Melbourne will play Carlton at 1.10pm, but it’s only 11.30am when I walk through Gate 2’s turnstiles on Sunday August 21. I get there too early for some, but I’ve had some experience when it comes to waiting...
For the first nine years of my life, up until 1965, Melbourne was the only team playing home games at the MCG. My father was from Sydney and joined the MCC more because he was a cricket fan, but he seized on Melbourne’s nine home games per year (there were 18 games in a season back then) as an opportunity to get my brother and me – and sometimes my two sisters - out of the house on a Saturday.In 1963 I started attending the football using my great uncle’s second Ladies ticket, (entitlement of a pre-1936 member!), which then admitted boys under 14 years of age and females of any age into the MCC Reserve. Years later, when I turned 14, I was placed in a bit of a quandary. Now that the Ladies ticket wasn’t available I accepted that I’d need to sit in the outer for home and away matches, but how could I get into the finals? I had one friend who enacted a particularly creative solution: recommissioning the Ladies ticket and dressing up as a girl, complete with long wig and skirt!
It seems laughable now, but I felt like I waited an eternity for my Restricted membership to come through. In 1976, just when I thought I’d gain entry, applications had to have been made before 31 March 1956. I was born on 18 March 1956 and my father put my name down on 7 April 1956. It was a very long year!
We’ve won three in a row and I’m not confident we’ll make it four, but then I am a bit of a pessimist.
I remember the 1964 grand final like it was yesterday. Melbourne was the red-hot favourite, but for some reason we couldn’t shake off Collingwood; it was a very low-scoring game. The last quarter was agonising and my 10 year old brother Charles couldn’t stand the tension, so he went home. He’s yet to see Melbourne win a premiership.
For months afterwards, Charles and I talked about the way Neil Crompton, playing out of position, followed his opponent up the other end and kicked the winning goal. We drove the rest of our family mad. Having previously won five premierships out of six up to 1960, I was grossly spoilt and had no concept that this was not a regular occurrence.
For the next 22 years we missed the finals and I think this gave rise to the pessimistic side of my personality. The contrast was stark and my euphoric youth became a distant memory. I’m not proud to write this, but at the age of 10 I spat the dummy and switched my support to Collingwood - for three weeks!
I take a seat halfway down aisle 47, right on the wing. Prime position in the temple; great view of the altar.
I refer to the MCG as the temple (as do commentator Tim Lane and writer Brian Matthews), so it was only natural that my wife Elizabeth and I celebrated our wedding there. Our ceremony was at my school Wesley College and the reception was in the MCC’s old Members Dining Room. We got married on a Tuesday, which coincided with Melbourne’s training schedule. Luckily Elizabeth had only seen half a game of league football before we met, so she was happy to convert to supporting Melbourne!
After the wedding we went to Marysville for three days and came back to watch Melbourne play Collingwood on the Saturday, before heading on our honeymoon. At the game, I realised I’d left my umbrella in the dining room during the reception and returned to collect it. Dressed in my scarf and beanie, and sans tuxedo, I was barred entry by a curmudgeonly commissionaire, who refused to believe I’d had my wedding there on Tuesday and dismissed me as an intruder. I had to plead with him to get one of the staff, who thankfully remembered me.
I place a scarf over some seats and head up to the MCC Library.
In 2008, I applied to volunteer at the MCC Library. I’d forgotten all about it and got a huge surprise in April 2013 when the librarian David Studham asked me along for a conversation. I now volunteer every Friday and have seen that the MCG is about so much more than what transpires on the arena. One of the highlights occurred when my library colleague Stephen Flemming was working on a research project of the earliest members, and he uncovered the acceptance of a membership nomination, and account card, for my great-great grandfather (who was also called Edward Cohen) dated 1 November 1851.
I'm a big cricket fan and had the privilege of accompanying the MCC history tour in July 2013. It was amazing travelling with likeminded people and sitting in the members Pavilion at Lord's for a Test match, something I’d always wanted to do. Unfortunately, with the AFL app I was able to keep track of all Melbourne’s losses (no victories) during the six weeks I was away!
My brother-in-law John Watson, a lifelong Carlton supporter, shares my love of cricket. To commemorate the Centenary Test in 1977 we bought a specially minted coin, with first day cover postage stamps, which seemed at the time a valuable memento, but probably cost $10. We had to decide who would look after it, and so it became a perpetual trophy, residing with whoever last won a Melbourne vs Carlton match.
I receive a text message and return to the seats to find my brother-in-law and nephews and nieces have arrived. My wife and one of my daughters join us not much later.
The MCG is inextricably tied to family for me. My three daughters have been kitted out in Melbourne colours from the earliest days. We even used to have a labrador named after the legendary Rodney Grinter; the pooch and Rod actually met in 1994 and when I bumped into Rodney at the ‘G this year he still remembered Grinter the golden lab.
Many Melbourne games are like a family reunion, catching up with children, siblings, nieces and nephews (who apart from the odd exception are Melbourne supporters). It’s also a chance to catch up with friends who have sat nearby for decades.
The siren sounds and I notice that John has brought out the perpetual trophy.
Throughout the game, the Dees, in greasy conditions, overuse, fumble, turn over the ball and kick poorly for goal when scoreboard pressure is critical.
The game ends. Not only are we officially out of finals contention, but what’s more, the trophy has not come home!
Edward Cohen is a full time Melbourne Demons tragic. In his spare time he is enjoying a fulfilling retirement, by volunteering with a number of organisations, including a weekly commitment at the MCC Library.
Match Summary
CARLTON 4.5 7.8 10.10 11.12 (78)
MELBOURNE 2.2 4.8 6.10 7.16 (58)
GOALS
Carlton: Buckley 3, Graham 2, Wright, Everitt, Cripps, Sumner, Jones, Phillips
Melbourne: VandenBerg, Hunt, Hogan, Oliver, Bugg, Neal-Bullen, Gawn
BEST
Carlton: Cripps, Gibbs, Buckley, Docherty, Simpson
Melbourne: Tyson, Viney, Hunt, Jones, Oliver
INJURIES
Carlton: Silvagni (soreness) replaced in the selected side by Graham, Kerridge (illness) replaced in the selected side by Everitt, Buckley (head), Curnow (left knee)
Melbourne: Watts (right eye), Kent (right leg)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Rosebury, Mitchell
Official crowd: 40,693 at MCG