Things that you remember about the footy as a kid

[Chasing the Dream]

Just because this season is going so well.

Just watching a replay of a game from the 1990's. Remember how they used to move the goals slightly at the MCG, bout 10 meters or so around. Think it was to change the angle ofmthe centre corridor (remember when most play went that way)

I also used to love watching the umpires walk around the ground to get to the teams change rooms before the game. Many would stop to talk to some of the crowd.

Another one was the goal squares which were painted a different colour, pretty sure they did this at Princess Park.

Anyone else miss some of those kinds of things?

 

[Haggis McHaggis]

Goal umpires turning at random angles, between any two posts, and paying the scores. They're robots nowdays.

Bears guernseys (please go back to the proper Lion, and petition the AFL to allow us to wear FFC & Bears guernseys as one offs, once each a year.)

Big forwards kicking massive bags regularly. (Dunstall was my first favourite player)

Green Gremlin slurpee's.

Mullets.

 

[Football Pope]

Remember thinking Alistair Lynch would be loyal and would not be lured north to a new club for more money .....Funny now, how he manages Tom Scully, a player being lured north for more money.... , Wonder what advice Lynchy will be offering?

 

[LIONHART]

i remember when you could run on the field after the siren blew, to pat your fav players on the back, & also get autographs.

also having kick to kick with friends/dads at half-time

 

[Tim the Toolman]

My favourite memories were very strong:

1) coming down from country NSW to see the Roys play at the Junction Oval I used to get excited when a) we could see the city of Melbourne from the Bunker Hill petrol station and b) get really excited when we could see the smallish (12 stories perhaps?) building at the corner of King Street and Coventry street which meant we were really close to the ground
2) Running out on to the ground when Bernie Quinlan kicked his 100th goal
3) Seeing all the black and white stripes along the building at Collingwood's home ground, Victoria Park and their social club thinking it was the Mecca of football
4) The donuts!!!

 

[western royboy]

Pre Season Practice Matches in the Country. Watching Bernie Quinlan blitz the reigning premiers Hawthorn at Mortlake for a half in 1984. Getting clipped by Leigh Matthews trying to get an autograph at the same game. Spending five minutes with Bernie in the change rooms as he iced his ankles. Priceless.

 

[mikey127]

I remember something that has nearly disapeared Saturday afternoon footy the the MCG. that has occured once this season so far

The old princes park when it was good to go to

The western oval was good to go to

Buying 13 hot jam donuts after the game at waverly and then spending about 2 hours trying to get out of the car park.

Also even as a lions fan loved watching north on a friday night in the 90's

Also miss the around the grounds men on the radio

 

[Football Pope]

Remember having our footy stolen from an opposition supporter at a kick to kick at Arden St..this kid just took off with it..The following day the old man showed us how to make a paper footy...It was the best..literally kick the crap out it..

For a couple of seasons the old mans shed became a factory for a group of us..we took to making our own footys for the following weeks after the games kick to kick .....They were sort of a "Sherrin pinata". Sundays we'd make a start get the pages the folks had finished with of Saturdays age, a roll of masking tape.. make up our own flour & water glue and construct a footy...usually paint 'em up after school Wednesday....Let 'em dry and the following Saturday we'd kicked the crap out of them till there was just bits of paper. The footy had to last a hundred and fifty kicks or you copped it all week.....

Never forget we started to get a bit inventive and put surprises in the guts of them for opposition supporters when they'd go the mark... A paper bag with flour or powder was a favourite..Tried dog crap but unfortunately it didn't live up to the high expectations we held for it...Remember the first flour one that exploded on an opposition supporter I couldn't run from laughing so hard...Classic

 

[Eons]

i remember when you could run on the field after the siren blew, to pat your fav players on the back, & also get autographs.

also having kick to kick with friends/dads at half-time

yep, this was great.

one of my best memories was at princess park against collingwood. pert had moved to collingwood a year or 2 before and kicked a goal to put the pies in front with a minute or two left. if i recall correctly we were over 20 points in front at 3 quarter time. then roos goaled with a few seconds left, game over. remember running onto the ground the atmosphere was amazing never seen players so happy. great game.

another great memory was playing little league at moorabbin. this was before they split the ground up to play a few games we played on the whole field. so exciting as a kid to play in front of so many people.

my dad was a hawks supporter and all of us kids supported fitzroy. my parents were in a babysitting club in glen waverley and ron alexander used to babysit us with his wife, marilyn i think. he said if we didn't support fitzroy he wouldn't babysit us anymore.. haha. he was huge seemed like a god to us as a kid.

