Almanac Footy: The Melbourne Football Club – Recollections and Reflections (Part 7)

 

Almanac Footy: The Melbourne Football Club – Recollections and Reflections (Part 7)

 

At the end of the 1993 season, I was called into a meeting with CEO Hassa Mann and Finance Director Noel McMahon. I must say I was a bit worried about what this was all about. They informed me that then Football Manager, Peter Kennedy would be leaving the club and asked if I would be interested in taking on the role.  I was 32 and ambitious. My long-term career goal was to one day become a CEO of an AFL club so naturally I accepted. There was one caveat, however. Not only did they want me to head up the entire football department they wanted me to retain my recruiting role. In effect I was doing two jobs. It was clear that the club was experiencing tough financial times and they saw this strategy as a way of saving some much needed funds. Two jobs-one salary.

 

Notwithstanding I accepted the challenge and got to work. Shortly after Hassa confided in me by providing a club Profit and Loss statement as part of my education on player payments and salary cap management. In it I found some interesting line items including interest free loans. We were cash strapped bu seemingly had enough funds to lend money – go figure!

 

It was also around this time that unbeknown to me the club were ‘playing’ around with the salary cap and player payments. Jim Stynes had won the Brownlow in 1991- I got wind that he received an additional lump sum of cash from an undisclosed source to ensure he remained at the club. High profile players such as Gary Lyon were coming off contract. The club engaged a tax agent and part-time player manager in John Riordan to devise a system of salary sacrifice which would benefit the club and not diminish the dollar value to players. I’m not sure the players understood totally what was taking place. But the salary cap management of that period came to haunt the club in the years to come.

 

Neil Balme had arrived in 1993 after John Northey was lured to his former club Richmond. Balmey was a successful coach in the SANFL and beat a field of contenders including Stan Alves, Peter Hudson, Greg Wells, Denis Pagan and Kevin Morris.

 

Neil was a breath of fresh air. He was an imposing figure and his hard man image as a result of his playing days at Richmond put the fear of God into the players. I got on famously with him. He was a deep thinker of the game. He was a teacher of the game. He instilled a specific game plan and style of play-often referred to as the ‘possession’ game. He kept things in perspective. He had a tremendous sense of humour and a dry, quick wit. He enjoyed a beer and a glass of wine. He loved Thai food with a passion. He empowered his players. He was an avid reader. He had extraordinary general knowledge. I once asked him why he read so much. Because of football he neglected his education, so he took up reading to expand his knowledge and horizons. I quickly learnt that it was very difficult to win a non-football argument or debate on any issue or topic.

 

He had bad knees but would still kick the footy before training. One year I recall getting a call to say Neil had had a heart attack at home. That was a bit of a false alarm, but he was crook and taken to hospital by ambulance. On recruiting trips when available he would watch intently. He often would comment about a player’s hairstyle. He would talk to people in the stands. When in Adelaide he was like a revered figure. Everyone in the street would say G’day Balmey good luck.

 

He was not only an excellent coach, but he was one of the first “man manager” coaches of the time. He was sometimes impossible to deal with in the coaches’ box and at other times he would have the box in stitches. I recall on one occasion he asked an MCC member to join him in the box to help coach the team after he had copped a mouthful of abuse. The gentleman (full of gin and tonic) started to make his way into the box but was abruptly halted by a furious Todd Viney who was out injured on that day.

 

On another occasion at VFL Park Chairman-of-Selectors Greg Wells prior to the game and sitting in the box during the warmup said, “Balmey what we got to do is kick as many goals as we can and restrict them as best we can to win the game.” And with that Neil turned and blurted, “and how long did it take you to come up with that pearl of wisdom?”

 

The Demons finished in tenth spot in 1993 two games out of the finals with the Peter Russo coached reserves winning the VSFL Premiership.

 

1994 saw some changes to the game with lists sizes being reduced from 52 to 41 players and the salary cap raised to $1.85m – today the salary cap sits at $18.3m. The interchange bench was expanded to three players and the final six was expanded to a final eight.

 

Neil continued to build the game plan during the off season with emphasis on retaining possession of the ball and quick ball movement. We felt we had a playing list capable of pushing for a finals berth and entered the season full of optimism.

