AT A RECENT gathering of friends, I was asked how I came to barrack for Melbourne.
My parents were immigrants to Australia and had no knowledge of Aussie Rules, but my father had become good friends with the father of Brian ‘Doc’ Roet. Through this friendship, we were invited to attend the 1964 Grand Final.
As a six year old, I was overawed by the immensity of the day; the crowds, the noise and the passion. My only real memory was that I was with ‘the Demons’ and that we won the game.
At school, my best friend was a boy named Andrew McKaige, whose father Ken also played with Melbourne (and is now a life member).
I was often invited to go to the Melbourne home games and afterwards we would have a kick on the ‘G or go into the rooms and mix with our heroes like Ross Dillon, Stan Alves, Barry Bourke and my then favourite Greg Parke.
By the time I was 12, I had joined the Melbourne Cheer Squad. My friends and I would gather outside the members’ gate at the Jolimont end of the ground, and then race to bay 16 to reserve our places in the first two rows of the upper tier.
Then it was down to the old under 19s change room to prepare the run-through, often celebrating a player milestone, or exhorting our team to a greater effort to beat whoever we were playing.
During the game, what seemed liked tons of torn newspaper would be tossed into the air celebrating goals or amazing plays.
A favourite ritual was against traditional foes such as Collingwood.
If a Pies supporter was silly enough to sit under the cheer squad, they could be assured that during the game, some hot ‘Four’N Twenty’ pie gravy would be dripped on their head or down their neck!
As the years rolled by, my heroes came (and went); names such as Gary Hardeman, Ray Biffin, Robbie Flower, Greg Healy, Rod Grinter, Garry Lyon, Stephen Tingay, Jim Stynes, Steven Febey and Adem Yze gave us something to cheer about.
While we did not enjoy much on-field success, we did enjoy a period where our teams sported members who might best be termed as ‘characters’.
Players such as Peter ‘Crackers’ Keenan, Carl Ditterich, Phil Carmen, Brent Croswell, Mark ‘Jacko’ Jackson, Steven O’Dwyer and Allen Jakovich added colour to the game. While all were capable of winning a game off their own boot, more often than not, they provided comic relief on a cold winter’s day.
I now live in Sydney and watch the games from afar.
My son barracks for the Swans, but plays for the Pennant Hills Demons wearing the Melbourne strip and will tell you his second team is the Dees.
We recently returned to Melbourne and watched the thrilling draw with the Pies.
Watching this new generation of Demons, I again have hope in my heart that the next glory era is not far away.
And that’s why I still love the Dees!
My parents were immigrants to Australia and had no knowledge of Aussie Rules, but my father had become good friends with the father of Brian ‘Doc’ Roet. Through this friendship, we were invited to attend the 1964 Grand Final.
As a six year old, I was overawed by the immensity of the day; the crowds, the noise and the passion. My only real memory was that I was with ‘the Demons’ and that we won the game.
At school, my best friend was a boy named Andrew McKaige, whose father Ken also played with Melbourne (and is now a life member).
I was often invited to go to the Melbourne home games and afterwards we would have a kick on the ‘G or go into the rooms and mix with our heroes like Ross Dillon, Stan Alves, Barry Bourke and my then favourite Greg Parke.
By the time I was 12, I had joined the Melbourne Cheer Squad. My friends and I would gather outside the members’ gate at the Jolimont end of the ground, and then race to bay 16 to reserve our places in the first two rows of the upper tier.
Then it was down to the old under 19s change room to prepare the run-through, often celebrating a player milestone, or exhorting our team to a greater effort to beat whoever we were playing.
During the game, what seemed liked tons of torn newspaper would be tossed into the air celebrating goals or amazing plays.
A favourite ritual was against traditional foes such as Collingwood.
If a Pies supporter was silly enough to sit under the cheer squad, they could be assured that during the game, some hot ‘Four’N Twenty’ pie gravy would be dripped on their head or down their neck!
As the years rolled by, my heroes came (and went); names such as Gary Hardeman, Ray Biffin, Robbie Flower, Greg Healy, Rod Grinter, Garry Lyon, Stephen Tingay, Jim Stynes, Steven Febey and Adem Yze gave us something to cheer about.
While we did not enjoy much on-field success, we did enjoy a period where our teams sported members who might best be termed as ‘characters’.
Players such as Peter ‘Crackers’ Keenan, Carl Ditterich, Phil Carmen, Brent Croswell, Mark ‘Jacko’ Jackson, Steven O’Dwyer and Allen Jakovich added colour to the game. While all were capable of winning a game off their own boot, more often than not, they provided comic relief on a cold winter’s day.
I now live in Sydney and watch the games from afar.
My son barracks for the Swans, but plays for the Pennant Hills Demons wearing the Melbourne strip and will tell you his second team is the Dees.
We recently returned to Melbourne and watched the thrilling draw with the Pies.
Watching this new generation of Demons, I again have hope in my heart that the next glory era is not far away.
And that’s why I still love the Dees!
