Melbourne Football Club

This article is about the Australian rules club, for the Football (soccer) club, see Melbourne Victory FC.

Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League, based in Melbourne, Victoria.

The club has an unusual claim in international sport: in 1858, some of its members invented the code of football that it still plays. The club has therefore played at the highest level of its sport longer than any other sporting club. It was a foundation member of the Victorian Football Association (1877), the game's second-oldest governing body and competition. In 1897, it was a foundation member of the competition now known as the Australian Football League, which remains the elite league in the code.

The club celebrates the 150th anniversary of the first meeting of its founding members in 2008 and published "Melbourne FC - Since 1858 - An Illustrated History" in 2008. It commemorated its formation by naming "150 Heroes" as well as a birthday logo, which appears on its official jersey.

Club history

The MFC was an offshoot of the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), established in 1834 and occupiers of what many consider to be Australia's finest sporting arena the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG, known as "The G").

Members of the MCC first met on August 7, 1858 to arrange a trial football match, however the football club was formally established as a separate sporting organisation on May 14 1859.

On May 17 that year, at the Parade Hotel in East Melbourne, Tom Wills, W.J. Hammersley and J.B. Thompson (some sources also include Thomas Smith and/or H.C.A. Harrison), wrote the first set of written rules for Australian rules football. By 1866, several other clubs had also adopted an updated version of Melbourne's rules.

After a visit to England by one of the club's officials, the colours of red and blue were officially adopted by the club. Shortly following, the club began wearing a predominately red strip and became informally known by supporters as the "Redlegs".

The name "Redlegs" was coined after the Melbourne Official returned from his trip to England with one set of red and another of blue woollen socks. Melbourne wore the red set whilst the blue set were, allegedly, given to the Carlton football club. This may be the source of Carlton's nickname, 'The Blueboys'.

Founders of the VFA

Sketches of Melbourne vs Geelong from the Pictorial Weekly in 1880

In 1877, the club became a foundation member of the Victorian Football Association. During this time, the club was known as the "Fuchsias".

In 1889 the MFC was reincorporated into the MCC, and for many years the two organisations remained unhappily linked. The MFC's close association with the MCC allowed it to claim the MCG as its home ground and gave it access to a wealthy membership base, but Melbourne's reputation as an "establishment" club was not always an advantage. The MCC members' automatic right to attend all events at the ground, including MFC football games. This meant many potential members had a reduced incentive to join the football club, and Melbourne's membership remains among the lowest in the competition.

Entry to the VFL

The MFC joined the breakaway Victorian Football League at its formation in 1897, and has been a part of the competition ever since. The team became known as the "Redlegs". This nickname is still used by certain membership and supporter groups within the club.

In 1900 Melbourne won its first VFL premiership, traditionally known as "The Flag," although since 1959 it has been complemented annually by a premiership trophy. They defeated Fitzroy. Melbourne's greatest player of these early years of the VFL was Ivor Warne-Smith, who in 1926 won the club's first Brownlow Medal, the League's annual award for the fairest and best player. In that year Melbourne won its second flag. Warne-Smith won the Brownlow again in 1928.

Age of greatness

Demons great Norm Smith (during his playing time at Fitzroy), many argue as being a catalyst for the club's early success, then later as a coach

In 1933, the club changed their moniker to the "Demons".

F.V. "Checker" Hughes became Melbourne's coach in 1933, and under his leadership the club entered its era of greatness. In 1939 Melbourne won its third flag, against traditional rivals Collingwood, and in 1940 and 1941 it went on to win two more. In 1946 Melbourne finished second and Don Cordner became the second Demon to win the Brownlow. In 1947 Fred Fanning kicked a record 18 goals in the last game of the season. The following year Melbourne played in the first ever drawn Grand Final, against Essendon. The next week Melbourne came back and won the replay.

Norm Smith became Melbourne's coach in 1952, and the following year Ron Barassi played his first game. These two were to take Melbourne to new heights in the coming years. The Demons made the Grand Final in 1954, losing to Footscray, won the flag in 1955, 1956 and 1957, narrowly lost to Collingwood in 1958, and then won again in 1959 and 1960 (where they avenged their loss against Collingwood). With Smith as coach and Barassi as captain, Melbourne dominated the competition.

