Trip Down Memory Lane

[Keg on legs]

I still remember Robert Harvey's last game. Was at this cool old fashioned restaurant place owned by Saints supporters, the owners two daughters were Saints fans, around the age of 20 and were balling their eyes out when Harvey played his last game (as we lost the prelim to Hawthorn). They were so sad for him. I was only 9 at the time so evidently I only have about 3-4 years of memories from Harvey's career, I missed so much of his career.

I was at that final, and not too proud to admit I shed a few tears myself.
My favourite memory was one night against Carlton when he gathered the loose ball, dodged and weaved around 3 opponents and left them there looking dumbfounded as he strolled away. Just a perfect illustration of how much better he was than mere mortals.
Here's a link for a stroll down memory lane. That piece of play I'm talking about appears at 5.28.

 

[saintbill]

Lenny > Harves.

Seriously.

Big call. Don't get me wrong, I love Lenny as much as the next bloke but Harvey was an incredibly special player. An all time great. No way was Lenny a better footballer.

 

[Mowman]

I was at that final, and not too proud to admit I shed a few tears myself.
My favourite memory was one night against Carlton when he gathered the loose ball, dodged and weaved around 3 opponents and left them there looking dumbfounded as he strolled away. Just a perfect illustration of how much better he was than mere mortals.
Here's a link for a stroll down memory lane. That piece of play I'm talking about appears at 5.28.

Remember it well

 

[SK_MD_#7]

Come back home Harvs!

 

[L_W_P]

Im 27 so Harves was a hero as a kid. He was a much better footballer than Lenny.

But Lenny is as close to the most universally loved and respected player and person in the last 20 or so years of the comp.

Every player, coach, supporter etc of every club loves Lenny.

 

[Mowman]

I was at that final, and not too proud to admit I shed a few tears myself.
My favourite memory was one night against Carlton when he gathered the loose ball, dodged and weaved around 3 opponents and left them there looking dumbfounded as he strolled away. Just a perfect illustration of how much better he was than mere mortals.
Here's a link for a stroll down memory lane. That piece of play I'm talking about appears at 5.28.

How good was that, VERY VERY Special player

 

[Jack Stevens]

I only saw the tail ends of Harves' career (which was still longer than most careers), and he's the best player I've seen.

Harves retired in a losing prelim, emotions were all over the place. Lenny's retirement was all the club was talking about for a few months.

 

[SK_MD_#7]

Would've been great seeing Harvs hit 400 games and Lenny 300.

 

[VDS66]

Wow.

I have been in Melbourne since 1988 and have seen three Saints champions

Plugger
Harvs
Roo

Nobody else should be classed anywhere near them.

Lenny is not a patch on Harvs as a footballer. Seriously cant believe people think he would be.

Spot on.

People should watch some games from the mid-90's. The guy was a running freak with a killer side step.

His longevity was also on another level, given his knees.

I'd compare Lenny more with Burke.

 

[Smoke_Me_AKipper]

Harves > Lenny

Both great players and literally "everyone loves lenny"

Off the top of my head - Plugger, Harvey, Barker & Reiwoldt are the clear best players I have seen, followed by Loewe, Lenny, Winmar, Burke, Milne - apologies to others I have missed....

 

[SK_MD_#7]

Harves > Lenny

Both great players and literally "everyone loves lenny"

Off the top of my head - Plugger, Harvey, Barker & Reiwoldt are the clear best players I have seen, followed by Loewe, Lenny, Winmar, Burke, Milne - apologies to others I have missed....

You've forgotten Riewoldt.

 

[saintsrfreak]

Remember Harves' 350th more vividly than his final game tbh, probably because he stepped it up a notch for that one and we won as the underdogs.

 

[Smoke_Me_AKipper]

You've forgotten Riewoldt.

Oh of course - Roo's evil twin brother!

 

[hayes]

Remember Harves' 350th more vividly than his final game tbh, probably because he stepped it up a notch for that one and we won as the underdogs.

 

[God Save Max King]

Both fantastic players, but I'm not old enough to have seen Harves in his prime, so I was more emotional (mostly joy, thankfully) with Lenny's retirement and the game against Freo.

