Roosistence Roominisces

[The Filth Wizard]

Loved reading this.

The night itself is a bittersweet moment for me as a home emergency made me cancel my flights down a few hours before leaving so I missed the work by TOD and the crew paying off but the lead-in is my favourite all time memory of BigFooty and late night PM's with TOD about the rumours and rumblings (cough* Bernard Fanning* cough* Missy Higgins)....

It was another victory in a stream of victories and it was part of a blissful high that didn't burst until Lidge passed away...

Deano is a humble bloke though and he worked his ass off on this. He isn't (wasn't) much of a sleeper but there'd be nights you'd leave him on BF at 3am and find him up on there again at 9am, such was his commitment to the cause at the time.

And TOD's words about Tim are probably scratching the surface, he is a remarkable enigma and spending any amount of personal time with him, as Deano will attest, was half magical and half head-scratching. As Marge Simpson would say, "What a delightful sprite".

Unforgettable, strange days indeed. With heroes found in odd places.

 

[Scallop Industry Thug]

Missy Higgins did what?

 

[Mr Reliable]

You don't need to be flattered further The Other Dean but I'll do it anyway. That was a fantastic read this morning over a cup of coffee (strong and black - like my men).

It's timely too. Because for TOD, pharro etc the time might be right to collect all their thoughts and recollections before they fade. And mentally check off the locations of the related relics of '07 before they're lost.

The victory against relocation was a pivotal point in NMFC history. Vigilence in capturing and preserving every gritty detail of it now will be greatly helpful to the generations we leave the club to.

I'd like the WANM people to do the same for history's sake. The two versions wouldn't necessarily agree because the two ''groups'' were very different (with a single objective). The differences in memories and perspectives would simply add to the miracle of how the club was saved from relocation. How about it, gokangas?

The memory of an SEN ''interview'' between an apoplectic Patrick Smith pushing the AFL/relocation barrow as if his life depended on it and a calm and professional WANM president, Davo01, sticking to the facts and arguments against relocation and rejecting the AFL's gold is something I will never, ever forget.

I can't find a link to the interview but here's a link to the BF thread begun on the day and contributed to as people listened to SEN. Reading it all these years later sends shivers down my spine. It's well worth a browse. See especially posts 1-7, 14, 15, 21, 35, 43, 50 and 71. Oh hell! Read them all. It'll be worth it.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/davo-from-wanm-on-sen-shortly.400444/

 

[King Corey]

Mr Reliable absolutely mate, the important thing is to gather the stories and artefacts from the many players involved for posterity without consideration of faction.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Missy Higgins did what?

Nothing, thankfully.

I just have a real vivid recollection of her name popping up and I may be wrong but she may have been touring with Paul Kelly at the time.

 

[blackshadow]

As requested here are a few photos from the wonderful evening - a full galley of photos can be seen here - it's been a while since I looked back over these shots, brings back some wonderful memories - once again thanks to TOD, Tim and everyone else involved in organising a sensational night.

 

[Mr Reliable]

Thanks blackshadow. As you would know as a Victory Room regular, little June can still be seen in the VR, smile on face, glass of red in hand.

 

[blackshadow]

Thanks blackshadow. As you would know as a Victory Room regular, little June can still be seen in the VR, smile on face, glass of red in hand.

June is a champion. Who can forget her "F*** you Demetriou!" exclamation!

 

[ROORAGE]

Great read. I remember this time vividly and logged in regularly to read updates from these guys from afar. The end of '07 for me was the culmination of a significant period of shambolic administration and the zenith of an AFL conspiracy to relocate us. I won't forget the efforts of these key people in ensuring the club rallied vocal opposition to a barrage of media misinformation and uninformed opinion - Even some of our own were turning on us - The Roosistence and WANM were massive in getting us to where we are today (to my mind the best position the club has been in arguably ever) and for that I sincerely thank them!

 

[Rooby_Tuesday]

Thanks TOD for the recap! Amazing times. I didn't make it to the gig - I was heavily pregnant at the time and the thought of standing up for ages was too hideous. But Hearts kindly bought me a t-shirt, which is a prized possession.
It seems astonishing how close we were to relocation then, and how far away we are from it now.

 

[Shermanator]

Gee TOD that's as good a post as I've ever read on this forum.

As you described the the bands and what songs they were singing I could picture them vividly and hear them clearly. You have a story telling gift mate.

What a recollection of memories from one of the turning points in NMFC history.
It's times like these that I wished I lived in Melbourne - I truly am envious of you Melbournians.
Roosistence should never be forgotten and all those great people/posters TOD mentioned should be immortalised with him being at the top.