In 1964 Melbourne won its 12th flag, beating Collingwood again, and seemed set for a new era of domination. But at the end of the season, in one of the greatest shocks in the history of the game, Barassi left the club to become captain-coach of Carlton. The following year Norm Smith was sacked after a dispute with the club. Although he was soon reinstated, things were never the same again for the Demons. They had appeared in every Grand Final from 1954-1960 and every Finals' Series from 1954-1964, but have not won a flag since.

After the 1954 Grand final loss to Footscray, no team was able to score 100 points against the club until Collingwood in round 5 1963. The next team was Geelong with 110 in round 1 1964. The 1965 season started with 8 wins but only two wins from the next 10 games saw the end of the era. They would have to wait until 1971 before Melbourne ended a season with more wins than losses, and 1987 for Melbourne to make the finals again.

Decades of disappointment

Statue of Melbourne's greatest, Ron Barassi, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Poor recruiting zones and management meant that Melbourne, under coaches John Beckwith (1968-70), Ian Ridley (1971-73), Bob Skilton (1974-77), Dennis Jones (1978) and Carl Ditterich (1979-80), languished at the bottom of the League ladder throughout the 1970s. However, in 1971 the club started the season at the top and maintained that position until it lost to Collingwood in round 6. Melbourne was still in second place at the start of the second half of the season but within five weeks was out of the top four and finished with only two more wins and a draw.

Melbourne collected Wooden spoons in 1974 and 1978, but narrowly missed the finals in 1976, the club's fate depending on Carlton beating Footscray in the final round, but the game ended in a draw. In his only season as coach in 1978 Dennis Jones oversaw a wooden spoon but remarkably his team participated in the highest scoring match ever. In 1979 Ditterich came to the club as Captain-Coach but although the team won more games it finished second last.

In 1980 the MFC finally legally separated from the MCC, becoming a public company, in an effort to attract more members and improve the club's finances. The season produced one less win than 1979 (five) but the club finished higher - 9th. It became evident that drastic action was needed for a club that had missed 16 finals series in a row the return of former star Ron Barassi was seen as the cure. When Barassi had left in 1965 it was felt that he would eventually return and his arrival caused much excitement and an expectation of immediate success.

In 1981, under the chairmanship of Sir Billy Snedden, Barassi returned to Melbourne as coach and immediately appointed Robert Flower as captain. In Barassi's first year the team finished last, but this was attributed to working out who the willing players were and the club won some powerful victories in the next three seasons. But although Brian Wilson won the Brownlow in 1982, and Peter Moore won it in 1984, Barassi was unable to get the club back into premiership contention.

In 1986 Barassi was replaced by John Northey. Under Northey, Melbourne made the finals in 1987, for the first time since 1964, losing the Preliminary Final to Hawthorn on the last kick of the game after the final siren. It was also the last game played by the team captain Robert Flower. In 1988 the Demons did even better, reaching the Grand Final, only to be defeated, again, by Hawthorn.

From 1987 to 1991 Melbourne had five positive win-loss differentials in successive seasons which the club had not been able to achieve since the 1954-65 era. Thereafter things went downhill for Northey, although Jim Stynes won the Brownlow in 1991. In 1992 the club finished 11th, and Northey was replaced by Neil Balme as coach. Balme got Melbourne into the finals in 1994, but a last game loss to Brisbane saw them drop out of the top eight in 1995, and the club lingered at or near the bottom of the ladder for most of the 1996 season.

Facing Oblivion

By 1996 the club was also in dire financial straits. The board, headed by past player Ian Ridley decided on the desperate step of a merger with Hawthorn. In the ensuing weeks, a passionate debate was fought between pro and anti-merger supporters. In the first few days of this debate, life-long supporters Mark and Anthony Jenkins met with coterie member George Zagon to form the Demon Alternative - an anti-merger group that was to signifiacntly impact on the plans of the incumbent board.

The Demon Alternative recruited members from a wide range of areas but the two most recognised were former player and politician Brian Dixon and Rabbi Joseph Gutnick. The group quickly organised itself into a creditable option for Melbourne supporters; however given the support of the AFL and other factors, when the merger issue was put to a vote slightly more than 50% of Melbourne members supported the Board. In a meeting run on the opposite side of town, the Hawthorn members had rejected their board's proposal and eventually the merger was defeated.

