Retired #31: Dustin Fletcher - Legend & VFL Assistant Coach

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Expected, still shattered. Thanks for everything legend.
 
pazza said:
The Fletcher era comes to a close this coming Sunday, when the son of a gun has hopefully his full farewell from the fans at the MCG.

From what I have observed since the announcement this morning, he has universal respect from the football world - for his consistency, longevity, relaxed nature and his ability to kick the ball.

For our younger members, let's put Fletcher's career into context.

At the time he was recruited, the father/son rule was simple. No bidding for a start. As long as your father played 50 games at the club, you were able to be recruited under the rule. Father Ken had played 264 games.

What is even more remarkable is that Fletcher hadn't finished year 12 at Essendon Grammar, where Ken was the football coach. There wouldn't be too many footballers today who would give up a game at the highest level to play for their school on the same day. Fletch did in 1993. Both the school and the club won their respective matches.

I remember his first Essendon match well. Matches against our great rivals in Carlton are always interesting, and so it was in Round 2 1993. Whilst many will remember the match for the fact Stephen Kernahan missed the lot causing a draw at the end, it is also remembered for being Fletch's debut. Sheeds at the time was one to throw kids in to see if they could swim or sink. Imagine being a 17yo and being thrown into the ruck against that giant old dinosaur in Justin Madden! Could a kid today cope with playing galloping hat-rack Aaron Sandilands today? One wonders!

Fletch would go on in being the baby in the Baby Bombers Mark II. No-one was younger than him on the ground that Grand Final Day. Whilst Kernahan played a lone hand for the Blues that day, Fletch was far from overawed and played fairly well.

People remember Fletch as a fine full-back and fine defender, but, how many of us know about Sheeds wanting him to play as a forward? It did happen now and then. In the famous match of Anzac Day 1995, Fletch spent nearly half the game at centre-half forward and was quite effective. And no...he didn't need to kick 75m torpedo punts!

Skip forward to that magnificent year in 2000. As Essendon swept all before it, Fletch, who would turn 25 that year, had the greatest season of the entire team. To win the best and fairest in a year where the team only lost once, is the stuff every kid's dream would nearly be made of.

The only negative you could ever have about Fletch was his rather lengthy record at the Tribunal. It was a frustration to all of us, but, was the subject of some mirth, when the nickname Inspector Gadget came about! I'm sure the creator of Inspector Gadget, Don Adams (Agent Smart), would find the nickname rather appropriate!

As the years have gone on, and the games have tallied up, Fletch has been a model of consistency. Let's look at the International Rules for a minute. The Australian team and the Irish team have never seen a goalkeeper like Fletch..and perhaps never will again.

The records in the latter part of his career came and were well deserved. Club games record holder. Third player in the history of the VFL/AFL to play 400 games. 2nd most games at the MCG ever. Guaranteed to be inducted into the AFL Hall Of Fame when eligible.

We are all proud to have seen Fletch in his long career. We see his 2 sons making a name for themselves at Aberfeldie and in the James Hird Academy. A 3rd generation of Fletchers looks likely.

Thank you Dustin Fletcher. The club and the game will be poorer without you.
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Great summary.

One only has to think of how much their own life has changed since 1993 and consider that he has (barring a few blips) maintained a very high standard of an elite profession with an absolute minimum of fuss throughout.

Absolute ******* legend.
 
windyhill said:
Nice round number to finish on. Elite Fletch, B&F in a season where his team dominated like no other sums up how good he was.
Thanks Fletch, just too good.
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How the hell does a full back win the B&F when his team finishes the year with 160%, the FF kicks a ton and the captain dominates as a big bodied midfielder who kicks goals?

The same reason he was tagged playing in the backline as a 35 year old. By being the greatest all round defender of the modern age and the greatest player of his club in the modern age.
 

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fishardansin said:
How the hell does a full back win the B&F when his team finishes the year with 160%, the FF kicks a ton and the captain dominates as a big bodied midfielder who kicks goals?

The same reason he was tagged playing in the backline as a 35 year old. By being the greatest all round defender of the modern age and the greatest player of his club in the modern age.
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Says a bit too that we had Our greatest Goalkicker and one of our greatest leaders play during that time and Fletch can still come into calculations as the best of the lot.

Absolute legend.
 
Absolute legend Fletch.
Hopefully we retire the #31 jumper

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I assume he will be heading out on the ground post match and get chaired off anyway?
Pies and Bombers supporters will stick around for a big applause

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I'm suffering 4 of the 5 stages of grief. Denial, bargaining, depression and anger. Can't see me ever accepting this.
Good luck Dustin and thanks.
 
fishardansin said:
How the hell does a full back win the B&F when his team finishes the year with 160%, the FF kicks a ton and the captain dominates as a big bodied midfielder who kicks goals?

The same reason he was tagged playing in the backline as a 35 year old. By being the greatest all round defender of the modern age and the greatest player of his club in the modern age.
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Abso*******lutely spot on.
 
fanuch said:
I'm suffering 4 of the 5 stages of grief. Denial, bargaining, depression and anger. Can't see me ever accepting this.
Good luck Dustin and thanks.
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Me too. At first I just wanted to laud him. Now I am feeling some genuine sadness. The club won't be the same again. Bloody hope he stays on somehow.

I wouldn't be surprised for him to be playing assistant coach of the VFL!!
 
I'm just glad I've been able to witness his career. I actually feel like part of me has died today, as melodramatic as that sounds, a certain childish innocence gone.

Dustin, I really hope you don't come near bigfooty but if you do, thank you and enjoy your break, your life with Suzie and the boys, you've earned it.
 
Ok I've rewritten the post I had before and put it on the main board thread:

How the hell does a full back win the B&F when his team finishes the year with 160%, the FF kicks a ton and the captain dominates as a big bodied midfielder who kicks goals?

The same reason he was tagged playing in the backline as a 35 year old. By being the greatest all round defender of the modern age and the greatest player of his club in the modern age.

From playing on Ablett snr, Plugger, Kernahan, Dunstall, Modra, A. Jackovitch and Carey as a high school student to revolutionising attacking defending to playing when he was 40 years old.

I'm genuinely sad about Fletch retiring. Essendon Football Club and the AFL won't be the same.

All time great of the game and legend of the club. I hope there is a statue of him out the front of Windy Hill soon. Make that two. One of him in player mode, the other of him having Vegemite toast in his car after dropping of his boys at the school next door!!

Good news is that he has two boys coming through Mason, 15, and Max, 12, so I guess it won't be long till we see some more Fletcher brilliance. .... to go with the Hird boys and 3 Davey boys!!!!

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Just a legend of the game.
I have been seriously following Essendon for 23 seasons and Fletch has been playing that entire time.
To say it will be weird without him, is an understatement.
 
Kaiser Powser said:
Just a legend of the game.
I have been seriously following Essendon for 23 seasons and Fletch has been playing that entire time.
To say it will be weird without him, is an understatement.
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I'm in that exact boat.

I started following Essendon in May 1993. I've never known us without him.
 
Criminal that he only received 2 AAs. Other blokes have got in for just being very good lock down defenders, very good 3rd men up, or very good rebounders. He was all 3 in one.

There's not even anyone close to compare him to.

Dead set legend.
 
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Please excuse the intrusion, but I hope to God that Fletcher gets a farewell game on Sunday and this pillar of football is chaired off the ground. Every fan in the MCG will give him the long standing ovation he deserves. From an opposition supporter, thank you Fletch for your 23 years of service to our great game, and congratulations.
 
Rotayjay said:
Please excuse the intrusion, but I hope to God that Fletcher gets a farewell game on Sunday and this pillar of football is chaired off the ground. Every fan in the MCG will give him the long standing ovation he deserves. From an opposition supporter, thank you Fletch for your 23 years of service to our great game, and congratulations.
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don't think the groin is gonna let that happen :(
But 400 is a nice number to retire on.

I do hope we retire the number 31, unless one of his kids makes it and wants the number. I can't imagine anyone else wearing it

Congrats Fletch on an awesome career and thank you for the memories.
Up there with Lloyd and Hird as one of the best bombers i've ever seen play
 
I was 5 months old when Dustin debuted and haven't known the side without him.

I've aged terribly, he still looks like a million bucks.

I f***ing love you Fletch :hearts:
 
Even though it was expected, it's still heart-wrenching to think that Fletch won't be running around in the red and black any more.

I was in grade 6 when Fletch started his playing career, playing primary school footy (Stanton was in prep or grade 1 at the same school) where I'd carved out a early career as a back-pocket, because all the s**t-trucks played in the backline as they had no skill. I still remember the articles in the paper talking about how he was playing schoolboy footy and top-level footy at the same time and I was there for his debut against the Blues.

Watching what he was doing as a teenager against grown men was incredibly inspiring to a young guy as he showed the skill and attributes needed to play in defence. I tried to model my game on Fletch, which although not quite leading to me getting drafted, let me enjoy some very good years of school and then VAFA footy.

If you want a sportsperson to be a role model, it's people like Fletch that you look to. Professional, consistent and understated he let his game do the talking and it showed just how good he was. Rarely did he get beaten, and even if he did, he was still contributing in some way. That 2000 season of his should be shown on loop to anyone who wants to learn how to play rebounding footy as it was a thing of beauty.

Thanks for everything Fletch, you truly are a legend of the club and the game, and the sport will be poorer with you no longer playing it
 
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