 

[jackess]

MMMMMMMMMOOOOODDDDDDDRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ironmonger]

Living in Canberra these days, and going to Manuka oval is a little bit like stepping back to the 90s. Feels quite a bit like those old suburban grounds, although a bit more comfortable. You can drink a full strength beer and go out on the ground to have a kick after the game.

Plus they've got the old MCG scoreboard up there, just to complete the time travelling experience.

 

[mikey127]

More when I was a little older but what about the Whitmans blimp? What ever happened to it? bring it back

 

[POBT]

I remember when the only footy on TV in Queensland was the Saturday afternoon game. We used to watch each quarter and then take the Sherrin outside to have a kick in the breaks. Hawthorn seemed to be on TV every second week and so I was always "Buckenara!".

I also remember crowds of 5,000+ at QAFL games.

 

[adey115]

From when I was a kid...

It was advantageous for the Roys not to have many fans (until such time as we needed financial support). Finals tickets weren't usually a problem. Sunday Mornings at the Club meant you could actually have a chat with the players and a kick. Getting into the changerooms after the game to hear the boys singing the song wasn't out of the question. You felt special barracking for the Roys because hardly anyone else did - stuff being in the Magpie Army, we were individuals who came together in small numbers at the home games and rocked the Junction to its rickety core.

Getting to home games early to have a kick on the ground before the Ressies, and at half time in the Ressies. And after the game.

Running onto the ground after a win, heading to the race.

The White Grandstand, sitting a half dozen seats up from the cast of Cop Shop.

Bernie. Superboot. Superbly skilled athlete. 100 Goals. Being right behind him as he was carried off the ground. He was beaming from the way the supporters were chairing his off.

The 79 Elim Final.
The 81 Elim Final.
The two finals in 86, with Roosey doing the goose-step with excitement when he realised the final siren had gone. The Tank kicking the goal to put us in front of those filthy Bombers by a point.

Every win was something to savour - there was no advantage in finishing last, so teams week in week out just tried to win. So every win was special. You never thought "that win is actually a bad thing for us". You never thought "that loss is good for draft picks".

Hot Jam donuts that your parents didn't need a second mortgage for in order to get you a bag of six of them.

Long kicks to the advantage of teammates, and pack marks. Rather than wafting sideways because you don't trust their abilities to win a contested ball.

One-on-one contests that went all day. Dipper Vs Rhys-Jones, amongst others.

Rooooooooooooooooooooooooos. The fact that the Sydney fans continued that tradition when he went up there.

Full Forwards that felt they had a bad day when they kicked 5.

Star players on the ground for the full game.

Footy Grounds that were Footy Grounds, not necessarily Stadiums. Grounds where kicking with the wind in the last quarter meant something.

Watching the Bears on the tellie on a Sunday. They were impossible to dislike, unlike the traditional Melbourne based enemies. (which helped me over the line in 97).

Player interviews with personality.

I could go on for hours. When I was a kid I felt Footy was just the most awesome thing in the world. I remember distinctly at the 2003 Grand Final in the last quarter, turning to a fella with his two kids who were sitting behind me, who I'd been chatting with during the day. The kids were under 10. The three of them had come down from Brisbane, for their first GF. It was a great feeling of chamaraderie between those Melbourne based and Brisbane based on those days. I told the kids to have a think about where they were and soak up everything, remember everything about the day. Think about sitting here at a Grand Final with your Dad and your brother, watching your team, watching them swarming all over Collingwood. Count how many rows you are from the front. Remember it all. Cos I'd waited 28 years to see it once, and they'd seen 3 by the time they'd reached double figures....

 

[The Teacher]

Mid 80s when I was introduced to Mick Conlan - he was visiting Coorparoo Footy Club when Michael Gibson came home for long weekend or something.

I only now have the feeling back in my fingers after we shook hands.


Dicko

 

[adey115]

my parents were in a babysitting club in glen waverley and ron alexander used to babysit us with his wife, marilyn i think. he said if we didn't support fitzroy he wouldn't babysit us anymore.. haha. he was huge seemed like a god to us as a kid.

