It’s that time of the year again…

Nigel Dawe

Just before season 2025 gets underway, instead of rambling on with your wishful, one-eyed run-of-the-mill hypothetical blurb (though I will say, to emphasize a wonderful omen of sorts – there was a four-year gap between our previous two premierships of 1960 and 1964).

I thought I’d whet our red and blue appetite with a half-a-century old blast from the coach of the century himself – Norm Smith. During the off-season I got hold of an original (long lost) 1965 newspaper article that featured our master coach’s views on what he considered to be the complete player, among countless other fascinating, albeit highly insightful, footy related things. In the very least, it is a reminder of what not only drew, but drove, and subsequently made the Melbourne Demons of the 1950s and 60s the most successful side our game has ever known.

The Complete Player… By Norm Smith (The Sun, Monday, August 2, 1965)

It is not easy to pinpoint the qualities that make a man the complete footballer because footballers, thank goodness, don’t come from the same mould. Footballers have different ways of performing their skills, and any coach who tries to make his players conform to one set method is being foolish.

One of the reasons for our success at Melbourne is that we allow players to be individualists. We allow them to play in their own styles so long as they incorporate their efforts into our overall strategy. Barassi, Tunbridge, Vagg, Mithen, Mann come from different moulds and we didn’t attempt to change them.

In most sports, certainly in tennis and cricket, as well as football, I think it’s probably best for young players, after learning the fundamentals, to develop naturally without being over-coached. All I have shown my son, for instance, is how to hold a ball, how to keep his eye on it, how to drop it.

What every League player must have is courage. Every man’s a squib at heart, and I like to tell my players that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.

Sometimes you can help a youngster to find courage. You build up his confidence in subtle ways until he surprises himself. But if you have the most brilliant recruit of all time and you can’t help him to gain confidence it is better to unload him.

Ken Melville is my No.1 player for courage. He was our vice-captain in 1955-56 and although he lacked physical strength – he was 11.5 st, and 5ft. 10 – he did more courageous things on the ground than any other player I have seen. I don’t mean he went round knocking blokes down. Ken inspired his mates by taking marks while running into difficult positions.
Courage was something he taught himself, and yet he was such a gentle man, and, as you know, became a Presbyterian minister.

These days people are surprised why so many good players in the Reserves never quite reach the first team. The fact is that physical attributes count for a lot in Australian football. A man can be an outstanding rover in the seconds, but lack just that fraction of pace or strength to be able to cope with the greater tempo in League football.

Players who come to Melbourne are thrown into a melting pot. They are told they will have to accept direction and take their chances when they come, irrespective of their personal preferences. I remember Roy Dowsing came to us in 1939 after he had kicked 160 goals in the Caulfield-Oakleigh League. Melbourne took one look at him and thought what an excellent rover and wing man he’d make. And he did.

Alan La Fontaine kicked 180 goals in the amateurs and became a wonderful centreman, and Jack Mueller, who was a centre half-back, became a ruckman and forward pocket.

Even Ron Barassi went through a stage where we didn’t know what to do with him. He wasn’t a success at full-forward or on a half-forward flank, and it wasn’t until Peter Marquis was out injured that we put Barassi on the ball – and saw the start of a legend.

When we are recruiting, we look for basic potential – whether a player has speed, marking and kicking ability and so on. But I tend to study more closely those who are not outstanding in their skills, because I reckon if they’ve been recommended to me they must have some other hidden qualities, such as strength and courage…

One of the questions often put to me is whether the players of today compare favourably with those of the past. I think they do. Some people make the mistake of comparing champions like Nash, Bunton and Reynolds with the average players of today. It is more reasonable to compare the average players.

Certainly, many players of the 30s wouldn’t have measured up to the pace we have today, although I concede that with intensive training they would have been just as fast. Because of the pace, our fellows today have not perfected the skills of the old-timers. Yet often on training nights, when the pressure is off, you see players make beautiful stab kicks and high marks.

For quite a while one of my contentions has been the rules must be modified to bring these skills back into the game. There is too much negative, frustrating play in football today. We, at Melbourne, are as guilty as anyone else, I suppose. We kick wide because it is realistic to do this. And we drive the ball down the ground unscientifically simply to make ground. Too many Rugby features are coming into our game.

