hard battle By Ron Barassi, in collaboration with Tom Prior It’s a pity sometimes, on very special occasions, that two teams cannot win a Grand Final. Because Saturday was one of those occasions, and if every a team deserved to win, Collingwood did. The Magpies showed what the old football expression “G, and D” – guts and determination – was all about. They were a team to be proud of, a team I would have been proud to have played in. But Melbourne deserved to win too – and DID WIN only because it could match Collingwood’s greatest assets – its fanaticism and refusal to admit defeat. It’s not easy to come from behind in the last few minutes of a Grand Final against a team like Collingwood. I’ve known pressure in football before, but nothing like that last quarter on Saturday. It would have been a tragedy if we had lost after holding the lead for about 80 per cent of the game, and missing goals with so many easy shots. I’d have felt like cutting my throat. I’m not too happy even now. Five misses from five shots with plenty of time to steady myself and get everything right. How about that? And how about that beautiful pass to Ray Gabelich, who was standing on my mark? If you want to know what it feels like to have 70,000 people laugh at you and another 30,000 curse you, just look me up! Norm Smith sent out a runner with a gem of a message: “Cut out the the short passes to Collingwood.” They were playing well. What was happening elsewhere on the field where my teammates were carrying the load, playing really well to stay in the game and win the flag? I have only a hazy idea. Most of my memories have to do with a Collingwood jumper with a big 29 on the back. That’s all I saw of it it – the back! Kevfin Rose, the magpie in the jumper, did everything right, and he’s my all-the-way selection for best man on the field. Even conceding he mightn’t have had much to beat on Saturday, Kevin must rate as the most improved player in the League this season. His hard work and constant training (not forgetting some secialised coaching from brother Bob) have paid off. On Saturday he had the ball on a sgtring. No matter how well you thought you were positioned, no matter how big the apparent “jump” you had, he’d be there to chip in ahead. And hwen he had the ball he’d always do something with it – something intelligent, something downright dangerous. It was no picnic, I can tell you. And when I’d stagger off Rose to “lost” I was on Laurie Hill, Collingwood’s second best player for the day. What a wrap-up That’s a nice wrap-up if there ever was one. Your two main opponents the best two for their team! The constant defeaning roar of the crowd was like a wall around you and at times, panic seemed only a single stumble or mis-kick away. Then Ray Gabelich grabbed the ball for himself from a throw-in and ploughted off on his own for a brilliant individual goal. You can only shake your head with frustrtation when a really big man does that. Nobody can stop him unless they’re right on him, directly in his path and able to grab him before he really gets going. It’s hopeless from behind. I was thinking all this and realising Melbourne was only three points ahead, and there was Gabbo again. Somehow the ball went over some players and through the legs of another, and the big fellow (I may have used a different expression at the time) was out on his own with only the goals – about 100 yards wide it seemed – ahead. I was praying for him to have a kick as soon as he got the ball as he could easily have missed from 40 or 50 yards out. But on he went, one bounce and then another and another. Four bounces it was all told, an anyone of them could have gone wrong. The huge crowd was going mad and there he was kicking from dead in front. We were three points behind and, while I still couldn’t believe it, I knew we were in real trouble. One thing about playing in good weater though – and playing in a team that you know will keep trying- you still have the change of a quick, match-winning burst. I thought we had it. I thought we had it when Hassa mann, who had been playing a great game, marked for a kick at point-blank range. When Hassa missed, I thought to myself: “That’s the way it happens. Hassa kept us in the four with a ‘miracle’ goal against Hawthorn, won all day on Saturday, and then missed a certainty. There just isn’t any justice in football… I guess the Collingwood players and supporters still feel the same way. But, for Melbourne at least, that winning goal from Neil Crompton was the sweetest, truest, most glorious kick of the whole darn season. Best – MELBOURNE: Dixon, Mann, Adams, Anderson, Williams, Crompton, Wise, Johnson. COLLINGWOOD: Rose (best on ground) Hill, Gabelich, Tuddenham, Waters Graham(?) Henderson.