In the aftermath of the merger meetings Ridley focused on a compromise with the Demons Alternative to ensure that Melbourne could continue as a viable business. His board co-opted Gutnick and Mark Jenkins onto the board and a truce of sorts was struck between all parties.

In the months following the 1996 merger vote, the Orthodox rabbi and mining tycoon Joseph Gutnick became president. He put $3 million of his own money into the club, and sacked Balme as coach midway through the 1997 season. In 1998, under new coach Neale Daniher, the club spent most of the season in the top eight and beat the eventual premiers Adelaide in the Qualifying Final. Melbourne also eliminated St Kilda, but lost to North Melbourne in the Preliminary Final. In 1999 Melbourne finished in the bottom three.

Partial revival

David Neitz retired as the longest serving captain, with the most games and most goals. As an onfield leader he helped keeps the Demons premiership dream alive for almost a decade.

In 2000 Daniher took Melbourne to the Grand Final, where however the Demons were convincingly beaten by a rampaging Essendon. The members had expected a new era of success, but in 2001 it was same old story: Melbourne finished 11th. In 2002, although Melbourne again made the finals, Gutnick was voted out by the members.

In 2003 Melbourne plunged into a new crisis, winning only five games for the year and posting a $1 million loss. President Gabriel Szondy resigned and it seemed that Daniher's tenure as coach was under threat. But, continuting the recent trend, in 2004, Melbourne climbed the ladder again, winning 14 games and leading the competition, albeit for one round only, in Round 18. And although the team lost its remaining four games, the club still made the finals, only to lose narrowly to Essendon.

During the 2004 post-season the Demons tragically lost defender Troy Broadbridge in the Asian tsunami, when he was swept off Phi Phi island in Thailand. He was walking along the beach with new wife Trisha Broadbridge when the tsunami struck. He was found on January 3, 2005, and brought home. A funeral was held on January 20, 2005 in recognition to the No. 20 guernsey he wore during his playing days. During the 2005 off-season, the whole team travelled to the island in which Broadbridge was killed to build a new school for those struck by the tsunami. The No.20 jumper was then rested for two years.

Melbourne started 2005 strongly, being in second place after Round 12, however soon lost momentum. Going into Round 20, Melbourne looked all but gone for a spot in the finals, yet thanks to two miraculous wins against the Bulldogs and the Cats in Geelong (where Melbourne had not won since the late 1980s), and a defeat of Essendon in the final round, they finished seventh, granting them a spot in an elimination final. Unfortunately, Melbourne was eliminated from the premiership race in the opening week of the finals by Geelong.

In 2006, after a slow start, Melbourne again performed well, and were in the top four by the middle of the season. In a very closely contested tussle for prime ladder positions (i.e.: "top four") Melbourne missed out on the crucial double chance by half a game, leaving them to rue two defeats against last-placed Carlton during the season. Daniher had become the second longest-serving coach in the AFL, and the longest-surviving in the entire history of the VFL-AFL not to have won a premiership. The Demons managed to defeat St Kilda in the first Elimination Final and proceed to the Semi-Finals, but a subsequent loss to Fremantle in Perth put an end to the Demons' finals campaign.

Daniher's departure and rebuilding

2007 was a poor season for Melbourne. After losing their first 9 games through a combination of injury and poor form, they finally broke through with wins against Adelaide and Collingwood. But, following a loss to Richmond the next week, Daniher was sacked by the club, and Mark Riley was appointed as caretaker coach. The sacking of Daniher caused significant tension at the club. It was an unpopular move with the leadership group, and captain David Neitz expressed their disatisfaction over the decision. Winning three of their remaining nine games, Melbourne avoided the wooden spoon and finished 14th.

Dean Bailey was appointed as coach for the 2008 season, but success did not follow, as Melbourne lost their first 6 matches, before breaking through with a record comeback win in round 7 against Fremantle. They have since shown some improvement, putting up a good fight in round 9 against top-of-the-ladder team Hawthorn, who were undefeated at the time. Melbourne had to wait until Round 14 for the second win. After good performances against Collingwood, Richmond, and Sydney in the preceding weeks, the Demons defeated Brisbane by a solitary point in the two team's first encounter at the MCG in 9 years.