Tim Rogers you are a dinky-di living legend!

 

[Twinkletoes]

Thanks for posting some of the pics again bs. Looking at them makes it seem like only a month ago we were in the venue shouting ourselves hoarse in support of the club remaining where it belongs. If Arch, Timmy or even June told us to leap off St Kilda Pier fully clothed at 3am I reckon most of us would've done so. It was that kind of night. A real "one in all in" spirit of a group fighting for a cause very close to our hearts.

 

[The Other Dean]

Perhaps just a shout out to Giantroo who was another terrific foot soldier for the cause during that time. Of course there were many others too, but I do recall his efforts in particular were well worth acknowledging.

Edited him in.

(And hilly out. Yeah nah, just kidding, hilltop.)

Isn't the story with windsock getting felt up by a member of the same sex, thus causing a kerfuffle and sensibly Northbhoy ushered the perpetrator on, i didn't know it was winsock until the story was told later on on here, witnessed it though.

I know I was seriously plastered, but that bears zero resemblance to the incident I witnessed. Tipping they're not the same. Although your story sounds pretty damn intriguing.

And cheers for posting the Lidger youtube links. Enjoyed watching them again.

Good research Jo. Those two blokes in interview 5 spoke a lot of sense. It must have before they'd had too many beers.

Second bloke looks like one very cool customer.

I mean, err.... that was awful. Have you heard of proof reading?

Well played.

It was a pleasure kicking back with you and others that night even though my memory fails me.

Backatcha, Q. Should have given you a shout-out in my recap of the night.

And you're another one that should post more often, too.

Mr Reliable absolutely mate, the important thing is to gather the stories and artefacts from the many players involved for posterity without consideration of faction.

Yep, totally agree.

He isn't (wasn't) much of a sleeper....

*glances at clock*

"Isn't" is fine.

(And, yes, a delightful sprite indeed. Good post.)

 

[The Other Dean]

And again, thanks a million for the kind words, guys. I get pretty taken aback and lost for what to say at these times, but me tripping over myself is not a reflection on my level of gratitude. I am genuinely humbled.

Honestly though, there's some seriously awesome posts here. Brilliant stuff. I'm on a bit of a 'like' rampage in this thread, but there's some that I wish I could like twice.

For example.....

And enough of the self defecation.

 

[Jay-Z]

TOD, that was an effing wonderful read. For someone who is apparently 'lazy' and 'can't write' you sure told a hell of a story there! I can't imagine how long it took you to put that all together but I'm very glad you did. That whole 'saga' was the inspiration for me to change from an apathetic supporter of the club to the diehard I am now. Unfortunately (for me), I only joined BF the following year so I don't know a whole lot about the history behind everything that went on in 2007. So thank you for putting in the effort to fill in some of the blanks.

And again, I'd like to reiterate the message from others in this thread - a HUGE THANKS to everyone involved in both WANM and Roosistence as well as everyone who attended that night in Dallas Brooks Hall. It is because of shinboners like yourselves that we still have a club. We came within an inch of non-existence but the turnaround since has been awesome and we are definitely in for some good times ahead. They say you can't enjoy truly enjoy the good times without the experiencing the bad... well, we as a supporter group have had more than our fair share of bad times in the last decade or so... and we're gonna really f***ing enjoy the good ones!!

 

[Chadwiko]

This thread also needs to acknowledge one of the best pieces of (unofficial) North Melbourne graphic design work ever.

I ****ing love that poster/logo.

 

[Horace]

When I think of the meaning of "self deprecatory", I think TOD. And on that night at the Prince he was doing "self deprecatory" to a treat; skulking around pretending he was just some casual who happened along.

Instead he was the hero, well, one of a few heros and the brilliance of his recording of the events of 2007 in this thread truly define the ability of the man.

Now this may seem a little over the top, but I remember the Cuba missile crisis, I remember when JFK was shot, I remember when Martin Luther King was assassinated, I was even one of 200.000 who sat down in Bourke Street in the time of the Vietnam moratoriums, in fact I remember a lot of momentuous occasions, including one that shaped my life more than any of the others..

That night at the Prince, believe it or not, was right up there with any of those and in my view that night was the turning point, that night was the night that I KNEW, we were never going to be Beaten.

And that took a bit of doing given that I was around for the demise of Fitzroy, the event that shaped my life more than anything else. My faith in "good guys" always triumphing, was shattered up until that night at the Prince. I truly didn't know how a bunch of ratbag North Melbourne Football Club fanatics could possibly defy the arrogant, malicious, hateful AFL in such a David and Goliath struggle.

