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Aha. Thanks for that info WJ..the ankle..yes and a shame he couldn't have had a better run without so much injury. A great story on Chris WJ..and the appearance in the number 14 was one I hadn't been aware of. Thanks WJ. Tim

That 20 goal Grand Final victory sounds great Benno..but in some ways I would love a one point victory against a magnificent tough opponent just as much...especially if they were the favourites!

Chris Aitken..Player with so much potential. Suffered a bad knee injury at one stage that interfered with his career from memory. Number.5..one of my favourites...gave us hope...and we needed strong marking forwards who could kick goals so badly then. The knee injuries seemed to happen to nearly every good key, strong marking forward we had back then..Chris Aitken, Greg Parke, Ross Dillon.

Good to hear dazzle. I'm way past it age wise and didn't play much after I left school. Came up here in 1986. Hope you have a good year at the Maggies.. I probably taught a couple of your team mates. Quite a few of our past students have played for either the Wang Maggies or Hawks (and Sydney Swans, Collingwood and Carlton for that matter Give a yell if you want at [email protected]

Hey dazzledavey. I'm from Wang too! Who are you playing for in the O & M?

Well expressed Axis of Bob.

Interesting Olisik..I just wrote down a possible team this morning and had the same..except I didn't have Jetta in. Its very competitive now with many others who could justify their spots. I could see another poster coming up with 4/5 changes to that lineup which would/could be just as justifiable its so competitive now. e.g.Green, Bennel, Martin, Blease, Bate.etc. Maybe its good as it gives us more options and the ability to name sides based on playing conditions, who and where we play etc and use the interchange well for rotations.

"Twas a very good year!" Vintage year in fact! I do have one memory of Barass at a game. You might even have seen this..when he led the team onto the field at the G one day, he turned around and did a couple of kneee jumps or somthing as the other players came out of the race? He did that often from memory. This particular day he tripped and injured himself and couldn'tplay. I was so disappointed..and we were down to 19 men. Can't remember if we won that one..probably though..cant remember too many losses at th G in those days!

Mine too Docket 32..It still hurts today to think of it..I'm glad he did come back as a coach and still feels he is "Red and Blue". I was14 too..were you born in 1950 too?

Might have to retract what I said about him not returning to his best..a B & F in 1969! http://ec2-184-73-178-154.compute-1.amazonaws.com/John+Townsend

Good he was able to get a reasonably long career after such a major injury..moved to Prahran for a couple of years after he left the Dees from memory. I think I saw him play there with Donny Williams, another Demon great.

Yes he did WYL..made a great roving combo with Kenny Emselle. Top rover and great goalgetter....and he wasn't a big bloke..wouldn't mind checking his height and weight stats..fairly light from memory..but skilled! Got a bad knee injury a couple of years later ..in the Exhibiton games overseas against Geelong perhaps??..not quite sure...made a good come back but from memory never quite reached his best again..great Demon player!

http://ec2-184-73-178-154.compute-1.amazonaws.com/1965

Yep thats my recollection too monoccular. I think we won the first 8 games of 1965 and it looked like we might survive without Barass. Then I recall two thrashings..one by St Kilda and one by Essendon..both at the MCG which I saw...I couldnt believe that could ever happen to Melbourne.. and we didnt win many games after that and missed the finals...and '66 was a disaster.

Great analogy for RDB Jackie! Its spot on! For some reason it sounds much more effective than ink in one's pen!

Thanks Demonsterative.

Not long before Barass left us I wrote to him at the club. As a boy we often didn't have many spare $ (or pounds in those days). I only ever had one football which I lost somehow and had to wait several years to buy an old one at the end of its life from my school when they were having a clean out.In the meantime our football at home was a round rubber ball! I was desperate for a football jumper..hence I wrote to RDB asking if I could have one of his spare ones! He wrote back with a note saying "Sorry no jumper Tim..perhaps this will help" He sent an autographed photo of himself..possibly the one as my avatar I think. Great bloke and champ.

I recall one match at Princes Park at the end of Barassi's career..I used to sit with the Melbourne cheer squad in those days. I recall Barass playing around the backline that day in front of us behind the goals. The Cheer Squad from memory treated him with great respect. It was more just absolute sadness on our part at him playing against us ..no anger or bitterness..just immense sadness at losing him and what was happening to our team.

Agree with you Bobby. I used to go to nearly every Melboune home game in the late 50's and early 60's. There was great debate back then if I remember correctly, when Ted Whitten got the title of "Mr.Football". Some thought Barassi earned that title as well. A true champion and an exceptional leader. I think I know what you might mean Demonsterative about Barassi's playing style..he may not have had the same smooth, silky "ball on a string" style as a Baldock for example..but he was just as much a champion IMO.

Not sure..in my day it was cricket, minigolf and footy in the backyard and footy in the front (watch out for the roses!). Can't say I ever made a hundred in the backyard at Mum's though kicked a few goals and scored a lucky golf shot hole in one on the fifth near the cumquat tree !

Thanks for the sharing anyways Trenners..was appreciated.

Good healthy posting guys where its ok to have an opinion and make a contribution and have different points of view without some of the nastiness that happens in some threads. And I like hearing someone say " I agree my opinion is completely subjective and in the scheme of things not very important". The posts I respect and enjoy most on Demonland are often ones where there are different views but where posters respect others rights as opposed to some where put downs seem to be seen as the way to air differences. Good work ppls.

Agreed alpha33. Some great tackles to be celebrated but also some of these happenings are best described as cheap, opportunistic and irresponsible....and definitely not honouring the spirit of fair, honest competition on the basis of skill and effort. The sadness to me is that some of the guilty parties could on other occasions show great personal courage..but seemed to give in to a personality weakness or poor thinking and decision making in the heat of the game. This game can be a hard physical game and tackling and hard physicality are a wonderful part of it..some players (and supporters for that matter) just need to get the perspective right about healthy and fair physicality and cheap and dangerous opportunism. FWIW, I thought the Trengove tackle was fair and in the spirit of the game and am still frustrated at the way this was treated.

Really enjoyed the reports ppls.Thanks

Spike Milligans's epitaph written in Irish "Dúirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite." English translation:- "I told you I was ill"