Simon Black

[Lady Lawrence]

over to you - loyallion

[loyallion]

Hi everyone this is from the Lions website ( a little info on Blacky)




Simon Black

http://i5.tinypic.com/2j2fdj6.jpg

CAREER GAMES/GOALS
Guernsey Number: 20


Height 186cm


Weight: 82kg


Recruited From: East Fremantle (WA)


Debut: 1998


Date of Birth: 3 April 1979




Player Statistics - Simon Black
Season
AFL 2006 Premiership Season

Round Date vs. K H P M HO T FF FA G B
Round 1 01/04/2006 Geelong 10 9 19 4 0 2 1 0 0 0
Round 2 08/04/2006 Essendon 17 16 33 4 0 1 1 1 0 0
Round 3 13/04/2006 St Kilda 5 5 10 0 0 1 1 3 0 0
Round 4 22/04/2006 Richmond 12 8 20 1 0 3 1 2 0 0
Round 5 29/04/2006 West Coast Eagles 19 12 31 3 0 3 0 1 0 1
Round 6 07/05/2006 Sydney Swans 10 7 17 4 0 3 0 0 0 0
Round 7 13/05/2006 Hawthorn 19 12 31 4 0 7 3 0 0 0
Round 8 21/05/2006 Port Adelaide 12 8 20 1 0 4 0 1 0 0
Round 9 28/05/2006 Fremantle 13 14 27 6 0 3 4 1 2 0
Round 10 03/06/2006 Collingwood 14 13 27 5 0 6 1 1 0 0
Round 11 10/06/2006 Adelaide 10 18 28 2 0 4 1 1 0 0
Round 12 17/06/2006 Western Bulldogs 10 16 26 2 0 7 2 1 3 2
Round 13 01/07/2006 Carlton 12 15 27 3 0 7 1 1 0 0
Round 14 08/07/2006 Melbourne 11 25 36 4 0 6 1 1 0 1
Round 15 15/07/2006 Kangaroos 2 14 16 0 0 7 0 2 0 0
Round 16 22/07/2006 Hawthorn 14 13 27 5 0 4 1 1 0 0
Round 17 29/07/2006 Essendon 15 9 24 1 0 11 3 1 1 0
Round 18 06/08/2006 Geelong 13 9 22 1 0 5 2 0 0 0
Round 19 12/08/2006 Richmond 6 12 18 3 0 5 1 0 0 0
Round 20 20/08/2006 West Coast Eagles 13 13 26 5 0 6 1 1 2 0
Round 21 26/08/2006 Sydney Swans 10 10 20 4 0 4 1 1 0 0
Round 22 02/09/2006 St Kilda 10 15 25 1 0 9 0 1 0 0



CAREER BRIEF
Previous Clubs: East Fremantle
Draft Details: Selection No.31 – 1997 National Draft
AFL: Debut: Lions v W/Bulldogs (Gabba) Rd 1, 1998
AFL Finals: 18


CAREER HISTORY

Simon Black's 2005 started three games late because of suspension and was hampered by a calf injury late on - but those interruptions did nothing to diminish the high regard in which the 2002 Brownlow Medallist is held around the Gabba.

After serving a striking suspension stemming from the 2004 grand final, Black didn't take long to make an impression in 2005, snaring 26 possessions in his first appearance against Hawthorn in Round 4. A slight case of the "second-up" syndrome probably applied to his next three matches but from then on he was at his consistent best.

Over the next 12 weeks, Black missed the 20-possession mark in only one game and had three of 30 or more, helping the Lions turn a 3-7 start to the season into an 8-7 record after Round 15. As was the case with teammates Jason Akermanis and Jonathan Brown, the Lions push for September lost momentum when Black got injured. A corked calf kept him out of the Round 20 loss to Sydney and restricted him in Rounds 21 and 22.

With Brownlow and Norm Smith medals among his trophy collection, Black had the distinction of being one of the most decorated players in the game by the ripe old age of 24.

When the Lions won their third straight premiership, Black had played in each of them and collected a Brownlow and Norm Smith Medal along the way, and won two club champion awards.

He continued his remarkably consistent form in 2004, playing all 25 games and claiming his third All-Australian jumper.

So highly rated was Black that much of Port Adelaide’s 2004 pre-grand final planning was spent on trying to shut him down. It worked, with Kane Cornes blunting his effectiveness.

That came 12 months after Black had collected an equal club record 39 possessions in the 2003 grand final demolition of Collingwood.

The suspension stemming from the 2004 decider broke an outstanding sequence of 107 consecutive games, dating back to 2000, the ultra professional preparing himself to the "enth" degree to play week-in, week-out. It saw him sweep to his 150th premiership game for the club in the preliminary final win over Geelong, in which Black produced a strong second half display.

Black stamped himself as one of the truly elite midfielders of the modern era when he won the game’s most coveted individual honour in 2002, the Brownlow Medal.

Black polled 25 votes to beat Port Adelaide’s Josh Francou (21) and skipper Michael Voss (17), who was equal third with Shane Crawford and Adem Yze.

It was the ultimate reward for the ultimate team player, who has the best peripheral vision and hard ballgetting ability since dual Brownlow Medallist Greg Williams. Black simply keeps on getting the ball in packs and feeding it out to teammates. His wiry but strong frame absorbs plenty of punishment, yet Black is never hurried.

He collected a whopping 583 possessions from 25 games in 2002, and finished runner-up in four media awards for Player of the Year voting. Black did win his second Merrett-Murray Medal, making him the sixth player in history to win back-to-back best and fairests in back-to-back premiership years. He was also the sixth man in the 107-year history of the AFL/VFL to win the Brownlow and club champion award in a premiership year.

Black started and finished the season in sensational style, and invariably produced his best against the best opposition going around. He slaughtered Port Adelaide in the first half of the preliminary final, and collected 22 possessions in the grand final despite the tight tag of Scott Burns.

Black registered his 100th game for the Lions in the grand final, but it passed by almost unnoticed given his once-in-a-lifetime week where he became the third member of the Lions midfield to win a Brownlow alongside Jason Akermanis and Michael Voss. They made more history on grand final day by becoming the first trio of awarded Brownlow Medallists to play in a premiership team together.

Black came under heavy attention in 2003 – not that he hadn’t done in previous years – but still put together a consistent enough season to finish just one vote behind Michael Voss in best and fairest voting.

Unlucky to be overlooked for All-Australian honours, he was outstanding during the finals and topped the season with one of the great grand final performances. He collected 39 possessions – the most by any player in a grand final – and was duly rewarded with the Norm Smith Medal.

While 2001 will always be remembered for the first stunning premiership win, Black’s confirmation of his high standing in the game was one of the highlights. Premiership Player, co-Club Champion, All-Australian – he would have thought it wouldn’t get much better than that, although it did!

Black played every game from the start of the Ansett Cup through to the Grand Final in 2001, along the way signing a new three-year contract which tied him to the club until the end of 2004. He averaged a team-leading 24.6 possessions to go with 6.3 clearances and 5.3 Hard Ball Gets, and led the League in tackles through the home-and-away season.

He was given the honour of being named as the starting ruck-rover in the All-Australian side and finished 5th in the AFLPA's Most Valuable Player voting behind Andrew McLeod, Michael Voss, Ben Cousins and Brett Ratten. He did win a $39,000 car as the Herald Sun Player of the Year, figured in the top 10 in countless other media awards, and should have polled many more votes than his 12 in the Brownlow Medal after he went into the count among the top six fancies with the bookies.

He got his reward, though, at the Lions club championship dinner, where he won the Club Crocodile / Courier-Mail Player of the Year and the club award for ‘Most Attempted Tackles’. Then came the big one when he tied with Voss for the Merrett/Murray Medal.

Black was not outstanding in the Grand Final win, but nonetheless he played his part. He had an absorbing battle with Jason Johnson, with the Bomber getting away from him in the second quarter. Yet Black still was able to respond and his dinky wrong-footed banana kick that hit Alastair Lynch on the lead on the stroke of halftime – after Black won a hotly contested ball – was a special effort and a pivotal moment in the game.

Black had stood tall in the biggest crunch game of the home and away season when he helped steer the Lions to a magnificent Round 10 win over Essendon at the Gabba. His effort against Geelong at Kardinia Park in Round 21 was also one out of the box. He collected 34 possessions, but the way he burrowed under packs and fed out handballs to teammates, and followed up the ball with second and third efforts, was awe-inspiring. Remarkably, taggers made life difficult for Black in the opening month of 2001, but he quickly learnt to shake them. He certainly had a day out against the Kangaroos in Round 2 though, breaking the game open with 14 possessions in the third term alone.

After taking the football world by storm in 1999, he underlined his ability by finishing equal seventh in the club champion voting in 2000 despite missing four games with a broken hand. He actually missed five games in six weeks due to illness as well, yet returned as if he had never been away, teaming superbly with Voss over the last six weeks of the season.

His outstanding vision and ability to feed the ball to teammates from traffic is a gift, and many good judges then were tipping even bigger things for the likeable left-footer if he got a full season out of his body in 2001, which he duly did. Black led the league in the critical centre clearances category on a per games basis in 2000, and was second to Geelong terrier Garry Hocking in hard-ball gets, beating even club champion skipper Voss, a man he very much admires.

Black was recruited from WA after just two senior games with East Fremantle, and was a revelation in his 1998 rookie season with the Lions, and an equally big ‘hit’ on the entire AFL scene in ’99. An All-Australian U18 selection in 1997, he was regarded as a giant bonus when chosen by the Lions at No 31 in the 1997 AFL National Draft and lived right up to expectations, playing nine AFL games in his first League campaign to win the club’s ‘Best First-Year Player’ Award. Instead of suffering `the second-year’ blues’ he became one of the most dangerous midfielders in the game the following year.

Born in Mt Isa, Black was something of nomad in his early years before his family settled in Perth. A product of Corpus Christie College, he played his junior football at suburban Bullcreek, south of Perth.

Chosen in the All-Australian team at the 1997 National U18 carnival after WA lost the grand final to the Victorian Metro side, Black was generally regarded as WA’s best player in his age-group, although narrowly beaten for the WA carnival B&F award.

At the AFL Talent Camp he topped the psychomotor testing, which measures vision, reflexes and decision-making ability, and was tipped to go at No 12 in the Draft by the Melbourne Herald-Sun after as many as 10 clubs had spoken to him pre-draft.

