Nigel Dawe

It was with great pleasure I read recently that Furphy have stepped up to become the Melbourne Football Club’s official beer sponsor; thus in turn, the least I could do as a loyal servant was head straight down to my local Dan Murphy’s and pick up a sample of their wares.

And not a bad amber it is too, I must say, so whilst mid-way through my first few sips I got reflecting on this liquid substance that best rhymes with – right here, without peer, no fear and seer.

From a football perspective, beer has been front and centre, if not at the beating heart of this sport from the very get-go. Recall how the colonial founders of our club – Tommy Wills and Co headed to the Parade Hotel across from the then tree-lined MCG to draft up the original rules of this ‘game of our own’.

But my favourite beer related tale, from a red and blue perspective, relates to our dual Brownlow medalist and former Gallipoli soldier – Ivor Warne-Smith (who played, let’s not forget his entire football career with only one lung after being gassed in the trenches of France). The fact he fronted up again for active service in WWII puts into perspective the irrepressible fighting spirit of the man.

I remember our former club historian, Lynda Carroll mentioning once that Ivor ‘quite liked’ an ale at Young & Jackson’s ‘on the way’ to the games he played at the MCG; different times yes, but the spirit and knock-about soul of the game, I would argue, has not changed one tiny bit.

Amusing also, to reflect on many of the Demon greats from our golden era of the 50s and 60s say, how Norm Smith during their post- game functions genuinely loved an ale and ‘then some’.

But by all accounts, Norm would seem to never get drunk and if you thought he was, and said something you swore he’d never remember – he would, and could apparently do so with an absolutely fearsome total recall! In the same breath, I have to mention our Irish trojan and absolute club stalwart – Jim Stynes, who used to very often tagline his autograph with a bold ‘Slainte’, which was of course, his Gaelic mother tongue word for ‘Cheers!’

That said, I’m looking forward to the resumption of life pre-Covid, and hope you are all staying safe and keeping well in this trying time. So ‘Go Dees’, keep the faith, and I’m sure we’ll hear that wondrous thud of kicked footballs and lightning laid tackles again soon.

Besides, I now have a stack of cold Furphys in my fridge and I just so want to see Nathan Jones become the second ever Dee to reach 300 games!

Watch a little bit more about Ivor Warne-Smith here: “.. finishing his shift walking down … for a couple of pots at Young and Jackson’s then on to the MCG where he would collect the three votes!”

Jacqui Parry

I so miss the sounds of the footy – the “Ding!! Ding!!” of the tram – the youngsters shouting “Get Yer Footy Record!!” – the buzz of the crowd and the heart beat “Boom Boom!! Boom Boom!! ” before the game starts – the sound of the siren and the crowd roaring at the bounce of the ball. The groan of our supporters if we miss a goal (well it sometimes does happen). The elation when we kick truly. The cheers and the jeers over the umpiring decisions.

Robbo MC’ing the quarter time programs (so miss Robbo). That funny music they play at half-time when the camera persons are trying to catch someone sound asleep. And most of all…………….. the sound of the bugle when that young chap in the flash velvet jacket rises in the Members Stand (BEFORE THE SIREN SOUNDS!!!!) ‘cos we are flogging the opposition in the dying minutes of the game and then………………………….

“It’s a Grand Old Flag – It’s a High Flying Flag – It’s the Emblem for me and for you!!!
It’s the emblem of – the team we love – the team of the red and they blue!!
Every heart beats true for the red and the blue as we sing this song to you!!!
Should auld acquaintance be forgot – keep your eye on the red and the blue!!!

(Awkward musical interlude) Repeat the above over and over till you fall down or get knocked down as the opposition supporter trudge out of the G.

Melbourne Supporters Can’t Sing – You Kitten Me??!! – That’s a Furphy!!

Even Pet Supporters can sing that song!

Bring back the sounds of footy – get Furphy to sponsor a special webpage just so we can show those other teams how loud we really can sing and shout. Give us some little buttons to press so we can hear those much loved sounds again.

What about the roar of the crowd during the finals series in 2018 – especially with Mitch Hannan (The Cassowary) was sprinting down the wing – BANG!! Goal!! (I was there – sensational)

Lets get Tribal on line – for the DEES!!

Jacqui Parry, Merlin and Sugar
Proud Player Sponsors of MFC Captain Max Gawn No. 11
Equally Proud Player Sponsors of Jackie Parry No.19
Go Dees!!! Go Gawny!!! Go Jackie!!

Round 1 – West Coast Eagles Vs Melbourne

Liam Chambers

While not quite deja-vu all over again, when I watched Melbourne’s Round 1 game against West Coast two weeks ago, I was reminded of a few Yogi Berra quotes . He said some interesting things in his career as a baseball player and coach. Two that stood out for me were: “Make a game plan and stick to it. Unless it’s not working” and “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might end up somewhere else”

Then I replayed the match yesterday and I realised how mistaken I’d been. In my mind the first quarter had been a blood bath where the Eagles had ridden rough shod over the Demons. In reality, Melbourne has some sloppy passing at times and their kicking efficiency was below par. However, nearly all the damage was done in two of the last three minutes of term one when the Eagles scored four goals. In one minute of play alone, West Coast kicked three unanswered goals.

