Almanac Footy: The Melbourne Football Club – Recollections and Reflections (Part 1)

THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB

RECOLLECTIONS AND REFLECTIONS 1988 to 1996 (Part 1) 

 

My last game as Football Manager of the Demons was the famous ‘Merger Match’ between Hawthorn and Melbourne-the final round at the MCG 1996. As we approach tomorrow’s ‘blockbuster’ between the two clubs it prompted me to reflect on my time at the Melbourne Football Club.

 

When Cameron Schwab was appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Richmond Football Club in late 1988, he was the youngest club CEO in the history of the game at the age of 24. Cameron was the son of the highly respected and long serving administrator of the game Alan Schwab who at the time was General Manager of Football with the then VFL.

 

Cameron attended Camberwell Grammar and quickly found his way to the Melbourne Football Club where he worked his way to the position of Recruiting Manager by the mid 1980s. He was smart and astute, had a good footy brain and an excellent eye for talent. He quickly forged a reputation in the industry and when Richmond’s CEO Richard Doggett was moved on by the board led by Neville Crowe, Cameron filled the role. Little was he to know that his focus was to become saving the club from extinction due to its precarious financial position. The ‘Save Our Skins’, campaign rescued the club but its poor on-field performance under club legend Kevin Bartlett saw the Tigers languishing in the bottom half of the ladder for the ensuing years.

 

With Cameron’s departure from Melbourne, Club Development Officer and former player Jim Durnan was promoted to the Recruiting Manager role. I played footy with Jim at Prahran and with my teaching and football background he encouraged me to apply for the vacant Development Officer job. I had been teaching and coaching school teams at Brighton Grammar for the previous eight years but the lure of entering a professional sport environment in the game I loved was too great – so I applied.

 

I was called in for an interview with Jim and club General Manager, Tony King the former Hawthorn player who was transferred with full-forward Mark Scott to St Kilda in exchange for the wayward Russell Greene. It wasn’t your normal interview process just an hour-long chat about all things footy. I think I demonstrated a sound knowledge of the game and my teaching background certainly helped.

 

I was appointed two weeks after the Hawks demolished the Demons by 96 points in the 1988 Grand Final.

 

The league was about to go truly national and become the Australian Football League and introduce a National Draft system which was to mean the abolition of the VFL club country and metropolitan zones and the Under 19 competition. But for my first couple of years at the Demons as the Development Officer I was required to run school and club clinics, school competitions, junior development squads and co-ordinate staffing and logistics of the Under 19 team plus general recruiting activities.

 

We gathered a terrific support team for our Under 19 players including newly appointed Under 19 and reserves coach Mark Cross, assistant coach Bob Kerr, Team Manager Spike Harris, Runner Mark Sheahan, property steward Paul Granieri, trainer Joy Gelly (recruited from Prahran FC) and Doctor Andrew Daff. Spike went on to become the senior Team Manager for many, many years and was recently awarded Life Membership. Dr Andrew Daff likewise was the senior medico for nearly fifteen years.

 

It was a great job but very demanding with long hours seven days a week and time away from home.

 

Our country zone was primarily the Goulburn Valley and our metropolitan zone was split into two regions – in the outer northern suburbs including Sunbury and Epping and from the city through Ormond, Murrumbeena down towards Dingley, Noble Park and short of the Mornington Peninsula.

 

The Goulburn Valley gave the club stars in Garry Lyon, Chris Connolly and Stephen Tingay whilst the metropolitan zone was about to produce two players who would become champions of the club in David Schwarz and David Neitz.

 

I will never forget the day I got a phone call from our Under 15 schoolboy coach Rob Dean who was a very harsh judge of a player but on this day, he was delighted to tell me that we had a superstar in the ranks – David Neitz. As a fifteen-year-old Neitz represented Victoria at both Under 15 schoolboy level and in the Under 17 Teal Cup carnival in the same year. It was around the time when zones were about to abolished so securing his signature was a must for the club. And his dad Alex had played at St Kilda and was keen on David playing for the Saints.