A stand-out junior 800m and 1500m runner, he was a WA State athletics representative from 1992-95 and several times competed at national level. He quickly transformed his excellent endurance qualities into a huge football asset, and combined with good skills on both sides of his body, a fine temperament for one so young, a level-headed approach and an excellent work ethic, he showed everything required to be a top-level AFL player.

Onlookers didn’t need to wait long for Black to stamp his mark on the AFL. In the Lions’ historic Ansett Cup clash with Fremantle in Cape Town, South Africa, in February 1998 he was among the victors’ best playing across the half back line.

He played right through the pre-season in the top side and exceeded all personal expectations when he won first-up selection for the season-opener against the Western Bulldogs. He played the first six games of the year before the inevitable first-year fatigue set in, and he had a spell with the Lion Cubs in the QSFL. Such was his commitment to training that at times the Lions coaching staff had to ask him to cut back his workload in their fight against burn-out.

He was recalled in Round 15 against West Coast but a broken index finger sentenced him to a month on the sideline. Resumed once more in the Cubs on the weekend of Round 19 and was selected to return to the seniors in Round 21 against Richmond, but was forced out on the morning of the match with the flu. Finished on a high note with an excellent Round 22 effort against St Kilda to fend off a late charge from Luke Power for Brisbane’s No.1 rookie award won in recent years by Darryl White (1992), Nathan Buckley (1993), Chris Scott (1994), Craig McRae (1995), Danny Dickfos and Clark Keating (1996) and Daniel Bradshaw (1997).

He was omitted from the Round 2 side in ’99 to make way for Voss’ comeback from a broken leg and missed Round 3 through illness, but thereafter consolidated himself as an automatic senior selection as he built a huge reputation for winning the ball at a dead-ball situation … centre bounces, boundary throw-ins and around-the-ground ruck contests.

He led the Lions in this key category, averaged 20-plus possessions per game and became a handy goal-kicker, picking up three best afield ratings and nine votes in the Brownlow Medal to out-poll all but Jason Akermanis and Voss among his Brisbane teammates.

Twenty possessions and two goals against Geelong in Round 9 earned him a nomination for the Norwich Rising Star Award, and there were plenty of good judges who suggested he should have done better than third in the final vote-count for this $20,000 award. He finished third with 22 votes behind Sydney’s Adam Goodes (33 votes) and Adelaide’s Brett Burton (24).

His wonderful season ended on a sour note when he suffered a fractured eye socket five minutes into the preliminary loss to North Melbourne, but still he finished equal 10th in the Lions B&F award, claimed the Attitude Barometer Award (Full Ground), and, after club officials changed the selection criteria to fall into line with the Rising Star award, he won the Lions Rookie of the Year award for the second year in a row.

Black shares his Mt. Isa birthplace with two other prominent sportsmen – Greg Norman and Pat Rafter. He completed a Sales & Marketing Traineeship with Queensland Rail in 1998 after a similar course at TAFE in Perth in 1997, but shelved further study plans to concentrate on his football. An avid surfer, he can be found in his spare time over summer sampling the waves from the Sunshine Coast to Ballina.

LIONS HIGHLIGHTS
R-Up West Australian U18 B&F 1997, All-Australian U18 1997, 10th Lions B&F 1999, Equal 7th 2000, Club Champion 2001-02, R/Up B&F 2003, Lions Best First-Year Player 1998, Lions Rookie of the Year 1999, Lions Attitude Barometer Award (Full Ground) 1999-2001, 3rd Norwich Rising Star Award 1999, Member Lions’ Ansett Cup Grand Final Side 2001, Herald Sun Player of the Year 2001, Courier Mail Player of the Year 2001-02, All-Australian 2001-02, Australian Rep v Ireland 2001, Premiership Player 2001-0203, Brownlow Medallist 2002, Norm Smith Medallist 2003.

[danielcanberra]

And don't forget our Blacky tribute thread (with pictures)
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=274698

[danielcanberra]

Congratulations on being appointed captain.

[scott522]

Congratulations on being appointed captain.
And so say all of us !

[danielcanberra]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/sport/matthews-bets-on-black/2007/04/02/1175366144647.html
Matthews bets on Black

Phil Lutton | April 2, 2007 - 4:41PM

Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews says a rejuvenated Simon Black is in career-best form as the side tiptoes through a short preparation for the clash with St Kilda on Thursday night.

The tireless midfielder was the standout for the Lions in their first-up win over the Hawks on Saturday and will be vital for Brisbane's chances at The Gabba against a Saints side stocked with firepower and coming off an impressive 31-point win over Melbourne.

Given the 2002 Brownlow medallist was one of the drivers in Brisbane's hat-trick of premierships, it's a huge call from Matthews to suggest his form is even more potent than in the Lions glory days.

But Matthews says a new leadership role and intense training may have spurred him onto even greater heights.

"Simon's playing as well now as I've ever seen him play. He's relished the leadership role that he's had over the whole summer. I don't know if that's the stimulus for it. Maybe it's because he's as fit as he's ever been. But he's in really good shape. He's ready to play as good as Simon Black can play. He's at his peak," Matthews said.

[Kochie 16]

Happy Birthday Blacky!

[scott522]

Many Happy's Simon

[danielcanberra]

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/black-to-the-future/2007/04/27/1177459978530.html

Black to the future

Greg Baum | April 28, 2007

SIMON Black admits that there are days when his eyes glaze over as he sits in front of Leigh Matthews' whiteboard and listens to a message he has heard a thousand times before.

But when he sees the rapture on the faces of young teammates after a stirring win, he knows that it is all still worthwhile.

Black spans the eras at Brisbane. He played in the finals every year from his debut in 1999 until 2005, winning three premierships, two best and fairests and the 2002 Brownlow Medal. He also won a Norm Smith Medal. It was winning without end.

Then the era ended, as eras must. The team broke up. Now the Lions are beginning again. The game remains the same, as per Matthews' whiteboard, but the names and faces surrounding Black are new and youthful.

Most are anonymous, as were Voss, Akermanis, Black, Lappin, Brown and Leppitsch once. Now their heirs are out to make their names household, too.

Black marvels at the development of Harding, and Stiller, and Merrett in his new back-line posting. He marvels that Rischitelli was not taken until the fourth round of the draft. "I know how hungry he is, how hard he works," he said.

The Lions turned to kids for a new lease of life, and found it. "There's a really fresh feeling around the place," Black said. "The pre-season was all energy and enthusiasm and I think we took that into our pre-season games and it's helped us at the start of the year."

Even, or especially, the coach was renewed, said Black. "This year, he's really been a bit of a schoolteacher in the way we want to play the game, a lot more than he was in the past," Black said. "He's really put the principles in place. He sits down at the whiteboard and says: 'This is what we want to do. This is the reasons for it'. He's taken us step-by-step out on the training paddock,

"We had a game style that he put in place originally when he got to the club, and he didn't alter it all that much over a six or seven-year period. We were not exactly on autopilot, but not too far away from that. This year, he's actually coaching."

The rejuvenation has had a more immediate effect than foreseen by most. The Lions won a total of 17 games in 2005 and 2006 and suffered some fearful thrashings. This year, Brisbane made the final of the pre-season competition and won its first two games of the regular season.

"A lot of people would have written us off, thinking that even if we do play to our best, we won't win a lot of games," said Black. "But we've proved ourselves that if we play well, work together and do the things we need to do, we're very capable of being a good side. But we aren't kidding ourselves."

Black, himself, is proving ageless. He is 28 and among the half-dozen oldest players at the club. Nonetheless, he remains a prolific ball-getter and last year won his third best-and-fairest award.

The game has grown faster in his time, but that does not concern him because pace was never his metier anyway; he laughs out loud at the very idea. Fortunately, there is still a place in football for instinct, vision and deftness of hand and foot.

Black said it had never crossed his mind to leave when others of the indomitable 01-03 team did. He had been likelier to go home earlier in his career when places in the team were at a premium and Perth and family were far away. Now Brisbane was his city, the Lions his club.

"The more time you spend here, the less attraction you have towards back where you grew up," he said. "You find yourself settled in a city and a footy club, and you feel a part of it. I've been fortunate to have some great success, but to build the club up again is a real challenge."

He remembers the halcyon days affectionately: who would not? "I loved playing in a side that was never out of it," he said. "Even if you were half a dozen goals down in the third quarter, you knew you were a chance. That was fantastic.

"Everyone played for each other. It's true that to be successful, you've got to genuinely enjoy playing with each other. We had that. It was really strong."

But he remembers also that it was never as easy as it appears in retrospect. "You can scratch your head and think: 'How did it fall apart so quickly?'," he said.

"But it's such a tough competition. Any side can beat any other side on a given day. Even when we were winning the premierships, it wasn't as if we were winning every game. I don't think we finished on top after the regular season once. It's always a struggle."

Black is nearing 200 games, the province of the greats, and his motivation is primal. "Just finals footy," he said.

"When you haven't played it for a couple of years, you realise it's what you play for. Having it, and then missing out, you realise how great finals footy is. I love winning a game and seeing the excitement on the young guys' faces."

http://www.realfooty.com.au/ffximage/2007/04/27/js28_simonblack.jpg
Simon Black was an integral part of Brisbane's all-conquering days and is helping lead the way for the new generation of Lions players.
Photo: Steve Holland

[Kochie 16]

I thought that that pic (^^^) was a painting or something of blacky. Don't know why i just posted that?

[Kochie 16]

It's blacky's 200th this week!

[notting18]

It's blacky's 200th this week! It really amazes me how many games Black has played, he still seems like he has another 200 in him!

[konstas_87]

200 of the best, absolute champion player, hope we can get up for blacky.

[BigCat2]

To have become a member of the famed 'Fab Four' at the age of 22 was absolutely amazing. Played his 100th game too in the 2001 GF.

He was already so good back then that it was almost unthinkable that he could get much better. That he did. :thumbsu:

[Kochie 16]

To have become a member of the famed 'Fab Four' at the age of 22 was absolutely amazing. Played his 100th game too in the 2001 GF.

He was already so good back then that it was almost unthinkable that he could get much better. That he did. :thumbsu:
You mean the 2002 GF!

[BigCat2]

You mean the 2002 GF!

Quite possibly. I'm not renowned for my accurate recollections. :o

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.sportsaustralia.com/articles/news.php?id=915)

X-FACTOR: SIMON BLACK
While he may not be one of a kind, he runs close to it and there’s no doubting the incredible influence that Simon Black has bestowed to the Brisbane Lions since making his debut in 1998.

