Melbourne Football Club

Names
Full name	Melbourne Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Demons, The Dees
Season 2007
Position	14th
Top Goalkicker	Russell Robertson
Best & Fairest	James McDonald
Club Details
Founded	1859
Colours	Navy Blue and red
Competition	Australian Football League
Chairman	Paul Gardner
Coach	Dean Bailey
Captain(s)	David Neitz
Ground(s)	Melbourne Cricket Ground (100,000)
Other information
Official website	www.melbournefc.com.au

Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League, based in Melbourne, Victoria. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Russell Robertson (born November 24, 1978) is an Australian rules footballer, and currently plays for the Melbourne Demons Football Club. ... James I. McDonald (born October 5, 1976) is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. ... This article is about the national league in Australian rules football. ... Paul Gardner is the current president of the AFL football club Melbourne. ... Dean Bailey (born January 18, 1967) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the VFL/AFL. Bailey played 53 games for Essendon, mainly in defence. ... David Neitz (born January 22, 1975) is an Australian rules footballer, and captain of the Melbourne Demons Football Club. ... “MCG” redirects here. ... High marking is a key skill and spectacular attribute of Australian rules football Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the key skill in Australian rules football Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy is a code of... This article is about the national league in Australian rules football. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ... VIC redirects here. ...

The club has an unusual claim in international sport: in 1859, 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 most elite in the code. Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Look up Football in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the present day Victorian state football league. ... This article is about the national league in Australian rules football. ...

Club history

Some sources claim that the MFC is the oldest professional sporting club in the world. However, some rugby clubs in the UK and Ireland are older. The claim of "professionalism" is also contentious, as the Victorian Football League did not officially allow professional players until Rule 29 was passed in 1911, and even then Melbourne remained a proudly amateur club for many years.^[1] This article is about the present day Victorian state football league. ...

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"). The club was formally established 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. The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) is a sporting club based in Melbourne, Australia. ... “MCG” redirects here. ... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Thomas Wentworth Wills was an Australian sportsman who is credited along with Henry Harrison as one of the inventors of Australian rules football. ... Henry Colden Antill Harrison (16 October 1836 – 2 September 1929) was a notable early Australian rules football player and administrator. ...

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 woolen socks. Melbourne wore the red set whilst the blue set were, allegedly, given to the Carlton football club. This may be the cause of Carlton's nickname, 'The Blueboys'.

Founders of the VFA

In 1877, the club became a foundation member of the Victorian Football Association. During this time, the club was known as the "Fuchsias". The Victorian Football Association (1877-1995) or the VFA for short, was the first Australian Football body established in Australia, formed in 1877, almost 20 years before that of the Victorian Football League (VFL). ... Not to be confused with Fascia. ...

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 have 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 Demons' games, also meant that many potential members had a reduced incentive to join the club - thus, Melbourne's membership is currently 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. This article is about the national league in Australian rules football. ...

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), defeating 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. Fitzroy Football Club, most recently nicknamed The Lions, was an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League (now the Australian Football League) on its inception in 1897. ... --TenOfAllTrades (talk/contrib) 01:27, 1 May 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ... The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal, is the medal awarded to the best and fairest player in the Australian Football League during the regular season (ie not including finals matches) as decided upon by umpires. ...

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

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

In 1933, the club changed their moniker to the "Demons". Image File history File links NormSmith. ... Image File history File links NormSmith. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (335x723, 167 KB) Summary Statue of Ronald Dale Barassi at the Parade of Champions, Melbourne Cricket Ground. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (335x723, 167 KB) Summary Statue of Ronald Dale Barassi at the Parade of Champions, Melbourne Cricket Ground. ...

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. Frank Checker Hughes (born 26 February 1894; died 23 January 1978) was a famous player and coach of Australian rules football in the Victorian Football League (later renamed to Australian Football League) in the period 1914 to 1948. ... Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club involved, and playing in the Australian Football League. ... Essendons Home and Clash Jumpers Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club that is part of the Australian Football League. ...

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 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. Norman Norm Smith (born November 21, 1915, died July 29, 1973) was a legendary Australian rules footballer and coach. ... Ronald Dale Barassi, Jr (born 27 February 1936) was an Australian rules football player and coach. ...

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. Carlton Football Club, nicknamed The Blues, is the sixth oldest Australian rules football club and the third oldest club in the Australian Football League. ...