But that night turned the corner because the ratbags were also the good guys and for this turning of the corner I will always be truly grateful for the work of TOD and his team at Roosistence.

Often at games nowadays I reflect on our "near death" experience and I just think how magical is this, that rain, hail or shine (metaphorically these days at Etihad) we still have the North Melbourne Football Club to go and watch here in Melbourne.

Thank God (or should that be those wonderful people of 2007?) we still have the North Melbourne Football Club.

 

[ShinbonerBaz]

^^^^^^^^^

Too good a post to just "like"

 

[Davo01]

Nice work TOD, great to get some insight into the gig and the enigmatic Roosistence brains trust. If I recall correctly, there must be a thread deep in the bowels of BF where Boner first posted that he was up for what became the Roosistence gig? Indeed, I expect that all the events of 2007 and the various contributions of Roosistence and WANM are well documented and stored for prosperity right here on BF.

A brilliant night and one Mrs Davo01 and I thoroughly enjoyed.

 

[Twinkletoes]

If I recall correctly, there must be a thread deep in the bowels of BF where Boner first posted that he was up for what became the Roosistence gig?

Boner's post you're thinking of Davo01

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/pledge-donations-was-football-dept.390699/page-9#post-9336768

I'm Tim Rogers. I just read the bit about the benefit show. Between myself and other rock'nfreakin'roll dropkicks we have been bandying this idea around for a while. Dave Larkin of the stupendous Dallas Crane wanted the night billed as "KEEP NORTH SOUTH"...the jury's out but i know we could get a solid bill together and get some bucks. Logistics are an issue, but the main hurdle to stuff i've wanted to do for the footy club in the past is that i just don't have a big profile, and everything i've done in the past has been on a level that honchos on a board level, in the past, have seen as chump change.On Sunday, between my manager and i, we have a meeting (i.e. slurp up) where we will take this up a gear, and bugger how big our profiles are, i'll just do anything, and i know acquaintances of mine will too. I woke up with my daughter on my lap reading that bloody Australian article and felt sick in the gut. She's a bulldog, loves the Kangas tho', and won't grasp why we aren't driving thru town regularly to go to training, or why her dad isn't that excited come winter anymore. This aint a great post, i'm a lil' bleary and frankly in a bit o shock. Keep y'all posted.

 

[The Other Dean]

^ Memories. Nice one, TT. Excellent find.

"Rock'nfreakin'roll dropkicks". Heh. Quality.

To be honest, I couldn't remember exactly how long it was between approaching Tim and getting enough basic details bedded down to release the news, so I didn't make specific reference to it. But the dates seem to line-up quite nicely with my recollection. And the whole 'not having the Roosistence name at that stage' thing. Few people playing coy in that thread, too. Funny to read.

Also interesting to see that the pledges were already coming in droves well prior to news of Roosistence. Like I said, Bigfooty's finest hour.

P.S. Cracking post, H.

 

[GoNorth]

This is one of my most favourite Big Footy threads EVER! The quality just keeps coming!

 

[gokangas]

We should never forget the bastards that tried to move our club, especially the one who is still at the head of the AFL. I know what he called us (WANM) and I will never forget. I wear his insult with much pride.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Boner's post you're thinking of Davo01

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/pledge-donations-was-football-dept.390699/page-9#post-9336768

Just spent the morning re-reading that thread. Good times. Oh boy, I f***ing loved emoticons back then. Think it was RB that sorted me out on that...

 

[Black2Blue]

A humble thank you to TOD and all the Shinboners who did so much to keep the flag flying. Living half a million miles from Arden St and the luddite, troglodyte, out-of-touchdite that I have been, didn't know about Big Footy and only got snapshots of the dogfight (should say roofight) that you all put up. I heard about JB the white knight, but TOD and the gang were obviously the foot soldiers and need a memorial in front of Arden St or just build a pub instead of a cafe.

The writing is a brilliant bit of work, the words fly off the page, making me hungry for those books Mr Reliable and KC are suggesting ("The Prince of Roosistence" and "Dallas goes WANM"). Reading this also brings me back to the struggles of putting together benefit gigs in the 90s and how all of those I worked on look like a piss in the ocean alongside that incredible Roosistence gig. Not only feel bloody grateful but also bloody jealous (will be back living in Melbuntown in 2 years - any chance of a Roosistence reunion at the Prince?) when reading about the lineup of acts.

Three hundred cheers for the Roosistencers. Join in the chorus, North Melbourne's having a ball thanks to a bunch of fighting Shinboners!