Is Matt Spangher the new Johnny Barker?

[Noel Gallagher]

Couldn't help but notice last night that the crowd erupted every time Spangher went near the ball. Personally I love the guy, athletic, commits himself to every contest and can really play. Haven't seen this much love for a player since the great Johnny Barker - thoughts.

 

[IBleedBrownNGold]

Thread needs more of this.

#themessiah

 

[Mitchell Madness]

The thing with hawks fans, we really aren't fans of the flashy players, even franklin wasn't a crowd favorite when he did flashy things
Our fans admire the workers, the ones who put in 100% regardless of the situation
It is why the likes of spangher, puopolo and Burgoyne are so well liked, you know they will give 100%

I must admit, I did have a chuckle at the boos when spang got subbed

 

[Great 2008]

Don't underestimate the return home factor. He is finally back in Victoria after the Syds pinched him off us (when he had trained with us all pre-season). Love the way he goes about it. It's times like these you wish the game was 20 a side so Spang could get a game every week.

 

[Noneedforaname]

Was pissed off at first when I saw the thread. The Spangher has a crack, a real red hot go. Good time Johnny was a malingerer.

Agree that they are both cult figures with the fans.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Must be the No. 27 thing.

 

[Hodge2NormSmith]

Was pissed off at first when I saw the thread. The Spangher has a crack, a real red hot go. Good time Johnny was a malingerer.

Agree that they are both cult figures with the fans.

Bit rough on Johnny B, his body gave up on him and made life pretty difficult, was very good at his best in 2000-2001, his demise as well as Nick Holland was part of the reason it went pear shaped after 2001.
We wouldn't have made the 2001 PF without Barker and his performance against Port at Footy Park, he basically kicked the game winner from the impossible pocket with a migraine.

 

[Cyrilyouchampion]

If he is the new Johnny Barker, just hope they don't appoint him as coach of the forward line

 

[Hollins]

[quote="Noneedforaname, post: 32387556, member: 52330"The Spangher has a crack, a real red hot go. Good time Johnny was a malingerer[/quote]

I agree 100% and Nick Bollund was an under achiever.
Those were dark days..the false dawn of 2001...overrated players such as Steven Greene and an unwanted coach.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Spang >>> Barker

 

[heh]

I think it is hard not to love someone who throws everything they have at the game, like Spangher, Puopolo, Gibson and even Shoenmakers.
Star players are great, but the 'tryers' bring their own excitement to the game.

Gibbo may seem an odd throw in there, as he has mad skill and is also a star of our team. But he is also one of those who always throws everything he has at the game.

 

[Hawks1994]

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Matthew Spanger. He will be great and will be called the Messiah of Hawthorn."

 

[RUNVS]

I love Spangher. I wish the Swans didn't get rid of him as he is actually a very handy player.

 

[J Shuttlesworth]

Praise be to greasy Jesus!

 

[Dinner Plate]

I love Spangher. I wish the Swans didn't get rid of him as he is actually a very handy player.

I would be ropable if I were a Swans supporter.

With the lack of depth worsened by the dollars required for the Buddy PR and marketing 10-year plan, I'd feel like the team was holding on by their fingernails, ready to plummet into a sustained period of cellar-dwellng.

But I'm not a Syds supporter, I have some self-respect.

Here's hoping $10 million over 9 years buys you much failure.

But hey, you beat Adelaide today. And they'll only finish third-last.

 

[MattRat]

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Matthew Spanger. He will be great and will be called the Messiah of Hawthorn."

 

[Glacier]

Like Poppy and Cheney, plays every game as if its his last
Clubs are built around these players

 

[Jewbacca]

In respone to MattRat: Move Roughead to CHF?

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Thought he was very good yesterday.

 

[lyndhurst]

[quote="Noneedforaname, post: 32387556, member: 52330"The Spangher has a crack, a real red hot go. Good time Johnny was a malingerer

I agree 100% and Nick Bollund was an under achiever.
Those were dark days..the false dawn of 2001...overrated players such as Steven Greene and an unwanted coach.[/quote]


Disgraceful to bracket Stephen Greene with the other two blowhards.

Barks was an affable knock around bloke who never really got the best out of himself. He had one decent season in 2001, when he kicked about 40 goals. Otherwise, he did buggerall and was symptomatic of the lethargy that gripped the club for much of a decade or so. He only kicked more than 10 goals (for an entire season) in two of his 12 seasons. An absolutely meagre return for a guy of his talent. Perhaps the most frustrating and disappointing player we have had in the modern era. Worth actually looking at his stats : if you carry a microscope

Holland, I would bracket in much the same class. Huge bloke, plenty of strength and much more talent that Barker, but just went missing for so much of his career. Certainly he had a much better career than Barker but I really don't think he lived up to expectation, esp for a bloke of nearly 6 foot 6, and more than 100 kgs. Was great for the first half of his career, but was a faded crippled unit for the second half.

Stephen Greene was another kettle of fish. He was a midget by comparison with the other two, and his career stretched out through probably the worst period of the clubs history in the last 50 years. For a guy of pretty limited talent, he made the most of what he had, played only about 40 games in total, and despite little support from a pretty weak outfit (and coach) did not too badly.

I think you are manifestly unfair comparing the short career of an undersized player who laboured in the shadow of his old man, with either of the other two. I also would be spitting chips with the OP for comparing me with Barker if I were Spangher !

 

[parsons nose]

Think the OP needs to reframe the question. Is Johnny Barker the old Matt Spangher?

 

[Gold Member]

View attachment 50151

Move Buddy to Sin City...

 

[WWSD]

Spangher is 5-0 as a Hawk.

 

[Flukey!]

Didn't JB have his own cheer squad of sorts that went to training as a group to cheer him on?

 

[glenferry23]

Didn't JB have his own cheer squad of sorts that went to training as a group to cheer him on?

Yes, the 'Johnny Barker Wing' I believe their banner said. Used to sit near them in some reserved seats many years ago, there was about half a dozen of them if I recall correctly.

Not too sure what happened to these blokes, same with the "Lift" guy who used to try and get the crowd going many times by shouting out "Lift" endlessly.