Bob Turner only gets to the MCG "every now and then" these days but he was there last Wednesday night when the Melbourne Football Club unfurled its premiership flag won last year.
Now 85-years-old and a Warragul resident since the mid-1960s Bob played 22 senior games with the Demons between 1957 and 1961; part of the playing group that won three flags in 1957, 1959 and 1960. He had left the club by the time the side won (the then VFL) premiership in 1964, the last one until last year's triumph ended a 57-year "drought".
He said it seemed that about 90 per cent of the near 60,000 strong crowd were in Melbourne red and blue colours and everyone enjoyed the atmosphere and the noise was electric when the flag was unfurled and the club's theme song blared out from speakers throughout the stadium.
The period Bob played at the club was its glory days. The club won six premierships from 1955 to 1964. Bob recalls the players as part of a big family that supported each other on and off the field, adding to their success.
His ties with some of the players of the era remain strong.
AFL Legend Ron Barassi was best man at Bob's wedding and the late Frank "Bluey" Adams a close friend until his death.
They and others that are still friends are reasons why Bob returns "now and again" to Melbourne for past players luncheons, one of which was held the week before last Wednesday's opening match of the new AFL season, and again on Wednesday night for a dinner before watching a Demons side he said was slicker, kicked the ball well and knew what it was doing against last year's grand final opponent the Western Bulldogs.
After leaving Melbourne Bob played with Oakleigh and represented Victoria in the 1964 VFA interstate game taking the tile against Tasmania.
Bob came to Warragul on teacher transfer to the town's then technical school and played a number of seasons with Warragul in the Latrobe Valley league including some as playing coach.
He was quick to say he also coached a successful local junior team, Warragul VRI Colts, using his knowledge of boys at the school to cherry pick the best to play with the team.
He left teaching and these days runs the Warragul travel agency Gippsland Travel with his wife Jacquey.