Ronnie Alexander was an absolute ripper. For those Brisbane based fans, he used to work in tandem with a gun Rover called Garry Wilson - who was tiny, but tough, wore a bicycle helmet because he'd been knocked out numerous times, and should have one a million Brownlow Medals. Ron used to protect him where possible - if anyone went near the Flea behind the play or the like (which would happen), Ron (who was a giant) would chase them down and go the thump. A 100% fair player - but if someone had done something wrong against a team mate, he'd go after them. Off the field, a gentle giant.

I remember reading a story about him when he was on the Freo match committee, I think after his brief stint as coach there. He was walking around the boundary pre-match, at a game in Melbourne when Freo were playing Fitzroy.

He saw people stand up and clap and looked around thinking that one of the Roy players was there or something, behind him. Then he realised it was the old Fitzroy people clapping him. Said he teared up....

 

[western royboy]

Ronnie Alexander was an absolute ripper. For those Brisbane based fans, he used to work in tandem with a gun Rover called Garry Wilson - who was tiny, but tough, wore a bicycle helmet because he'd been knocked out numerous times, and should have one a million Brownlow Medals. Ron used to protect him where possible - if anyone went near the Flea behind the play or the like (which would happen), Ron (who was a giant) would chase them down and go the thump. A 100% fair player - but if someone had done something wrong against a team mate, he'd go after them. Off the field, a gentle giant.

I remember reading a story about him when he was on the Freo match committee, I think after his brief stint as coach there. He was walking around the boundary pre-match, at a game in Melbourne when Freo were playing Fitzroy.

He saw people stand up and clap and looked around thinking that one of the Roy players was there or something, behind him. Then he realised it was the old Fitzroy people clapping him. Said he teared up....

Add Bernie Quinlan to these two and you had half our side in the late '70's.

All legends and super nice blokes to boot. Flea retired a bit young but just couldn't handle getting belted each week which was commonplace back then. Pretty sure Ron wore No.9 which was passed on to Matt Rendell who took over his role with style. Ron played a cameo role in the movie "The Club"

 

[adey115]

I reckon Ron Alexander wore 6. Rendell did play in 1981, mostly at Full Forward, with Ron still in the side that year....

Trying not to turn this thread into a Fitzroy history thread though, as I reckon its a belter. More than happy to read about those who 'grew up' at Carrara or the Gabba, like some of us did at the Junction or Prinnie Park!

 

[western royboy]

I reckon Ron Alexander wore 6. Rendell did play in 1981, mostly at Full Forward, with Ron still in the side that year....

Trying not to turn this thread into a Fitzroy history thread though, as I reckon its a belter. More than happy to read about those who 'grew up' at Carrara or the Gabba, like some of us did at the Junction or Prinnie Park!

Yeah you are right - just got 'em muddled, my first ever live game was at the Junction and they both played. Rendell up forward and Alexander in the Ruck.

 

[Dylan12]

I have a gazillion memories of the footy as a youngster, especially a lot already mentioned. A few not so famous memories also stick out in my mind for whatever reason:

- The passion of the Roys fans, especially recall when being a member of Fitzroy when based at Princess Park and sneaking into the cheer squad end at the Social Club end;
- Fitzroy knocking off Hawthorn in a classic at Princess Park in the mid to late eighties;
- Richard Osborne kicking 11 goals against Melbourne at Princess Park and every other bag he kicked;
- Michael Reeves running out in gridion pants in the 86 Elimination Final against Essendon;
- Mick's goal in the same game;
- Kevin Caton kicking the winning goal against Geelong IIRC after the siren at Princess Park;
- Jamie "Spider" Shaw's one and only game at Princess Park;
- Round 22 game against the Swans in 86 at Victoria Park when we won by 10 points...must win to get into the finals;
- 86 finals series in general;
- Richard Osborne having his leg broken at VFL Park.

Some non-Roy memories of games I was at:
- Victoria playing SA in a state game with a forward line of Lockett, Ablett, Dunstall, Osborne, Brereton at the G in a mud heap. I recall Tony Hall breaking his leg that day, tackled by a fellow Hawk IIRC;
- State game in 95 IIRC when Teddy was driven around the ground with son Ted not long before his passing;
- The Elimination Final at VFL Park in 88 when Jimmy Stynes ran over the mark;
- Mick McGuane bouncing about 7 times to kick an amazing goal against Carlton;
- Adelaide come from behind to snatch a GF berth in 97 when the Dogs and Libba thought they had it won;
- Growing up in Beaumaris I used to get to Morrabbin with a lot of Saints mates and witnessed Plugger often kick bags and almost kill Worsfold IIRC.

