Resource The NMFC History thread

[giantroo]

~ 0:30 to ~ 0:46 should be looped and played over a loudspeaker at Arden Street, at non stop hourly intervals.

In fact, giantroo could you please utilise your video wizardry and do this?

Press the sound button for audio

 

[Snake_Baker]

You're a GR.

 

[hilly]

~ 0:30 to ~ 0:46 should be looped and played over a loudspeaker at Arden Street, at non stop hourly intervals.

I'd just leave it on loop non-stop.

 

[Grogg]

As highlighted by Rick18 the new club website appears to no longer have his comprehensive work included, so I'm posting these here for posterity.

All credit goes to Tectonic for these:

The Club - NMFC.com.au

Everything about the North Melbourne Football Club, from the board and administration to our events, sponsors, history and community programs

web.archive.org

History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

The Formation - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

Jumper History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

Player History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

Arden St History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

NMFC Archives - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

Logo History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

There's also a couple of sections on Trade History, Draft History and an Honour Roll and all of those links still work as do the above.

 

[Tectonic]

As highlighted by Rick18 the new club website appears to no longer have his comprehensive work included, so I'm posting these here for posterity.

All credit goes to Tectonic for these:

The Club - NMFC.com.au

Everything about the North Melbourne Football Club, from the board and administration to our events, sponsors, history and community programs

web.archive.org

History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

The Formation - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

Jumper History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

Player History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

Arden St History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

NMFC Archives - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

Logo History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

There's also a couple of sections on Trade History, Draft History and an Honour Roll and all of those links still work as do the above.

Cheers mate, I'm going to work on downloading the site, just in case

 

[kangaroo7]

1939—HOPES RAISED AND DASHED (AGAIN)



After a horrible four year stretch in which the club managed a mere eight wins things had improved marginally in 1938. Former Essendon champion Keith Forbes had taken over as coach from “Paddy” Scanlon, who did not re-apply for the job after 1937. At the age of 30, Forbes was still a fine rover and would be playing coach and captain. He guided the club to six wins—almost as many as the past four years combined—and ninth position on the ladder after North had got three wooden spoons in the past four years.

The club’s administration appeared to be settled and stable, all office-bearers being returned unopposed at the AGM in December 1938. Finances had also improved with debt being reduced and a small profit recorded. The media praised the club for its improvement and for building itself up from local players.

PRE SEASON

North hoped to maintain and build on last season’s improvement. 1939 was the club’s 70th anniversary and it would be celebrated with a “Back to North Melbourne” carnival at Arden Street from 18 March to 1 April. Former players and officials were invited as well as old residents. There was also a match between past and present players.

Keith Forbes was reappointed playing coach in January. It was announced that recruiting would not be haphazard, only players for positions being sought. “Six or seven players of the heavy type” were recommended. In February it was reported that forward player Frank Crapper would return from a long-term injury. Crapper had played only four games over the past two years and he would only manage one this year. His days were numbered; a young local player called Sel Murray had begun to establish himself at full forward.

Almost sixty players were training at North in March. There were many promising recruits, but ultimately very few made the grade. Most were “March champions”.Seven players would make their senior debut for North over the season and four of those had played with other clubs. The two most successful debutantes were Jack Harrison from Oakleigh and Tom Roulent, a local lad who’s uncle Steven had played for North in the 1890s. The club would have to rely mainly on their established players, although some good ones had been picked up in the past couple of years. Most “experts” considered North would be a fast side.


TO BE CONTINUED

 

[Snake_Baker]

As highlighted by Rick18 the new club website appears to no longer have his comprehensive work included, so I'm posting these here for posterity.

All credit goes to Tectonic for these:

The Club - NMFC.com.au

Everything about the North Melbourne Football Club, from the board and administration to our events, sponsors, history and community programs

web.archive.org

History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

The Formation - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

Jumper History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

Player History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

Arden St History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

NMFC Archives - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

Logo History - NMFC.com.au

web.archive.org

There's also a couple of sections on Trade History, Draft History and an Honour Roll and all of those links still work as do the above.