I got hold of a 1964 scrapbook earlier this year and would like to share some of the highlights with fellow Demons. This article, I think from the Melbourne Herald (Sep '64) was one of my favourites. There are lots of pictures I could post if someone tells me how to do this! ie does the 'attachment' facility below link the picture with the post? Norm Smith, coach of this year’s premiers Melbourne, thinks they can go close again next year. In this special interview he tells why: MELBOURNE CAN KEEP WINNING Melbourne have a lot of football talent and young players who can improve enough to make Melbourne strong contenders for next year's flag, coach Norm Smith said today. Some of this talent did not show up in the Grand Final but Melbourne still won it, he said. On top of this two good players were not in the side. According to Smith, only two of the premiership players will be missing next year – "Bluey" Adams who has announced his retirement and "Doc" Roet, who is going overseas early next season. "Roet might sit on the bench and come on as a reserve to make him a five-year player and eligible for provident fund payments." Smith said Adams and Roet would be difficult to replace, but he believed Melbourne could do it. "One of our replacements is Kerry Rattray who did not play this year because of a knee cartilage operation," Smith said. "He is fast and is a good mark and has lots of skill. He could replace Adams on the wing. Graeme Watson, who had a few games this year, is another player who could take Adams's place. Tassie Johnson could go to centre half-back. So, too, could Don Williams who has plenty of football left in him. The player Melbourne missed most of all was Ray Groom at centre half-forward. He is a clever, creative player; he is strong, a good mark and his handball is good. His absence in the finals was a big loss. Barry Bourke did not do as well at full-forward this year as last season but I like Melbourne's forward set-up. We played to a plan in attack and our record shows it was successful. We kicked more goals than any other side. Six new players "We must continue to recruit well. We played six new boys this year and they all did well. Three of them, Graeme Jacobs, Frank Davis and Peter McLean were in our premiership 20." Smith said Melbourne would retain its ruck set-up. There was nothing radical about it. They had the same number of ruckmen as other sides but used them differently. "A number of former players who have now retired and become 'expert' football commentators did not have the sense to realise what was going on in the Melbourne rucks this year," Smith said. "Melbourne did not have just one ruckman in Graham Wise; we distributed our big-man strength around the ground." Wise will improve "Wise played from the centre of the ground to the forward and back lines. When the ball was forward we had Jacobs or Lord in a forward pocket to contest the throw-ins; when we were defending we had Tassie Johnson in the back-pocket. Wise is an under-rated player. He is good and will be better. I could see him improving in the finals when he started to fly for his marks. I know the things he can do and I think he will do them consistently next year. What other ruckman in the game has his strength and stamina? Add increasing confidence and improving marking and handball and you have a fine player." Too big a job? "If our ruck set-up ever fell down it was not because of wise but because we had to rest Barassi and Kenneally on a half-forward flank. This was shown up in the Grand Final when neither player did well. It's a big task to ask a player to ruck and then spell on a half-forward line. Doing that all the season takes its toll. Barassi and Keneally can do much better than they did against Collingwood. Barassi has a lot of football left in him. Perhaps we will have to find a permanent position for him. What a great player he would be on a half-forward flank. If he played there permanently he would not burn himself out in the ruck. As far as I know Ron is fit, but I could not understand him on Saturday. He did not play well, he just could not lift himself. We have good reserves for our rucks. Rob Foster and Maurie Bartlett, two boys who got a brief taste of League football this year will be good. They are exceptional recruits. Bartlett has tremendous enthusiasm and sometimes it has got him into trouble on the field. But enthusiasm is a big asset – that what makes Barassi so good. A coach can tune down enthusiasm like Bartlett’s when it threatens to become too exuberant but you can’t put enthusiasm into a player." They need rovers. Roving is our big problem - - we want two or three of them. Hassa Mann roved in the finals and got a lot of kicks but he is more of a centreman. In our recruiting we are always on the look-out for big men. But now we must look for some little men. Perhaps I should not say little men because I want a big rover - a player like Stewie Spencer. But rovers are scarce, when did the last good on come into football? Probably Ian Law in 1960. The style in ruck play is not helping to develop them. Ruckmen punch the ball from the ruck and hope that their rovers get it. Rovers have to battle for the ball, so there are few clean break-outs from the centre. Goggin is lucky Bill Goggin is fortunate, he has "Polly" Farmer giving the ball to him then there is only one Farmer. Why did we beat Collingwood by 89 points in the second semi-final and scramble home by four points in the Grand Final? I feel I was partly to blame. I did not train Melbourne properly last week. Looking back I feel I should have given players match practise on Tuesday. We had not had much football in recent weeks. We played the last home-and-home match on August 22; the second semi-final on September 8 and the Grand Final on September 19. All the weapons Roet had one match in about seven weeks. In addition Collingwood went into the game with all the psychological weapons. Everyone wrote them off. It gave Bob Rose, who did a wonderful job this year, something to whip them with. I didn't have anything after our 89 point win. I did not even use the fact that Collingwood won the toss for rooms and evicted us mainly because I think they had every right to do so.

from today (Monday's) HUN: http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/com...5E19769,00.html BETTING on which club Chris Judd will play for next season has been suspended after an avalanche of money for Melbourne with Darwin Sportsbet. "The Demons were backed from $9 into $3.50 then into $2 by Saturday so we've shut it down. The money suggests it's a done deal," Hannah said.