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

Poor recruiting zones and management meant that Melbourne, under coaches John Beckwith (1968-70), Ian Ridley (1971-73), Bob Skilton (1974-77), Denis 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. In Australian Rules football, country zoning refers to a system whereby clubs in a competition are given parts of the rural area and the football clubs within that area as exclusive zones for the recruitment of players. ... John Beckwith (footballer) (Born 1934) was an Australian rules football player and coach. ... Ian Ridley (born February 15, 1934) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the VFL. Ridley was a rover who was handy around goals and a 5 time premiership player with Melbourne. ... Bob Skilton (born 1938) was an Australian Rules football player who played as a rover for South Melbourne and Victoria between 1956 and 1971. ... Carl Ditterich (born October 10, 1945) is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL. Ditterich, known as the Blonde Bombshell, made a sensational best-on-ground debut against Melbourne in 1963 where he was said to have run around like a gazelle. ... Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club involved, and playing in the Australian Football League. ...

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 Denis 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. A wooden spoon is a mock or real award, usually given to an individual or team which has come last in a competition, but sometimes also to runners-up. ...

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.

Melbourne 1980s shield logo

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. Image File history File links Melbourne80s. ... Sir Billy Mackie Snedden, KCMG, QC (31 December 1926 - 27 June 1987), born in Perth, was an Australian politician and was opposition leader of the coalition at the 1974 federal election failing to defeat incumbent Gough Whitlam. ... Robert Flower (Born August 5, 1955) was an Australian Rules Footballer with the Melbourne Football Club. ... Brian Wilson (born 30 September 1961) was an Australian rules footballer in the VFL. Height: 180cm, Weight: 82. ... Peter Moore (born 11 January 1957) was an Australian rules footballer for Collingwood and Melbourne in the Australian Football League. ...

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. John Swooper Northey is a former Australian rules football player and coach. ... Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed The Hawks, are an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). ... Robert Flower (Born August 5, 1955) was an Australian Rules Footballer with the Melbourne Football Club. ...

From 1987 to 1991 Melbourne had five positive win-loss ratios 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. Jim Stynes (born April 23, 1966) is an Irish Australian rules football player. ... Neil Allen Balme (born January 15, 1952 in Perth, Western Australia) is a former Australian rules football player who played in the VFL between 1969 and 1979 for the Richmond Football Club. ...

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 incuimbent board. Ian Ridley (born February 15, 1934) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the VFL. Ridley was a rover who was handy around goals and a 5 time premiership player with Melbourne. ...

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 supporter the Board. In a meeting run on the opposite side of town, the Hawthorn members had rejected their boards proposal and eventually the merger was defeated. Joseph Gutnick (sometimes referred to as Diamond Joe) is an Australian businessman. ...

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. Neale Daniher (born February 15, 1959 in Ungarie, New South Wales) is a former Australian rules football player and recent Melbourne coach. ... This page is for the Australian Rules Football Club in Adelaide. ... The St. ...

Partial revival

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.(December 2007) Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.

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, who had tired of his autocratic ways.

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. Troy Broadbridge (5 October 1980–26 December 2004) was an Australian Rules Football player with the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. ... The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake,[1] was a great undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) December 26, 2004 with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. ... Location of Phi Phi Islands Mahya Beach on Ko Phi Phi Lee The Phi Phi Islands (Thai: หมู่เกาะพีพี) are located in Thailand, between the larger island of Phuket and the mainland. ... Image:TB-large. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Melbourne started 2005 strongly, being in second place after Round 12, however Melbourne 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. Unfortunatley, Melbourne was eliminated from the premiership race in the opening week of the finals by Geelong. - - Nickname: City by the Bay Geography Area: 1,240 km² Coordinates: Time Zone UTC +10:00 Population (2003) 200,067 Among Australian cities: Density: persons/km² Political Mayor: Shane Dowling Governing body: City of Greater Geelong Geelong is a port city of 200,067 people (2003 census) located on Corio... - - Nickname: City by the Bay Geography Area: 1,240 km² Coordinates: Time Zone UTC +10:00 Population (2003) 200,067 Among Australian cities: Density: persons/km² Political Mayor: Shane Dowling Governing body: City of Greater Geelong Geelong is a port city of 200,067 people (2003 census) located on Corio...

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. Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers and known informally as Freo, is one of 16 teams in the Australian Football League (AFL). ...

Membership base

Melbourne Football Club has listed a record amount of members in 2007, 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^[2]), 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 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.

³ Club Record. * As of 13 April, 2008

Current dilemmas

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.(April 2008) Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.