Well, if this doesn't win poster of the year, then they may as well not award it any more.

Sterling work Grogg. First class.

 

[Snake_Baker]

1974: Lou Richards tips North to deliver our first flag

 

[Snake_Baker]

 

[Snake_Baker]

Hotham Football Club 1883 Member's ticket in blue leather with a cream leather strap and gilt borders.

 

[Snake_Baker]

North Melbourne: 1898 Member's Season Ticket, blue leather cover with gilt 'N.M.F.C.' on front and reverse

 

[tazaa]

View attachment 838381

North Melbourne: 1898 Member's Season Ticket, blue leather cover with gilt 'N.M.F.C.' on front and reverse

My display pic

 

[Hojuman]

View attachment 838369

Great Snake

 

[Old Shinboner]

Does anyone have a photo of the old Scoreboard at Arden Street?
There are a couple on the net but they aren't great.
Would love to see one with the final score of our 1983 thrashing of Carlton on it!

 

[kangaroo7]

1939 (Continued)


THE SEASON BEGINS –ROUNDS 1--6



North opened with a nine point win over Fitzroy. They dominated the game for the first three quarters until Forbes went off with an injured knee after which they did not score. New player Harrison showed his worth.

The next two matches were disappointing. Expecting an easy win over Hawthorn in Round 2, they were overrun after quarter time. They badly missed Forbes. The following week, with Forbes back, they pressed Carlton all day and were unlucky to lose, injury to two forwards incapacitating them. The match was played at a furious pace.

Despite their improvement, North still couldn’t hold a candle to Melbourne who they met in Round 4. The Redlegs were on their way to the 1939 premiership. Forbes was out again. North officials were furious that Melbourne player Fischer, who had been reported, claimed at the tribunal that he had been kicked by a North player. He got three weeks for striking Bill Montgomery whom he thought was the culprit but wasn’t.

In Round 5, despite a good first quarter, North went down to Richmond. Established player Frank Stubbs, who was in the militia based at the Queenscliff Garrison Artillery and could not always get leave, made his first appearance for the year.

Round 6 produced North’s second win—against arch rivals Essendon. With six changes to the side, including Forbes’ return, North won a spiteful match by thirteen points. It was only North’s fourth win overall against Essendon and their first win against them at Arden Street. A good first quarter during which Essendon’s Dick Reynolds was totally nullified helped North. Forbes was chaired off the ground by delighted North fans, while five police and a mounted trooper escorted the umpire off due to angry Essendon fans.

TO BE CONTINUED

 

[Hojuman]

Round 6 produced North’s second win—against arch rivals Essendon. With six changes to the side, including Forbes’ return, North won a spiteful match by thirteen points. It was only North’s fourth win overall against Essendon and their first win against them at Arden Street. A good first quarter during which Essendon’s Dick Reynolds was totally nullified helped North. Forbes was chaired off the ground by delighted North fans, while five police and a mounted trooper escorted the umpire off due to angry Essendon fans.



What a wonderful day !

 

[Snake_Baker]

Does anyone have a photo of the old Scoreboard at Arden Street?
There are a couple on the net but they aren't great.
Would love to see one with the final score of our 1983 thrashing of Carlton on it!

This is all I can find:

 

[Snake_Baker]

The old dry area at Arden Street.



If you were standing directly in front of that pole, then you were in the dry area.

 

[kangaroo7]

1939 (Continued)

ROUNDS 7--12

North lost their twenty-third consecutive match to Geelong in Round 7, but were not disgraced. They outscored the Cats after quarter time and had a chance to cause an upset. Roulent, playing only his second game, gave a superb display of high marking which even Geelong fans applauded. He and Ossie Parks were North’s best.

In Round 8, North led St Kilda until three quarter time, after which St Kilda kicked eight goals to four to turn a twenty-seven point deficit into a fourteen point win. St Kilda had a goal deducted from their score at half-time when it was discovered that a goal had been registered twice on the score board. Sel Murray kicked eight for North.