A deserving recipient of the 2002 Brownlow Medal, Black has always been a highly effective and consistent performer for the Lions, and 2006 was no exception as the midfielder finished ninth in the league for disposals, fifth for hardball gets, fourth for contested possessions and topped the clearances tally.

Black played a crucial part in all three of Brisbane’s trio of premierships at the dawn of the millennium, including a monumental 39-disposal effort in the 2003 Grand Final to pilot the destruction of Collingwood in vigorous fashion.

In a midfield that is a mere fraction of the dominance it once was earlier in the decade, Black has yet to flounder in a booming career that is entering its 10th season. Brisbane’s line-up is significantly hurt without his presence.

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/9881/blackqh7.jpg

Link (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21772750-5003410,00.html)

Matthews tips revival

Andrew Hamilton
May 22, 2007 12:00am

Article from: http://www.news.com.au/images/sources/h14_thecouriermail.gif (http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/?from=ni_story)


TRIPLE premiership player, Norm Smith and Brownlow medallist, multiple club champion, All-Australian and bloody good bloke are all terms that sit comfortably alongside the name Simon Black.
Veteran does not.
But as he prepares to play his 200th game for Brisbane, the newly appointed Lions co-captain admits it is something he's going to have to get used to.
"I must admit I have been thinking about it a bit," he said.
"I remember being in Perth growing up and my heroes were Eagles Peter Matera and Chris Mainwairing, and when they played their 200th games I remember thinking, gee that is a lot of footy.
"I'm 28, I don't feel like a veteran yet, but I suppose playing 200 games you're going to be in that category now.
"It is a huge honour and to play it for a club that has been so good to me is something I'll cherish when I'm an old man."
Lions coach Leigh Matthews has never been one to use milestone games as a motivator.
He wonders whether one player's special occasion really inspires others and, if it does, why his players can't perform at that level every week.
But Black's 200th game might be an exception.
"Simon is enormously respected, that combination of respect and affection, I think Simon has got both of those," Matthews said.
"I think if any player is going to generate a let's make sure of it approach, like Shaun Hart did, it would be Simon . . . hopefully it is something that stirs a committed, pressured performance this week."
Black remains one of the very elite players in the competition.
Matthews said Black ranked among the best he had been associated with in football, and said the impression he'd made far exceeded his on-field achievements. "Undoubtedly, but more than that he has been a delight to coach," he said.
"Because he is a delight to deal with in all facets, he can play very good football as well."


Well done Simon:thumbsu:

'bloody good bloke' is a very accurate description.
Congratulations Blacky for this milestone on Saturday. Truly a benchmark player that many will try and measure against, and few will come close.
Hope for another 200 games out of you.
Posted by: Daniel of Canberra 8:23pm today

Good work Daniel:thumbsu:

http://img461.imageshack.us/img461/1601/blackrr1.jpg

[Blinger]

Well done to Simon Black has been a pleasure to watch, especially when the lions were playing so well during their triple premierships.

[danielcanberra]

Pic that went with the article

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5493392,00.jpg
QUICK off the blocks ... Brisbane Lions co-captain Simon Black dives in at a team swim session and, inset, Black at training.

(Simon, you go swimming wearing a watch?)

[Kochie 16]

I hope you can have a mind blowing performance Blacky! Just like You did in the picture down here!

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39386000/jpg/_39386412_black_get_203.jpg

[danielcanberra]

Black's focus on 300

Marco Monteverde
May 24, 2007 12:00am
Article from: http://www.news.com.au/images/sources/h14_thecouriermail.gif (http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/?from=ni_story)

SIMON Black's desire to be at the forefront of a Lions revival has the Brisbane co-captain relishing the prospect of playing 300 matches for the triple premiers.

Black, who will clock up game 200 in Saturday's Gabba battle against Collingwood, does not rule out notching another century – body and form permitting – to help the Lions return to their glory days of 2001-03. Athough he has achieved everything in football – three flags, Brownlow and Norm Smith medals, and All-Australian selection – 28-year-old Black said he had some unfinished business before hanging up his boots.

"We've got some really talented young guys, but that's not enough," he said. "We need to work hard and set some good stones in place to be able to get our way back up there again.

"That's a real challenge for us older guys who are here. I'm looking forward to that challenge in the time ahead."

Black said becoming a member of the exclusive 300 club was a definite goal because of his love of football and the Lions.

"I'm enjoying the youthful club that we have these days compared to a year or two ago. It's really vibrant and hopefully we can fight our way up the ladder," he said.

Black said the Lions were still learning and urged them to play "smarter" against Collingwood after last Saturday's 64-point loss to Essendon at Telstra Dome.

The midfielder lamented the lack of another option up front when gun forward Jonathan Brown was often marked by two or three Bombers.

"We just didn't find other paths to goal, to half-forward, to the full-forward line – we just bombed away," he said. "It wasn't smart."

The absence of Chris Johnson because of a foot injury was particularly telling last weekend, with the Lions co-captain having previously helped to negate the season-long unavailability of Daniel Bradshaw (knee).

"When you've got two quality goalkickers up forward for you, sides are more reluctant to drop off and have two or three on one," Black said.

"We are missing him, but hopefully Mitch Clark can find his feet in the next week or two.

"And with Chris Johnson back in the side, hopefully he's a presence up there. When he leads, you draw the ball to him."
Johnson trained well yesterday and is expected to return against the Magpies.

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5495614,00.jpg
BURNING ambition . . . Simon Black, who will mark 200 games for the Lions this weekend, wants to help his young team reach the top. Picture: Derek Moore.

From Courier Mail (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21781898-5003410,00.html)

[Ceebee]

If anyone deserves a win on a milestone game ,it is Blacky.
He is an absolute icon of our club
All the best Blacky.:thumbsu:

[danielcanberra]

Den Diaries: Simon Black
8:04:00 AM Thu 24 May, 2007
for lions.com.au

I know just about everyone says they don’t think too much about milestone games, but I’ll let you in on a little secret – I’ve been looking forward to this one.

I’m lucky enough to be playing my 200th game on Saturday night against Collingwood, and it’s something I have been conscious of for the last 10-15 games.

It’s a fantastic honour to have got this far, especially as I didn’t think I’d play many games at this level.

There are two games that stick out in my mind from the 199 that I have played to date, and one of those was against Collingwood.

It was the 2003 grand final, where I was lucky enough to be in the ‘zone’ that day. It’s hard to explain, but being ‘in the zone’ probably is the best way to describe it.

Due to so many of our blokes carrying injuries, Shaun Hart and myself had to spend the whole four quarters on the ball, but I think we loved having that responsibility.

Harty picked up 20-odd really good possessions from memory and I managed to get 39, which is the most I’ve ever got in an AFL game.

The other match that stays with me was early in 1999 - my second year at the club – against the eventual premiers the Kangaroos.

We lost by two points, but I managed to get a fair bit of the footy, and that was the turning point for me. It helped me believed that I could play at this level.

I should add that I still have some pretty clear memories of my first game too.

I never thought I would play 50 games, let alone 200, so that first one was very special. It was against the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba and I played on a half-back flank against Todd Curley.

The Bulldogs were really big rivals back in those days and that was the game where Libba made the news for allegedly scratching the face of Stevie Lawrence.

There was nothing like the rivalry in our games against Essendon though, and we had some good ones against them at Docklands in particular.

Another really memorable one was the last home and away game against Port Adelaide in 2002, where the winner got to be minor premiers. It was a massive crowd, huge game, and really tight finish.

At the other end of the scale, the 2004 grand final loss to Port was obviously my biggest disappointment. I don’t think anything else needs to be said other than we lost a grand final.

Some Lions supporters were dirty on the tribunal for giving me a couple of weeks’ suspension from that game because it broke my sequence of more than 100 games in a row, but I can assure you it was almost a blessing in disguise.

Because I wasn’t going to be available until Round 3 I was able to have some shoulder and ankle surgery that summer which I really needed, and helped me in the long run.

There are lots of amazing things than I’ve been fortunate enough to have experienced in my time with the Lions, and there’s one thing that has never changed.

I just love playing this game.

It’s obviously not much fun in the periods when you are not winning, but I honestly love getting out there and playing as much as I did when I was 18.

And I hope that feeling stays with me with a few more years yet.

[Sherminator.]

37 touches, 1.1 on his 200th milestone. Valiant effort for a legendary Lion. 3 B'low votes.

[bulldogrob]

i only picked him up a few weeks ago in my dreamteam. Well done blacky:thumbsu:

[TheBrownDog]

Sorry we couldn't win it for you Blacky.

You did all that was humanly possible, and a bit more.

Hold your head high Simon.

[Kochie 16]

Very good performance from one of the best midfielers in the comp!

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/the-best-player-you-hardly-know/2007/05/26/1179601735711.html)

The best player you hardly know

Michael Voss | May 27, 2007



SIMON Black is the lowest profile high-profile player I've seen. He's a Brownlow medallist, Norm Smith medallist, triple premiership player, triple All-Australian, triple club champion and club co-captain. And as of last night he's a 200-gamer.
He's the most decorated player among 700-odd presently in the AFL. But what do you really know about the left-footed midfield maestro of the Brisbane Lions? I'm guessing not too much.
It's not because he shuns the spotlight or is a particularly private person. It's just the way it has worked out. Through the golden era of the Lions, there were others who assumed a greater public presence.
He first arrived in Brisbane a shy 71-kilogram kid from WA, taken at No. 32 in the 1997 draft — a number that must embarrass a few recruiting types.
The top 10 that year was pretty hot: Travis Johnstone, Brad Ottens, Trent Croad, Mark Bolton, Luke Power, James Walker, Kris Massie, Chris Tarrant, Chad Cornes and Shane O'Bree. But of those between 11 and 31, only Jason Saddington, Shannon Watt, Dean Solomon, Troy Longmuir, Nick Stevens, Brodie Holland and Rowan Jones are still playing AFL football.
Apparently there were some concerns among the scouts about Blacky's lack of pace. But he's got other attributes. Like his strength over the ball and his ability to win the contested possession. To hold his feet and use the ball well with hand and foot on both sides of his body. His decision making. His football smarts. His insatiable appetite to compete and will power to match.
Black runs as quickly in the last 10 minutes of a game as he does in the first 10 minutes. So his lack of pure leg speed is a non-factor. He would have been a good marathon runner or a cyclist. Because he plays football the same way. He surges. He challenges his opponent. And just when the man given the unenviable task of trying to keep him in check might be starting to feel a little comfortable, he'll lift his work-rate. And he'll blow his opponent away.
In round two at the Gabba this year, a noted St Kilda tagger had the job on Blacky. Five minutes into the second half he cramped up. He just couldn't go with him. That's his modus operandi. Watch him. He'll grind his opponent into the ground. He'll test him mentally and physically. Contest after contest.
Remember the 2003 grand final against Collingwood? He had 39 possessions on the biggest stage of all, and was still running just as hard in the last 60 seconds. It was as good a big-occasion game as you'll see.



http://i14.tinypic.com/4y6ymw7.jpg

[danielcanberra]

And the rest

The two words that best describe Simon Black are humble and competitive. He is a totally unaffected champion. A level-headed, modest, polite, consistent and considerate 28-year-old from a fantastic family.

