Hawthorn 100 VFL AFL years. 4 historical best of teams

[peetoo]

Our second 1961 premiership player not counting Kennedy and centremn in this team. Hof and TOC

Brendan Edwards​

Born: March 18, 1936
Recruited: Sandhurst FC
Played: 1956 - 1961, 1963
Debut Order: 466
First game: Round 1, 1956
Last game: Round 10, 1963
Games: 109
Goals: 29
Guernsey: 29 (1956), 9 (1957 - 1961, 1963)
Premiership: 1961
Best & Fairest: 1960
2nd Best & Fairest: 1957, 1958, 1959
3rd Best & Fairest: 1961
Club Fitness Adviser: 1968 - 1970
Life Member: 1970
Hall of Fame Inductee: 2011

VFL / AFL Honours
Second Brownlow Medal: 1958
State Representative 8

Edwards was a fitness fanatic. Recruited from Sandhurst he was coached by ex-Hawk, Kevin Curran. He was ahead of his time with his personal training, press-ups and knee jumps that strengthened his body enabling him, from a standing start in packs, to shrug off his opponents with ease.
Edward’s personal training methods impressed teammates, John Kennedy, Graham Arthur and Alf Hughes. They followed his methods with their own personal training being rewarded with higher placings in the competitive Best and Fairest Awards in 1957.
The Club then adopted Edwards’ circuit training methods when Kennedy took over as coach in 1960. This was the beginning of a creed of fitness that helped to take the Club to its first Premiership in 1961.
As a player Edwards was brilliant, a ball magnet, constantly driving the ball forward. Playing in the centre he could go all day and he played a sensational game against Footscray in the 1961 Grand Final, amassing over 33 kicks in the Hawk’s triumph.
At the relative young age of 25, he shocked the football world when he retired at the start of the 1962 season to concentrate on his physical fitness business. He was talked into a comeback in 1963, but a dislocated knee ended his career mid-season during a game against Richmond. In this game Edwards considered he was on the verge of playing even better football than in 1961, such was his confidence. It was a major setback to the progress of the team.
In 1968 coach John Kennedy approached Edwards to refine his earlier circuit training methods. This resulted in the now famous, Kennedy Commando method of training, which lasted three years and was undoubtedly a major factor in the 1971 Premiership.
In 2001, Edwards was selected in the Hawks Team of the Century.

 

[HedgeFund]

Our second 1961 premiership player not counting Kennedy and centremn in this team. Hof and TOC

Brendan Edwards​

Born: March 18, 1936
Recruited: Sandhurst FC
Played: 1956 - 1961, 1963
Debut Order: 466
First game: Round 1, 1956
Last game: Round 10, 1963
Games: 109
Goals: 29
Guernsey: 29 (1956), 9 (1957 - 1961, 1963)
Premiership: 1961
Best & Fairest: 1960
2nd Best & Fairest: 1957, 1958, 1959
3rd Best & Fairest: 1961
Club Fitness Adviser: 1968 - 1970
Life Member: 1970
Hall of Fame Inductee: 2011

VFL / AFL Honours
Second Brownlow Medal: 1958
State Representative 8

Edwards was a fitness fanatic. Recruited from Sandhurst he was coached by ex-Hawk, Kevin Curran. He was ahead of his time with his personal training, press-ups and knee jumps that strengthened his body enabling him, from a standing start in packs, to shrug off his opponents with ease.
Edward’s personal training methods impressed teammates, John Kennedy, Graham Arthur and Alf Hughes. They followed his methods with their own personal training being rewarded with higher placings in the competitive Best and Fairest Awards in 1957.
The Club then adopted Edwards’ circuit training methods when Kennedy took over as coach in 1960. This was the beginning of a creed of fitness that helped to take the Club to its first Premiership in 1961.
As a player Edwards was brilliant, a ball magnet, constantly driving the ball forward. Playing in the centre he could go all day and he played a sensational game against Footscray in the 1961 Grand Final, amassing over 33 kicks in the Hawk’s triumph.
At the relative young age of 25, he shocked the football world when he retired at the start of the 1962 season to concentrate on his physical fitness business. He was talked into a comeback in 1963, but a dislocated knee ended his career mid-season during a game against Richmond. In this game Edwards considered he was on the verge of playing even better football than in 1961, such was his confidence. It was a major setback to the progress of the team.
In 1968 coach John Kennedy approached Edwards to refine his earlier circuit training methods. This resulted in the now famous, Kennedy Commando method of training, which lasted three years and was undoubtedly a major factor in the 1971 Premiership.
In 2001, Edwards was selected in the Hawks Team of the Century.