Back on the draft, De Goey is in top 5 contention (COLL) and Dan McKenzie is in top 20 contention, according to Callum Twomey.

 

[Baughb]

I think the comparison between Lenny and Burke is more appropriate. A lot of people I talk to completely gloss over Burkey, maybe because Harvs broke his games record pretty soon after he set it or that his skills weren't as exciting as others he played with like Winmar or Harvey, I don't know. But geez he was such an honest player and pretty devastating around the contest at times.

They were all magnificent but Harves was better than Burke and Lenny, and in my head I always compared Lenny to Burke because of the honest brand of contested footy they both played and how big of a clubman they both were (not that Bangers wasn't).

 

[goodie23]

I think the comparison between Lenny and Burke is more appropriate. A lot of people I talk to completely gloss over Burkey, maybe because Harvs broke his games record pretty soon after he set it or that his skills weren't as exciting as others he played with like Winmar or Harvey, I don't know. But geez he was such an honest player and pretty devastating around the contest at times.

They were all magnificent but Harves was better than Burke and Lenny, and in my head I always compared Lenny to Burke because of the honest brand of contested footy they both played and how big of a clubman they both were (not that Bangers wasn't).

Is clubman code for hard bastard? Not many tougher than Bourkey or Lenny

 

[Baughb]

Is clubman code for hard bastard? Not many tougher than Bourkey or Lenny

Haha, "honest footballer", "good inside player", so many euphemisms when you just want to say they're tougher than a bag of hammers and will take your f***ing head off.

I still remember the sandwich tackle he laid on McKernan in the 1997 preliminary final against North. I was sitting right on the boundary and heard the thunderous thump. Big turning point in the game.

 

[Wright 1]

I have been watching the Saints since the early 80's. I used to go to Moorabbin when we would rack up wooden spoons. I went to watch Lockett.(More than the Saints! ) I saw Plugger play most of his Saints games. Now there is the greatest Saint that I ever saw! He was unbelievable. Defenders knew not to get in his way, or risk being put in a wheelchair. When they did compete against him in the air, sometimes 3 or 4 on 1, he still outmarked and beat them. He could kick goals from anywhere within 65 metres, any angle.
Then Harvey was a freak in the midfield. He would be everywhere. Great hands and deadly kick up to 30m. He was going as well, if not better in the last 5 mins of the game, as the first 5. Better than Lenny, during his prime years. I think Harvs played a couple of years too long and unfortunately that is what is remembered by some.
Lenny, while one of my favourite Saints of all, was not in the class of Plugger or Banger. He fought like mad and had skills. If I went to War it would be him on top of the lot to have beside me. I love Lenny too, dont get me wrong.
But unless you saw the other 2 as well, you have no clue how much I missed them at the end.

 

[Chalk em up]

Lenny never let the saints down in a big game or finals absolute ******* champion!

 

[RobbieMuir]

I think the comparison between Lenny and Burke is more appropriate. A lot of people I talk to completely gloss over Burkey, maybe because Harvs broke his games record pretty soon after he set it or that his skills weren't as exciting as others he played with like Winmar or Harvey, I don't know. But geez he was such an honest player and pretty devastating around the contest at times.

They were all magnificent but Harves was better than Burke and Lenny, and in my head I always compared Lenny to Burke because of the honest brand of contested footy they both played and how big of a clubman they both were (not that Bangers wasn't).

I agree. Nathan Burke is seriously under-rated. He was the Saints' engine room for a decade. In 1997 (when Harvey won his first Brownlow) Mike Sheahan released his annual top 50 and had Harvey and Burke equal first, ahead of the likes of Voss, Buckley and Carey, so he was considered the best player in the AFL along with Harvs at the time. (That wasn't just Sheahan's opinion, it seemded to be agreed upon by many.) In 1996 Burke lost the Brownlow by one vote. In 1993 Burke was named in the best players in the Herald Sun 22 times. Despite playing with a host of other star players (Lockett, Harvey, Winmar, Loewe, Frawley) he won three best and fairests in the 90's. Despite Aussie Jones' great highlights reel, I thought Burkey was St Kilda's best and most inspirational player in the 1997 GF with 30 possessions. As time goes by people do forget how good some of the older players were, and to my mind Burke was certainly at the very least the equal of Hayes and only fractionally behind Harvey as our best on-baller of the last 30 years.