2008 - Birthday Celebrations and Crisis

Off field, the club remained in serious turmoil. In the first sign of troubles on February 2008, CEO Steve Harris resigned. Paul Gardner addressed the media in response to comments from the club's auditors spelling disaster for the club. Gardner reiterated that the club had posted a $97,000 profit at the end of 2007^[1]. Harris was replaced by the high profile former Wimbeldon tennis champion Paul McNamee.^[2] Despite celebrating the club's birthday with an official mid-season function at Crown Casino^[3], shortly afterward chairman Paul Gardiner resigned, handing the presidency to former club champion Jim Stynes who revealed a $4.5 million debt which media pundits suggested would cripple the club.^[4] Hawthorn's president Jeff Kennett caused controversy with remarks about relocating the Demons to the Gold Coast^[5], something which Stynes spoke against. AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou dispelled the notion that the club's future was in doubt, he admitted that Stynes board faced a huge challenge.^[6]. Demons legend, games and goalkicking record holder David Neitz announced his immediate retirement due to injury on May 9th.^[7] Stynes wasted no time attempting to change the club's direction and eliminate its debt, commencing a drive called "Debt Demolition", beginning with a call for members to sign up.^[8] Under his direction, a new board sacked Paul McNamee after just four months. During McNamee's tenure, he had drawn criticisms for holidaying in Wimbledon to compete in a legends match and after his sacking an attempt to lure Brisbane Lions star Jonathan Brown was also revealed^[9]. An August 5 fundraiser raised $1.3 million AUD. To date the club has raised well over $3 million AUD.^[10]

Membership base

Melbourne Football Club has listed a record amount of members in 2008, but still has one of the smallest membership bases in the AFL competition. This is partly because many traditional Melbourne supporters are already members of the Melbourne Cricket Club (around 23% of MCC members have Melbourne Football Club nominated support^[11]), which gets them privileged access to the MCG, so they don't see the need to pay for a separate MFC membership. With approximately 21,850 MCC members supporting the football club, if these members were to become full members, the Demons would have one of the largest memberships in the competition. Although previously not allowed, for the 2007/08 season, the Melbourne Football Club are offering MCC members the chance to become official members of the club for a heavily reduced cost, in order to entice members to join. This helped the club to achieve a membership of over 28,000 - well over the club's previous record - even with a poor season on-field. On the 20th June, 2008 a new membership record was set, surpassing the 28,077 of 2007. It was later announced the club finished with 29,619 members, a great effort in such a poor year on-field. The membership for 2009 is over 10,000 which is a record for this time of year. Melbourne is hoping to have 15,000 before Christmas.

• As of 22/11/08

³ Club Record.

Current dilemmas

A Melbourne Demons "home" match at Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast.

Like other struggling Melbourne based clubs, the Demons have sold games to interstate venues, including 1 game to Brisbane in 2005 and an extra game to the Gold Coast, Queensland in 2006 which was transferred in 2007 to Canberra.

The financial and on-field problems of the club are happening against a background of both rationalisation and expansion in the AFL. The 16-team national league grew out of a Melbourne league, and there are still 10 teams based in Melbourne. Despite its great tradition of passionate support for Australian rules football, the weaker teams in Melbourne have struggled against wealthy and successful interstate newcomers. In 1996 the Melbourne based Fitzroy club was forced into a merger with the interstate Brisbane Bears. The AFL's current TV deal requires a 16-team competition and thus it is highly unlikely a team will be allowed to simply fold in the next few years, but Melbourne FC faces similar problems to Fitzroy in terms of financial crisis, thin membership base, political instability and dire playing ability. The AFL policy of aggressive expansion into New South Wales and Queensland means the Melbourne club now faces a similar fate to Fitzroy. The likelihood of Melbourne moving to the Gold Coast is almost gone due to the league's focus on the creation of a new Gold Coast team to play in the TAC Cup by 2009, AFL Queensland by 2010, and enter the AFL in 2011 or 2012, but the AFL has targeted Western Sydney as the site of a new team, so speculation of a relocated future Demons club persists.