The heartache continued in Round 9 against Collingwood, who were having a good year. North delighted the crowd with their snappy play and winning centre line, but were no match for the then top placed team and found it difficult to get the ball past half-forward. Cordner in the centre constantly drove North into attack, but the ball came straight back.

North’s third win finally came in Round 10 with a solid twenty-six point win over Footscray. Three players scored North’s fifteen goals—Murray 9, Dyer 4 and Kennedy 2. Murray’s fine high marking was a feature. The notorious Arden Street bell had to be rung three times before the umpire heard it.

Round 11 brought another win. The match at South Melbourne was dominated by a very strong wind blowing straight down the ground. North had first use of it and kicked nine goals to none. Only six of the twenty-four goals kicked between the sides were scored against the wind, estimated at 45 mph. Dyer and Kennedy (6 goals) were best. Reg “Dodger” Ryan made his debut in this match, which would be his only one for the year. He would make a bigger impact in years to come.

North lost the Round 12 return match against Fitzroy despite fielding its strongest team for the year. After a slow start North staged a third quarter comeback to get within ten points, but lost by that margin.

North were now tenth on the table with four wins and no chance of making the finals. But there was plenty of drama and excitement coming up in the final six rounds.

 

[Old Shinboner]

This is all I can find:

View attachment 838934

View attachment 838933

Thanks Snake. They are the only ones I have seen as well (apart from grainy stills from YouTube videos).

Of all the old VFL grounds, I reckon Arden Street is the one with the least photos on the web.

 

[jimandphilbadge]

The old dry area at Arden Street.

View attachment 838941

If you were standing directly in front of that pole, then you were in the dry area.

As a kid dad could never get me to understand when I'd ask a million questions about what "dry area" meant.

As an adult not much has changed.

 

[kangaroo7]

1939 (Cont )

ROUNDS 13-16


North avenged their Round 2 loss to Hawthorn by thrashing them in Round 13. With the wind to come home with in the last quarter, North raced away to win by thirty-seven points. Murray kicked six goals and Dyer five.

Still smarting from their Round 3 loss to Carlton, North fans eagerly awaited the return match at Arden Street in Round 14.
They were treated to one of the best games of the year with North leading for most of the day and Carlton coming home with the breeze in the last quarter. In a hectic last few minutes the lead changed a few times until the scores were level. Then Sel Murray appeared to pull down a mark in the forward line and a good chance to win the match for North, but, sensationally, umpire Blackburn disallowed it and bounced the ball. From the bounce Carlton rushed the ball to the other end where Jack Wrout, a former North player, marked and kicked the winning goal right before the bell. Furious at this, and other decisions given against North in the vital last quarter, angry spectators rushed onto the ground and menacingly surrounded Blackburn. Police had to rescue him as well as Carlton players. A crowd waited outside the umpire’s dressing room for some time until Blackburn was spirited away by another exit in the Carlton president’s car. The Carlton players also left by another entrance.
North secretary Jack Adams announced that he would report Blackburn to the VFL and request that he not be assigned to any future North games. “We have taken this treatment for years and we are not going to take it any longer”, he fumed. But little could be done in reality. Any complaint to the VFL would simply be referred to the Umpires Appointment Board. Past complaints about umpires by other clubs had met with no action.

Round 15 saw North go down to Melbourne by forty-two points. The win kept Melbourne on top of the table on percentage.

Arden Street was again the scene of spectator rage in the Round 16 game against Richmond. North matched Richmond in general play, but inaccuracy let them down—Murray kicked 5.7 from sixteen shots. They also lacked a good second rover when Syd Dyer went off the ball and injury to Roy Sitch in the first quarter disorganised the half back line. Umpire Morgan let many obvious infringements go, which suited Richmond’s big men. His decisions frustrated players and spectators alike. In the third quarter, Syd Dyer took a heavy knock from his namesake Jack Dyer. He could not take his free kick although he returned in the last quarter. From then on the game became more physical as North tried to match Richmond’s “vigour”. Richmond led by thirty-six points at three quarter time, but in the last quarter they either relaxed or tired, and North made up ground to go down by fifteen points.
The crowd rushed onto the ground after the bell. Umpire Morgan got off very quickly, not worrying about recovering the ball. A boundary umpire who tried to get it off a fan who “souvenired” it was kicked on the ankle and struck on the head for his trouble. Some Richmond players were pelted with mud and dirt, but none were actually struck. A crowd waited outside the players rooms for Jack Dyer to come out. When he did emerge he was in his police uniform and pushed his way through.

