Thanks very much to the North Melbourne Football Club

[Euge]

To AD and everyone else on this thread - yes, you are right....we do check out BF.

To AD in particular, thank you for posting the story. Most credit should go to our merchandise manager, Chris. However, I am generally comfortable in the knowledge that all of our staff understand and appreciate the difference between our club and the others. Where possible, we always try to help and that extends to our players. I regularly watch countless players come off the track after training at Aegis Park, absolutely spent, yet prepared to stick around, sign autographs and pose for photos.

It is yet again another example of the difference between our club and the others - I have read reference from a BF poster making an analogy between a certain "big" club and North, using the example of a McDonald's franchise and the little hamburger shop at the local shopping strip. Where do you think you would get the better value, service or genuine hello? Like the little hamburger shop, we listen and we care...

Cheers and thanks again for your marvelous support of this great club.

Euge

 

[AndrewD]

Euge,

When we picked the things up from the club the girl we spoke to, on the front desk, did say that they'd appreciate my fiancee sending through a few pics of the event. Is there anyone in particular that my fiancee should have directed her thankyou email to? Given how generous North were she just wanted to make sure that she sent her thanks to the right department and/or person.

Thanks again.

 

[sutcliffe's hotel]

It is yet again another example of the difference between our club and the others - I have read reference from a BF poster making an analogy between a certain "big" club and North, using the example of a McDonald's franchise and the little hamburger shop at the local shopping strip. Where do you think you would get the better value, service or genuine hello? Like the little hamburger shop, we listen and we care... Cheers and thanks again for your marvelous support of this great club. Euge

Ok late to this thread but just realised this is my local library & yes North was brilliant in supplying the loot. Very excited that our wonderful local librarian who is a passionate AFL fan organised an AFL event in this league stronghold. I could not attend on the day but my little boy went & I was extremely pleased to be able to share with him the tale of how generous our club was compared to mummy's mean team.

Pleased to note that at least one of his little friends is now saying she also barracks for North Melbourne (and Gold Coast and sometimes Collingwood).

 

[Roos_Rule]

Here's a contrast for you.

A colleague of mine has been doing the work of thre guys for a few months now. Rather than chuck a couple of extra grand in his pay-packet, I thought I'd organise something more personal that I know he'd love.

He's an idiot and is a Perth-based member of Carlton (there's just no helping some people), so I thought I'd organise a signed and framed jumper for him with a personal message.

Rang the club and was promptly told that you cannot purchase signed jumpers. I told them I was willing to pay $1000 for it and they advised me to buy a jumper from the Carlton shop and go to training.

We bought the jumper and my wife and I have both attended Carlton training twice now in an effort to get this done.

End result is that I am now the proud owner of an unsigned, unframed Carlton jumper. Even during the bye week recently, the players barely bothered to come to the fence to speak with their supporters and sign autographs.

North Melbourne should be commended for the way in which their players and administration interact with their supporters. Poles apart from these other knobs!!

I've got a contrasting story to this! I've been a north member for about 16 or so years and have bred 2 new members (1 signed the other soon to be - only 2 days old . I recently changed jobs and my work gave me a signed North jumper as a goodbye present. Turns out someone from my work, his sister's friend is the girlfriend of Leigh Adams (very long connection I know). My work got the jumper to him and in the space of about 24 hours he was able to get signatures from the players and send it back to my work in time for my last day! Talk about a great bloke and what a great club - all that effort for a North supporter they didn't know.

Absolutely made my day. I was already a supporter for life (and would never have needed something like this to remain a member) but with that sort of approach to helping out fans I will be doing my best to let everyone know what a fantastic club it is!

 

[GoNorth]

What a feelgood thread! Our Club is very special and we should never forget that!

 

[Euge]

To AD

It is fine to send it to info@kangaroos.com.au

Cheers
Euge

 

[scottywiper]

North is a club its supporters can touch.
A rare and beautiful thing in the modern AFL world.

 

[giantroo]

North is a club its supporters can touch.
A rare and beautiful thing in the modern AFL world.

Indeed. However it is the "hard work" that Eug and his team has put in, that has made this club extra special.