The underlying problem for Melbourne and the other older clubs is that the new Australian Football League, a 16-team national competition, has ten clubs in Melbourne, a city which despite its great tradition of passionate support for Australian rules football, cannot financially support ten clubs competing against wealthy and successful interstate newcomers^{[citation needed]}. This article is about the national league in Australian rules football. ...

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. Some observers wonder about the long-term future of the club, with its thin membership and supporter base, political instability, and lack of consistent on-field success. The AFL's current TV deal requires a 16-team competition and thus it is highly unlikely a team will be allowed to fold in the next few years, however the AFL's failed push for the North Melbourne Kangaroos to relocate to the Gold Coast and threats of a 17th team have increased speculation over the Demons future in Melbourne. Image File history File linksMetadata Aussie_rules_game. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Aussie_rules_game. ... Carrara Stadium or Carrara Sports Complex is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara. ... Gold Coast redirects here. ... For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ... Gold Coast redirects here. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... Kangaroos Football Club Logo The North Melbourne Football Club, trading as the Kangaroos Football Club, and informally known as the Shinboners or the Kangaroos plays Australian rules football in the Australian Football League. ...

Prominent Fans

• John So Lord mayor of Melbourne (No. 1 ticket holder)
• Terry Bracks wife of Steve Bracks (No. 1 female ticket holder)
• Rob Sitch comedian
• Derryn Hinch news presenter
• Max Walker former cricketer and TV presenter (who played for MFC from 1967-1972)
• Brad Hodge Australian cricketer
• Victor Perton former Victorian State Liberal MP
• Joseph Gutnick businessman and former club president
• Beverley O'Connor journalist and club vice-chairman
• Philip Davis Victorian State Liberal MP
• Peter Berner comedian/radio presenter (No.2 Ticket Holder)
• Alan Stockdale Former Victorian Kennett Liberal Government Treasurer
• Peter Hayes Deceased Lawyer
• Mike Sheahan Herald-Sun Football Writer
• Mal Walden Television News Presenter
• Ron Walker Fairfax Media Chairman
• Noong Arr Prominent Media Commentator
• Don Argus Chairman of BHP Billiton
• Grant Samuel Chairman, ACCC
• Ian Johnson Managing Director, Channel 7, Melbourne

Dr. John Chun Sai So JP (Traditional Chinese: 蘇震西, pinyin: Sū Zhèn Xī; born 2 October 1946 in Hong Kong) is the Lord Mayor of City of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. ... This article is about the Australian city; the name may also refer to City of Melbourne or Melbourne city centre (also known as The CBD). ... Stephen Philip Bracks (better known as Steve Bracks) (born 15 October 1954), Australian politician, was the 44th Premier of Victoria, holding the position for eight years, from 1999 to 2007. ... Rob Sitch on the left as Mike Moore Robert Ian Sitch (born March 17, 1962), is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter and actor. ... Derryn Nigel Hinch (born 9 February 1944) in New Plymouth, New Zealand (now an Australian citizen) is an Australian media personality best known for his work on Melbourne radio. ... Max Walked plays the tall blonde guy on the Canadian television show, 15/Love. ... This article is about the sport. ... Bradley John Hodge (born December 29, 1974 in Sandringham, Victoria) is an Australian and Victorian cricketer. ... This article is about the sport. ... Victor Perton (born December 2, 1958) is an Australian politician. ... Joseph Gutnick (sometimes referred to as Diamond Joe) is an Australian businessman. ... Beverley OConnor is a well known Melbourne journalist and broadcaster she has been for 18 years. ... Philip Davis (born December 7, 1952) is an Australian politician. ... Peter Berner, Australian comedian. ... Alan Robert Stockdale (b. ... Peter Hayes (c. ... Mike Sheahan (born 19??) is an Australian journalist, and the editor of AFL Football in the Herald Sun in which he is known to have extreme bias against the AFL Team, Collingwood, to his detriment. ... The Herald Sun is a tabloid newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, published by The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... Mal Walden is a Melbourne based journalist and television news presenter. ... Ronald J. Walker AC CBE (born September, 1939) is an Australian businessman renowned in Melbourne for his work in managing sporting events. ... Don Argus is an Australian businessman, and the current chairman of BHP Billiton and Brambles. ... Billiton redirects here. ... The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is an independent Australian commonwealth government authority established in 1995 to protect consumer rights, business rights and obligations, perform industry regulation and price monitoring and prevent unauthorised anti-competitive behaviour. ... Ian William Geddes Johnson (born December 8, 1917 in North Melbourne, Victoria - died October 9, 1998 in Melbourne) was an Australian cricketer. ... Channel 7 can mean: A small US-based personal computer game developer most famous for Iron Seed, a game set in space. ...