One day a few years ago he went to the children's hospital. A nurse was bemoaning the fact that they didn't have a PlayStation for the kids. So Blacky went home, got his own, and gave it to the hospital.

But there's another side of Blacky that only those on the inside really see. He's a fierce competitor. He's always been like that.

Even in his first year he was an annoying pest who was forever asking Craig Lambert and yours truly to do extra one-on-one stuff. It was bordering on harassment.

He was always looking for ways to improve himself because he had an unbelievable desire for success. If a teammate does 15 rounds of boxing, and he's next, he'll do 16. If a teammate does 20 repetitions in the gym eight times, he'll do nine. I loved training with him and trying to beat him. To keep up with him. He tested me in so many areas, and maybe I tested him in other areas. It's a great way to better yourself.

He's an out-and-out mozzie. Always buzzing around. Forgetting things. Having a chat and a laugh. He's always got as much time for the shy new recruit and the boot-studder as anyone else. Everyone is equal to him.

A share of the captaincy this year has taken him to another level. With more responsibility than just getting the ball 30 times a week he's become a real leader. Taking control. Talking to his teammates. Demanding more from them. Offering suggestions.

It makes him an even more valuable player than his extraordinary record commands. And he'll reach 300 games because he's always looking for a new challenge.

But he's not perfect — he's not the greatest driver, for example. One day I was walking out of the Gabba and I heard a voice yell out "hey Vossy!" I looked over just in time to see him run into the car in front of him.

Another day we were using the inferential machine together. That's the one where you stick pads all over the troubled area and you get this pulsating sensation. He had sore ribs and didn't think it was doing its job so he turned it up. And up. And up. Before realising it wasn't plugged in.

As soon as he plugged it in. Whammo! He nearly hit the roof. Didn't think to turn it down, did he? He forgot about his ribs pretty quickly. Not a great medical practitioner.

And he can be a little vague. One day in Perth we were doing an interview with Brad Hardie. Brad asked him a question and he went blank. No answer. He hadn't been listening. His mind was probably off riding the perfect wave somewhere. If you asked him his favourite moments, the time he went surfing with Kelly Slater would be among them.

Punctuality! That's not one of his great strengths either. If the club was buying him a 200th game present it'd be a good watch with a reminder zapper every five minutes.

But if you were a young midfielder starting out in AFL and could go to the shops and buy a football role model you'd find it hard to walk past the Simon Black section.

A good football club builds itself around good people like Blacky. And of all those I had the privilege to play alongside, he sits comfortably alongside all of them for the company I enjoyed and whose professionalism and performance I admired.

[Grimreepah]

whoops:o

[danielcanberra]

He may have avoided suspension but Brownlow Medallist Simon Black may still miss a resurgent Brisbane Lions' AFL clash against Carlton at the Gabba on Sunday due to a knee injury.

Black will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness after hyperextending his knee in the third quarter of Brisbane's 44-point thumping of Melbourne last weekend - the Lions' second straight victory.

Black was breathing easy after learning he could escape with a reprimand for striking Melbourne's Simon Godfrey during the second quarter in a clash assessed by the AFL match review panel as high, negligent and of low impact.

But that was the least of his worries when the Lions today booked him for knee scans.

Lions coach Leigh Matthews tried to hose down concern about Black last Saturday night, saying he removed the co-captain from the field in the final 10 minutes because he was taking a "safety first" approach.

However, Matthews changed his tune today when he sighted Black's swollen knee.

"He's in some doubt. He doesn't look like he's done any structural damage but whatever he did sort of jarred it and it got puffy after the game," Matthews said.

"It's still swollen this morning. It's just a question of how quickly the swelling goes down.

"He doesn't seem to have done any structural damage but it's puffed up a little bit."

Matthews said Black would undergo scans this week but still kept his fingers crossed the class midfielder would run out against the Blues.

"It's just an inflammation, sort of swelling that has to subside. If need be we'll give him until Saturday," he said.

Besides Black, the form of young forward Mitch Clark has posed another selection headache for Matthews.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/sport/selection-headaches-at-lions/2007/07/16/1184559695535.html

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22084023-5003410,00.html)

Black protects Brownlow hopes


Article from: http://www.news.com.au/images/sources/h14_thecouriermail.gif (http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/?from=ni_story)

Marco Monteverde
July 17, 2007 12:00am

AN early plea would ensure Simon Black remains eligible to win this year's Brownlow Medal after the Brisbane Lions co-captain was charged with striking.
Lions chief executive Michael Bowers last night said the club "would sleep on it" before deciding whether Black would fight the charge of striking Melbourne defender Simon Godfrey, which resulted from a second-quarter incident in the Lions' comfortable 44-point win over the Demons at the Gabba on Saturday night. The strike was assessed as negligent conduct, low-impact and high-contact, with Black's record of being suspended for three matches within the past three years increasing the penalty to 104 points and a one-match ban.
But an early plea would allow the 2002 Brownlow Medallist to escape with a reprimand and the addition of 78 points to his future record.
This would allow Black to take on Carlton at the Gabba on Sunday, provided he has overcome a knee injury.
Lions coach Leigh Matthew yesterday said the champion on-baller would be given until match-day to prove his fitness.
"It doesn't look like he's done any structural damage but, whatever he did, it got puffy after the game and it's still swollen this morning," Matthews said.
"It's just a question of how quickly the swelling goes down."
Asked if Black would be given a fitness deadline, Matthews replied: "As long as he's OK by Sunday, he'll be OK (to play)."
Black has been instrumental in Brisbane's recent revival and his absence would hurt a Lions side keen to keep its faint top-eight hopes alive.


http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/8484/blackhd0.jpg

Link (http://sportal.com.au/default.aspx/AFL-news-display/black-in-doubt-for-blues-clash-31253)

Star midfielder Simon Black is under an injury cloud for this Sunday's NAB Cup final rematch with Carlton at the Gabba.

Black finished the 44-point defeat of the Demons over the weekend on the bench after an awkward clash with Melbourne tagger Simon Godfrey in the second half.

However, with Brisbane's finals aspirations hanging by a thread despite successive victories, the former Brownlow Medallist is not expected to be out of action for multiple weeks.

"He doesn't look like he's done any structural damage but he's jarred it and it got puffy after the game," Matthews told reporters on Monday.

"It's still swollen this morning so it's just a question of how quickly the swelling goes down."
Click here to find out more!

"He's in some doubt."

"If need be you'd certainly give him until Saturday," he added.

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/8025/blacknh2.jpg

[TheBrownDog]

Black has taken the points and accepted the reprimand.

[notting18]

Black has taken the points and accepted the reprimand.
Probably what we all expected him to do - Hopefully it is promising for his knee though!

[Grimreepah]

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/2421/blackem2.jpg

This will be just the 5th game Black has missed in the last 7 seasons.

[94_Eagles]

My DT depends on it. :)

[Ruse]

Dreamteam is by far the most evil game ever invented.

[The Flying Belgian]

There's no open training session until Tuesday, so none of us will have a clear indication until then. I'd be betting yes.

[Kochie 16]

Back in this week! Scared the living daylights outa me when his knee hyper extended!

[Grimreepah]

Just to give you an idea of how dominant Simon Black is, these were the stats they flashed up half way through the final quarter:

Clearances:

Black 12
O'Bree 4
Lappin 4
Fraser 3
Charman 3

Contested Possessions:

Black 17
McGrath 8
Brown 8
Licuria 8
Adcock 7

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/1456/blackmw4.jpg

[Kochie 16]

Just to give you an idea of how dominant Simon Black is, these were the stats they flashed up half way through the final quarter:

Clearances:

Black 12
O'Bree 4
Lappin 4
Fraser 3
Charman 3

Contested Possessions:

Black 17
McGrath 8
Brown 8
Licuria 8
Adcock 7Wow, Blacky sure did kick some arse!

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22200537-5003410,00.html)

Another milestone for Black

Andrew Hamilton
August 07, 2007 12:00am

SIMON Black routinely breaks new ground. He has already set the mark for most possessions by a Lions player and holds the club's beep-test record.
Now he owns another record – his 14 tackles against the Kangaroos last Saturday equalled Nigel Lappin's effort against the Hawks in round 20, 2004. When it was put to Black that he should be playing lock for the Broncos after a tackling effort like that, he was quick to overrule in favour of the five-eighth spot.
Black is first and foremost a ballplayer who wants the pigskin in his hands as often as possible.
When a player becomes so adept at winning the footy, opposing tacticians spend hours devising ways to stop him.
It's called tagging and Black gets it more than most.
He hasn't put quite as much thought into his strategy as his opponents do, but Black has come up with a novel approach against the tag – tackle his heart out.
He hunts opponents like a Lion and where possible slams them into the turf.
"Early in my career I tackled a bit more but I dropped away a bit," he said.
"It's rewarding when you're not getting your hands on it to walk off knowing you've contributed. In our premiership years we were very good – we gang-tackled.
"It puts perceived pressure on the opposition. When they get the footy they may have more time than they think. It is a real mental thing as much as anything else."
Black's 14 tackles are just one shy of the AFL benchmark of 15, reached four times since official records have been kept.
His possession count was down on Saturday night. His 17 were well short of his career-high 39 against Collingwood in the 2003 grand final.
But tellingly he won nine contested possessions, his tackling pressure contributing to spilt ball that led to touches for him and his teammates.


http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/5848/blacktb9.jpg
DOWN you go ... record-equalling Brisbane Lion Simon Black tackles the Kangaroos' Jesse Smith.