 

After weeks of negotiations with his father both he and David agreed to sign with the Demons. Whilst I can’t recall the details of his initial contract, I do remember sitting down with his dad over a beer in their lounge room in Noble Park after securing the signature when I made a statement which I reminded Alex of some 20 years later. “Alex, I reckon your son is one day going to be captain of the Melbourne Football Club.”

 

David Neitz made his senior debut in 1993 and played a total of 306 games (making him the longest serving Demon in history) and booted 631 goals. He was club captain from 2000 to 2008, club Best and Fairest in 2002 the year he won the Coleman Medal, seven times Melbourne leading goalkicker, two times All Australian (1995 & 2002) a member of Melbourne’s Hall of Fame and the Australian Football Hall of Fame. I was fortunate to attend the Australian Football Hall of Fame the night Neita was inducted. I had great pleasure hunting down his dad Alex on the night and reminding him of my prediction that David would one day captain Melbourne. We had a chuckle and toasted the champion.

 

David Schwarz was one of the most gifted, athletic young talents going around. He lived in Sunbury, barracked for the Hawks and was a basketball fanatic – and very good at it! To bring him closer to the club for training and playing we relocated the young Schwarz to the leafy eastern suburbs in Melbourne (close to the Junction Oval) and lived with a wonderful, caring family. We placed him at Melbourne High School to further his education at a school renown for catering for elite footballers. David endured the tragedy of the death of his father under awful circumstances as a youngster and must have carried this trauma with him day-in-day out.

 

David struggled with school life and found it difficult living with a ‘new’ family. Football was his sole priority and he just wanted to play. He was part of our Under 17 Norm Smith Development Squad and played some Under 19 and Reserve grade games under dual coach Mark Cross before debuting in 1991. He was tall, athletic, could run like the wind, had a beautiful sidestep and blind turn. He was a magnificent jump at the ball and had a safe pair of hands. And he was super competitive. With his long blonde hair and head band in the early days he took the football world by storm.

 

Who will ever forget the nine goals straight he kicked against Sydney in the final round of 1994 followed by an inspired finals series which finished on Preliminary Final day at the WACA.

 

Following the 1994 season we signed ‘Schwarta’ to a long-term deal as we saw him as the key forward to build a Premiership team around. Pre-season 1995 and the Demons are training at an old cricket oval in Albert Park and down goes Schwarz – ACL number one. He returned later that year and played two games until he went down again against Sydney at the MCG – ACL number two. Upon reflection and knowing more about rehabilitation following surgery from ACL injuries how the club got clearance for him to play after just seven months is somewhat mystifying.

 

And then following more surgery he attempted another comeback in 1996 only to go down yet again in a reserve grade practice match at Lavington in the states north – ACL number three.

 

Never a quitter Schwarz resumed playing in 1997 at a weight of 103 kilograms (hence the Ox) and went on to win the club Best and Fairest in 1999 and played in the 2000 Grand Final against the Bombers.

 

Never short of a word or controversy ‘Schwarta’ went on to become a media personality. Who will ever forget his reaction on the Footy Show when Sam Newman shoved a pie in his face. Don’t mess with the Ox. Sam went down. He was terrific on SEN in his regular afternoon spot with golfer Mark Allen and there was much outcry when the new SEN management decided to axe the pair.

 

I have read the David Schwartz autobiography. The book focus’s equally if not more on his gambling addiction than his football career. I was shocked and saddened when reading the book. I was the Development Officer, Recruiting Manager and Football Manager from 1988 to 1996 and myself or anyone else for that matter at the club had any inkling that David had a gambling problem which commenced at around the age of seventeen. Back in the 80’s and 90’s clubs had very little resources or welfare support mechanisms to adequately cater for every player needs. The AFLPA was in its infancy and likewise did not have the welfare resources that are now available to players today.

 

The book is an inspiration. He has fought his Demons-literally.

 

 

Read more from Richard Griffiths HERE

 

To return to the www.footyalmanac.com.au home page click HERE.

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?

And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help keep things ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE