Look – I know the MCG is a welcoming place. But if there is one day each year when I, a Collingwood supporter, feel just a little bit out-of-place, it’s the Monday of the Queen’s Birthday weekend.
Each year this day is reserved for the game between traditional rivals Collingwood and Melbourne. Actually I should reverse that to Melbourne-Collingwood, because the Pies have donated this game to Melbourne as a home game every year.
Apparently any Collingwood supporter can claim their entry ticket to this game as a charitable tax deduction (disclaimer – I am not a tax advisor).
The reason for the cool welcome into the game is that there are too many Melbourne-supporting MCC members. And a lot of them give them the impression that if they had right of veto, Collingwood supporters would never be admitted as members.
Many years ago my father did a favour for someone and in return, that person offered to nominate one of his (four) sons as an MCC member. Not sure of the decision making process that took place but my older brother Tim was nominated. He has long been a Full member.
Me? I am a Restricted member, having had to wait until I married into an MCC family and my father-in-law nominated my wife Helen and me at the same time. Helen’s two brothers had been nominated at birth because…well…because they were boys. And only boys could be nominated.
Even Collingwood-supporting males were admitted to the MCC before women. Not that any of Helen’s family supported Collingwood. They are all Geelong. Ours is a mixed marriage.
Helen and my Restricted memberships came through in 2001. As new members we were invited along to an evening event in the Long Room, but Helen didn’t come along because just a few years earlier we had welcomed our second, third and fourth children into the world all on the one day. Triplets!
So I went to the event with a friend, Mark Hunter, whose new membership coincided with mine. I don’t go to many games with Mark these days – he is too busy watching his son Lachlan rack up possessions with the Western Bulldogs. Although we did enjoy the rare occurrence a few weeks ago when the Dogs played the Pies at the 'G. Actually I didn’t enjoy it that much.
My oldest son Bill is enjoying his Restricted membership, having been nominated soon after his birth in 1994. The other three are a bit dirty on us. Not sure what happened but it was a few years after their birth in 1997 that we got around to getting them in the MCC queue.
I can understand their frustration but when you suddenly have three kids land on you, MCC membership falls down the priority list. Sorry kids.
Actually, for the two girls it is not such an issue. Audrey and Ursula are about to head to Niagara University in New York State for four years – they have lacrosse athletic scholarships. Hey MCC – when they return do you reckon if they offered to play lacrosse for an MCC team that they could be bumped up the waiting list a bit?
As we entered the ground, Helen and I headed for the balcony. It is what you do when you don’t bring guests. It took quite a while to get our allocated seats – not because of any queues – it was just the seat-ticket allocator was in for a chat, and since there was no one else waiting, we were happy to talk.
Eventually we took our seats in front of the Committee Room and committee guests. This area and a bit further along is my preferred seating, mainly because of the proximity to the coaches’ boxes. Not that I have any interest is looking at coaches (take note Channel 7) but I do like to take advantage of the countdown clocks they have in the boxes. Not much of a traditionalist like that.
After two quick and enjoyable beers in the Frank Grey Smith Bar, Helen and I resumed our seats. And then there was the game. Not sure how it is that the only time I have the opportunity to write a match report for the MCC website it is the first time that Melbourne has defeated Collingwood since about 1964.
Collingwood started the game well, managing to kick four goals in the first quarter. We did manage to kick another four goals, but unfortunately that took another three quarters.
Prior to the game the Collingwood selectors had opted for three ruckmen – Grundy, Witts and Cox. Probably should have gone for a few more because those three weren’t quite enough to counter the effectiveness of Max Gawn.
Funny how opposition team’s cult figures aren’t quite so likeable when they give your team a pasting. Two of Gawn’s three goals came in the seven-goals-to-one second quarter.
After that dismal period I spent half-time identifying the Melbourne-supporting members who were wearing the 2015 model of the MND fund-raising beanies. Cheapskates.
As an aside, I did play football against Neale Daniher once - 1977 - he was playing for the Associated Grammar Schools‘ combined side while I was with the Ballarat Public Schools’ team. We copped a beating. I also borrowed his stats notes when we both lived at Newman College and went to Melbourne Uni. Neither encounter would feature in Neale’s life highlight memories.
Unlike many Collingwood supporters, I stayed until the end of the game. Helen had stayed as well, even though it wasn’t a great game for the non-aligned football fan. On the way out I nearly bumped into Peter Moore, Brownlow medallist with both Collingwood and Melbourne. Not sure that even had young Darcy Moore been in the Collingwood forward line that it would have made sufficient difference.
That is twice this year that Melbourne has beaten Collingwood. I reckon the Melbourne-supporting MCC members would be happy to welcome Collingwood to the MCG every week.
Andrew Fithall grew up in Ballarat and now lives in Williamstown with Helen and his tribe. Andrew works in HR in the retail automotive industry.
Game Summary
MELBOURNE 2.4 9.6 11.7 16.8 (104)
COLLINGWOOD 4.4 5.4 6.6 8.10 (58)
GOALS
Melbourne: Hogan 3, Kent 3, Gawn 3, Watts 2, Viney, Trengove, Petracca, N Jones, Kennedy
Collingwood: Cox 2, Maynard, White, Sidebottom, Varcoe, Greenwood, Grundy
BEST
Melbourne: Gawn, Vince, N Jones, Kent, T McDonald, Tyson, Hogan, Bugg, Kennedy
Collingwood: Treloar, Pendlebury, Howe, De Goey, Varcoe
INJURIES
Melbourne: vandenBerg (nose)
Collingwood: J Frost (shoulder), Reid (left knee), Pendlebury (left ankle)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Nicholls, Jeffery, Wallace
Official crowd: 60,158 at the MCG
Our Votes: M Gawn (Melb) 3 votes; J Bugg (Melb) 2 votes; B Kennedy (Melb) 1 vote