Current squad

As of October 1, 2007: Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Premierships

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

Coaches

• George Haines 1919-1920
• Percy Wilson 1921-1923
• Gordon Rattray 1924
• Albert Chadwick 1925-1927
• Ivor Warne-Smith 1928-1932
• Frank 'Checker' Hughes 1933-1941
• Percy Beames 1941-45
• Frank 'Checker' Hughes 1945-1948
• Allan La Fontaine 1949-1951
• Norm Smith 1952-1967
• John Beckwith 1968-1970
• Ian Ridley 1971-1973
• Bob Skilton 1974-1977
• Denis Jones 1978
• Carl Ditterich 1979-1980
• Ron Barassi 1981-1985
• John Northey 1986-1992
• Neil Balme 1993-1997 (Sacked mid-season)
• Greg Hutchison 1997 (caretaker)
• Neale Daniher 1998-2007 (retired after R13)
• Mark Riley 2007 (caretaker)
• Dean Bailey 2008-

George Heinz (born October 8, 1891) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong, Melbourne and St Kilda in the VFL. He was born George Heinz but during his career chose to be known as George Haines due to the bad feeling the country had towards Germany in the... Percy Wilson (March 31, 1889) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood and Melbourne in the VFL during the early 1900s. ... Gordon Rattray (born October 19, 1898) was an Australian rules footballer who played with and coached Fitzroy in the VFL. A half forward flanker, Rattray debuted for Fitzroy in 1917 but his progress was stalled when he missed the following season due to military service. ... Sir Albert Bert Chadwick (15 November 1897–27 October 1983) was an Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League. ... --TenOfAllTrades (talk/contrib) 01:27, 1 May 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Frank Checker Hughes (born 26 February 1894; died 23 January 1978) was a famous player and coach of Australian rules football in the Victorian Football League (later renamed to Australian Football League) in the period 1914 to 1948. ... Percy James Beames (born July 27, 1911, died March, 2004) was an Australian rules footballer with the Melbourne Demons and cricket at state level for Victoria. ... Frank Checker Hughes (born 26 February 1894; died 23 January 1978) was a famous player and coach of Australian rules football in the Victorian Football League (later renamed to Australian Football League) in the period 1914 to 1948. ... Allan La Fontaine was an Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League. ... Norman Norm Smith (born November 21, 1915, died July 29, 1973) was a legendary Australian rules footballer and coach. ... John Beckwith (footballer) (Born 1934) was an Australian rules football player and coach. ... Ian Ridley (born February 15, 1934) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the VFL. Ridley was a rover who was handy around goals and a 5 time premiership player with Melbourne. ... Bob Skilton (born 1938) was an Australian Rules football player who played as a rover for South Melbourne and Victoria between 1956 and 1971. ... Carl Ditterich (born October 10, 1945) is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL. Ditterich, known as the Blonde Bombshell, made a sensational best-on-ground debut against Melbourne in 1963 where he was said to have run around like a gazelle. ... Ronald Dale Barassi, Jr (born 27 February 1936) was an Australian rules football player and coach. ... John Swooper Northey is a former Australian rules football player and coach. ... Neil Allen Balme (born January 15, 1952 in Perth, Western Australia) is a former Australian rules football player who played in the VFL between 1969 and 1979 for the Richmond Football Club. ... Neale Daniher (born February 15, 1959 in Ungarie, New South Wales) is a former Australian rules football player and recent Melbourne coach. ... Mark Bomber Riley is an Australian rules football coach, in a caretaker role at the Melbourne Football Club following the resignation of Neale Daniher on June 27 2007. ... Dean Bailey (born January 18, 1967) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the VFL/AFL. Bailey played 53 games for Essendon, mainly in defence. ...

Captains

• George Haines 1919-1920
• Percy Wilson 1921-1923
• Albert Chadwick 1924-1927
• Ivor Warne-Smith 1928-1931
• Percy Beames 1941-45
• Norm Smith 1945-47
• Don Cordner 1948-49
• Shane McGrath 1950
• Denis Cordner 1951-53
• Geoff Collins 1954
• Noel McMahen 1955-1956
• John Beckwith 1957-1959
• Ron Barassi 1960-1964
• Hassa Mann 1965-1968
• Tassie Johnson 1969
• Frank Davis 1970-72
• Stan Alves 1973-1978
• Carl Ditterich 1979-1980
• Robert Flower 1981-1987
• Greg Healy 1988-1990
• Garry Lyon aka Woolly Mammoth, 1991-1997
• Todd Viney 1998-1999
• David Neitz 2000-present

