It's a Grand Old Flag: Melbourne FC Trivia Quiz | Sports

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who was the Flying Officer who played in three premiership teams (52 games) but was sadly killed during WWII?

Answer: Syd Anderson

Sydney Louis Anderson (1918-1944) was a member of the 1939,1940 and 1941 premiership teams. He only played those three seasons of VFL football and 52 games for the club. He was killed in action in New Guinea in 1944.
Keith " Bluey" Truscott (1916-1943) played in the 1939, 1940 premiership teams, playing 50 games. He was the second highest WWII flying ace and was killed in WA on a training exercise.
Harold Ball (1920-1942) played in the 1940 premiership team playing 33 games and was captured, tortured and executed by the Japanese in Singapore.
Ron Barassi Snr.(1913-1941) played in the 1940 premiership team, played 58 games and was killed in action at Tobruk.
The club also lost the following former players during WWII: Jack Atkins, Noel Ellis, Clyde Helmer, Derek Mollison, Ted Regan, Beres Reilly, Archie Roberts and Barney Wood. Unfortunately, there were many other footballers from other clubs who had their careers cut short by WWII. Also there were many who survived the conflict but had lost the best years of their lives to participate in this great game of ours.
LEST WE FORGET

2. I played in three premiership teams but the wait between numbers two and three was eight years. Who am I?

Answer: Alby Rodda

Albert Rodda (1920-2002) played in the 1939, 1940 and 1948 premiership teams. He played 131 games and won the club Best & Fairest in 1948. Don Williams (1935-1995) played in five premiership teams (1955, 1956, 1957, 1959 and 1964) playing 205 games. Jack Mueller (1915-2001) played in four premiership teams (1939, 1940, 1941 and 1948) and 216 games, He did wait seven years between numbers three and four premierships. Shane McGrath (1919-1974) played in the 1941 and 1948 premiership teams and 118 games.

3. I played in five premiership teams and won the club goal kicking twice. My father also played in a Melbourne premiership team and also won the club goal kicking award twice. Who am I?

Answer: Bob Johnson

Bob B. Johnson (1935-2001) played in the 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959 and 1960 premierships and won the club goal kicking in 1956 and 1961. His father Bob C. Johnson played in the 1926 premiership team and won the club goal kicking in 1928 and 1933. Tassie Johnson was the full-back in the Team of the Century, played in three premiership teams but never won the goal-kicking award.

He was given the name Tassie because he was recruited from Tasmania and there were already two other Johnsons at the club (Bob and Trevor). Ron Barassi Jnr. played in six premiership teams and his father played in one (1940). Ron Jnr, won the goal kicking in 1958 and 1959. Tony Anderson played in the 1964 premiership team but is no relation to Syd Anderson who was a premiership player in 1939, 1940 and 1941.

4. All four Cordner brothers played VFL for Melbourne. Who was the only one not to play in a premiership team?

Answer: John

John (b. 1929) spent only one year at the club in 1951 and played 6 games. He also played first class cricket for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield as a left-arm medium pacer. Ted (1919-1996) played in the 1941 premiership Team and played 52 games and also played interstate cricket for Victoria. Don (1922-2009) played in the 1941 and 1948 premiership teams. Played 166 games and won the Brownlow Medal in 1946.

When Don played in the 1941 winning team it was only his second game of VFL football. Denis (1924-1990) played in the 1948, 1955 and 1956 premiership teams and played 152 games.

5. I played in one premiership team but my father played in three. Who am I?

Answer: Ken Emselle

Ken Emselle (97 games) played in the 1964 premiership team and his father Richie (1917-1992) played in the winning teams of 1939,1940 and 1941 and played 92 games. Trevor Johnson played in four premiership teams (1955, 1956, 1957 and 1960). He is no relation to any of the other Johnsons who played for Melbourne.
Len Man played in the 1960 premiership team (46 games) and his cousin Harold "Hassa" Mann played in three premierships (1959.1960 and 1964).
Tony Anderson played in the 1964 premiership Team and was no relation to Syd Anderson who played in three Premierships (1939, 1940 and 1941).

6. I only played eight games for the club yet in my fourth game I played in a premiership team. Who am I?

Answer: Warren Lewis

Warren Lewis (1923-1988) played in the 1941 premiership team. Military service kept him from playing many more games for the club. Stan Heal (1920-2010) also only played eight games for the club as he was stationed in Melbourne from WA in 1941 and played in the 1941 premiership team.

The following week he played in the West Perth premiership team. He played 180 games for West Perth and captained WA in the 1950 Brisbane Carnival. Gerry Daly (1915-1977) played only 19 games but was a member of the 1941 premiership team. Eddie Craddock (1927-2000) played 30 games and was a member of the 1948 premiership team. Like the four mentioned many young men from all clubs in the VFL during that era were robbed of their best footballing years due to WWII.

7. Ten premierships 1939 to 1964 -- We played and beat Collingwood in five of those ten. Which year was our greatest margin of victory?

Answer: 1956

In 1956 we beat Collingwood 17.19.121 vs 6.12.48 (a margin of 73 points). We beat Collingwood in 1939 by 53 points and in 1960 by 48 points. In 1957 we beat Essendon by 61 points. We beat Collingwood in 1955 and 1964. We beat Richmond in 1940 and Essendon 1941, 1948 and 1959.

8. Ten premierships 1939 to 1964 -- Who captained the club to three of those premierships?

Answer: Allan La Fontaine

Allan La Fontaine captained the club to three premierships (1939, 1940, 1941). Noel McMahen captained the team in 1955, 1956, John Beckwith in 1957 and 1959 and Ron Barassi Jnr. in 1960 and 1964. Don Cordner was captain in 1948.

9. I was a premiership player in my first season at Melbourne and four years later, in my final season of VFL football, I was also a premiership player with another club. Who am I?

Answer: Peter McLean

Peter McLean played in the club 1964 premiership team and in his last year of VFL football was a member of the Carlton premiership team of 1968. Ron Baraasi Jnr. never played in a premiership team with another club however, he did coach Carlton and North Melbourne to premiership wins. Dennis Jones played in the 1959 premiership team and did not play for another club and it was Percy Jones who played for Carlton. Frank Davis played in the 1964 premiership team and it was Ian Davis who played in St. Kilda's winning team of 1966.

10. Of the 24 players (including Interchange) chosen in the Melbourne Team of the Century, I played the least number of games at 122, but did play in two premiership teams. Who am I?

Answer: Stuart Spencer

Stuart Spencer (1932-2011) played in the 1955 and 1956 premiership teams and won the club Best & Fairest in both those years. He came to Melbourne as a back-pocket player but Norm Smith thought he would make a better rover. It is in this position that he made his name at the club. Albert Chadwick (1897-1983) played 158 games and captained and coached the club to the 1926 flag.

He was knighted in 1974 due to his success in business. Wally Lock (1917-1992) played 140 games and played in the 1941 winning side.

He missed out in playing in the 1939, 1940 and 1948 premiership sides due to suspension or injury. Ivor Warne-Smith (1897-1960) played 146 games, played in the 1926 premiership team and won the Brownlow Medal in 1926 and 1928. He also fought in WWI and WWII.

Source: Author zambesi

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

It's a Grand Old Flag: Melbourne FC Quiz

In the space of 25 years from 1939-1964 the Melbourne Football Club won 10 Premierships. Let us look back on this golden era plus our Team of the Century.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>