I think for a start we should award a free kick when the ball is kicked out of bounds in the vicinity of the goal. It might be said that this would be unfair on the attacking team, but there are 21 yards of space to shoot at – the biggest scoring area in the world – and players who miss don’t deserve much sympathy.

To conclude, I’d like to touch on our six premierships over the past decade and suggestions that we are lucky by playing the finals on our own ground. The only time I had much doubt about any of those premierships was in 1957. At the end of 1956 we had farewelled Cordner, McMahon, Melville, Spencer, McGivern and Lane. We lost the first semi-final, but we still took the flag – our third in a row. It was one of my greatest thills.

Last year we were said to be fortunate, although I maintained we were as good as Geelong and we knew that we had beaten Geelong about 12 times over the past 15 or 16 games. The critics who claim we have a big advantage playing the finals on the MCG should remember that the ground to us is merely a place where we do hard work. The other sides must get a greater lift than we do in playing in the MCG atmosphere. This has been one of the factors helping Richmond. As for the crowd it is usually anti-Melbourne round most of the outer.

I am supposed to know all about the wind pockets at the MCG, but I don’t think anyone does. Kevin Murray once asked me which way he should kick when he was captaining an interstate team on the MCG and I told him: “I wouldn’t have any idea.” The winds at the MCG are unpredictable.

There are several good reasons why Melbourne has won six premierships since 1955, but I don’t think our familiarity with the ground could be included as one of them.

THE END

Round 10 – Hawthorn V Narrm

Dees Determined But Unable To Overcome Hawks

Liam Chambers

Narrm start strongly but Hawthorn has solid finish

The Demons have remained undefeated since losing that infamous game to Essendon in Round 5. A win against the highly fancied contenders Hawthorn would see us on the cusp of another finals appearance.

The Hawks have only lost one game all season and are looking more impressive with each passing week. To add to our woes both Kate Hore and Gabby Colvin were unavailable to play due to injury. However, the Dees have recently rediscover their famous grit and determination and Hawthorn would be foolish to believe that the game was in the bag.

Narrm started well, putting pressure on the Hawks defence. Their passing and marking showing a growing confidence in their gameplan. The Demons had their first major when Georgia Gall took a strong contested mark in the pocket, then went back to kick her fifth of the season.

It didn’t take long for Hawthorne to respond when Bridie Hipwood was awarded a dubious free kick in front of goal. Jasmine Fleming gave her side the lead when she made sure with her 30m set shot. After their second goal, the Hawks moved up a gear and Narrm had to defend desperately for the final few minutes of the term.

Hawthorn take control

After the break, Hawthorn came out blazing but the Dees handled the onslaught with composure and even managed to get the ball to Alyssa Bannan in the pocket, where the high scoring forward took the uncontested mark. Bannan’s shot missed by a whisker but the signs were good for Narrm.

Then the Hawks got another lucky break when Aine McDonagh got a kick away 15m out. The ball landed in the square where it bounced fortuitously before crossing the line. Hawthorn was straight back inside 50 after the bounce and even had another look at goal. This time Bridie Hipwell’s shot veered right.

However, the hosts were now in the driver’s seat and the Dees would have to knuckle down and try to stem the tide flowing against them. Aine McDonagh also had another set shot from the pocket but was off target and Narrm had another lucky escape.

Hawthorn spent the rest of the quarter hammering the Demons’ defence but were unable to extend their lead.

Narrm keep their chances alive

Despite trailing by thirteen points at the start of the second half, Narrm were playing well but the Hawks had done a good job of closing down any potential pathways to goal.

Hawthorn continued to dominate play but could only score minor points when they had the chance to really put the result beyond any doubt.

Then, against the run of play, Alyssa Bannan found herself deep inside 50 with only Laura Elliot for company. She had time to pick up the ground ball and tapped it towards goal where it bounced in the square and dribbled across the line.

Now that Narrm had reduced the margin to ten points, there was a chance they could overcome the Hawks if they were able to get themselves into potential scoring positions. Alyssa Bannan had another opportunity a couple of minutes later but it just slipped through on the wrong side of the upright.