As there had been trouble at the ground just two weeks ago, there were calls by some that the VFL take action. But others said that the trouble was overstated. Considering that Richmond forward Jack Titus was still on the ground calmly signing autographs, this was probably true. Forbes was reported by the umpire for disputing his decisions and using threatening language. He was suspended for six weeks. This ended his playing career and his chance of coaching next year, as, under the rules then, he would be unable to coach or play for four weeks of the next season including practice matches. Adamson was also reported for kicking Bentley of Richmond in the back while going for a hit out. He was cleared.

TO BE CONCLUDED.

 

[kangaroo7]

Does anyone have a photo of the old Scoreboard at Arden Street?
There are a couple on the net but they aren't great.
Would love to see one with the final score of our 1983 thrashing of Carlton on it!

Here's three from 1966. This was the main scoreboard before the big Beaurepaires one was built. This one was at the Arden St end, with a smaller one at the other end.

 

[kangaroo7]

1939 (Concluded)


ROUNDS 17--18

There was further violence the following week at Windy Hill, where North were soundly beaten by Essendon. With Forbes unable to coach, former player Ted Cusack would have the job for the last two rounds. The match was marred by spiteful incidents on the ground and fights among the crowd. There was a brawl in the streets after the match in which a policeman and his brother were assaulted. Five men all from the North Melbourne area were charged and one received a month’s prison. A black day all around for the club.

The final round was postponed for a week due to wet weather, almost every ground being waterlogged and unplayable. But when it was played, North broke a fourteen year old hoodoo by defeating Geelong for the first time since Round 1 1925. It was also their first win over Geelong at Arden Street. The ground was wet and slippery and the wind dominated proceedings. But North got off to a good start with the wind in the first quarter and Geelong could not catch up despite North not scoring in the last quarter.

The final table was a little lopsided.Melbourne and Collingwood finished eight points clear of Richmond and St Kilda. Four points outside the four was Carlton who were a massive sixteen points clear of sixth placed Essendon. North finished ninth with six wins, ahead of Hawthorn, Footscray and South Melbourne.

Most agreed that North had played excellent football over the year, but were still not quite good enough. Some records were created: Sel Murray kicked more goals than any other North player had in any season. He finished in second place on the goalkickers list with 78, well behind Todd of Collingwood on 120. He refused an offer from a Western Australian club during the year and chose to stay at North. The club defeated Essendon and Geelong for the first time at Arden Street. Three players who would serve them in good stead for years to come were unearthed in Harrison, Roulent and Ryan.

The War was about to have a big say in the club’s destiny for the next few years. Some players would enlist while others could not play due to work commitments. Len Thomas, who was appointed new coach late in 1939, held the position for only a short time before joining up. He was tragically killed in action in 1943.

North were fortunate in having a nucleus of experienced players to guide them during the war years. Nevertheless the club would generally struggle until just before the war ended when they would be more successful.

​

 

[Snake_Baker]

1939 (Concluded)


ROUNDS 17--18

There was further violence the following week at Windy Hill, where North were soundly beaten by Essendon. With Forbes unable to coach, former player Ted Cusack would have the job for the last two rounds. The match was marred by spiteful incidents on the ground and fights among the crowd. There was a brawl in the streets after the match in which a policeman and his brother were assaulted. Five men all from the North Melbourne area were charged and one received a month’s prison. A black day all around for the club.

​

Just another day on the terraces back in the day. Pity about the bloke getting a month's nick.

Sel Murray had a quiet one after being kept to 1 goal. He was the impetus behind Norths win over them earlier in the season when he kicked 6.