Perth Personality of the Month

It has been a season of fluctuating fortunes for big Vic Melville. Perth's latest recruit came to the club by West Adelaide and Claremont.

Vic Melville in action

But his debut with the Demons had to wait until the final round.  And when the season was nearing its end, Vic was starting to play the brand of football that made him a regular with West Adelaide.
To reach Lathlain Park, he made history by being the first player in Australia to go before the National Football League appeals board in Melbourne.
It all started when Claremont wanted Vic back from West Adelaide where he had played the 1977 and 1978 seasons.

West Adelaide would not grant him a clearance back to Claremont, so Claremont issued an appeal on his behalf. When the appeal was disallowed by the tribunal, West Adelaide in Claremont settled the dispute afterward lengthy negotiations.

The result was that Vick missed all of the first round of football back in his home state.
"I was out of condition and had done no preseason work," he says. rushed into the Claremont side, he started the Australian football championship game against Hawthorn  at VFL Park and then was dropped after the Tigers were given a mauling by Subiaco.

After that it was back to the reserves the Claremont for Vic Melville. Vic rebelled and asked for a clearance to Perth. Long negotiations between Claremont in Perth saw Vic again sidelined until Claremont  leased him to Perth. He played the last six games of the season in a variety of positions from fullback to center half forward.

Vic Melville was born on January 6, 1955, and educated at Hollywood Senior high school. As a youngster he did not begin to play football until the Claremont junior football clubs under 12 competition and he continued to play through the grades to under 18.
Vick went to Claremont force as a rock them and move through the reserves to the leagues where he played 25 league games with Claremont.

In 1977 he went to South Australia to try his luck and was an immediate success with West's. Over two seasons he played  in all of the leagues games as a ruckman or fullback.
his career had been plagued with shoulder trouble and this flared up again in Adelaide where he dislocated a shoulder. On a trip to Singapore, he was successfully treated by an acupuncturist and it was through acupuncture that he came to the Perth football club. Following further shoulder trouble when he was playing with Claremont this year, he attended an acupuncturist who was an avid Demon supporter.

Vic was refused permission by Claremont to train with Perth until the two clubs finally agreed on a lease arrangement for the giant utility player.

Already Vic Melville is planning his preseason program with director of football, Ken Armstrong.
"I am really keen to prove myself to Perth," he says.
he wants to add a meter to his pace by Sprint training over the summer period.
"I know that my best football is ahead of me and I am really looking forward to 1980," he told us.
Vick will be playing cricket as well during the summer. He is a former Midlands pace bowler. Since he left school, Vic has been involved with insurance.  His office is at 36 Hammersley Rd., Subiaco, telephone 381-4149, where he specializes in superannuation, workers compensation, fire and accident and life insurance. Perth members should ring Vick for expert insurance advice.

For the statisticians, Vic Melville is 15 stone and 6 feet 4 1/2 inches tall.

He currently resides in Perth, Australia.