Hawthorn again dominated the last few minutes, but Narrm held on to contain the Hawks’ lead to a manageable nine points.

Hawthorn hold on for victory

The Hawks were determined to put the Demons away early in the final quarter but Narrm wasn’t being very cooperative.

Alyssa Bannan had a chance to make it a three point game but her kick from the pocket went astray. Olivia Purcell then tried to make it a two point game, but her effort was touched on the line.

With five minutes left on the clock, Sinead Goldrick copped a knock to the back of the head and was taken off the ground for assessment. Hopefully she hasn’t suffered too much damage and will be available to the Dees’ last match of the season.

Finally Lily Mithen almost made it a one point game, but she just missed with her set shot and then Hawthorn survived the last minute Demon offensive to win the game by just six points.

We play Collingwood in the last round of the season and we need to win, but just as importantly, we need Essendon to lose. They’re playing Carlton who haven’t been at their best in 2024 but it would be ironic indeed if the team that did so much damage to our percentage was also the one that got us into the finals by losing their last game.

If we win against the Pies, there’ll be a nervous wait for Demon fans sweating on the outcome of the Bombers versus Blues game.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 9 – Melbourne V Richmond

Demons Keep On Trucking

Liam Chambers

Momentum swings back and forth

After the shock sixty five point loss to Essendon in Round 5, the Dees had since won three in a row to keep their faint finals hopes alive. Richmond by contrast, had only suffered two losses; one to league leaders North Melbourne. Victory against another top five side would definitely boost our chances.

The Tigers looked impressive going forward and it seemed certain to score first, which they did almost by accidence. Eilish Sheerin scooped up the ground ball, then snapped around the corner. The sherrin initially bounced about 15m out, then continued to bounce inside the square and eventually crossed the line.

After the centre bounce, Richmond was straight back inside 50. They had a couple of chances to add to their goal tally but were unable find the target.

Then Melbourne found a pathway up the ground where the quick thinking Alyssa Bannan picked up the stationery ball and immediately snapped it through the middle.

The Dees had back to back majors when Georgia Gall took a diving mark in the pocket. Always calm under pressure, the key forward made the difficult shot look easy, giving her side their second of the quarter.

The momentum had now swung Melbourne’s way and they were applying some serious pressure to the Tigers’ defence. Just before quarter time however, the momentum went back Richmond’s way when Ellie McKenzie sprinted from the centre of the ground to inside 50, where she launched goalward and slotted the Tigers’ second.

But wait, there’s more. With under six seconds on the clock, Alyssa Bannan again picked up the ground ball and kicked her second; this time off the outside of her boot to give Melbourne back the lead.

Dees edge ahead

After the siren, the Tigers went straight into attack mode. Melbourne weathered the initial storm and then headed off to their forward 50.

Despite some intense pressure from both sides, it was a low scoring quarter, with only a single point to Richmond with less than five minutes to play.

Then Eden Zanker took a contested mark on the edge of the square and went back to kick the Dees’ fourth of the game.

Tigers throw it all at Melbourne

Melbourne was in a good position at the start of the second half. They were playing well and dealing with the Tigers pressure plus making the most of their chances when they presented.

With just over a minute played, Alyssa Bannan was presented with another scoring opportunity after marking the ball in the pocket. It was a difficult shot from the boundary line but it was a great finish from Bannan and the Dees were seventeen points in front.

From there it was all Richmond with Melbourne making the occasional incursion inside 50. The Tigers couldn’t connect with the goal however and the Dees still held a sixteen point lead at three quarter time.

Exciting high scoring last quarter but Melbourne prevails

Richmond had another high energy start but Melbourne was again equal to the task.

The brilliant Tyla Hanks doesn’t score many goals but the opener of the final term was perfection. Having initiated the transition from the centre to inside 50, she received the ball back and sidestepped her opponents before slotting the ball from 15m out.

The next goal was Alyssa Bannan’s easiest of the afternoon when she was awarded a free kick and had a set shot from point blank range

Melbourne’s last goal was as a result of a play on to advantage when Olivia Purcell picked up the ball and ran on before passing to Georgia Gall in the square. The tall forward then tapped it across the line.