Sorry - and I know this is your team so I won’t be overly critical - but when a player plays 5 VFL seasons, for one flag, one B&F and represents his state on one occasion, I’m scratching me head as to why he would be ahead of Ben Allan, Terry Wallace, Luke Hodge, Shaun Burgoyne, Anthony Condon, Raymond Jencke, etc. who all played in more flags, more state honours and 100s of more games.

Brendan Edwards was a very good player for a club which had very few in its first 40 years. So many superior centremen have worn the jumper for us in the past 60 years.

 

[arupist]

Sorry - and I know this is your team so I won’t be overly critical - but when a player plays 5 VFL seasons, for one flag, one B&F and represents his state on one occasion, I’m scratching me head as to why he would be ahead of Ben Allan, Terry Wallace, Luke Hodge, Shaun Burgoyne, Anthony Condon, Raymond Jencke, etc. who all played in more flags, more state honours and 100s of more games.

Brendan Edwards was a very good player for a club which had very few in its first 40 years. So many superior centremen have worn the jumper for us in the past 60 years.

Firstly, he played for 7 seasons and finished top 3 in the B&F in 5 of those. He retired at 25 to focus on his business - as you would know, players in those days were not paid a lot and focussing on his future was a wise option. He came back after one year and suffered a career ending injury.

Of those players you mentioned as possible alternatives, only Wallace would be considered a pure centre for us. Allen only played 98 games. Not sure of the period limitations for Peetoo's team, but to me Edwards would be a fine addition.

 

[peetoo]

Sorry - and I know this is your team so I won’t be overly critical - but when a player plays 5 VFL seasons, for one flag, one B&F and represents his state on one occasion, I’m scratching me head as to why he would be ahead of Ben Allan, Terry Wallace, Luke Hodge, Shaun Burgoyne, Anthony Condon, Raymond Jencke, etc. who all played in more flags, more state honours and 100s of more games.

Brendan Edwards was a very good player for a club which had very few in its first 40 years. So many superior centremen have worn the jumper for us in the past 60 years.

Thanks for posting. My take is four teams for each 25y period of the 100 vfl afl years. 1925 to 49 is complete. This period is 1950 to 75

Edward’s is TOC but for mine Sam Mitchell is overall best centreman

 

[peetoo]

Rover from the 1971 premiership team

Peter Crimmins​

Born: July 8, 1948
- Died September 28, 1976
Recruited: Assumption College
Played: 1966 - 1975
Debut Order: 556
First game: Round 1, 1966
Last game: Round 7, 1975
Guernsey Number: 5
Games: 176
Goals: 231
Captain: 1974 - 1975
Vice Captain: 1970 - 1973
Premiership: 1971
Night Premierships: 1968, 1969
2nd Best & Fairest: 1968, 1972
3rd Best & Fairest: 1971
Played: 1966 - 1975
Life Member: 1973
Hall of Fame Inductee: 2009

VFL / AFL Honours
State Representative 1

The senior partner of one of the great roving combinations in the games history - Crimmins and Matthews. When Crimmins was at his peak in the early ‘70s, he was one of the finest players in the VFL, brilliant and courageous. A real favourite with Hawks supporters thanks to his great speed, blonde hair flying, his willingness to take on anyone and he was a great shot on goal.
Destined for even greater fame, his career was curtailed by cancer, the illness that would claim his life. He became the inspiration for the 1976 premiership, known within the Club as ‘The Cup for Crimmo’.
Such is the importance of the legend of Crimmo, that the Club Champion was renamed the ‘Peter Crimmins Medal’ in 2004 in his honour.

 

[peetoo]

Second rover from 1961 premiership team an team of century captain

Graham Arthur

Born: June 9, 1936
Recruited: Sandhurst FC
Played: 1955 - 1968
Debut Order: 453
First game: Round 1, 1955
Final game: Round 20, 1968
Games: 232
Goals: 201
Guernsey Number: 2 (1955 - 1964, 1966 - 1968) 28 (1965)
Captain: 1960 - 1968
Premiership: 1961
Night Premiership: 1968
Best & Fairest: 1955, 1958, 1962
2nd Best & Fairest: 1967
Coach: 1964 - 1965 (36 games)
Marketing Department/Social Club: 1983 - 2006
Life Member: 1963
Team of the Century: 2001 (Captain)
Hall of Fame Inductee: 2003
Legend of the Club: 2005

VFL / AFL Honours
State Representative 12
AFL Hall of Fame Inductee: 1996
VFL/AFL Life Member: 1999


A clever team player, Graham Arthur was a brilliant half forward flanker winning the Best and Fairest in his first year. He led by example inspiring his team with his ability to bring others into the game with his handball. Unflappable in a crisis he used his strength to great effect - the bigger the occasion, the better he played. Arthur achieved Hawthorn immortality being the captain of the Hawks' first flag in 1961.