 

A massive ten goal victory over Geelong in Round 1 with Jakovich booting 8 and Lyon 4 was just the start we were hoping for. Sean Wight kept Gary Ablett to just 2 goals and the Demons stamped themselves as finals contenders. Victories over Hawthorn, Essendon, Brisbane and Collingwood saw the club sitting on top of the Premiership ladder. The club was buzzing, our supporter’s ecstatic with the start to the season and our major sponsor Tooheys delighted with the media attention the club was receiving.

 

The club came crashing back to earth in the following three weeks with losses to North Melbourne, Footscray and Sydney. The Sydney loss was hard to take. The Swans had been beaten by 94 points the week before and with a home game at the MCG it was a game we never should have dropped. Dermott Brereton made his debut for the Swans that day and kicked a late goal to put them in front. The Swans won by 9 points.

 

The Demons bounced back the following week with a thumping 74-point victory over the Saints but were to slump again with four consecutive losses to West Coast, Carlton, Adelaide and Richmond. Heading towards the bye Melbourne defeated Fitzroy, lost to Geelong at Kardinia Park and defeated Hawthorn by 38 points. The Round 17 clash at Princes Park was Allen Javovich’s last game for the club. He booted 8 goals that day, was dragged by the coach and reported by my old mate umpire Murray Bird for abusive language.

 

I attended the tribunal hearing the following Monday night with Jaka and on the other end of the video link was Queensland based umpire Murray Bird giving evidence. I thought to myself what’s this ‘banana bender’  from Queensland doing umpiring AFL football-spoken like a true arrogant Victorian. Jaka pleaded guilty and copped a $2000 fine. Two years on and I find myself as the chief of Queensland footy. At my first staff meeting on day one I asked everyone to introduce themselves and tell me what their role was in the organisation. Mark Browning, Dean Warren, Neville Nash – then “I’m Murray Bird and I am the Junior Program Manager.”

 

I paused then thought carefully, “I know you,” I said. “Aren’t you that bloke that reported Allen Jakovich back in 1994?”

 

“Yes, that’s right,” he sheepishly responded. We had a good laugh about the exploits of the flamboyant Jakovich.

 

Then I remembered something else. “Didn’t you umpire that game when Greg Williams had 44 possessions against Melbourne at Princes Park and couldn’t get a vote?” I asked.

 

“Yes, that was me and John Russo,” Bird replied.

 

“What the f#&k happened there? He murdered us!” I quizzed.

 

The Murray Bird, John Russo, Greg Williams Brownlow furore is a tale in its own right and for another day.

 

The Demons won four of the next six games with the Round 23 loss to Footscray meaning the final round of the home and away season clash against the Sydney Swans at the SCG was a cutthroat match. Win and the Demons will play in the finals the following week, lose and the season is over.

 

In an astonishing goalkicking display David Schwarz booted 9 goals, Sean Charles 5, Martin Pike 5 and Garry Lyon 4 to defeat the Swans by 46 points and progress into the Qualifying Final against Carlton the following week. And the good form continued with a 27-point victory over the Blues with Charles bagging 5 goals, Pike (who was filling the void for the absent Jakovich up forward) 4, and Garry Lyon 4. Andrew Obst and Brett Lovett rotated tagging duties on prolific ball winner Greg Williams and the Demons were through to a Semi-Final encounter against the Bulldogs who had defeated the Demons less than a month earlier.

 

A Garry Lyon inspired 10 goal haul was the catalyst for the 79-point victory over the Dogs. It was one of the greatest goalkicking displays the Demon faithful had seen and paved the way for a Preliminary Final against the West Coast Eagles in Perth. There was genuine belief within the group. Could we go all the way? The excitement during the week was palpable.

 

Melbourne was the first Melbourne based team to play an interstate final and on that hot, windy day at the WACA and despite being in touch at half time went down by 65 points. Schwarz copped a heavy knock the week before and was concussed and under today’s protocols would not have played.

 

“I think our blokes just lost it. They lost all confidence in their ability to play footy. They were shell shocked,” said coach Neil Blame.

 

In summary the period between 1995 and 1996 was disastrous for the club both on and off the field. In 1995 David Schwarz went down with ACL injuries and the club lost its first six games.  Despite a mid-year winning streak of 8 wins and one loss the Demons were to lose the last five games of the season to finish in ninth position just one game out of the eight.

 

 

Read Part 6 of Richard Griffith’s Recollections and Reflections of the Melbourne Football Club  HERE

 

 

Read more from Richard Griffiths HERE

 

 

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