Tarax Club

Would like to know the body weight too. Gives an idea of the physical stature of the player. Newton’s laws of the motion can’t be applied without the mass. Maybe the people who are running ‘the show’ should supply sideshow mirrors.

Agree. Definitely not a downhill skier. Judging by his game against the VFL Bulldogs in the Elimination final last season. Kicking 5 goals out of a team total of ten was an impressive performance. Considering most of momentum was going the opposite way.

joeboy great start to the season, agree with much of your pithy triplets. Reality is a dish best served up cold. A trifle harsh on Judd McVee (Jekyll and Hyde). Some excellent moments with a few diabolical lapses. Ed Langdon on my viewing had a (blue colour performance).

HEALTH WARNING Drinking your own bath water may be deleterious to your personal well-being.

DeeZone vomit emoji completely accidental reception here quite dodgy! Remote (ish) off mainland location. Correction and apology cheers! Fingers crossed for tonight could be tight. TC

Cheers Radar, was not ‘live’ for that performance by the Wizard (working OS at the time). My waltz thru these guernsey numbers was inspired, either by players very much seen or aware of by pre-internet ways and means. TC

#33 Tom Fullarton Ivor Warne-Smith wore #33 in his very first season with the Fuchsias. After demobilising from Flanders in 1919. No listed players for the #33 guernsey grab a great deal of attention until Gary Hardeman’s arrival at the club in 1967. He played 219 games for the Demons over the next decade or more. Regularly representing Victoria in the Big White V and attaining All-Australian status in 1972. A great amount of his career was spent at the centre-half bank position. Where his dynamism was best displayed. Rising above the pack to grab an authoritative mark. Hardeman would often hit the ground beautifully balanced and full of running. Delivering a long raking drop punt deep to the forward line. His distinguished career would include multiple top three Brownlow medal and Best and Fairest finishers. Gary was later honoured with Team of the Century selection at the centre- half back position by the MFC. Tony Elshaug commenced the trend for players of shorter statue wearing the #33 jumper. Reflecting the prolonged lack of success at Melbourne he left for a premiership at Essendon. Greg “Sugar” Healy is the brother of Brownlow medalist Gerard Healy another demon departee. His injury truncated career was distinguished with a Best and Fairest award in 1986. He attained captaincy at the age of twenty-two. Leading the 1988 Grand Final team against a rampant Hawthorn outfit. Jeffrey Farmer arrived as a relatively unheralded Western Australian youngster. Although he was given the epithet “The Wizard” by the WA scout. Which proved to be prescient given his spectacular on-field exploits. These included a hair trigger play on handball on his first appearance at the MCG into the back of Captain Garry Lyons head. After marking in the Swan St end goal square. Fortunately the field umpire allowed young Jeff to reset and kick the goal. The ‘merger match’ between the Demons and Hawks at the end of 1996 home and away season at the ‘G was dominated by the firepower of David Neitz and Piggy Dunstall. Jeff Farmer’s magnificent cameo of three goals in the third quarter still burns bright. On an evening where many believed the merger was a fait accompli. During 1998 Farmer established himself as a bona-fide star. Kicking ‘goal of the year’ and taking one of the greatest marks in Australian rules football period. Against the rampant tiggers, Garry Lyon again providing ‘the prop’ his back as a step ladder. Jeff was unjustly denied the award of ‘goal of the year’ by an inferior award decision. His 2000 season exploits now regarded as ‘legendary’ by the Demon faithful further enhanced Farmer’s reputation as “The Wizard”.

#27 Marty Hore Going back to Len Smith, brother of Norm. At the time of his recruitment Father Victor Smith suggested the younger son Norm was ‘worth a look at’! Two seasons at the MFC before being ‘surprisingly omitted’ (Demonwiki 2024). Not unlike the current wearer of the guernsey. Len got his second chance at Fitzroy where he later coached post his playing days. In 1960 the Lions after a nine game winning streak played the Demons under Norm Smith’s tutelage in the semi-final. The only time brothers opposed each other as coaches in a VFL-AFL final. The Demons were victors with a ten goal winning margin. Denis Jones with fifty nine games is not the #27 record games holder but he did play in the 1959 Premiership side. Appointed as coach at Melbourne for the 1978 season. His winning percentage at 22.73% was no where near that it was as a player at 76.27%. A wooden spoon cleared the way for Carl Ditterich’s ascendancy as captain-coach in 1979. During Ross Brewer’s freshman and sophomore years at the Demons he sported the #27 jumper. A product of the club’s suburban zone, his slight build no impedance to his goal scoring ability. Sean Wight was part of the pioneering ‘Irish experiment’ by Barrasi and Richardson. Born in Scotland, he was a talented Gaelic rules footballer. Who despite some challenging injury concerns established a career in Australian rules. Wight is a co -record holder for games played in this guernsey. Known for his athleticism and ‘dour’ determination. He was successfully matched against some gun forwards of the time. Including Jason Dunstall, who he held to a solitary goal in a game against Hawthorn. Jarod Rivers developed from a promising young defender to being recognised with a Rising Star award in 2004. Although his time at the Demons was also affected by injury he is the co-holder of most games played (150) with Sean Wight. Upon becoming a free agent under AFL rules he joined Geelong. Another South Australian, Anthony Ingerson enjoyed a career renaissance as a key defender in #27. At the Demons after being traded by the Adelaide Crows.

#23 Shane McAdam Some successful and well known individuals have worn this jumper. Francis ‘Pop’ Vine debuted in the 1926 Grand Final. A Premiership player after one game of VFL football. Played his whole career as an amateur. He was named captain in 1933 but only led the side on nine occasions that season. Geoff Tunbridge was a late starter, debuting at the age of twenty-five. A triple premiership player from the half-forward flank. Wikipedia entry describes him as ‘a red-headed spearing left-foot flanker.’ A teacher by profession from Ballarat Grammar where he taught for many years. He accompanied Brian Dickson at the No-Merger Alternative Melbourne rally at the ‘G in 1996. Brian ‘Doc’ Roet wore the jumper briefly during 1968, after returning from a protracted absence working overseas as a doctor. He was a premiership player in 1964. Peter Sinclair who held the number from 1969 - 1972 was also a doctor. Warren Dean was part of the John Northey coached Demon revival. He arrived as part of a recruiting coup, that also bought in Todd Viney and Earl Spalding to the Club at the start of 1987 season. A very talented, attacking footballer with a booming kick. Unfortunately his time at the club was in the end afflicted by a serious knee injury. Which proved to be career ending. Kevin Dyson was also a very long kick of the football. A football journeyman who eventually found his way to a VFL list at Melbourne. Alaistair Clarkson spent the 1996-1997 seasons at the Demons. He got his start in coaching, as a conditioning coach there after he hung up his boots. James MacDonald joined his brother Anthony at the Dees. Despite his comparatively slight build, he proved to have elite endurance and courage in spades. Seen often tackling bigger bodied opponents. James played 251 games for MFC, was two times best and fairest. He was appointed Captain and received an All-Australian gong by the end of his time at Melbourne. Bernie Vince’s recruitment from the Crows could be viewed the start of the Demons as being a destination club. After a lengthy stint in the doldrums. His second season produced a best and fairest winning performance. James Jordon always seemed to be the perennial bridesmaid at Melbourne. Despite being part of the 2021 premiership but not playing an active role. He was never able to consummate a regular on field position in the team.

Is the Swans midfield in disarray? l certainly hope we go in with a preparedness to take them on. According to today’s AFL website story: Double Trouble. Pair’s Injuries Add to Swans Midfield Woes. Beyond the glib headlines they bat rather deep.

Wasn't that for Plugger?

Send in Pickett Fence or is this a cunning plan?

Just noticed we both reside south of the border equator. Welcome to the tropical stew. Young Verrall could be anything. Any observations would have to be tempered by a very limited sample size. Did not play anywhere near a full season last year. Young bloke looks very willing and judging by today's photo on the AFL site, was not intimidated by the bigger bodied Harry McKay, plus he has a terrific leap. As Choco Williams says birth certificates don't necessarily count.

Positions Vacant: On line footy forum has vacancy for a “Whipping Boy”. The successful candidate would exhibit the following. Preferred traits; an ultra-strengthened carapace ability to rebound from a less than perfect performance elite resilience …

Cheers Checker memory can be elusive as you pass your ‘playing days’. Saw Tassie #8 play later in his career. Captain from full back, could kick a decent torpedo punt. The Robert Johnson referred to in my previous post is listed on demonwiki in 1950-1952 as the #14 guernsey encumbent too early for Tassie. Hyperlink goes to the Father and Son Roberts Johnson probably just needs to be tidied up.

Surely Jj Rogan Josh is preferred. Meat pies are so passé.

#14 Jack Billings Micheal Hibberd and Lyndon Dunn the most recent Demons prior to Jack Billings gave this fabled Guernsey number stability and endurance going back to the 2006 season. Hibberd originally came from Essendon. A club imploding after a successful reign at the top echelon of the AFL, due to the highly controversial supplements scandal. After a lost year out of football due to the performance enhancing? drug saga. He quickly established himself as a top defender in the Demon’s lineup and was subsequently rewarded in 2017 with an All-Australian team gong. Despite injury concerns, his timing late in the 2021 season was impeccable. He achieved what would be a career pinnacle, of being selected for and playing in the resurgent Demons 2021 premiership team. Lyndon Dunn played either as a tall forward or defender at Melbourne with mixed success and at one stage trialed as an on baller. No stranger to appearances at the AFL tribunal due to his propensity for on field altercations. He fell out of favour, coinciding with the arrival of Paul Roos and finished his playing days with Collingwood. Rodney Grinter was described in demonwiki as ‘one of the most controversial hard men of the league’. Grinter often fell foul of the umpires, making sixteen appearances at the VFL tribunal in his time at Melbourne and serving a total of thirty-one weeks suspended. His ‘badman reputation’ on and off the field would have given Bon Scott as front man of AC/DC a run for his money. Beyond the uncompromising on field demeanor. Grinter proved to be a no-holds barred, combative, competitor who gave the team plenty of spine and spunk in an often rough and tough era. Barry Bourke a premiership player in 1964 and record holder for number of games played in the #14 guernsey at 175. Played most of his footy at the beginning of the big drop off, briefly walking out of the club with the sacking of Tiger Ridley. Back in the days of kick to kick after the game at the ‘G, your correspondent nearly got collected by BB resplendent in #14 cantering off the field. Must have been another loss judging by his grim facial expression. Back in the Time Machine, Trevor Johnson and a ‘Robert Johnson’ according to demonwiki represented the club in #14 during the golden 50’s early sixties. May be a a bit of a demonwiki mystery here to solve? Big Bob Robert B, wore #18 and #16. Robert C his father wore 11 according to dw. Maybe this ‘Robert Johnson’ did a deal at the with old Nick at the crossroads? Delving further back into the numero-mythology of #14. Maurie Gibb started his MCCFC career in this jumper switching to #10 to become a significant contributor in an earlier golden era. Playing in two consecutive premierships before WW2 service truncated his footy days. Finally the most famous name to grace #14 Ivor Warne-Smith. Dual Brownlow Medalist, one awarded in the 1926 premiership year another in 1928 playing as captain and coach. All from centre half-forward too, a more than handy footballer apparently.

Rotations aside appear to have eased off on the pedal last quarter.

The beauty of the understatement; ‘Well that escalated quickly’ Must have flown these guys in from Canberra AM.

All aforementioned doing their chances no harm.

Be grand if Andy debuts sooner rather than later consistency is the key.

Just got to wrangle that AFL media accreditation Andy.

Immaculate ball drop!

Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power and Roan Steele all ‘early’ matinee idols. RS continues his fine run of ‘classic goals’ should have the turnstiles clicking over. Get him in mid-season draft!