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22368350-5003410,00.html)

Simon Black's bad deal

Article from: http://www.news.com.au/images/sources/h14_thecouriermail.gif (http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/?from=ni_story)
Andrew Hamilton
September 06, 2007 12:00am

LIONS coach Leigh Matthews has questioned Simon Black's absence from the All-Australian shortlist, saying more credit should be given to ball winners who cop heavy tags each week.
West Coast premiership skipper Chris Judd and reigning Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes also failed to earn selection in the preliminary 40-man squad.
Matthews said more focus should be placed on the players' role within the team and how highly they were rated by oppositions, who generally sent a player out with the sole role of trying to contain them.
"I'm talking about the principle of degree of difficulty in the midfield role. I'm not sure that's taken into account," Matthews said.
"Sometimes you have to work out the degree of difficulty because it is much more difficult in the midfield if you are getting those close checking tags than it is for other midfielders who can play with more freedom.
"It is a difficult task because no selector can see every game every week, but all I know is the opposition rate Simon Black the highest because he is the one who gets tagged."
The nominees, grouped for the first time this year as forwards, defenders and midfielders or ruckmen, included nine players from premiership favourites Geelong.
The final 22 will be announced on September 17 and will include six members of each group, as well as four interchange players taken from any of the three groups.
Judd, a former Brownlow and Norm Smith medallist, was a clear favourite to win this season's Brownlow medal at the halfway mark of the season.
But a groin complaint restricted him to seven of the past 11 games and kept him below his best, preventing him from earning a nomination from the six-member selection panel.
Goodes, a dual Brownlow medallist, had a slow start to the season but has been in devastating form for the Swans in the second half of the season and is a key reason for Sydney's form surge.
Black has also had a very good year.
Although he is tagged heavily every week and has had some games where his production has been down, he still produced enough stand-out displays to be in contention for the Lions' best and fairest award and should again poll well in the Brownlow medal.
The Lions' round one game against Hawthorn, the two outings against Collingwood and the upset over West Coast at Subiaco were best-on-ground efforts.
A case can also be made for the clash with Fremantle and the round two clash with St Kilda.
Only Jonathan Brown's 10-goal haul would stop him getting top votes for his game against Carlton at the Gabba.


http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/4558/blackzw1.jpg

Black is currently 13th in Brownlow betting.

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://lions.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/5085/Default.aspx?newsId=51351)

AFLPA MVP award nominations
1:20 PM Wed 19 September, 2007
for lions.com.au

Lions co-captain Simon Black and Jonathan Brown have been nominated by their team mates as worthy to be considered to receive one of AFL football's most prestigious awards - the Leigh Matthews Trophy for the Most Valuable Player.
The award was named in honour of playing and coaching great Leigh Matthews as is designed to reward to player acknowledged by AFL players to have displayed leadership, versatility, ability to play under pressure, skill and courage, respect for all players and overall value to a team. Black and Brown were the Lions representatives, as each club nominated two players from within.

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/6871/blackez0.jpg

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://lions.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/5085/Default.aspx?newsId=51394)

Lions Brownlow Medal preview
10:20 AM Thu 20 September, 2007
for lions.com.au

... the Lions’ other fancy Simon Black, whose first two-thirds of the season was outstanding, finished just outside the top 10 in the Herald Sun award.

At least Black is right under the umpires’ noses in the midfield, and has already won one medal.

He was the third player in history wearing No.20 to win the Brownlow, the others being the very first winner of the award – Edward ‘Carji’ Reeves – in 1924, and South Melbourne’s Graham Teasdale in 1977.

[Grimreepah]

Equal 2nd in the Brownlow with 22 votes.:thumbsu:

[notting18]

Equal 2nd in the Brownlow with 22 votes.:thumbsu:

A suprising vote winner for the lions! Well done Blacky:thumbsu:

[Grimreepah]

It was his 2nd highest tally:

2002 - 25 votes (winner)
2007 - 22 votes (equal 2nd)
2004 - 18 votes
2001 - 12 votes
2003 - 12 votes
2006 - 11 votes
2005 - 6 votes
2000 - 4 votes

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.lions.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=5085&newsId=51668)

A Brownlow bolt from the Black
10:02 AM Tue 25 September, 2007
for lions.com.au

Lions co-captain Simon Black may have been shunned by the All Australian selectors this season, but his efforts certainly didn’t go unnoticed by the umpires at the 2007 Brownlow Medal count last night.

Black, who was a surprise omission from the initial 40-man All Australian squad that was announced earlier this month, finished equal second in the competition’s highest individual honour behind eventual winner Jimmy Bartel from Geelong.

Bartel finished a runaway winner with 29 votes ahead of fellow midfielders Black, the Kangaroos’ Brent Harvey and West Coast’s Daniel Kerr who finished on 22.

Prior to the count, Black was considered only an outside chance of replicating his 2002 feat and taking home the Brownlow Medal. Betting agencies listed him as a rank outsider despite the fact he had firmed into equal favouritism for the honour in the middle stages of the season.

When Black received his sixth best-on-field honours against Melbourne in Round 15, he took a commanding three vote lead and looked every chance to cause an upset. However, Bartel stormed home amassing 12 votes in the next five rounds to take an unassailable seven vote lead with two rounds remaining.

Black, who turned 28 earlier this year, took his career tally of Brownlow Medal votes to 119 passing the likes of former winners Gavin Wanganeen (109), Paul Kelly (103) and Tony Liberatore (112).

His 22 votes in this years count was also the best performance by a Lions player at the Brownlow since Black himself won the Medal back in 2002 with 25 votes.

The final Brownlow Medal voting tally was as follows:

29: Jimmy Bartel (Geelong)
22: Simon Black (Brisbane Lions)
22: Brent Harvey (Kangaroos)
22: Daniel Kerr (West Coast)*
21: Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)
20: Gary Ablett (Geelong)
20: Dane Swan (Collingwood)
20: Adam Goodes (Sydney Swans)
18: Scott Thompson (Adelaide)
17: Jonathan Brown (Brisbane Lions)

*ineligible

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/7782/blackub8.jpg

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://lions.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/5085/Default.aspx?newsId=51744)

Seven days in the spotlight

10:59 AM Wed 26 September, 2007
By Simon Black,

GRAND Final week … it’s like being an animal in a zoo.
It’s like an endless parade of people watching your every move.
Not quite a cage with iron bars but that inescapable focus is something like a gorilla or a chimpanzee on show at Melbourne Zoo might feel.
That’s the best description I can come up with for seven days that is every young footballer’s dream and the culmination of a lifetime of hard work.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate through my 10 years in the AFL to have been involved in the last week of the season four times. And I’ve got a string of memories that will live with me forever.
There are the contrasting emotions of excitement, relief and disbelief at winning three flags in 2001-02-03. And the utter devastation of defeat in 2004 that only served as a reminder of just how precious the other three years were.
More personally, there is the memory of not handling it all very well in 2001. Of battling to combine grand final week with a Brownlow Medal in 2002. And the pure exhilaration of winning a Norm Smith Medal in 2003 on top of the most courageous thing I’ve seen on a football field.
I’ve got to admit I didn’t handle Grand Final week 2001 very well. I got a bit carried away with it all and got caught up in the excitement. And I didn’t play particularly well but still I enjoyed the ultimate thrill when the Lions came from 14 points down at half time to beat Essendon by 26.
It was a new experience to all of us except Martin Pike – just as it has been this week for all the Geelong players except Cam Mooney. It’s going to be a test. No doubt about that, and the fact that half the Port side has been through it is a definite edge.
I remember it as if it was yesterday. Brisbane was abuzz with the whole thing early in the week and then when we arrived in Melbourne on the Thursday I was blown away by it all. The huge crowd when we got off the plane at the airport, the bus ride into the city, the flags, the colour, the talk, the excitement … it was incredible.
You try not to use too much nervous energy but I found I got to grand final morning a bundle of nerves.
I remember sitting in the breakfast room of our hotel trying to keep myself relaxed and on track. It was lucky we had some pretty cool heads like Michael Voss, Alastair Lynch and the Scott brothers to keep us younger blokes in order.
The bus ride to the MCG is another thing. It’s over in a flash because of the police escort but the closer you get to the moment, the tenser you become.
It was good to have a walk around out in the middle before the official warm-up because it helped settle the nerves a little, but still nothing could prepare you for that moment when you first set foot out on the MCG turf as you head into battle.
It’s like you can’t feel your legs, and you’re floating along on top of the ground. The excitement is extraordinary and I struggled to kick the ball properly in the final warm-up.
It becomes a battle of mental strength and I got better with the experience of each Grand Final because I knew what to expect and was better-equipped to cope with it.
Geelong and Port Adelaide players will be going through exactly these feelings this week and whichever group handles it best collectively will have a decided advantages because they’ll settle quickest when finally the ball is bounced.
I feel for Jimmy Bartel this week because he’s got to cope with all that and the hype of a Brownlow Medal win.
It’s nothing new for the medalist to play in the Grand Final, having now happened seven times in the last eight years, and I was happy enough that I coped okay.
But the fact that I’d won the medal didn’t help one little bit in the grand final against Collingwood when the Lions were supposed to win easily. The problem was the Pies hadn’t read the script and in freezing conditions, with intermittent rain, they made it one hell of a fight.
That’s why when the final siren sounded and we were nine points up it was a totally different feeling to 12 months earlier. More one of relief that we’d got over the line.
Geelong will limit totally the distractions for the 2007 Brownlow Medalist but still Bartel will be counting the hours until 2.30pm Saturday when finally all the hype is over and he can go back to just doing what he does best … playing footy.
Strangely, the 2003 grand final was the game the 2002 grand final was meant to be. We beat Collingwood by 50 points and had the rare privilege through much of the last quarter of playing out time knowing the flag was ours.
It doesn’t get much better than that, especially after we’d carried a stack of injured players into the grand final. If we’d had to play again the following week it would have been a battle because a bunch of guys would not have come up.


http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/7097/blackyw8.jpg

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://lions.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/5085/Default.aspx?newsId=51884)

Black closes in on Voss
11:35 AM Fri 28 September, 2007
for lions.com.au

When lithe, long-haired midfielder Simon Black joined the Brisbane Lions back in the summer of 1997-98, he made an immediate impression.
His endurance was in the same class as the highly respected Shaun Hart, and he showed a happy knack of finding the football from his very first game – a pre-season Ansett Cup match against Fremantle in the unlikely venue of Cape Town, South Africa.