Prominent Fans

• John So Lord mayor of Melbourne (No. 1 ticket holder)
• Terry Bracks wife of Steve Bracks (No. 1 female ticket holder)
• Ian Johnson Managing Director, Channel 7, Melbourne
• Hamish Blake Radio Presenter FOX FM (Melbourne)
• Mike Sheahan Herald-Sun Football Writer
• Rob Sitch comedian
• Derryn Hinch news presenter
• Max Walker former cricketer and TV presenter (who played for MFC from 1967-1972)
• Brad Hodge Australian cricket
• Victor Perton former Victorian State Liberal MP
• Beverley O'Connor journalist and club vice-chairman
• David Hobson Opera Singer and TV Celebrity
• Philip Davis Victorian State Liberal MP
• Peter Berner comedian/radio presenter (No.2 Ticket Holder)
• Alan Stockdale Former Victorian Kennett Liberal Government Treasurer
• Mal Walden Television News Presenter
• Ron Walker Fairfax Media Chairman
• Noong Arr Prominent Media Commentator
• Don Argus Chairman of BHP Billiton
• Graeme Samuel Chairman, ACCC
• Ian Henderson, ABC TV newsreader
• Steve Moneghetti (marathon runner)
• Ella Hooper Jesse Hooper (Killing Heidi)
• Nicky Buckley (television personality)
• Geoff Cox (television presenter)
• Bobby Valentine (musician)
• David Bridie (singer/songwriter)
• John Rothfield aka Dr Turf (radio presenter)
• Rob Gell (television weatherman)
• Greg Evans (television personality)
• Jan Sardi (Oscar nominated screenwriter)
• Michael Veitch (comedian and writer)
• Gajan Thiyagarajah
• Matt Damon Actor

Current squad

As of November 29, 2008:

Club Honours

VFL/AFL Premierships (1897-1915, 1919-)

• 1900, 1926, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964

VFL/AFL Runners Up (1897-1915, 1919-)

• 1946, 1954, 1958, 1988, 2000

VFL/AFL Minor Premierships (1897-1915, 1919-)

• 1939, 1940, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1964

McClelland Trophies (1951-)

• 1955, 1956, 1958, 1990

Pre-season/Night series Premierships (1956-1971, 1977-)

• 1971, 1987, 1989

Pre-season/Night series Runners Up (1956-1971, 1977-)

• 1969, 1970

VFL Seconds/Reserves Premierships (1919-1999)

• 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1939, 1949, 1956, 1969, 1970, 1984, 1993

VFA Runners Up (1877-1896)

• 1877, 1878, 1893, 1894

Honour Board

The honour board is listed from the first VFL/AFL season and includes the following individual awards:

• Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal - awarded to Melbourne Football Club's Best & Fairest. Named after Keith Truscott who died in World War II.
• Leading goalkicker award
• Harold Ball Memorial Trophy - awarded to the Best First Year Player. Named in honour of Harold Ball who died in World War II.

Team of the Century

Stan Alves, Ian Ridley, Bob B. Johnson and Greg Wells were all named as emergencies.

150 Heroes

Melbourne FC announced its "150 Heroes" to celebrate its 150th birthday Crown Casino on Saturday 7 June, 2008. Each player or their closest relative were presented with an official 150 heroes medallion. The criteria for inclusion was games played (minimum of 100), fairest-and-best awards, premierships, Brownlow medals, contribution to the club and State representation. Those who died in the war were judged based on their achievements before their passing. The heroes named were:

