EACH week, melbournefc.com.au’s Matt Burgan will answer questions from Melbourne supporters relating to the club. Please send in your questions to ‘Ask Matt’ by emailing to editor@melbournefc.com.au
Did Greg Wells wear No.50 in a senior match?
Dear Matt, I have a request. I am a passionate Melbourne supporter of 51 years (member for 46 years) and have read almost every book about our history or individual players and many about the AFL in general.
One thing that has annoyed me in various official AFL publications is that champion player Greg Wells is listed as having worn both No.50 and No.11 during his senior playing career.
Unfortunately I have noted that this same information is recorded in our 150 years anniversary book ‘Heroes’.
Greg came from the local area where my family lived and was well known to us. He visited our home at the end of 1969 - his debut year, in which he played the last five matches, all wearing No.11 (Tony Anderson wore No.11 early in 1969, but only played three games.)
My 11-year-old brother immediately decided to have No.11 on his footy jumper. He was probably the only person to do so at the time, although the No.11 certainly became very popular in the following years!
In a radio interview with 'The Coodabeens', Greg said he only ever wore No.50 in the reserves, proving my knowledge correct.
Therefore, could you please see that this information is passed on to the people in charge of our publications/history, so that this inaccuracy may be corrected.
Laraine Rodriquez, Springvale South
Matt says: I’ve spoken to club historian Lynda Carroll, who has confirmed this with the AFL. Here is Lynda’s response: Many thanks for pointing this anomaly out to us. We have compared databases with the AFL and confirmed that her information is correct. Unfortunately, it will take some time for the information to be corrected, as the fact that it’s been around for such a long time has definitely perpetuated it. We’ll make corrections wherever possible and hopefully anything that is released from now on will have the right information.
Jumper changes
Hi Matt, how many times in the club’s history has it changed its style of playing jumper?
Finn, St Kilda
Matt Says: Lynda Carroll has again come to the rescue with this offering. This is what she said: there have been five sizeable changes recorded over the decades, along the scale of moving into royal blue, moving back into navy blue in 1987, having a strip down the front lacing, and having a hoop around the middle in the early years of the VFL competition. Apart from that, there have been frequent transient variations, such as a wider yoke, or a larger collar. Of course, there have also been many 'special occasion' guernseys since that first VFL game in 1897.
200-gamers for Melbourne
Hi Matt, how many players have played 200 games or more for Melbourne?
Matt, Greensborough
Matt says: There have been24 players to play 200 matches or more for Melbourne and only one 300-gamer - the great David Neitz, who played a club record 306 matches. Tassie Johnson played 202 matches and sits 24th on the 200-plus gamers. Robert Flower (272) and Adem Yze (271) are next in line behind Neitz.
Did Greg Wells wear No.50 in a senior match?
Dear Matt, I have a request. I am a passionate Melbourne supporter of 51 years (member for 46 years) and have read almost every book about our history or individual players and many about the AFL in general.
One thing that has annoyed me in various official AFL publications is that champion player Greg Wells is listed as having worn both No.50 and No.11 during his senior playing career.
Unfortunately I have noted that this same information is recorded in our 150 years anniversary book ‘Heroes’.
Greg came from the local area where my family lived and was well known to us. He visited our home at the end of 1969 - his debut year, in which he played the last five matches, all wearing No.11 (Tony Anderson wore No.11 early in 1969, but only played three games.)
My 11-year-old brother immediately decided to have No.11 on his footy jumper. He was probably the only person to do so at the time, although the No.11 certainly became very popular in the following years!
In a radio interview with 'The Coodabeens', Greg said he only ever wore No.50 in the reserves, proving my knowledge correct.
Therefore, could you please see that this information is passed on to the people in charge of our publications/history, so that this inaccuracy may be corrected.
Laraine Rodriquez, Springvale South
Matt says: I’ve spoken to club historian Lynda Carroll, who has confirmed this with the AFL. Here is Lynda’s response: Many thanks for pointing this anomaly out to us. We have compared databases with the AFL and confirmed that her information is correct. Unfortunately, it will take some time for the information to be corrected, as the fact that it’s been around for such a long time has definitely perpetuated it. We’ll make corrections wherever possible and hopefully anything that is released from now on will have the right information.
Jumper changes
Hi Matt, how many times in the club’s history has it changed its style of playing jumper?
Finn, St Kilda
Matt Says: Lynda Carroll has again come to the rescue with this offering. This is what she said: there have been five sizeable changes recorded over the decades, along the scale of moving into royal blue, moving back into navy blue in 1987, having a strip down the front lacing, and having a hoop around the middle in the early years of the VFL competition. Apart from that, there have been frequent transient variations, such as a wider yoke, or a larger collar. Of course, there have also been many 'special occasion' guernseys since that first VFL game in 1897.
200-gamers for Melbourne
Hi Matt, how many players have played 200 games or more for Melbourne?
Matt, Greensborough
Matt says: There have been24 players to play 200 matches or more for Melbourne and only one 300-gamer - the great David Neitz, who played a club record 306 matches. Tassie Johnson played 202 matches and sits 24th on the 200-plus gamers. Robert Flower (272) and Adem Yze (271) are next in line behind Neitz.