The Tigers didn’t give up though and Caitlin Greiser made the most of her set shot in front of goal to reduce the margin to twenty six points. Incredibly, with just under two minutes remaining, Caitlin Greiser got another goal. This time she grabbed the ball just next to the goal line and tapped it over. Then it was three goals in three minutes when Greiser snapped another from the pocket.

The win made it four in a row for the Dees. Our next game is against Hawthorn, who are second on the ladder.

It will take a great effort from the players, but on current form I wouldn’t rule anything out.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 8 – St Kilda V Melbourne

Saints Given Their Marching Orders

Liam Chambers

Melbourne take control

The Dees started well, putting St Kilda under pressure early on. It paid off when Sinead Goldrick’s strong tackle in front of goal allowed Alyssa Bannan to collect the ground ball at the top of the square. The key forward didn’t waste any time before snapping an around the corner kick that bounced the ball through the uprights.

After the goal, Melbourne continued pushing forward and within a minute had another attempt on goal. This time Georgia Campbell was awarded a free kick for an infringement. Her 35m set shot was on target and the Dees had their second.

Melbourne continued to hold the upper hand as well as territory while the Saints struggled to gain any momentum.

Tyla Hanks and Eliza McNamara, in particular, were having a terrific quarter and at times seemed to be in several places at once.

Second term more even but Dees win it by a whisker

The Demons started the second term in the same fashion, as they again the swamped the Saints’ defences.

Then, for no apparent reason, Eden Zanker (first week back from injury) was awarded a free kick inside 50. Her 30m set shot was spot on and Melbourne was three to the good. Saint fans were filthy but as we’ve had some dubious rulings against us in previous games, I’ll take that as a form of delayed karma.

St Kilda finally kicked their first major when Jesse Wardlaw took a contested mark, then converted the 20m set shot.

With just over three minutes to half time, Sinead Goldrick fought hard for the ground ball, then ran on and launched from 40m to kick Melbourne’s fourth of the game.

Maybe karma had a think about our earlier goal, because instead of being awarded a holding the ball free kick, Kate Hore was penalised for allegedly tackling from behind. The free going the Saints way allowed for a quick build up of momentum, which resulted in a contested mark taken inside 50, then another mark (uncontested)right next to the goal square. Jesse Wardlaw then went back to kick her second of the quarter.

Saints gain momentum but Dees limit the damage

So far Melbourne had defied the doubters with a strong first half but concerns over fatigue, from a short turnaround after last week’s game against Adelaide, still lingered.

Then some indecision by Melbourne going forward, allowed St Kilda to transition the ball up the ground and for Darcy Guttridge to run out and mark the ball inside 50. Her 40m set shot sailed between the posts and reduced the margin to eight points. Two minutes later Ashleigh Richards had a set shot from a similar position and the ball again found the correct space and it was a two point game.

The Dees were given some breathing space when Olivia Purcell was awarded a free kick inside the square and went back to kick from point blank range. The masked hero didn’t miss and it was back to an eight point advantage.

Melbourne plays a solid last quarter to take the honours

Leading by ten points at the start of the term, the Demons needed to ensure they didn’t allow St Kilda back into the game. Eden Zanker only needs a half chance and she took it after grabbing the ricocheting sherrin and snapping off her left boot to send it high and through the uprights.

With just over ten minutes left, St Kilda now required three straight goals to win. Melbourne couldn’t be complacent though and would need to work hard fending off their rivals.

Then the one player Demon fans definitely didn’t want to mark the ball, marked the ball. Worse, Jesse Wardlaw marked the ball directly in front. She kicked the 15m set shot and claimed her third to give her side a fighting chance.

Melbourne couldn’t afford to just keep defending and so kept pushing forward in an attempt to land the decisive blow. No six pointers, but a series of minor scores slowly added to the Dees overall tally and when Paxy Paxman’s shot cruelly bounced the wrong way, the visitors were thirteen points ahead.

Now with only four minutes to play, the pressure was fully on St Kilda. They ran hard at Melbourne but the Dees remained composed and continued to bring the game back to the Saints.

Zanker almost claimed her hat trick in the dying seconds but it sailed off line for a point.