 

[Bedi]

Anyone watch the Sunday Footy show today? Each week they do a general tribute/overview to a club's history and today it was Hawthorn and very timely to get a recap how great this club is on a morning after our worst start since 1970. Worth a watch on catch up.

 

[Bedi]

Sorry - and I know this is your team so I won’t be overly critical - but when a player plays 5 VFL seasons, for one flag, one B&F and represents his state on one occasion, I’m scratching me head as to why he would be ahead of Ben Allan, Terry Wallace, Luke Hodge, Shaun Burgoyne, Anthony Condon, Raymond Jencke, etc. who all played in more flags, more state honours and 100s of more games.

Brendan Edwards was a very good player for a club which had very few in its first 40 years. So many superior centremen have worn the jumper for us in the past 60 years.

Best on ground in our first ever premiership too for his 34 kicks, so prob gets a nod before Sir Raymond Jencke

 

[peetoo]

Early days, but the 50-74 team is probably ‘easier to get into than the 75-99 one someting like 10 legends/famers compared to 16.
Several straddle both eras especially Matthews, so the temptation is to put them in the early era

So the Kennedy team so far has almost all the legends, so the next selections will be more interesting. But for sure the next three are David Parkin, Ian Law and Roy Simmonds, Morton Browne . All HOF etc

 

[peetoo]

Anyone watch the Sunday Footy show today? Each week they do a general tribute/overview to a club's history and today it was Hawthorn and very timely to get a recap how great this club is on a morning after our worst start since 1970. Worth a watch on catch up.

I like to reflect that in the dark days of the thirties, if you had seriously predicted in the next century the hawks would have more flags than any other team, you’d be certifiable.

Carlton and Essendon the next with 11 and 10

 

[peetoo]

Kennedys Commandos 1950-74

B	R Poole	K Moore	D Parkin
	61-68	70-84	61-74
HB	J Kennedy sr	P Knights	I Bremner
	50-59	69-85	67-76
c	C Youren	B Edwards	D Meagher
	58-65	56-61	66-76
HF	G Arthur	J Peck	M Browne
	55-68	54-66	60-67
FF	B Keddie	Peter Hudson	I Law
	65-72	67-74	60-69
R	D Scott	P Crimmins	R Simmonds
	67-81	66-75	50-61
Bench	L Rice	A Martello	Coach J Kennedy snr
	70-79	70-80	63-76

I made a call on Matthews and Tuck being in the 75-99 Team, but clearly theyd be first picked in either

Player	period	Role	games	goals	prem	BnF
Des Meagher	66-76	Wing (left)	198​	96​	71​
Ian Bremner	67-76	Half Back (left)	159​	6​	71,76
Leon Rice	70-79	Wing (right)	133​	26​	71​
Bob Keddie	65-72	Half Fwd	132​	195​	71​
John Kennedy snr	50-59	Ruck	164​	29​		50,51,52,54
Colin Youren	58-65	Wing	135​	34​	61​
Ken Beck	62-72	Ruck	143​	23​	71​
Alan Martello	70-80	CHF	223​	164​	71,76,78

 

[Walshawk]

Early days, but the 50-74 team is probably ‘easier to get into than the 75-99 one someting like 10 legends/famers compared to 16.
Several straddle both eras especially Matthews, so the temptation is to put them in the early era

So the Kennedy team so far has almost all the legends, so the next selections will be more interesting. But for sure the next three are David Parkin, Ian Law and Roy Simmonds, Morton Browne . All HOF etc

Tuck no to 50 - 74 but Matthews has three B & Fs by 74. He goes in both teams as does Kelvin Moore. Probably Don Scott too, possible Knights.

 

[peetoo]

Tuck no to 50 - 74 but Matthews has three B & Fs by 74. He goes in both teams as does Kelvin Moore. Probably Don Scott too, possible Knights.

Leigh as Rover in this team and fwd pocket in 75-99? Solves John Plattens position