The Andy Moir Club

[Guest fatty]

I remember reading in the newspaper years ago about a bunch of Dee supporters who meet annually and award the “The Andy Moir Medal” for the worst performed player.

Does anyone know of them or if they still exist?

[beelzebub 23,356]

lol... hadnt heard of this one.. .. I went to school with Andy...played on him in house footy etc.. never struck me as a bad player !!

Cant imagine he's be very chuffed by hs infamy...lol. pretty funny though

[stretch marks 2]

lol... hadnt heard of this one.. .. I went to school with Andy...played on him in house footy etc.. never struck me as a bad player !!

Cant imagine he's be very chuffed by hs infamy...lol. pretty funny though

perhaps they could reform under the new moniker of The Chris Heffernan Club

[dee-tox 4,835]

I remember reading in the newspaper years ago about a bunch of Dee supporters who meet annually and award the “The Andy Moir Medal” for the worst performed player.

Does anyone know of them or if they still exist?

Andy Moir was a decent player!Wore number 29 from memory and burst onto the scene kicking five in only hissecond or third game. A new award i needed!

[Courtney_Fish 183]

My dad reckons that he thought Moir was the only consistently good player one year - so Barassi dumped him. Says similar happened to Kelly O'Donnell.

[Hulett Packard III 166]

Andy Moir was a decent player! Wore number 29 from memory and burst onto the scene kicking five in only hissecond or third game. A new award i needed!

A decent player who had a bit of flair but probably wasn't quite big enough for the tasks he was given in an undermanned side.

I heard recently that he had a son who was showing a bit of promise as a young footballer but the youngster seem to be off the radar at the moment. Perhaps someone from the Queensland Demons might know what's happened to him.

[Whispering_Jack 30,051]

A decent player who had a bit of flair but probably wasn't quite big enough for the tasks he was given in an undermanned side.

I heard recently that he had a son who was showing a bit of promise as a young footballer but the youngster seem to be off the radar at the moment. Perhaps someone from the Queensland Demons might know what's happened to him.

I think it's time for me to bring out my little blue book and do the Andy Moir Story.

ANDREW MOIR

Andrew Moir from Mentone Grammar was a clever wingman/half forward and a strong mark for his size at 183cm. He made his debut on the wing for Melbourne as an 18 year old under the coaching of legendary South Melbourne rover Bobby Skilton in the opening round of 1977 in a game where the Demons were belted by the coach's old side to the tune of 69 points. The team had a poor start to the season losing their first seven games and Moir was out of the side after round five with a couple of goals to his credit and little more. They finished the season in second last place.

Moir's second season was his breakthrough year and he played 18 of a possible 22 matches under coach Denis Jones in yet another disastrous season for the Demons who collected the wooden spoon. Moir warmed the bench in the first two games and tasted victory for the first time in senior ranks in the second – a high scoring affair against Fitzroy which Melbourne won 24.23.167 to 23.19.157. Moir kicked a goal in that game. Later in the season Moir became settled on a half forward flank and he triumphed in another rare victory for the Demons when he and champion wingman Robbie Flower kicked four goals each in another high scoring encounter – 21.10.136 to 19.16.130.

The arrival of big Carl Ditterich as coach (Moir's third in as many years) in 1979 gave the side a minor boost but it continued to struggle for victories. The team lacked big man forward strength although Phil Carman and Robbie Walters would occasionally chime in with a few bags of goals. Moir had a big day out against North Melbourne in Round 9 when he booted five goals but even that was not enough to prevent the team from scoring the four points; the Kangaroos won by 45. Ditterich briefly experimented with Moir at full forward but like most things that he tried with the team, it didn't quite work out and Moir was soon back on a forward flank. Injury kept him out of the club's record thumping – 190 points at the hands of the Lions in Round 17. Flower was also out that day. Remarkably, the team turned the tables on the Bombers the following week after the selectors recast the side. Robert Walters booted nine at full forward, Steven Smith and Greg Wells got four, Flower and Moir kicked one each and the Demons were home by 45 points – a sensational turnaround of 235 points in a week! Moir finished the season with 17 games and 26 goals – by far his best at the club. The team finished 11th of 12.

