The Red and Blue Army is growing and anything can happen, writes our one-eyed Melbourne supporter
THE Red and Blue Army is growing and its led by Jack Viney, James Harmes and ‘VanderBrutus’ the Demon tackling machines that ground Geelong into the MCG turf, writes our one-eyed Melbourne fan.
Melbourne
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THERE’S nothing worse than heading off to the footy from work if you are a Demon fan.
The one-liners start the minute you pick up your coat. Off to the snow are we? Where’s your cheeseboard? Don’t forget your blazer with the patches. Jolly good show, I say.
Even the boss spots you and can’t help himself – “off to the footy are we, go No.5”.
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But as soon I made my way outside and on to Birrarung Marr for the walk to the ’G, the feeling of isolation dissipates amid the wave of red and blue that is growing at a Richmond army rate.
Some would say there’s a feel of the Dogs of 2016 or Tigers of 2017 about the Dees.
But for me, it’s shades of 1987.
Forget the fact that the Dees made the 1988 and 2000 Grand Finals – they were years where the winner had already been pre-ordained and our ticket to the big show was like a poison chalice – the Jason Dunstall inspired Hawks of 1988 and James Hird’s ruthless Bombers of 2000 were never going to allow us to get a whiff of the silverware.
But in 87, a flag was there for the taking – it was all a matter of getting the lads to believe they could do it.
In 1987 it came with the arrival of a wave of new recruits designed to give Robbie Flower one last shot at glory and reached fruition with an unlikely win at Whitten (Western) Oval, whereas this year it came at Perth Stadium three weeks ago when goody’s boys came of age.
Since then the only issue has been figuring out how to get finals tickets.
As a result there was an air of confidence for the predominantly Melbourne fans in the MCC and surrounding areas when the ball was bounced against the Cats.
There was no Mark Yeates moment to ruffle the feathers. The big surprise was that young Ryan Abbott showed he could outleap Gawny and win a few hitouts. But it didn’t matter.
James Harmes, Clayton Oliver and Nathan Jones were keeping an eye on the Holy Trinity at the opening centre clearance and even an early duck season free to Joel Selwood didn’t dampen the spirit.
Jack Viney came off the bench to rousing applause and did his best Ultimate Warrior wrestling impression, hammering almost any blue and white hooped commando who held on to the ball for a moment too long.
By half-time Viney had laid more tackles than Jack Watts achieved in his entire career at the Dees.
And the new holder of Norm Smith’s No.4 guernsey – Harmes - had done even more damage, slamming into Selwood whenever he got a chance.
T-Mac was marking everything in sight and Jesse Hogan’s replacement, the Weid, was smoking.
And Sam Frost was off to the races every time TomaHawk made a lead. Not since Sean Wight of ‘87 have the Dees had a big defender that loves to run like the wild Irishman.
Some will argue that Friday night’s game was all but over at quarter time but for me it was midway through the second term when VanderBrutus stepped into the coliseum and decided to behead Jordan Murdoch and almost every Cat that was flung his way.
VanderBrutus, otherwise known as Aaron VDB, is what all clubs need and rarely draft. He’s a no-frills player that no-one except club diehards or misguided Dutch tourists have ever heard of.
He was discovered playing in Canberra on a day off work from the Royal Australian Mint and has missed the best part of the past two years with ankle issues that had seemingly rendered his career over before it really got started.
VanderBrutus is so blue-collar that even Gawny would struggle to understand him when he calls for a tap. He is the very antithesis of the ‘gentleman’s club’ that Dermott Brereton has scornfully labelled Melbourne and he wears No.22 because he is, in most uninformed judges eyes, the 22nd best player in the team.
If it was 87, he would be the equivalent of Dean Chiron – a dangerous tagging pest that had less skill than Jack Dyer.
But this is 2018 and for the first time since the Ron Barassi era, the Dees look like they are made of the right stuff. Even Selwood, the ultimate workhorse and master of competitive juices, couldn’t waltz through the Demon lines unimpeded.
If he got past Harmes, he’d have to circumnavigate Viney and even then, VanderBrutus would be waiting to mop up.
Certainly the Cats never gave up but they never really challenged either.
Perhaps it’s the official end of their golden era that began in 2007 when Joel Selwood arrived at the club and began his amazing career.
Perhaps it’s the start of another golden one – a red and blue army driven one with new-found belief that should take the Dees all the way to the last Saturday in September and a date with the Tigers.
So who knows, maybe it could be a third drought-breaker holding up the flag. Dogs in ‘16, Tiges in ‘17 and Dees in ‘18?
Now that would be worth copping a few disingenuous insults from your work colleagues.
Certainly there’s no mad Irishman on the Dees list this time to run across the mark seconds before the final siren this time.
But there is VanderBrutus. Go No.22!
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