Port Adelaide's defeat finally marked the end of Melbourne's 1988 greatest losing margin achievement, however it will take some time to break the record for getting-ahead-of-one's-self exhibited by the losing Port coach. Dave Hughes had it summed up the night before on Channel Ten when he declared that Williams' trash talking had handed the game to Geelong.

I agree with most of the above, esp. 1998 - a process which lacked natural justice and fairness. The most galling aspect was that Adelaide was allowed to bypass a team that had thrashed it in what is supposed to be a 'finals' series. It is immaterial that Adelaide beat other opponents on away grounds. Ironically Melbourne have benefited from this twisted system ('87, '88, '94) when they potentially could have stolen premierships over superior rivals. The system as it stands favours the team which can 'ambush' a top finisher where they have less injuries/ run into form at the right time. I believe the most inequitable feature of the final 8 system is the way it penalises minor premiers. Not that i love Geelong, but why should Geelong have to continually qualify for the Grand Final? They monstered the competition in the home and aways, then have to play for the 'right' to play in a sudden death preliminary final against also rans. Meanwhile staleness and injuries can bring such a team back to the pack and render meaningless their season dominance. I believe Saints and North had this problem in the late 90's, resulting in dud premierships to Adelaide on both occasions. Top two teams should only have to play once to qualify for the grand final. The current arrangement is a compromise to foster a murdoch-driven televised 16 team competition with phantom interstate sides from non-football codes. It is a sad truth that MFC have failed to finish in one of these positions since 1964.

As I remember it, Robbie Flower had had a quiet first half and was not in form. In the third quarter he took risks and ran the lines resulting in melbourne's win. reminded me of a similar effort by dermot in '91 v west coast when dermot had not been in good form.

I remember reading in the Age a while back about Sheedy's love of the Norm Smith Demons and how they influenced Sheedy as a player and a coach. He used to go and watch them play in the late 50's.

Just got home to check the snowfall. Well I actually like the Coudabeens and also like Greg Champion for that matter. I remember in the old days often going to see his band, "Greg Champion and the maniac rockers". Still, his take on the demons is opportunistic and he wouldn't give a stuff if the club no longer existed. The media are big-time opinion managers.

If you are sick of the put-downs of our club by these guys here is their address. Speaking of top-end-of-town, Ian Cover, Geelong Suppporter was an ex-member of the time-serving Legislative Council in the Kennett years. You never hear any hear Cover being critiqued on his elitism. http://www.abc.net.au/coodabeens/contact.htm

I went to the snow nearly 30 years ago. I wonder when the coodabeens last went to the snow, or dined in a posh restaurant or chatted to their mates about tax schemes. http://realfooty.com.au/news/news/another-...5043031702.html I think an email campaign to ABC re this constant sledging ritual would be a good thing.

Bobby, I think writers such as yourself should have a dedicated, pinned section ie a demonland heritage post. I love reading your anecdotes from the red and blue past of our club. It would be great to see all these memories gathered in one place, so young demon supporters can go and drink at the well and learn why our club was in olden times so respected and feared.

Go to one of the AFL sports shops and ask for the Great GRand finals of the 60's DVD's. It has got every grand final. the '64 grand final is shot from a long range and is overdubbed with average commentary. It is a movie reel, not tv video. the '63 grand final shows geelong chopping up hawthorn in the 3rd quarter with some beautiful passages of play. the '61 grand final appears to have been filmed directly off a tv screen. this was a technique used at that time to overcome the high cost of video footage. i can't remember the technical name they give it. the '60 grand final betw. melbourne v collingwood is live tv coverage. unfortunately the mcg is so sodden that no meaningful passages of play can occur! you get to see laurie mithen do some beautiful pick ups, and ron barassi mark right on the siren and miss from only 25 yards out. len mann rucks fantastically with his big hook arm continually winning the clearances. reminded me of the brisbane big men (clark keating?) in recent gf's. rare tv highlights of the '58 grandfinal show a beaten melbourne making a belated comeback in the dying minutes with some precision passing. the 56-59 gf's all went live to air and were not recorded for posterity (otherthan the footage mentioned). fascinating to listen to mike williamson in the early grand finals ('61 i think) with a mellow, laidback tone. by '66 (like the beatles) he has gone over the top, putting the wrongend of the cigarette in his mouth etc having heartattacks on air etc... unfortunately most of these games are heavily edited and you don't get to see how exciting football was in those days. if onlly we could see the '64 grnad final presented in the way the exciting 66 and 67 grnad finals were. i also heard the destroyed gf's rumour off an afl person. i rang up once and spoke to *** ********** who told me that a ******* **** executive deliberately burnt tapes when that channel lost the rights.