The Demons climbed to 9th in 1980 – their highest place finish during Moir's five year career although they did win three of the first four games in his absence. By the time Moir was back in the side, the Dees were already on a downward spiral and they lost their last nine games. Big Carl's coaching career was in tatters while Moir who played 15 games for 17 goals had passed the fifty game mark. The Ron Barassi era beckoned.

Barassi's first season as coach of the Demons wasn't all that flash but Moir managed to hold a regular place in the team. He was there at Footscray in round three when Robbie Flower kicked the winning goal on the siren in Melbourne's only win for the year. Jacko booted eight that day. Moir played on a half forward flank but didn't kick a goal and didn't feature in the best players. Barassi tried him at centre half forward in Round 16 against Geelong when the Demons went down by 88 points. Moir kicked a goal but was back on a flank the following week. Opposing him for a forward flank position were such names as current Board Member Stephen Bickford, Graham Gaunt, Vin Catoggio, Michael Young, Cameron Clayton and Billy Nettlefold. Moir must have seen the writing on the wall because he was out of the place at the end of a season after a career spanning 73 games and 68 goals.

He did a few nice things in his career and will be affectionately remembered by Demon fans even though he played in a very forgettable era for the club.

[Hulett Packard III 166]

I think it's time for me to bring out my little blue book and do the Andy Moir Story.

Thanks for that. It explains a few things.

[mo64 5,874]

Remarkably, the team turned the tables on the Bombers the following week after the selectors recast the side. Robert Walters booted nine at full forward, Steven Smith and Greg Wells got four, Flower and Moir kicked one each and the Demons were home by 45 points – a sensational turnaround of 235 points in a week! Moir finished the season with 17 games and 26 goals – by far his best at the club. The team finished 11th of 12.

WJ, I'm looking forward to your spiel on the colourful life of Robert Walters.

As a Melbourne supporter who grew up in Strathmore, that game against Essendon is my most memorable game attended. Going to the game with my fanatical bomber mates, I was expecting another 100 point thrashing. But when Walters kicked 6 goals in the 2nd quarter against state players in Ken Fletcher and Garry Foulds, I thought I was witnessing a miracle. I had bragging rights for the one and only time in about 10 years.

[demonsflag555657 3]

Maybe they should rename it the big allllllllll club.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,817]

Gary Moorcroft, Ross Funcke and Brent Grgic would have something to say about this.

[Whispering_Jack 30,051]

Thanks for that. It explains a few things.

I hope that at least the message that comes across is that whilst his career wasn't very spectacular, Andy Moir was not the type of player whose name should be associated with a medal for the "worst performed" player (if anyone who pulls on a jumper and plays in the AFL/VFL should). He did play in a very ordinary team in a very ordinary era for the club but he was by no means the worst performed.

[dazzledavey36 54,881]

pffft andy ior doesn't deserve to be name wirst peformed player medal or watever ya get.. brent grgic or garry moroncroft should be dubed the new medal

[Guest fatty]

I hope that at least the message that comes across is that whilst his career wasn't very spectacular, Andy Moir was not the type of player whose name should be associated with a medal for the "worst performed" player (if anyone who pulls on a jumper and plays in the AFL/VFL should). He did play in a very ordinary team in a very ordinary era for the club but he was by no means the worst performed.

Thanks for providing the information, WJ. From what I recall Moir was another of the big white hopes for the MFC who never quite made it.

I don’t cast any dispersions on him and although some people think its in bad taste, from what the article said, it was all in good fun and Andy had actually attended, or at least been invited to one of their dinners.

Anyway, looks like I’m not going to get very far with my search.

