He was exacting, as successful coaches often are. “We’re a football club, not a girls’ school,” he said. It made for tensions: all three of his partings from Melbourne, once as a player and twice as a coach, were unhappy. But he inspired loyalty and got results. “He had a humble side,” said his friend and commentator, the late Tony Charlton. “He hated losing and didn’t lose too often. But he was very gracious to those who succeeded against him.”

WHAT HAPPENED IN 1965?

It’s still not clear, even to those who were there. After winning the 1964 flag with an ageing team, the Demons began 1965 with eight straight wins before a shock 10-goal loss to St Kilda. Five weeks later, Smith was at home in Pascoe Vale on a Friday night, about to watch a movie, when a letter arrived by courier to tell him he was sacked. Though there had been some strain between Smith and the administration that week, no one foresaw this.

Melbourne lost the next day to North Melbourne in the wet at Coburg, then gathered that night at Smith’s place. The following morning, Smith appeared on Charlton’s Football Show, accusing Melbourne’s administration of running down the most powerful club in the land.

“It was unacceptable to me to work with men who wouldn’t back me,” he said, “men who would expect me to get the utmost from the players and demand from players loyalty and support, and then at the other end of the line were not prepared to give me their support.”

One apparent bone of contention was that Smith felt the club had failed to back him when umpire Don Blew sued him for defamation. Another was that he had let his protege Barassi decamp to Carlton. Asked by Charlton about speculation that he would take over from his ill brother Len at Richmond, Smith replied: “I’m Melbourne at this stage, Tony, Melbourne through and through.”

As abruptly as he had been sacked, Smith was restored to the job after a meeting on the Monday morning. He and president Donald Duffy were photographed in an awkward handclasp. But the Demons won only one more game that season, and two fruitless seasons later, Smith and the Demons parted for good.

“Respect was the casualty,” said Charlton. “It was never the same. Never. He wasn’t the same Norm, because he didn’t feel the same about Melbourne. The tryst was broken.” The 50-year winter set in.

WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE?

Smith coached South Melbourne for four years until 1972 and died of a heart attack the next year, aged just 57. In 1979, the Norm Smith Medal for best-on-ground in the grand final was instituted. In 2007 came official Australian football legend status and in 2012 a statue at the MCG. He’s safe on his plinth.

But the Demons blundered about in the dark. They copped some all-time fearful thrashings and in 1981 they won one game, by one point. Barassi returned, but not his touch. In 1996, they were almost merged out of existence. Sometimes it seemed that they were saved only because their name was synonymous with the city and the ground, and because of their history as the game’s oldest club.

At long length, they made grand finals in 1988 and 2000, but were crushed both times. This time, for the first time since 1964, they are favourites.

IS THE CURSE ABOUT TO BE LIFTED?

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Says Adam Woolcock in The Last Hurrah, his recently published remembrance of the 1964 flag: “It’s hard to imagine that if ‘Smithy’ had some supernatural control over the club’s identity, he wouldn’t have slung his old club at least one more premiership by now.

“Isn’t it about our time, Smithy?”

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