A few weeks ago, in a fit of nostalgia, I sat down with a friend to watch the first 2018 semi final between Geelong and Melbourne. As we all remember, Melbourne dispatched the Cats and went on to defeat Hawthorne the following weekend, reaching their first preliminary final since 2000. The new found belief in the Dees, having come through a somewhat roller coaster season, seemed justified. A dream run of four wins in a row including triumphs over WCE and GWS in Rounds 22 and 23 pointed to a Melbourne side which a sense of purpose.

Then the horror show that was the 2018 Preliminary Final in Perth. I wrote at the time that I had been unable to bring myself to watch that game again. Fast forward eighteen months later and I still can’t watch it. However when I settled down to cheer on the lads in Round 1, I had to check that I hadn’t pressed the replay button at the end of the first quarter. Maybe I should have pressed replay and watched the last three minutes again which were indeed a bloodbath.

Despite the first term score of 31 to 4 in favour of West Coast, there were many positives to the way Melbourne played. For sure there was some dubious long kicks and wasted passing opportunities but there were also some glorious glimpses of brilliance. When new recruit Kysaiah Pickett ran through and launched a kick from forty metres out, which would have been a spectacular debut goal, I could see a road map for our revival.

Jack Viney was playing with a great determination and shortly afterwards Bayley Fritsch just missed to the left. Even after Liam Ryan got the Eagles’ first goal it still felt like a fairly even match. Despite some costly mistakes, the Dees looked competitive. Ed Langdon was making good runs up the side and when he marked the ball inside 50 it looked like a good chance for Melbourne to take the lead. Unfortunately his ensuing shot hit the post.

Then that awful two minutes when everything fell apart for the Dees. A fifty metre penalty saw the ball soar towards goal and a nice touch from Nic Naitanui gave Brendon Ah Chee the opportunity to score his first goal. Twenty seconds after the hitout, Ah Chee got his second. Twenty seconds after the next hitout, an unfortunate turnover gave Dom Sheed a chance to kick a wildly focused shot and increase West Coast’s lead to twenty one points. Finally, Lewis Jetta scored the Eagle’s fifth with one minute to go.

The second quarter was better for the Dees. Alex Neal Bullen got a great opportunistic six pointer from a scrum like scramble in front of goal. Then through through some fumbles and a turnover, Jack Petruccelle got an opportunity for a set shot on goal, which he duly converted. The Eagles kept the pressure up in Melbourne’s inside 50 but Jake Lever was equal to the task, despite the dubious moustache.

At the other end Charlie Spargo gave away an unnecessary 50m penalty when the Dees were beginning to apply some good pressure on goal. Then the ensuing run of play gave Liam Ryan another set shot chance to score. Fortunately he hit the post. At times there were too many holes in Melbourne’s structure eventually giving Ryan another set shot, this time missed to the right. Our second goal courtesy Jack Viney owed a little to luck when he was awarded a 50m penalty.

With Jack Darling getting the Eagles second a minute from time, it looked like we were going to end the quarter still twenty seven points behind. That was until a great 50m kick from Kysaiah Pickett reached Jake Melksham who scrambled the ball to Tom McDonald who picked it up and scored from 15m out. Second term to the Dees!

At the start of the second half Ah Chee continued his influence; hand balling a tap from Darling onto to Liam Ryan who scored his second. Demon fans will have been delighted to see the exciting play of Pickett finally rewarded with his first goal for Melbourne. Another new recruit Toby Bedford was also having a good debut. On the other side Liam Ryan was having mixed afternoon with another miss on goal. Then a couple of minutes later he got his third.

For a while in the third quarter Melbourne were making it too easy for the Eagles, exemplified by Dom Sheed’s second. A few minutes later Tim Kelly got his first goal and pushed West Coast’s advantage to forty points. The Dees continued to kick long into the Eagles’ inside 50 when a shorter kick may have been a better option. After Pickett hit the post from a set shot, a twisty turny Viney got the ball to Jake Melksham who clawed the margin back to thirty three points.

The last quarter saw a great kick from Bayley Fritsch to T Mac who converted for his second. Unfortunately the villian of the peace Andrew Gaff marked the ball near goal after a nice short kick from Nic Naitanui. His kick restored West Coast’s advantage. The great news came late in the quarter when Toby Bedford’s superb tap down in defence and subsequent pass to Pickett gave the Dees another goal.

Where Melbourne may have thrown in the towel last season, this year they kept on fighting till the end of the match. The final score was 78 – 51, the same margin as the end of first term. Some of the Dees had a quiet game, notably Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver. Max Gawn had a mixed session, his first as captain. Jack Viney really wants to be captain but the troops have spoken for now. When there’s a hungry Jack, he plays his heart out.

