Father's Day: The Viney Family Legacy

Todd and Jack Viney have created a family legacy at the Melbourne Football Club.

A member of the club’s Hall of Fame, Todd Viney played over 230 games before moving onto coaching and eventually retiring from football in 2019.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Jack was drafted to the team 10 years ago, and has since rose through the ranks to become one of Melbourne’s most respected players on and off the field.

In celebration of Father’s Day, we sit down with Todd and Jack—along with Jack’s two-year-old daughter Mila—to discuss the impact of football, the importance of family and how fatherhood has shaped them.

The Viney family has a strong legacy at the Melbourne Football Club. What does this mean to you both?

Todd: I love that Jack is contributing to the rich history of the Melbourne Football Club. He is now a premiership player, something that I was unable to achieve in my time. I’m sure in the years to come, Jack and I will reminisce and be really proud of our contribution wearing the red and the blue, hopefully we made a difference.

Jack: I love that there is a family history at the Melbourne Football Club. I feel as if I’m helping build that legacy. Hopefully my father and I can look back and be proud of what we were both able to achieve at the club individually but also together.

What similarities do you see in each other?

Todd: Jack and I probably have a lot of similarities both with our personalities and the way we compete. I would say loyal, hardworking, authentic, good for his word, competitive and loves his family.

Jack: Many people say my father and I are alike on and off the field. We are men of our word, loyal, strong-willed and always put family first.

What has fatherhood taught you?

Todd: The greatest love you will ever experience is the love you have for your children.

Jack: Parenthood makes you selfless. Instead of focusing all my energy on performance I’m now managing my time wisely to ensure I’m spending quality time with my wife and daughter.

Can you describe your proudest moments as dads?

Todd: There is probably too many to mention but seeing how both Jack and Max have grown into the men they are and the values and behaviours they exhibit every day.

Jack: At Mila’s age, she’s doing new things every day. I can see her brain and imagination observing the world and she amazes us constantly. Her mother and I don’t go too many days without a new proudest moment.

Todd, what qualities of Jack do you see in your granddaughter Mila?

Todd: Mila has just turned two, but I already see the determination in her eyes—she is head strong, has a real sense of adventure and loves her family.

Can you share some of the challenges you’ve faced as fathers?

Todd: The hardest challenge of being a father has been to try and balance providing a secure and comfortable future for my family as a professional athlete or senior roles in my employment with quality time with my family. I’m lucky to have the best wife who has been able to pick up any slack and make it work.

Jack: When Mila was nine days old, we went into an interstate hub for four months. This was a very challenging time for [my wife] Charlotte and I as we had no family support and some minor complications with Mila. Mila was born small and she began losing even more weight when we left. We were constantly on the phone to doctors and specialists back in Melbourne.

We were learning how to be parents but I had certain responsibilities to my job, so Charlotte was left one out for periods of time. I can sympathise for parents who may live in different states to their families or others who may not get support from their families. I think there’s a bit in the saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’.