bush demon

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.

Part of it may lie in the natural rise and fall of clubs. Aside from minor slumps and the war, melbourne had been up since the 30's with two triple premierships and then the amazing run from '54 to '64. Smith himself said he drove the players very hard during 1964 and it may be that in his one last attempt for glory he just burnt up. Remember that Barassi left Carlton and North shortly after taking them through great premiership eras. Barassi was a hothead in the vein of Smith. In those days it was often the passion of the coach that got the players through. I think Barassi jumped before the ship sunk and I think that Smith was caught as she was going down. I am greatly interested in the opinion of others, though.

the 60, 61, 62 and 63 grandfinals are available on video.

I too am a 64 tv replay video tragic. The game was replayed on at least two television stations maybe even three: Channels 2, 7 and 9. I looked up old newspapers and the replay was shown. highlights of the game were again shown on world of sport the next day. the surviving footage itself - barassi's fumble, dixon's mark, crompton's goal, tuddy's torp and gabbo's gander only came to light i believe in the last few years with Steve Phillips sportscom group researching and finding 'lost' footage which surfaced on the demon red and blue video. it would be a good thing to make representations to these people to go looking again so we can have something to treasure for the 150th anniversary next year. i can remember highlights of the '64 second semi being shown on world of sport when melbourne poleaxed collingwood by 89 points.

i can't get over how authoritative our backline was in the last quarter. mopping up with ease. reminded me of the great tony anderson/ frank davis/ hardeman funsters...

If barry vagg played a blinder then i remember it. i was listening on my blue tranny in the front yard at springvale. a late goal i think by vagg sealed it.

Well it seems country victoria doesn't get the live feed of this game anymore. it's all supercars/ stupid cars Thanks, Rupert.

Thanks Demonstorm, i would go up today only have work to do at home so am hoping to watch on tv. where could i look up prime tv program?

Usually the QB game is live on country tv. i am wondering whether this has changed with this year's pay tv siphoning.

There's extra footage I hadn't seen before. ie Barassi and Gabelich standing on dais as announcements are made. I wonder what other footage lies in the television vaults

If Steven Armstrong can go home to WCe and become a good player, what is going wrong with our young players? Perhaps some footballers are destined not to reach the level they are capable of if the club doesn't have a 'premiership' belief and culture.

I see the Travis Johnstone comparison come up from time to time, but for mine I can't see the comparison. Travis is a user and a finisher. Robert Flower got the hard ball in packs, took contested aerial marks in heavy traffic (outstanding considering his slight build) , you name it. His evasive skills were freakish and perhaps what make him stand out from all others. He just couldn't be caught. Finally, his loyalty to the red and blue is what makes Flower a favourite son.

$38,000. Lou Richards re-named him after a less-precious metal, "Tillendrium Tillbrook".