George Heinz (born October 8, 1891) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong, Melbourne and St Kilda in the VFL. He was born George Heinz but during his career chose to be known as George Haines due to the bad feeling the country had towards Germany in the... Percy Wilson (March 31, 1889) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood and Melbourne in the VFL during the early 1900s. ... Sir Albert Bert Chadwick (15 November 1897–27 October 1983) was an Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League. ... --TenOfAllTrades (talk/contrib) 01:27, 1 May 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Percy James Beames (born July 27, 1911, died March, 2004) was an Australian rules footballer with the Melbourne Demons and cricket at state level for Victoria. ... Norman Norm Smith (born November 21, 1915, died July 29, 1973) was a legendary Australian rules footballer and coach. ... Don Cordner was an Australian rules football player and coach. ... John Shane McGrath (born June 6, 1919) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the VFL during the 1940s. ... Denis Cordner (Born 28th June 1924) is a former Australian rules football player . ... Geoff Collins (Born 10th August 1926) is a former Australian rules football player in the VFL . ... Noel McMahen is a former Australian rules football player and a coach in the VFL . ... John Beckwith (footballer) (Born 1934) was an Australian rules football player and coach. ... Ronald Dale Barassi, Jr (born 27 February 1936) was an Australian rules football player and coach. ... Harold Hassa Mann (born October 10, 1940) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and captain Melbourne in the VFL during the 1960s. ... Robert Tassie Johnson (born December 2, 1937) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the VFL during the 1960s. ... Frank Davis (born August 25, 1944) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the VFL. Davis made his debut in Melbournes premiership winning season of 1964 and despite managing just six games he was a member of the grand final winning team. ... Stan Alves is an Australian Rules Football player and coach. ... Carl Ditterich (born October 10, 1945) is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL. Ditterich, known as the Blonde Bombshell, made a sensational best-on-ground debut against Melbourne in 1963 where he was said to have run around like a gazelle. ... Robert Flower (Born August 5, 1955) was an Australian Rules Footballer with the Melbourne Football Club. ... Greg Healy (born September 16, 1965) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the VFL/AFL. His brother Gerard was a Brownlow Medalist. ... Gareth Garry Lyon (born September 13, 1967 in Devonport, Tasmania) is a former Australian rules footballer, best known as former captain of the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. ... Todd Viney (born March 30, 1966) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club. ... David Neitz (born January 22, 1975) is an Australian rules footballer, and captain of the Melbourne Demons Football Club. ...

Team of the Century

Stan Alves, Ian Ridley, Bob B. Johnson and Greg Wells were all named as emergencies The positions as seen on an oval In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team are assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. ... John Beckwith (footballer) (Born 1934) was an Australian rules football player and coach. ... Robert Tassie Johnson (born December 2, 1937) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the VFL during the 1960s. ... Don Cordner was an Australian rules football player and coach. ... The positions as seen on an oval In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team are assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. ... Noel McMahen is a former Australian rules football player and a coach in the VFL . ... Gary Hardeman (born February 26, 1950) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne during the 1970s. ... Don Williams (born November 3, 1935) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne during the 1950s and 60s. ... The positions as seen on an oval In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team are assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. ... Brian Dixon (born 20 May 1936) is a former Australian rules footballer and Victorian Politician. ... Allan La Fontaine was an Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League. ... Robert Flower (Born August 5, 1955) was an Australian Rules Footballer with the Melbourne Football Club. ... The positions as seen on an oval In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team are assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. ... Harold Hassa Mann (born October 10, 1940) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and captain Melbourne in the VFL during the 1960s. ... --TenOfAllTrades (talk/contrib) 01:27, 1 May 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Gareth Garry Lyon (born September 13, 1967 in Devonport, Tasmania) is a former Australian rules footballer, best known as former captain of the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. ... The positions as seen on an oval In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team are assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. ... Jack Mueller (September 9, 1915–June 14, 2001) was an Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League (VFL). ... Norman Norm Smith (born November 21, 1915, died July 29, 1973) was a legendary Australian rules footballer and coach. ... Percy James Beames (born July 27, 1911, died March, 2004) was an Australian rules footballer with the Melbourne Demons and cricket at state level for Victoria. ... The positions as seen on an oval In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team are assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. ... Denis Cordner (Born 28th June 1924) is a former Australian rules football player . ... Ronald Dale Barassi, Jr (born 27 February 1936) was an Australian rules football player and coach. ... Stuart Spencer is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL and TFL in the 1950s and 1960s. ... The positions as seen on an oval In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team are assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. ... Frank Bluey Adams was an Australian rules football player and coach. ... Sir Albert Bert Chadwick (15 November 1897–27 October 1983) was an Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League. ... Wally Lock (born January 22, 1917) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the VFL. Lock was a member of the clubs 1941 premiership side and was their best and fairest in 1947. ... Laurie Mithen (born April 15, 1934) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the VFL during their successful period in the late 1950s under Norm Smith. ... Jim Stynes (born April 23, 1966) is an Irish Australian rules football player. ... Todd Viney (born March 30, 1966) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club. ... In sports, a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of an athletic team or of individual athletes. ... Norman Norm Smith (born November 21, 1915, died July 29, 1973) was a legendary Australian rules footballer and coach. ... Stan Alves is an Australian Rules Football player and coach. ... Ian Ridley (born February 15, 1934) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the VFL. Ridley was a rover who was handy around goals and a 5 time premiership player with Melbourne. ... Robert Johnson (born June 3, 1935) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the VFL during the 1950s. ... Greg Wells (born June 6, 1950) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Demons during the 1970s. ...