Our season is still alive, but we have to keep winning and our percentage is going to hurt us, even if we win all three remaining games; dang those dastardly Bombers! If we do get to twenty eight points on the ladder, we should qualify but first there’s the little matter of the Richmond game.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 7 – Adelaide V Melbourne

The Sweetest Victory of All

Liam Chambers

Melbourne ferocious in the opening quarter

Back in August, expectations were high that Melbourne would play finals for a sixth consecutive season. Then as the list of injuries grew longer with each passing game, those expectations were tempered.

Last week’s victory against GWS reignited a flicker of hope in the hearts of the faithful. Wiser heads cautioned against such folly but maybe there was still a chance.

With just over a minute played, Alyssa Bannan again had the chance to score the opening goal. It was a good effort but she was pushed off the kick and the ball went the wrong side of the upright.

Five minutes later, the Dees did get their first goal when Georgia Campbell was awarded a 50m penalty and slotted her set shot from 30m out.

Melbourne’s second was less straightforward, with Alyssa Bannan kicking her 35m shot from deep in the pocket. The result was the same though and the Demons were thirteen points ahead.

The visitors were not allowing Adelaide the chance to play a fluid game, tackling hard and jumping on any sign of creative play. The hosts were clearly frustrated by the unwanted attention and the signs were promising from Melbourne.

The Crows had one of their best chances to score right at the end of the term, but fortunately were beaten by the siren.

The Dees resist the Adelaide tornado

After the break, Adelaide came out with a renewed sense of purpose, controlling territory early, but Melbourne met them head on before making some incursion of their own.
The pressure from the Dees was telling, as Adelaide were unable to play their natural game and mis kicking when they needed to get into scoring positions.

There was no doubting the Crows’ fervor but they were unable to reap the rewards, as Melbourne was just as intense in their defensive 50.

When Danielle Ponter was awarded a free kick in front of goal, after being allegedly being held by Maeve Chaplin, it looked like Adelaide was a shoe in to score their first goal. Then, it looked like a case of the footy gods intervening to right a wrong when Ponter hit the post from a seemingly unmissable distance of 10m.

While the Crows were working overtime in an attempt to secure a major before half time, the Melbourne troops were sprinting to douse every spot fire Adelaide was lighting, preventing an inferno from reaching their goal square.

Adelaide can’t maintain the momentum

The Dees had played arguably their best half of football all season. The question now was could they continue in the same vein and secure a famous victory against one of the most consistent team in the competition.

After failing to score a goal in the first half, Adelaide finally secured their first major when Madison Newman took an uncontested mark in the pocket and converted to take her side to within four points of the Dees.

After the center bounce, Adelaide was straight back inside 50. Melbourne was composed under pressure and succeeded in getting the ball back down the ground.

The Crows had the momentum, but they still couldn’t quite make the Dees pay by conceding another goal. As the clock ticked down, the balance shifted from total dominance to a more even competition, as Melbourne was able to slow down the game and make inroads into Adelaide’s defensive 50.

Then in the final few minutes of the term, the Crows again swamped the Dees’ defence in an effort to take the lead into the final quarter. Melbourne was heroic and their back line held up admirably to deny Adelaide.

Melbourne absorb the tsunami to claim victory

While the Crows had been slowly chipping away at Melbourne’s lead, they couldn’t land the killer blow and the Dees just needed to maintain the rage to cause one of the upsets of the season.

By the five minute mark, Melbourne had been continually under siege but had held firm against the intense pressure. Adelaide was using every weapon in their arsenal but nothing was working.

Melbourne eventually got the ball out of their defensive half but it kept returning and it seemed inevitable the Crows would eventually secure another goal.

It didn’t happen and the Dees continued to tackle and defend like their lives depended upon not conceding another goal.

When the final siren sounded, Melbourne could be justifiably proud of securing the win against what at times seemed like insurmountable odds. Our defence in particular was outstanding but overall, our team was nothing short of brilliant.

Next game is against another top eight side in St Kilda. After our performance against the Crows, the Saints won’t be underestimating us and we shouldn’t underestimate them; they’ve had an extra day to recover and will have home ground advantage. Our side will be brimming with confidence though and I’m optimistic we can still keep the dream alive.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!