 

[CALL ME SNAKE]

I agree. Nathan Burke is seriously under-rated. He was the Saints' engine room for a decade. In 1997 (when Harvey won his first Brownlow) Mike Sheahan released his annual top 50 and had Harvey and Burke equal first, ahead of the likes of Voss, Buckley and Carey, so he was considered the best player in the AFL along with Harvs at the time. (That wasn't just Sheahan's opinion, it seemded to be agreed upon by many.) In 1996 Burke lost the Brownlow by one vote. In 1993 Burke was named in the best players in the Herald Sun 22 times. Despite playing with a host of other star players (Lockett, Harvey, Winmar, Loewe, Frawley) he won three best and fairests in the 90's. Despite Aussie Jones' great highlights reel, I thought Burkey was St Kilda's best and most inspirational player in the 1997 GF with 30 possessions. As time goes by people do forget how good some of the older players were, and to my mind Burke was certainly at the very least the equal of Hayes and only fractionally behind Harvey as our best on-baller of the last 30 years.

They dont just forget the old players mate.
Our best & fairest Jack Steven had 1 quiet season cos of injury and he's washed up trade bait now
Agree about Burkey. Huge heart on the bloke. Tuff as leather. Underated big time.
Its a shame that in & around the 96 -2000 era that none of Harvey,Burke, Thompson,Sziller, Keogh, Brown and such who were rotating through the middle at the time were not regular goal kickers.
I think that was our achilies heel in the mid to late 90s. Midfielders didnt kick anywhere near enough goals.

 

[Sainttony]

I was at that final, and not too proud to admit I shed a few tears myself.
My favourite memory was one night against Carlton when he gathered the loose ball, dodged and weaved around 3 opponents and left them there looking dumbfounded as he strolled away. Just a perfect illustration of how much better he was than mere mortals.
Here's a link for a stroll down memory lane. That piece of play I'm talking about appears at 5.28.

Couldn't tackle him in a phone box

 

[TheJackal]

Harvey simply cannot be compared to Lenny. Not because one is better than the other, but they are just such different players.

Lenny is inspirational beyond words, toughest player ever to play the game - he is a legend of the game because he is the definition of tough, none of this cheap shot tough rubbish. Lenny is the one bloke I'd want beside me in the trenches in any situation. Burkey was tough but lacking a certain polish, Lenny had that polish - while others may have been silkier, no one that I've seen in the past 30 years had the overall package like Lenny did.

Banger was a wonderfully gifted footballer. He was gut running before gut running was invented, could hit up anyone within a 35m radius and was impossible to tag. But I never saw him dive head first into contests vs huge ruckmen the way Lenny has. My most lasting memory of Bangers playing days were of him always crouching over at the contest, seemingly spent - only to spring to life when the ball was thrown in just to do it all over again - thats how he inspired those around him.

Both incredibly humble, classy, gentlemen, loyal, honest, each with a killer side step and both are legends of the St Kilda Football Club. I would never put one ahead of the other because neither would have wanted it - that's what makes them superstars in my mind and what makes me proud to be a Saint.

 

[Joffaboy]

Lenny never let the saints down in a big game or finals absolute ******* champion!

So what? Either did Robert Harvey and Lenny, great Saints player cannott holda candle to Harvs.

A two time Brownlow medallist was Robert Harvey.

And he certainly did not go a couple of years too long. TOSH. He will StILL our best midfielder in 2008 and by a far stretch.

The disrespect shown to Harvs by some of you, is just borne from ignorance.

I saw him play in hs first season and his last game and 100's in between, and there would probably a handfull of games where he did not play well. For nearly 20 years Harvs excelled.

We have not had a midfielder that has come close to Harvs certainly not Lenny.

Maybe Judd at his best would have come close if we had have picked him instead of Ball.

But nobody in Red White and black can hold a candle to Robert Harvey.