Could go on and on and on...

 

[western royboy]

Nice memories Dylan, my favourite all time is;

being chased out of Vic Park by a group of Magpie ferals after a win in the middle 90's.

Went back there last year to watch the 2's - the place still sends shivers down my spine.

 

[Dylan12]

being chased out of Vic Park by a group of Magpie ferals after a win in the middle 90's.

Went back there last year to watch the 2's - the place still sends shivers down my spine.

Vic Park was a brutal place to attend as a visiting side and I recall the Roys and Lions having a pretty good record there...as a young kid brought up in a pretty well to do area, that venue alone introduced me to the seedier side of society in a big way.

Another memory...and I was there, was the last game played at Vic Park...the Lions won that too.

 

[roostersgal4eva]

How can you NOT love the 90's when you have Hird, Voss, Buckly, Harvey, Lockett, Ablett Sr, Carey, Dunstal, Jackovich, Metera, Bradley, Ratten, Silvani, Platten. Kernahan to marvel at just to name a few.

And who was the guy who took the hanger over Champs early 90's - BIGGEST hanger ive seen....

MMMMMMMMMOOOOODDDDDDDRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

I so had the biggest crush on him. I also had a crush on Matthew Liptak & Shaun Rehn was another crow I loved as well.

I remember the hyseria over the crows in the early years - I remember the 97 doggies final and we went out shopping and stopped at the local fruit and veg store. We went inside and the customers and workers stopped what they were doing to watch the last quater on the big screen

I enjoyed the WCE team and loved Bluey Mckenna he was my favorite. I had a couple of non lions that were my faves, apart from the two crows & blewy Rob Harvey, Matty Richardson, Paul Kelly, Brett Kirk, Ben Cousins Anthony Stevens and Jim Stynes. It absolutly breaks my heart to see Jimmy suffer the way he has in the last few years

Talk about making the lions last two crappy seasons even worse

The week I had bronchitis, I stayed up all night and for that week 7 were showing the flashbacks of the 90's and they had some great games Dees vs Cats, Carlton vs Richmond, North and Bullies, WCE and Collingwood and all the faves.

And Lynchy with his duels with guys like SOS, Archer & Martyn - they were the days where you won the ball 'cause you were stronger in the one-on-one contests rather than being weaker body of the two and getting a free kick.

LYNCHY!!! (I miss the big fella! ) He was the one that made be become a lions fan

Also I remember watching the SOO and loving it when SA smashed the Vics and staying up til 2am to watch the international Rules (anyone remember the dog that ran onto croak park ???)

ahh they were great days

 

[alscotoz]

The Robert Walls Fitzroy team and the 86 finals series. Oh and Mickey Conlan...duffle coat, guernsey, i even did a screen print of his name and number in art class. Can't say I've loved a player more...but Browny's pretty close.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Going to Lemke Rd, watching Sandgate in the QAFL and trying to convince them to let a couple of 10yo's run the scoreboard so we could a free sausage roll and a mini-can of soft drink. Watching Dunstall kick a bag against us there one day.

Going to the 1980 QAFL GF at the old Gabba with my dad. The smell of beer, pies and hardwood bench seats in the grandstand.

The QAFL coverage on Saturday with Ken Hose and Bruce Burgoyne.

On trip to Melbourne in 87 going to watch the Bears get mauled at Moorabbin. My memory we held up a banner that said "Bury 'em Bears!!!". A tad optimistic? the Saints supporters I think felt pity for us. Going to watch Carlton annihilate West Coast at Princes Park on the same trip.

Watching Bustustow taking screamers. Watching Van Der Haarlem bust through packs. Watching Flower going for a trademark run down the wing. Watching Lethal snap goals and goal posts.

Earliest memory is watching the 79 final with my uncle and " learning" about the greatest player in the history of the game: A.Jesaulenko. (as an aside it was one of the greatest thrills of my life meeting Jezza when he came down to one of our training sessions when he was captain/coach of Sandgate back in the 80s.

Goal umps with big goats and even bigger 'staches.