All this week, North Melbourne is saying thank you to its amazing members, with a variety of initiatives focused around the clash against Essendon.
In the coming days, North Media will be highlighting some of the stories that make our members' support so special.
Sport evokes passion like few things can in life. People will give up their time, money and love to an organisation throughout the course of their entire life, and North Melbourne has well and truly evoked that passion in Ashley Warner.
A Perth native, North’s years of brilliance throughout the mid-late 1990’s provided great times and entertainment for Warner and supporters just like him, however after the 1998 grand final loss, he embarked on a journey only the most passionate fan would even dare.
Warner uprooted his life and travelled to Melbourne for the 1999 season ... but he didn’t fly. Instead, he hitchhiked across the country for his beloved Kangaroos.
“I was at a bit of a crossroads in my life around the time of the ’98 grand final. After that loss was the first time I’d ever cried over football and from then I knew I wanted to be in Melbourne for the next season,” Warner told North Media.
“I took a month or so to get my affairs in order and then I hit the road. I was broke, had literally nothing to my name. I had no plan and knew nobody in Melbourne, but I decided I was going to be there for the ’99 season.
“I arrived in Melbourne in December of 1998, I went to every game that year and found myself making it to the Grand Final as well. It was just an amazing period of my life.”
Growing up in the 1980’s and before the nationalisation of the AFL, Warner was drawn to the WAFL, however with the expansion of the VFL he knew he had to pick a team in the new national competition.
Even though the Eagles were, at the time, the only Western Australian representatives in the AFL, Warner says supporting West Coast was never an option.
“I never really followed the VFL because growing up in the 80’s in Perth the WAFL was still quite strong. I’d never really had a team in the VFL. Then when the Eagles came in, it got a little bit more exposure,” he said.
“I had to pick a team and I knew I didn’t like the Eagles, I’m not sure why, I just knew I didn’t like them. My best mate and his dad were North Melbourne members so I just latched onto them.
“They took me to my first VFL game which was against the Eagles at the WACA and we got demolished, but my mate’s dad had organised change room access after the game which was just amazing. My eyes were hanging out of my head.
“It was really just me and my best mate who were the only North Melbourne supporters in amongst a school of mostly Eagles.”
A supporter through thick and thin, Warner has been watching North’s young side take to the field each week this season, encouraged by the weekly improvement happening under David Noble.
Football is a cyclical sport, and Warner says he can draw comparisons between the current North side and some of the Roos' teams of yesteryear.
“It reminds me of when I first started following North when Wayne Schimmelbusch was the coach,” he said.
“We were a young side then, it was tough at first and there were some losses like there have been this year, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for sure.
“I fully expected this year would be a tough year as a supporter, but there have definitely been some positives and a lot of improvement over the season so far.”
As North Melbourne’s journey keeps moving forward, so does Warner’s strong association with the club.
He says he could never have imagined how big a part North would play in his life when he thinks back to that first game at the WACA.
“I went from never thinking I’d go to a Grand Final to travelling across the country, and now I’m a member of the cheer squad committee and help make the banner every week,” Warner said.
“It’s quite amazing to me when I think about where I was. North Melbourne has been such a big part of my life.”
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We want to hear stories of our most loyal members
Have they gone over and above for the club? Have they had a difficult year themselves but their support for the club is unwavering? Have they celebrated a big North Melbourne themed milestone this year?
Whether it's yourself or someone you know, we want to hear about it.
- Two Victorian-based members will win a family pass (four people) to the Maccas Lounge at Round 18 against Essendon
- Two Tasmanian-based members will win a family pass (4 people) to the Premiership Club at Round 20 against Geelong
- Five interstate-based winners will win a signed guernsey delivered to their door