Individual awards

Best and Fairest

See Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal

Awarded to the Melbourne Football Club player judged best and fairest for the season. ...

Brownlow Medal winners

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

--TenOfAllTrades (talk/contrib) 01:27, 1 May 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Don Cordner was an Australian rules football player and coach. ... Brian Wilson (born 30 September 1961) was an Australian rules footballer in the VFL. Height: 180cm, Weight: 82. ... Peter Moore (born 11 January 1957) was an Australian rules footballer for Collingwood and Melbourne in the Australian Football League. ... Jim Stynes (born April 23, 1966) is an Irish Australian rules football player. ... Shane Woewodin (born July 12, 1976) is an Australian rules football player who played 200 games with Collingwood and Melbourne. ...

Leigh Matthews Trophy

• Jim Stynes (1991)

Jim Stynes (born April 23, 1966) is an Irish Australian rules football player. ...

Coleman Medal winners

• David Neitz (2002)

David Neitz (born January 22, 1975) is an Australian rules footballer, and captain of the Melbourne Demons Football Club. ...

Mark of the Year winners

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

Michael Newton (born April 27, 1987) is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. ...

Goal of the Year winners

• Jeff Farmer (1998)

Jeff Farmer (born June 24, 1977) is an Aboriginal Australian rules footballer. ...

All-Australian players (since 1990)

• Jim Stynes (1991, 1993)
• Gary 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)

Jim Stynes (born April 23, 1966) is an Irish Australian rules football player. ... Garry Lyon Garry Lyon (born September 13, 1967) is a former captain of the Melbourne Demons Football Club in the Australian Football League. ... Stephen Tingay (born August 13, 1970) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the AFL during the 1990s. ... Todd Viney (born March 30, 1966) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club. ... Jeff Farmer (born June 24, 1977) is an Aboriginal Australian rules footballer. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... David Neitz (born January 22, 1975) is an Australian rules footballer, and captain of the Melbourne Demons Football Club. ... Jeff White is an Australian rules football player who plays for the Melbourne Demons. ... James I. McDonald is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. ...

National team representatives (since 2003)

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

Clint Bizzell is an Australian Rules Footballer in the Australian Football League. ... Aaron Davey (born June 10, 1983) is an Indigenous Australian rules football player. ... Brent Moloney (born 13 March 1981) is a Australian rules footballer. ... Russell Robertson (born November 24, 1978) is an Australian rules footballer, and currently plays for the Melbourne Demons Football Club. ... James I. McDonald is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. ...

Club jumpers

• These are the current 2007 jumper designs.
• Clash jumper worn against teams with similar design/colour.

Club Mascot

Main article: AFL Mascot Manor

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

The current club mascot is Rotten Ronald Deeman. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Ronnie_deeman. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Ronnie_deeman. ...

He carries a trident, has devil horns and has a pointed Devil tail. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

See also

• Wikipedia listing of former and current Melbourne players

References

External links

• Official Website of the Melbourne Football Club
• Demonland - Unofficial Website of the Melbourne Football Club (www.demonland.com)
• Demonology - A Better Unofficial Website of the Melbourne Football Club (demonology.midnight.net.au)
• "Around the Grounds" - Web Documentary - MCG