Then-football manager and recruiting expert Scott Clayton, the man who has assembled much of the Western Bulldogs’ current line-up, quipped at the time to another official that he felt sorry for the young Mt Isa-born but West Australian talent.

He was going to be an outstanding player, but he was going to constantly finish behind the legendary Michael Voss for most awards.

Clayton was right and wrong.

Black is outstanding, he did initially finish behind Voss, but he is fast catching up to sit alongside him in most areas.

The duo both own a Brownlow Medal, and Black’s effort to finish second in the 2007 count saw him career tally soar pass the century mark.

The 28-year-old (he turns 29 next April) now has 119 career votes, and is clearly to the second alltime career votegetter in Lions history.

The man in front of him is Voss, who captured 150 votes over 15 years at a remarkable average of 10 votes per season.

Voss won his Brownlow with the Brisbane Bears in 1996, and it still rankles with some critics that he didn’t win the gong again in 2003 when he won most other media awards and clearly was a matchwinner in super team.

Black has just completed his 10th season in the AFL, meaning he is averaging a tick under 12 votes per season, a remarkable achievement.

Allowing for a decline in form when he enters his early thirties, it could be a line-ball race as to whether he passes his great friend and teammate or not.

In saying that, his form over the first two-thirds of the 2007 season before groin soreness and taggers curbed him over the last month would indicate that there is nothing to stop him getting many more votes next season.

Black is also in strong contention to draw closer to Voss in club champion awards too.

He and superstar centre-half-forward would be equal favourites going into the Merrett-Murray Medal vote count at the Brisbane Convention Centre on Saturday 8 October (to which tickets are still available).

Victory for Black would be his fourth triumph and place him one best and fairest title short of Voss.

As good as Voss and Black have been, their vote averages of slightly more than one every two games pales against the great Lion of the 1930s, Haydn Bunton Snr.

Bunton, the Fitzroy legend and triple Brownlow Medallist, averaged a staggering 1.025 votes per game – he polled 122 votes in 119 games. That record will never likely be approached.

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/2418/blackax3.jpg

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.lions.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=5085&newsId=52232)

2007 Merrett-Murray Medal Top Ten
Jonathan Brown - 68.0
Jed Adcock - 62.5
Tim Notting - 52.5
Luke Power - 51.0
Simon Black - 48.5
Nigel Lappin - 48.5
Cheynee Stiller - 45.5
Daniel Merrett - 44.0
Robert Copeland - 43.0
Joel Patfull - 42.0

Other awards
Best Midfielder - Simon Black
Members’ Player of the Year - Simon Black

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/3833/black5jq5.jpg

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.lions.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=5085&newsId=52650)

Members go back-to-Black
3:17 PM Fri 19 October, 2007for lions.com.au

Co-captain Simon Black’s stance as one of the Lions’ most popular players was reaffirmed when he was voted as the 2007 Members’ Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Black accepted the honour in front of more than 800 people at the Club Champion event.
Having already won the inaugural award last year, he finished a clear winner with 335 votes ahead of Club Champion Jonathan Brown and Jed Adcock who received 234 and 128 votes respectively from the Lions members.
Luke Power (105 votes) and Tim Notting (94 votes) rounded out the top five which ended up almost identical to that of the Club Champion voting, albeit in a different order.
“This is very surprising,” Black said after receiving his award from Lions number one ticket holder John Pearce. “I would like to thank the members for their fantastic support. You guys are the lifeblood of the club.”

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/1623/blackqk5.jpg

[Grimreepah]

Historical reference:

Link (http://www.boq.com.au/aboutus_media_20070928.htm)

Simon is only the sixth man in the 107-year history of AFL/VFL to win the Brownlow Medal and the Club Champion award in a premiership year. He is also only the sixth player in history to win back to back best and fairest in consecutive premiership years.

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/8359/blackqk9.jpg

[Grimreepah]

Afl.com (http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=52922) judges Black to be the best number 31 draft pick of all time:

31 – SIMON BLACK (BRISBANE LIONS)
Recruited from: East Fremantle (1997)
One of the AFL's elite, Black has achieved almost every accolade – three premierships (2001-02-03), a Brownlow Medal (2002), a Norm Smith Medal (2003), three club championships (2001-02 and 2006) and three All-Australian selections (2001-02 and 2004). He is the cream, although Paul Chapman (Geelong – 1999) is an excellent second, with Shane Wakelin (St Kilda – 1994), who played 94 of his 232 AFL matches with the Saints, third.

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/8728/blackim3.jpg

[Grimreepah]

End of Season Player Review

With the retirement of Michael Voss, Simon Black was appointed one of 5 captains and became the new front man for the Brisbane Lions midfield. As a consequence he was now getting the number one tagger every game. At first this was something that didn’t affect him and by mid year he was at his sublime best. But maybe the extra burden began to wear him down, and in the 2nd half of the year he began to have a few quiet games. In round 17 against the Kangaroos he had 17 possessions and a record 14 tackles, and it looked like he might be trying to lift his defensive work rate in response to the heavy tag.

Black ended up playing 21 games, averaging over 22 disposals a game. He somewhat surprisingly came equal 2nd in the Brownlow and finished 5th in the B&F, but he was a notable omission from the preliminary 40 man All Australian squad. By almost anyone’s standards it was a terrific year, but by Black’s standards it would probably go down as a little disappointing. However, I don’t think the call is on him to lift his game next year, it is more a matter of finding others who can provide him with some assistance. He is not a big bodied midfielder and he probably needs others with a bit of oomph to help in the clinches.

From all reports one of the areas he has dramatically improved is his leadership. Despite his brilliance, he does not project as a natural leader, but the club will be pleased this is an area that he has developed. The Lions are still in a development phase, and whether or not he retains the captaincy, it will still be an important part of his role at the club in the coming years.

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/702/blackdp5.jpg

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/ben-was-my-hero-black/2007/11/17/1194767026440.html)

Ben was my hero: Black
Martin Boulton
November 18, 2007

AS BEN Cousins prepares to front the AFL Commission tomorrow, Simon Black has spoken about the positive influence the fallen former Eagles midfielder had on his career.
Brisbane Lions star Black, arguably the most respected current AFL player, says he was in awe of Cousins' freakish ability with a football and, despite recent events, claims Cousins was a role model for him and several other top players.
The pair played junior football at Bullcreek Leeming in Western Australia and spent time together away from the club honing their skills.
"We used to kick the footy around in the park and he was always really good to me," said Black, who is 10 months' Cousins' junior. "He was someone I looked up to and was a real role model for me in my younger years. He helped me out with my footy and for that, I'm forever grateful. Ben set a real precedent for young kids in Western Australia. He always had a really likeable, charismatic personality but, above all else, he worked extremely hard to get the best out of himself."
In his junior days at Bullcreek Leeming and later with East Fremantle in the WAFL, the future Eagles captain caught everyone's eye with his natural ability, but Black recalls a determined, driven young footballer who left no stone unturned. "Back then, when he was still only 16, he was accused of lacking a yard of pace, so he did a lot of speed work with Mark Neitz, who was the West Coast sprint coach at the time," Black said.
"He had a big summer, got in the gym and built his body up and did all this sprint training, which had a lot to do with his development.
"As a result of that, myself and a lot of other guys, the Carr boys (Josh and Matthew), (Shane) Woewodin and Chad Fletcher started going to Mark Neitz and doing sprint training. We copied Ben."
On the day the Lions snared Black with pick 31 in the 1997 national draft, Cousins arrived on his doorstep to congratulate him and wish him luck in the AFL.


http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/5904/black15to5.jpg

[Sherminator.]

Wow, good article. :)

[MagpieGirl_13]

I would just like to say that Simon Black is such a great bloke.

My sister went to a Loins training session this season (I couldn't go) & while she was getting his autograph, she asked him if he could talk to me on the phone. He said yes & I was able to talk to him for a little bit. He was really nice & friendly. Top Bloke!!!:thumbsu:

My fav lions player ATM!!

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://lions.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/5085/Default.aspx?newsId=53427)

Simon Says: the dramas of being drafted
11:58 AM Wed 21 November, 2007
By Simon Black