 

[scottywiper]

Indeed. However it is the "hard work" that Eug and his team has put in, that has made this club extra special.

All I can say on Euge is...his a champ.

 

[giantroo]

All I can say on Euge is...his a champ.

...prick Never gets old with you does it!!

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Not only did you get a response AD you got one from the CEO Thanks heaps for sharing your story with us, never gets old hearing the extra yard the club goes.

North is a club its supporters can touch.
A rare and beautiful thing in the modern AFL world.

"At clubs with bigger memberships, their supporters only touch their colours, but at North we have the Shinboner spirit. North people can touch that spirit – they are the real Shinboners, they are the club.”

—Ron Joseph

 

[Horace]

A bit late with this but if I am not mistaken AD is an old Royboy (like me). I am basing that on the fact that he has Fitzroy as one of the clubs he supports.

Well our old club was not too bad at this sort of thing. Back in the early 1990's through work I bumped into an old Fitzroy player, who played 5 games with the Roys in the 1930's and actually played alongside the late great Haydn Bunton. This old bloke's health was ailing and he could no longer get to games. It was very clear that one of the great highlights of his life was having played with Bunton.

Anyway I rang the club, explained the situation and asked them if they could do something for him. Despite the fact that these were the days of great financial difficulty for Fitzroy, they organised for him to be picked up by car, driven to a home game at Optus Oval (I think), looked after for the day then driven home afterwards. It was an enormous thrill for the old bloke and a credit to the FFC.

 

[Event Horizon]

Great to read stuff like this - a very "feel good" thread that makes us proud of being North supporters.
I really hope our on-field success isn't too far away, and as a father of three kids I can tell you, nothing attracts kids to the club more than winning games of footy at the end of the day. We seem to have got almost everything else right since JB/Euge administration - the finals and ultimate success is the next step. Let's hope our time is near.

 

[liam_13]

Remember the day before the Brisbane game of 09 at Etihad, Jack Ziebell was at Arden Street with a trainer or a coach, undertaking a fitness test.
The test was obviously gruelling, and as it looked serious, Dad, little brother and I sat there watching. The trainers pulls Ziebell up at the end of this run, who is obviously exhausted, but he came over and talked to my little brother, got the photo, signed his autograph book, and just made his day. They both wanted to get on with the fitness test, but neither would say anything.

And the time Stevens and Harvey came out on the ground with me at a family day after a regional game, while most of the players sat in the shelter seeking some rest and the kids going to them. But Stevens and Harvey had a game of kick to kick with me and Boomer let me win on a number of occasions, much to my delight.

Having another younger brother who goes for Essendon, his experiences (except with Hird, who from what I have seen is great with kids) have never been as good as mine.

North for ever!

 

[Contra Mundum]

I took an American guy who I worked with down the Club for training one day. I asked Skull if he could come into the rooms and he said - not a problem. He was a massive Greenbay fan - we spent about half and hour after training talking to the players. Choppy was absolutely fantastic to him. Anyway he has gone back home now and is now a massive North Melbourne fan. He watches every game he can.

He shook his head and said "That would never happen in the NFL"

 

[Hearts to hearts]

I took an American guy who I worked with down the Club for training one day. I asked Skull if he could come into the rooms and he said - not a problem. He was a massive Greenbay fan - we spent about half and hour after training talking to the players. Choppy was absolutely fantastic to him. Anyway he has gone back home now and is now a massive North Melbourne fan. He watches every game he can.

He shook his head and said "That would never happen in the NFL"

I've read Martin Flanagan telling a very similar story, don't know if it was about your friend or our club does this it all the time!

 

[Contra Mundum]

I've read Martin Flanagan telling a very similar story, don't know if it was about your friend or our club does this it all the time!

Got it in one - Marty is a top bloke. I rang him to tell him about it after it happened. My American mate said to me "It would be terrible if this was lost to your game".