[beelzebub 23,356]

Moir was Ok.. never really a 'big hope' just a fairly good player who I reckon you could rely on for a fair crack. Results would vary on the day...but wasnt that the whole team then.

Andy's peripheral wasnt his best ally..lol.. but having played with him and agaisnt him...id rather the former !! Remember him as a pretty good kick who could play a bit

[re draft molan 1]

For those old enough, Joe Rugolo was the worst player i've seen wearing a Dees jumper, closely followed by Bryan Stynes!

[MikeyJ 60]

I think there were alot worse than him

These names spring to mind

Joe Rugolo

Frank Rugolo

John Clement

Chris Woodman

Andy Goodwin

Peter Thorn

Peter Tossell

Paul Payne

Robert Pyman

Paul Prymke

Trevor Spensor

Jay Viney

Tom Flower

Gee we had some ordinary players

Be careful how you remember Paul Prymke. He was a very promising key defender, as shown by his performances in 1994, before a bad back injury curtailed his career.

There's not too much else on your list that would elicit happy memories from many Melbourne fans, though!

[Yencks 8]

shane woewodin (post 2000)--very contreversial i know but he was great at receiving the ball and getting paid

if the award was to be given to somebody this year i would give it to none other than the great man BYRON!!

[John Dee 445]

Frank Rugulo was not all that bad; replace him with Simon Eishold.

[Rampaging Demons 1]

Paul Prymke should not be on the list....

He was an under-rated defender - his job in the 94 finals on mother kernahan was a clinic!!

cruelly cut down in his prime by a back injury...

trevor spencer i definitely agree with - a cat of the highest order...

could byron pickett be on the list - his time at melbourne did not have many highlights excpet for his hit on freo's ryan crowley...

wayne 'the moose' henwood would be a monty....

[Rogue 585]

Be careful how you remember Paul Prymke. He was a very promising key defender, as shown by his performances in 1994, before a bad back injury curtailed his career.

Does indeed seem pretty harsh on Prymke.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Frank Rugulo was not all that bad; replace him with Simon Eishold.

Rough call on Eishold. Yeah he choked it shooting for goal in the 1987 PF but had effectively stopped Healy and co the previous week at the MCG and in a final. Hell there have been far worse.

Does indeed seem pretty harsh on Prymke.

Extremely harsh on Prymke. MFC had alot of poor players but Prymke was not one of them by a long stretch.

For mine Chris Woodman and Damian Gaspar were the MFC players who I had absolutely no confidence in when they played and went near the ball. They never let my judgement down when they did.

[Whispering_Jack 30,051]

WJ, I'm looking forward to your spiel on the colourful life of Robert Walters.

I can only give you a "spiel" on his football exploits and I'll leave it to someone else to describe his "colourful life". Perhaps our own Redleg who was team manager to Big Carl that year might care to comment?

Notwithstanding that, there are very few people in the business who can say they kicked 9 goals in one game.

[Demon15 0]

My dad reckons that he thought Moir was the only consistently good player one year - so Barassi dumped him. Says similar happened to Kelly O'Donnell.

When Barassi joined in 1981 he interviewed all players and asked each where they rated their football in importance with other things.

Monday answered that in order of priority was

1. girlfriend

2. His studies (he was doing an engineering degree at the time - the source of my story. He relayed it to a friend of mine in his classes)

3. MFC

Yep, wrong answer. After that he was a goner in Barassi's eyes.

[Yencks 8]

When Barassi joined in 1981 he interviewed all players and asked each where they rated their football in importance with other things.

Monday answered that in order of priority was

1. girlfriend

2. His studies (he was doing an engineering degree at the time - the source of my story. He relayed it to a friend of mine in his classes)

3. MFC

Yep, wrong answer. After that he was a goner in Barassi's eyes.

i can see why people put their family or girlfriends first...for instance, whelans favourite motto is "family first" but to openly say that studies is more important to the coach of a footy club would have been a big no no