DRAFT day 1997. I was overjoyed and devastated at the same time. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry so I did a bit of both.
I knew categorically that my life would never be the same.
The mixture of emotions in the first few hours after I was drafted by the Brisbane Lions was extraordinary.
I was so excited because something I’d dreamed of for as long as I could remember had finally happened. I was in the AFL. I was going to get the chance to train alongside players I’d admired from afar and maybe test myself against the very best.
What a thrill. What an honor. It was something I’d worked towards since I was nine years old.
But Brisbane? How far away was that? I’d never even been there. I was a Perth boy, living on the Swan River at Shelley. In my mind I was always going to play for the West Coast Eagles. Or maybe Fremantle, the competition newcomers. Trekking to the other side of the country just wasn’t in the equation.
I shed a few tears and I wasn’t the only one. Mum was devastated, because like me she knew our little family had been changed forever.
Dad was more matter of fact and up-beat. He acknowledged my achievement in being drafted, pointing out that hundreds of others would love to be in my position, and stressed what an incredible opportunity it was.
It was. And I knew it. But part of me was shattered. I couldn’t help it. Brisbane!
How wrong could I be!
Being drafted to the Brisbane Lions was the best thing ever to happen to me. I wouldn’t change what has happened over the past decade for anything. I love getting back to Perth occasionally to catch up with old friends but when I head west it’s like I’m a visitor. I’m a Brisbane boy now. It is home.
I get the feeling the anti-relocation mindset has lessened these days and most players are just happy to get a chance. They’ll go anywhere to play in the AFL.
Yet I’m sure there are still plenty of people who will go through what my family and I went through if they are lucky enough to be chosen in the 2007 AFL National Draft on Saturday.
It was like it was only yesterday. The time difference meant an early start in Perth – 9am local time I think. I gathered around the television in the lounge room to watch it all unfold with mum, dad, my brother Ben, who was two years older.
I honestly didn’t have any expectations. Just hopes and dreams.
I’d had a fair Under 18 Championships, I’d been to the AFL Draft Camp, which back then was held in Melbourne, and I’d spoken to about eight clubs. Adelaide, Geelong, Melbourne, Hawthorn, Brisbane and Port Adelaide from memory, plus West Coast and Fremantle.
There was no commitment to draft me. The message I kept getting was “if you’re still there late we might look at you”. I didn’t care. I just wanted a chance.
So it began. One by one a bunch of teenage boys became AFL footballers. No.1 – Travis Johnstone (Melbourne). No.2 – Brad Ottens (Richmond). No.3 – Trent Croad (Hawthorn). No.4 – Mark Bolton (Essendon). No.5 – Luke Power (Brisbane). No.6 – James Walker (Fremantle). No.7 – Kris Massie (Carlton). No.8 – Chris Tarrant (Collingwood). No.9 – Chad Cornes (Port Adelaide). No.10 – Shane O’Bree (Brisbane).
I wasn’t worried. At best I was going to go late. And I was rapt for my WA U18 teammate Jaxon Crabb when he was drafted to West Coast at No.11.
So it went on. No.28 – Rowan Jones (West Coast). Another WA U18 teammate. How lucky was he! No.29 – Marc Woolnough (Geelong – Father/Son). No.30 – Paul McMahon (North Melbourne). No.31 – Simon Black (Brisbane).
I can’t remember a lot more about the draft because I was in a state of shock. Soon after I snuck off for a little private time. What had happened? Little old me, one year out of school, nearing the end of 12-month Diploma in Sales and Marketing at TAFE, was off to Brisbane.
With the wonderful clarity of hindsight I’d recommend it for anyone. Because it makes you stand on your own two feet. Like most teenage boys, my mum had done pretty much everything for me. I had to learn to cook, wash, clean, pay bills and generally take responsibility for myself. A fantastic learning experience that forced to me to grow up in double-quick time.
Shortly after Brisbane player development manager Shane Johnson called. He was heading to Perth to see me and fellow Lions draftee Beau McDonald. He arrived a couple of days later bearing ‘gifts’ – a whole bunch of club training gear. What a thrill.
I had to finish my exams and soon after headed to Brisbane. I met a few football officials and was then taken down into the footy rooms to begin my life at the Gabba.
Sitting together on the floor in a strapping room were Michael Voss and Alastair Lynch. They hopped up, shook my hand and gave me a nice warm welcome. I thought “How good is this?” Meeting two absolute legends I’d idolised on TV. And they were my teammates.
It was terribly intimidating but it was an enormous buzz. I was nervous and apprehensive, scared even, yet so excited. It didn’t matter that I was so far from home. I was at an AFL club.
I was billeted until Christmas with Ben Robbins, a former Gippsland boy who had originally been drafted to West Coast before being traded to Brisbane. Later, as is normal at most clubs these days, I moved in with a family for the first year. I’ll never forget the Monson family out at Kenmore. They were fantastic.
My first few training sessions were out at the University of Queensland and I remember vividly thinking how quick everything was, how much bigger and stronger the Lions players were, and how skinny I felt in comparison.
I felt like I didn’t really belong. I didn’t have the confidence or self-belief to even contemplate a long-term AFL career. If I played one game I would have been happy. I honestly believed in two years I’d be heading home to resume life in Perth.
These are all emotions that players drafted on Saturday may go through.
If I could give one piece of advice to those lucky enough to be chosen it is to understand and appreciate the opportunity that you’ve been given and commit everything within your power to make the most of it. And work as hard as you possibly can.
Overnight you find yourself out of your comfort zone. In a new city, with new people, and a whole new range of challenges.
As the great Gary O’Donnell said umpteen times over during his stint in Brisbane, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. Don’t waste it.
Listen and learn but draw attention to yourself via your work ethic and thirst for knowledge – not by being bigger than a new draftee should be. Respect what the club and all the senior players are about and do your best to earn some respect of your own.
Set a standard for yourself and never vary it. Show a real commitment to what it’s all about. Because really all you’ve done when you’ve been drafted is earn a chance to become an AFL player.
It’s only the first step down what can be a wonderful career path but there are no guarantees. Just a lot of hard work and a lot of challenges. And if you’re even a tenth as lucky as I’ve been a whole lot of fun and never-to-be-forgotten friends and experiences.


http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/9030/blackzm1.jpg

[Warwick]

Fantastic article.

Shows the challenge we have in attracting and retaining these blokes.

Also shows Blacky's great character. That's why he is one of our captains, and one of the best players in the game today.

[Lace Out]

In the top 5 midfielders I have ever seen.

Couldn't split him with G.Williams.

[danielcanberra]

In the top 5 midfielders I have ever seen.

Couldn't split him with G.Williams.

Greg had his own unique style of handballing. Who did he get that from?

I think Blacky's style is pretty unique too.

[konstas_87]

what a cracking article.
champion blacky :thumbsu:

[Roos34]

Yeh i agree with your call. Hes the best midfielder i seen along with rob harvey, judd.

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22827564-23211,00.html)

Brisbane's Brownlow medallist and West Australian product Simon Black said he would relish the chance to play for the Dream Team against teammate Brown.
"It will be a bit strange and a bit of a laugh with a guy like him as the opposition," Black said. "I am a big fan of this match. I would love the opportunity to play. It's a terrific stage.
"It is a shame it is not Western Australia but it is still going to be a massive game. It is not an annual event. It is a one-off so it is pretty special to be able to play in it."
Asked whether there would any likelihood of sledging between club teammates pitted against each other he said: "I don't see why there wouldn't be. You don't get many chances to sledge the blokes you play with."
Black said if he was asked to help formulate a plan to stop Brown it would be the same tactic applied to any champion of the game - reduce their space.


http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7348/black3em9.jpg

[Fairley]

Did anyone see in the Lions 2007 Review that Simon Black was carrying a groin injury for the latter part of the season, hence his dwindling form.

[Tassie4ever]

Did anyone see in the Lions 2007 Review that Simon Black was carrying a groin injury for the latter part of the season, hence his dwindling form.


As I understand it, he was carrying a similar long-term injury the year before, again giving rise to his varying form levels then.

[Sherminator.]

Did anyone see in the Lions 2007 Review that Simon Black was carrying a groin injury for the latter part of the season, hence his dwindling form.


If he didn't have groin/knee troubles Blacky woulda won the Brownlow!

Next season is going to be big for Sherman, Black and Brown. Sherman and Black will have relieved tagging pressure and solid pre-seasons because Trapper will get a bit of attention, so you would think.

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22984926-5003410,00.html)

Jonathan Brown and Simon Black to miss first NAB games
Article from: http://www.news.com.au/images/sources/sm_sundaymail.gif
By Damien Stannard
December 29, 2007 11:00pm

BRISBANE Lions co-captains Jonathan Brown and Simon Black will miss at least the first two games of the NAB Cup.
Although neither player is in doubt for the opening premiership fixture on March 22, coach Leigh Matthews said the duo will be rested during the early stages of the AFL's pre-season competition.
"Simon has a bit of a groin issue and won't be ready," Matthews said.
"We could push Jonathan if we wanted ... but those two won't play until March." Brown and Black will be joined on the sideline by key forward Daniel Bradshaw, who has also been scratched from the NAB Cup.
Black was restricted to stationary drills at training prior to Christmas and is entitled to a lighter workload after such a demanding year.
The 28-year-old missed only one premiership game and despite suffering heavy tags, clocked his 200th appearance and finished equal second in the Brownlow Medal count in a rewarding 2007.
Losing Brown and Black severely weakens Brisbane's leadership group which has already lost retired utility Chris Johnson.
The reality is Brisbane might be top heavy with rookies and second-year players when it plays Essendon at the Gold Coast on February 16.
"In terms of who plays in February, of the 47 or so contracted players, 30 to 35 are available," Matthews said.
"That forces us to play our rookies and players who haven't played much senior football.
"And that's probably what you want to do in the NAB Cup."
Matthews said Bradshaw was progressing well after last season's knee reconstruction but will not be ready to play until the end of March.
"What that means for senior selection in the early part of the home and away season I'm not sure," he said.
Brown's carefully managed training program is purely precautionary.
The All-Australian centre half-forward said the coaches cycle his training workload - two heavy weeks followed by one lighter week - to ensure he is not at risk of developing stress related injuries.


http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6788/blackbrowndr3.jpg

[Sherminator.]

I find that an interesting article...

Does it mean Henderson and Clark will be our key position forwards? I am looking forward to that.

[BigCat2]

I find that an interesting article...

Does it mean Henderson and Clark will be our key position forwards? I am looking forward to that.

In last year's preseason, all of Bradshaw, Clark and Brennan were absent from the NAB cup, and Brown only played the final game. We had Charman as a makeshift CHF, Tyler got a run and had smaller targets in Johnson and McGrath. I don't think we'll lack tall options though in 2008.

The Henderson and Clark combination does sound exciting though. Could well be our CHF/FF combination for the next decade.

[Lace Out]

I find that an interesting article...

Does it mean Henderson and Clark will be our key position forwards? I am looking forward to that.
I too will be interested to see that,but if Fletcher is anywhere near our forward line I wouldn't be too hopeful for the first game.

[TheBrownDog]

I guess Simon has now passed Luke's "Power Test."

Simon Black banks on new career
The Courier Mail - Link to Original Article (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23014028-5003410,00.html)


PUBS were once a prime business investment for AFL players, but wily Lions coach Leigh Matthews should be pleased that Brisbane midfielder Simon Black has turned to pulling customers and not beers as a Bank of Queensland branch manager.

Simon told Qconfidential he had always thought of investing in a business, and co-managing a bank was a better option than running a pub.

"Investing is something I've always wanted to do but never got around to it until now," he said. "The chance came up to be involved in a bank and it's about looking beyond my football career."

The 28-year-old admitted he may struggle to get to the Kallangur branch on a regular basis during the AFL season – although most of the day-to-day running will be handballed to co-manager Joe Bucolo.

"It's going to be hard actually to be there, but I will be there as a much as I can," he said.

Simon has already completed one course and has some further studying to undertake to completely understand all the figures given most of the numbers he's seen have been in columns under the heading "possessions".

"I'm hopeful that it's going to set me up after football, but it's not the only business I'll invest in either," he said.

"I wouldn't mind being involved with surfing or something like that."

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/1267/05830143001cb2d7cfwf4.jpg
Simon Black . . . Looking to life after AFL in the banking industry.

[Cousin Jed]

Interesting to hear Black reveal that he had groin surgery after last season. We all had heard that he was injured but I certainly had no knowledge of the surgery.