Jim Abernethy, Frank Adams, Bill Allen, Stan Alves, Syd Anderson, Tony Anderson, Lance Arnold, Ron Baggott, Garry Baker, Harold Ball, Ron Barassi, Percy Beames, John Beckwith, George Rickford, Ray Biffin, Barry Bourke, Harry Brereton, Cameron Bruce, Keith Carroll, Geoff Case, Albert Chadwick, Noel Clarke, Geof Collins, Jack Collins, Chris Connolly, Bob Corbett, Denis Cordner, Don Cordner, Ted Cordner, Vin Coutie, Harry Coy, Jim Davidson, Frank Davis, Ross Dillon, Carl Ditterich, Brian Dixon, Len Dockett, Adrian Dullard, Hugh Dunbar, Richie Emselle, Fred Fanning, Jeff Farmer, Matthew Febey, Steven Febey, Dick Fenton-Smith, Rolie Fischer, Robert Flower, Laurie Fowler, Maurice Gibb, Peter Giles, Terry Gleeson, Brad Green, Rod Grinter, George Haines, Gary Hardeman, Henry Harrison, Gerard Healy, Greg Healy, Dick Hingston, Paul Hopgood, Danny Hughes, Anthony Ingerson, Eddie Jackson, Alan Johnson, Bob B. Johnson, Tassie Johnson, Trevor Johnson, Travis Johnstone, Gordon Jones, Les Jones, Bryan Kenneally, Allan La Fontaine, Clyde Laidlaw, Frank Langley, Jack Leith, Andrew Leoncelli, Chalie Liley, Wally Lock, Harry Long, John Lord, Andy Lovell, Brett Lovett, Glenn Lovett, Garry Lyon, Hassa Mann, George Margitich, Peter Marquis, Bernie Massey, Anthony McDonald, James McDonald, Fred McGinis, JP McGrath, Bob McKenzie, Col McLean, Ian McLean, Noel McMahen, Ken Melville, Laurie Mithen, Peter Moore, Jack Mueller, David Neitz, Stephen Newport, Jack O'Keefe, Andrew Obst, Gordon Ogden, Greg Parke, AM Pearce, Jack Purse, Ian Ridley, Guy Rigoni, Frank Roberts, Russell Robertson, Alby Rodda, Brian Roet, Peter Rohde, Alan Rowarth, David Schwarz, Norm Smith, Steven Smith, Earl Spalding, Stuart Spencer, Charlie Streeter, Steven Stretch, Jim Stynes, Tony Sullivan, Dick Taylor, Ted Thomas, Ian Thorogood, Stephen Tingay, John Townsend, Keith Truscott, Geoff Tunbridge, Bill Tymms, Barrie Vagg, Frank Vine, Todd Viney, Ivor Warne-Smith, Ray Wartman, Athol Webb, Greg Wells, Jeff White, Sean Wight, Don Williams, Brian Wilson, Stan Wittman, Shane Woewodin, Graeme Yeats, Charlie Young, Adem Yze

Some controversy surrounded the inclusion of current assistant coach Chris Connolly (who had played less than 100 games) and several current players and the non-inclusion of players such as Tom Wills (founder), Allen Jakovich and Troy Broadbridge (who died but not during wartime).

Individual awards

Best and Fairest

See Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal

Brownlow Medal winners

• Ivor Warne-Smith (1926, 1928)
• Don Cordner (1946)
• Brian Wilson (1982)
• Peter Moore (1984)
• Jim Stynes (1991)
• Shane Woewodin (2000)

Leigh Matthews Trophy

• Jim Stynes (1991)

Coleman Medal winners

• David Neitz (2002)

Mark of the Year winners

• Shaun Smith (1995) (also informally dubbed Mark of the Century)
• Michael Newton (2007)

Goal of the Year winners

• Jeff Farmer (1998)

All-Australian players (since 1990)

• Jim Stynes (1991, 1993)
• Garry Lyon (1993, 1994, 1995)
• Stephen Tingay (1994)
• Todd Viney (1998)
• Jeff Farmer (2000)
• Adem Yze (2002)
• David Neitz (1995, 2002)
• Jeff White (2004)
• James McDonald (2006)

National team representatives (since 2003)

• Clint Bizzell (2003)
• Aaron Davey (2005, 2006)
• Brent Moloney (2005)
• Russell Robertson (2005)
• James McDonald (2006)

Club Mascot

Main article: AFL Mascot Manor

Rotten Ronald Deeman - Melbourne Football Club's mascot at the MCG

The current club mascot is Ronald Deeman, or also known as Ruckle.

He carries a trident, has devil horns and has a pointed Devil tail.

See also

See also: Category:Melbourne Football Club players

References

External links

• Official Website of the Melbourne Football Club
• Demonland - Unofficial Website of the Melbourne Football Club
• Demonology - Unofficial Website of the Melbourne Football Club
• "Around the Grounds" - Web Documentary - MCG
• Melbourne Demons Discussion Board on BigFooty.