Stevo was an avid Greenbay fan so they talked about that

Tigers at Law is the lawyers coterie at the Tiges which my mate runs - he askedMarty to come and talk at their last function - he came and spoke for nix - not only that he picked up and dropped off Richo to attend as well. Footy is more than a business to people like Marty

 

[Rooby_Tuesday]

Am going to add my thanks too - I spoke to the club recently after a friend's husband and children were in a bad car accident. Sadly, we lost one of our littlest members that day. My friend's husband has been in hospital since (but is coming good slowly and asking about the footy!). The club, via the lovely Danielle on the front desk, organised a package for the other child involved in the accident. It was very much appreciated. It speaks volumes about our club's culture that everyone is a pleasure to deal with.

 

[mark73]

What a feelgood thread! Our Club is very special and we should never forget that!

I'm going for my second I agree in two days, but I agree.

It's also nice to have professional and passionate people working within the club, at the top end. When the team get their act together, which won't be long, I hope to hear them roar and then toast each other to a job well done. 3 years ago we were bordering on becoming a non-entity. 3 years, wasn't it 4? I'm starting to sound like our doubters. Wasn't it 29/40 years ago you were....

 

[AndrewD]

A bit late with this but if I am not mistaken AD is an old Royboy (like me). I am basing that on the fact that he has Fitzroy as one of the clubs he supports.

Yes, I'm an old and present Royboy (current Fitzroy member) which is really my only affiliation these days (thought I could finally get onboard with Brisbane in 2012, but I just can't). Glad to see you found a new home and a deserving one at that.

 

[BlueRoos]

North is a club its supporters can touch.
A rare and beautiful thing in the modern AFL world.

Absolutely spot on Scotty.

I would even extend that to across professional sports in general. We are very fortunate to belong to a club that has not sold it's soul. We are all a part of North and North is a part of us.

 

[scottywiper]

I can also add that one of our keenest supporters over here in Perth died in tragic circumstances last year.
An email to the club and the family received a card from the club and also from Andrew Swallow.
I know it meant a lot to them.

 

[Canuckaroo]

Absolutely spot on Scotty.

I would even extend that to across professional sports in general. We are very fortunate to belong to a club that has not sold it's soul. We are all a part of North and North is a part of us.

The accessibility of AFLers (and North players in particular) to supporters is mind blowing compared to North American pro sports I can say that much. I hope it never changes.

 

[Shinboner Schem]

I've got a contrasting story to this! I've been a north member for about 16 or so years and have bred 2 new members (1 signed the other soon to be - only 2 days old . I recently changed jobs and my work gave me a signed North jumper as a goodbye present. Turns out someone from my work, his sister's friend is the girlfriend of Leigh Adams (very long connection I know). My work got the jumper to him and in the space of about 24 hours he was able to get signatures from the players and send it back to my work in time for my last day! Talk about a great bloke and what a great club - all that effort for a North supporter they didn't know.

Absolutely made my day. I was already a supporter for life (and would never have needed something like this to remain a member) but with that sort of approach to helping out fans I will be doing my best to let everyone know what a fantastic club it is!

Hate to be a stickler on the detail, but that is a similar story, not a contrasting one.

All these stories give a fuzzy warm feeling about supporting this great club. It is in stark contrast to those that Patrick Smith talked about in his recent piece in the Australian about the AFL being at risk of making supporters disenchanted with the lack of loyalty and truth.

 

[Uncle_Leo]

In 97, I went down to the club and through a person I knew there had my photo taken with Duck and the premiership cup.

In 99 I was doing a school project and got to interview Jason McCartney for it. Before it I was in the rooms and John Blakey sat and spoke to me for about 30 minutes about school, junior footy. Lovely bloke.

My mother works for a charity organisation and every year they have a dinner to raise funds. Without fail every year North Melbourne and West Coast will donate something. Essendon do occasionaly but won't get anything from anyone else.

Another story to sum up Carlton, in 2005 my Grandmother passed away, she had been a member for 59 years, she had organised the ques for finals tickets for all those years and had helped decorate the rooms on Grand Final days. I rang the club and asked if they would wear black arm bands, knowing this would mean a lot to her, or even just her favourite player at the time (Kouta) They refused to do so or ask Kouta to, but I did know a friend who had contacts through to Kouta and he said he would wear it, which he did.

Just to show how caring Carlton were, we got a renewal for her membership the next year, rang and told them she had passed away. This was followed by another letter pleading for her to join up again.

I'd rather be one of few who are treated with respect than just another number.