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23267539-5003410,00.html)

Johnathan Brown, Simon Black head star cast for return
Article from: http://www.news.com.au/images/sources/h14_thecouriermail.gif (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/)
Andrew Hamilton
February 24, 2008 11:00pm

JONATHAN Brown and Simon Black head an all-star cast of Lions making first appearances of 2008 against Geelong on Friday night.
Black's summer was destroyed by off-season groin surgery, but after 212 games, the view from the club was that the rest would have done him no harm.
It is a concept the Brownlow medallist struggles to comprehend, such is his appetite for hard work and dedication to his preparation.
Black has now done close to six weeks of training and has put his hand up for a game on Friday.
"I think I've done enough to have a run around next week," he said.
"Leigh thinks I'm ready to take the next step and get some game time and I think I'm there as well.
"Not having done as much footy training as in previous years, you can question have you done enough, its best to just get out there and find your feet out there."
Black underwent post season surgery after being hampered for the second part of last season by the injury.
Although the surgery was a success, there was a minor setback in his recovery which restricted him from most of the pre-Christmas training load.
For a player that prides himself on his exceptional endurance, sitting out the December slog was no fun.
"It has been frustrating, the groin just didn't quite settle as well initially as I would have liked," he said.
``The rest of the midfield have done a heap of running and I'm way behind. "But I've been lucky to play a lot of footy without too many injuries so hopefully I have a good base there."

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/9311/black16cr6.jpg

[TheBrownDog]

Panthera got told some fibs I think. :D

[dlanod]

Panthera got told some fibs I think. :D

It does line up with what Ashcroft said.

[Panthera]

Panthera got told some fibs I think. :D

Yep, sure did....., thought that Marcus was a lot more honest at the time and Im glad I was right.

Shit effort by the coaching staff member :thumbsd:

[The Flying Belgian]

Yep, sure did....., thought that Marcus was a lot more honest at the time and Im glad I was right.

Sh*t effort by the coaching staff member :thumbsd:

Maybe they knew you were listening.

[Lace Out]

Panthera got told some fibs I think. :D
Thank God for lies.

[Panthera]

Maybe they knew you were listening.

Nah, I asked him straight out :eek:

2 of them got to the coaches box about a min prior to Leigh, Leppa, Huddo and the guy with the grey moe thats always to Leighs' left....asked him about Blacky and he totally lied his ass off :mad:

I was in a suit so he may have thought I was snooping :confused:

[TheBrownDog]

Nah, I asked him straight out :eek:

2 of them got to the coaches box about a min prior to Leigh, Leppa, Huddo and the guy with the grey moe thats always to Leighs' left....asked him about Blacky and he totally lied his ass off :mad:



That's Barry, Leigh's right-hand man. He likes to take the piss on occassion, you may have been his victim.

[Panthera]

That's Barry, Leigh's right-hand man. He likes to take the piss on occassion, you may have been his victim.

No not Barry, some other bloke in there at the back behind Leppa....sits next to the stats man.

*anker either way :mad:

BTW, never met Marcus prior to Saturday, is an absolute gentleman, so happy that he won 3 x premierships after winning 3 x spoons in his early days :D

[TheBrownDog]

No not Barry, some other bloke in there at the back behind Leppa....sits next to the stats man.

*anker either way :mad:



Steady on Proud_Li... I mean Panthera.

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://news.theage.com.au/black-to-start-lions-season-underdone/20080228-1vl4.html)

Black to start Lions' season 'underdone'
February 28, 2008 - 6:28PM

Lions linchpin Simon Black has admitted he'll start the AFL season undercooked after a slow recovery from groin surgery. Black, along with fellow co-captain Jonathan Brown, will make his first appearance in 2008 on Friday night when Brisbane plays premiers Geelong in a pre-season match at Carrara.
The 2002 Brownlow Medallist, who finished equal second in last year's count, had surgery in October after playing with osteitis pubis for the second half of the season.
Black's rehab has been stilted and he's only now fit enough to return to action, two practice games before the March 22 season-opener against West Coast.
"It probably didn't settle as well as I would have liked but post-Christmas now it's come on really well and I've tried to play catch-up with the training to get back to where the other guys are," he said.
"I probably will be behind where I want to be."
Black said it was important for the Lions, also to be bolstered by the return of Luke Power, to flex their muscles with a victory before the regular season starts.
"Having a win is always good for your confidence so hopefully this week or next week going into round one it would be great to have a win," he said.
"That's the aim and playing a real good side like Geelong is a nice test for us.
"Hopefully some of us older heads can help out a bit but it's just important to get some match fitness before round one which is just three weeks away."
After finishing ninth last season, Black said the Lions had enough talent to make the finals for the first time since 2004.
"I'd be very disappointed if we didn't play finals and that's got to be a reality," he said.

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/8038/blackandbrowncy2.jpg

Link (http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2008/02/29/8276_gold-coast-sport.html)

Black easing back
Nick Smart
29Feb08

BROWNLOW medallist Simon Black knows he has a long road back to full AFL fitness but is looking forward to taking his first step against Geelong at Gold Coast Stadium tonight.

The brilliant Lions on-baller has been a model of consistency throughout his 10 years with the club.

But this has been his worst pre-season in many years after off-season groin surgery ruined his summer.

In contrast to his teammates, Black has been training for only four weeks.

But the Lions co-captain said he was looking forward to making up for lost time when he steps out at Carrara tonight.

"It (the groin) didn't settle as much as I would have liked and it took a while to get back," he said.

"I have got a bit of ground to make up but what better way to do that than get out there and play games."

Black said he would play half a game tonight and then play a bit more next week in the hope of being cherry ripe for round one.

"Obviously to be competitive is very important and winning the game is not as important at this time in the year as during the home-and-away season," said Black.

"But every time you go out there you want to compete and have the scoreboard in your favour.

"It is important for us to get a win over the next couple of weeks before round one for the confidence."

What is most important to Black is that the Lions do not receive any injuries after seven players from rival clubs have already fallen victim to season-ending knee injuries.

"I suppose you run and your body is not used to the quickness and action of a game of footy compared to training," he said.

"There is no substitute for a game so those knee injuries can be a real issue as it takes a while to get your body used to it again."

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/7744/black3hu0.jpg

[dlanod]

After finishing ninth last season, Black said the Lions had enough talent to make the finals for the first time since 2004.Interesting... that's news to me, as well as probably a far number of other people. :D

[POBT]

#20 in Mike Sheahan's Top 50.

[joshhem]

Well we learnt one thing from the AFL liftout in the Courier Mail today:

Simon likes meat pies with tomato sauce but seems to think that his mouth is on the side of his face ;)

[Grimreepah]

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/2443/blackef0.jpg

Who says you need a preseason? Simon Black has started the season off in ominous form.

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/afl/story/0,27046,23508173-5016169,00.html)

Midfielder ready to halt Power surge
Article from:http://www.news.com.au/images/sources/h14_thecouriermail.gif (http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/)
Robert Craddock
April 09, 2008 12:00am

BRISBANE'S Simon Black is seeking even more of this quality from himself as the Lions prepare for their away game against Port Adelaide this weekend. "Not outstanding, not great, just average", was how Black summed up his season so far even though he has more disposals than any teammate over the first three games.
Black has 70 disposals for the season, but chalked up only 16 against the Swans' crack defensive unit in Saturday's loss.
"I am just trying to get my hands on the footy," Black said yesterday.
"We are getting beaten in stoppages and clearances at the moment. That is my game. It's about consistency and I am trying to be more consistent rather than having ups and downs.
"I had a groin operation in October so I came back a bit later and did not do much pre-season, but I am getting my match fitness now."
Though many teams find Port's spacious AAMI Stadium a venue to dread, Brisbane has won four of its last eight matches there against Port and the Adelaide Crows, and three of its losses have been by seven points or less.
For all the hostility of Port's infamously feral fan base, Black believes the statistics are a true reflection of Brisbane's ability to shine there.
"It is one of the grounds you think reasonably fondly of. I know it has a really nice feel. It's a nice pitch. It's big and wide and a ground where the guys generally enjoy playing at," he said.
"The fans can be hostile. I remember a couple of things they have said during the warm-ups. They get there early and have their picnics before the game.
"You can cop a verbal spray from beyond the boundary line but, to be honest, that can happen at most clubs. You do get it with a lot of Port Adelaide fans but there are no problems.
"Port are a very good running side and they have the Burgoyne and Cornes' brothers who run and use the ball very well.
"If you turn it over, they are generally a pretty skilled side and can be very damaging.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/3538/blackli6.jpg
CHASING consistency . . . Simon Black in action for the Lions in the loss to the Swans at the Gabba on Saturday.

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/11/2214459.htm?section=sport)

Black implores Lions midfield to lift

Brisbane co-captain Simon Black says the Lions' once feared midfield needs to lift for tomorrow night's clash against the Power in Adelaide.
Black says the Lions' midfield is performing below expectations.
"We know we need to be better," he said.
"We've been beaten quite soundly in a lot of the areas around the midfield.
"It's a vital part of the game, obviously getting the ball going our way instead of theirs is pretty important, so we need to lift our game."

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/5300/black23ms3.jpg

[Gabbatoir]

Need both barrels for the Hawks.

Absolutely carved Port up last week (for a quarter)

[Grimreepah]

Brownlow form. I think we can safely pencil him in for another 3 points today.:thumbsu:

[Ceebee]

What can you say, the man is awesome.
Worth every cent he is paid.
Just about career best form, love ya Blacky.:thumbsu:

[mish33]

What can you say, the man is awesome.
Worth every cent he is paid.
Just about career best form, love ya Blacky.:thumbsu:

Agree 100% You could see the boys in the forward line just salivating whenever he got it. He just so clean :thumbsu:

I think Black is right up there with Voss now. Maybe only another premiership could separate them ;)

[Grimreepah]

Link
(http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfmatchreport/lions-win-an-ugly-mismatch/2008/04/27/1209234659641.html)
The Lions smashed their opponents around the clearances, with Black awarded the Sands of Gallipoli Medal for his 36 possessions.

[MSB ROYS]

In addition to all of the contested possesions he had, his kicking was outstanding.

[TheBrownDog]

Has been well and truly contained by Ling the last couple of time we've played the Cats.

Big test coming up this week.

[Kochie 16]

Has been well and truly contained by Ling the last couple of time we've played the Cats.

Big test coming up this week. Kane Cornes has kept Blacky quite on many occasion, But look what Blacky did to him last time.................