There is so much to be optimistic about with the line up for this year. Lots of talent and enthusiasm. Ed Langdon, Adam Tomlinson, Toby Bedford and of course Kysaiah Pickett all had a good first game. Lots of if onlys but overall not a bad start and one that went someway to erasing the memory of that horrendous preliminary final.

I’m keeping everything crossed that we get a few more games played before the year is out. It’s also good to hear that the AFL have secured a $600m loan facility that should keep the code afloat. Hats off to the NAB and ANZ in these troubling times.

Go the new improved Dees!!!

Semi Final – Greater Western Sydney Vs Melbourne

It was very sad to hear that both the AFLW and the AFL seasons have come to a premature end. Even though there’s a slim possibility that the AFL season will recommence after 31st May, it’s also highly unlikely.

The AFLW season though has officially been cancelled and no premiership will be awarded. I choose to believe that Melbourne would have beaten Fremantle in the Preliminary Final before going on to win their first Grand Final. Based on their fourth quarter performance against GWS, I don’t believe I am being overly optimistic.

I read a few post match articles that suggested GWS were the underdogs and that Melbourne were the firm favourites. The fact that Melbourne has suffered a string of injuries as well as losing their two Irish recruits; leaving them with a depleted bench of twenty one seemed to have escaped the critics’ notice. In addition, the Giants had a home ground advantage, albeit a silent one. Finally, Melbourne was coming off a Round 6 defeat that had threatened their place in the finals.

Against all these odds, the Dees performance was stellar. We’ve been accused of being wasteful in front of goal and not making the most of scoring opportunities. We had our chances early on but so did the Giants. In fact we were in danger of being over run by a rampant GWS but held our nerve and were saved by the upright on a couple of occasions.

However the fact that we turned in our best fourth quarter of footy in the Club’s short history is testament to the players’ depth of character. Melbourne looked down for the count at the end of the third quarter. They hadn’t scored a single point for the term while the Giants continued to gain confidence with Cora Staunton giving them a three goal advantage ten seconds from the siren.

After the Dees initial fourth quarter burst, it was all GWS; pushing into Demon territory and determined to take home the win. Melbourne weathered wave after wave of onslaught from the Giants before Shelley Scott marked the ball thirty metres out from goal midway through the term. Scott had a relatively quiet afternoon up until then but the mark from a Lily Mithen kick saw her ensuing set shot reduce the margin to nine points.

Suddenly there was hope in the Dees’ Camp and a flutter of doubt crept into the minds of the GWS players. For the next three minutes the Giants defended desperately while Melbourne struggled to gain another six pointer. Finally a free kick was awarded to Sarah Perkins forty metres out and to the right of goal. When Perkins kicked what was one of the most important goals of her career, it was a like an arrow plunging into the heart of Greater Western Sydney. Now with just three minutes to go, it was a ‘next one who scores wins’ scenario.

Melbourne had to go hard and get a third goal and ensure that GWS got nowhere near their inside 50. A terrific mark by Shelley Scott on the edge of the Giants’ inside 50 added to the drama. GWS had every player back defending as Melbourne kept thundering towards the goal. The Giants were trying to maintain possession but then Harriet Cordner was award a free kick at the centre of the field. Ailesh Newman missed the mark but applied enough pressure to cause a stoppage. Lauren Pearce won the hitout and got the ball to Kate Hore who kicked to Lily Mithen who marked the ball in almost the exact spot as Scott a few minutes earlier. It was also near the spot where she had kicked her inaugural goal in the second quarter.

With one minute to go Lily Mithen had a chance to kick her second and potentially the winning goal in a Semi Final. Lily Mithen who hadn’t scored a single goal in her entire AFLW career before this game and now she was the focus of all the Melbourne fans watching around the Country. All those fans were asking the same question: “Can she hold her nerve?” I’ve tried to imagine how it must feel to have that much pressure weighing down on you while you take the most important kick of your career. How do you block out those voices of doubt saying if you miss this opportunity, there are no second chances. We all seen the best players miss a crucial goal in the dying seconds of an all important game. Kick it and it and you’re the hero. Miss it and you’ll play it over and over again in your mind wondering what went wrong.

Well Lily proved that she has the depth to shut out all the external chaos and to focus her mind inwards enabling her to score the goal of her life. If there had been a stadium full of supporters watching, they would have erupted in a massive outburst of euphoria. There was a massive outburst of euphoria in my lounge room as the reality sunk in. When the last twenty five seconds were finally run off the clock, the sound of the siren was like most beautiful aria ever written.

While the celebrations were short lived as the AFL’s decision hit home, we will always have one of our most unlikely victories. In the end though it’s a game and we just have to put off our dreams of Grand Final glory for another year. Let’s hope that once all this virus pandemic passes, the game as we know it can recover and go from strength to strength.

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 0.2 1.4 3.7 3.8 (26)
MELBOURNE 0.1 1.5 1.5 4.5 (29)
GOALS
GWS: Schmidt, Staunton, Dal Pos
Melbourne: Mithen 2, Scott, Perkins

Watch Lily’s interview after the heroics of the semi final:

Lily Mithen Post match