News Past Players Thread

[FredLeDeux]

Ah yes…..I was lucky enough to see them. Alistair was all class…silky skills and at the same time a real workhorse in the centre. I rate him better than Clarke….

Stuart was no where near the player Alistair was, but he was tough and uncompromising, and had a great ability to find the boundary line (usually on the full) when the pressure was on….which in those days was not penalized of course. An awkward kick, but a tough opponent …and along with Walker and Devine made up a quality half back line.

Until the advent of GAS, Alistair Lord's 1962 season was the best individual season I ever saw from a Geelong player. He averaged what was for the time an incredible 30 possessions, most of them long penetrating punts into the forward line; he got the 2nd highest ever number of Brownlow votes under the 3-2-1 system in an 18-game season, and polled in a best-ever 13 out of 18 games.
But he never reached anything like those heights ever again, and retired at 26 after just 120 odd games. For sustained consistent excellence over a long period, which I consider should generally be one of the criteria for picking a TOTC, I would have Couch and Clarke well ahead of Alistair.

 

[Vdubs]

Time for a bit of Peter Featherby?
This guy was an amazing possession accumulator, Geelong best and fairest in 81, but had a great career in Subiaco/WA before and after that.
http://www.wafootballhalloffame.com.au/inductees/2239-peter-featherby

 

[FredLeDeux]

Time for a bit of Peter Featherby?
This guy was an amazing possession accumulator, Geelong best and fairest in 81, but had a great career in Subiaco/WA before and after that.
http://www.wafootballhalloffame.com.au/inductees/2239-peter-featherby

As you say vdubs, an incredible accumulator, and often unobtrusive with it, I sometimes used to watch the game then later be staggered by his stats. But....
A prolific ball-winner, he had the second highest confirmed possession game of all time, gathering 43 kicks, 8 handballs and 12 marks against Melbourne in round 16, 1981. Other unconfirmed reports say Featherby amassed 55 possessions for Footscray in 1975 and 56 against Fitzroy in 1983.

 

[you pick one]

Until the advent of GAS, Alistair Lord's 1962 season was the best individual season I ever saw from a Geelong player. He averaged what was for the time an incredible 30 possessions, most of them long penetrating punts into the forward line; he got the 2nd highest ever number of Brownlow votes under the 3-2-1 system in an 18-game season, and polled in a best-ever 13 out of 18 games.
But he never reached anything like those heights ever again, and retired at 26 after just 120 odd games. For sustained consistent excellence over a long period, which I consider should generally be one of the criteria for picking a TOTC, I would have Couch and Clarke well ahead of Alistair.

Not bad for a bloke that by his own admission in 62 said he wasn't truly dedicated to the game or words to that affect effect which ever is the right one.

 

[goyoucatters]

Not bad for a bloke that by his own admission in 62 said he wasn't truly dedicated to the game or words to that affect effect which ever is the right one.

'effect'

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Featherby was an interesting player- i was a big rap for him in the end - never forget the 4 1st qtr goals he kicked at Princess Park against a very strong Carlton team - because i was standing right behind the goals - and they were all gems - because there was a tricky cross breeze - and they were all snap shots

But if you analyse his VFL career - youd have to say he could have been so much better

He had an outstanding 1981 season- best and fairest winner - the penny finally dropped - he was so much harder at it - which was the big criticism with him all along

You go back one year - Geelong minor premiers - playing Collingwood out at Waverly in a knock out prelim final - up until 3qtr time Featherby had gone missing big time- the Cats trailed by about 5 goals - Goggin made wholesale changes - Featherby got taken off - and Malcolm Reed ( a far less skilled player than Featherby - but a much harder player at the time) went into the centre - and the Cats came storming back- and if N Bruns snap in the dying seconds had gone through they would have won ( thank god it missed though - because the Tigers would have killed us !)

You go to Featherbys time at Footscray - when also coached by Goggin - in the preseason of 1977 - they held an intra club practise game - and Goggin was on the boundary line screaming at Featherby - chase him - bloody chase him - the week after that game - Featherby packed up his gear and went back to Perth

The interesting thing - is in between his Footscray and Geelong days - Featherby came over to Melbourne - and did the full pre- season with Richmond ( who were a powerhouse at the time ) - but the Tigers didnt sign him - wernt interested in him

Thats why i rate Joel Selwood a million miles better than alot of the blokes getting mentioned in this thread eg ( Hocking Coach - Bairstow - Clarke - Featherby Lord ) Selwood- unlike those - has not got one weakness - and you are guarnteed he will stand up in the big games

 

[you pick one]

Thats why i rate Joel Selwood a million miles better than alot of the blokes getting mentioned in this thread eg ( Hocking Coach - Bairstow - Clarke - Featherby Lord ) Selwood- unlike those - has not got one weakness - and you are guarnteed he will stand up in the big games

Struggles against a real good tag still.I'm hoping Caddy and Duncan can give him more support in that regard next year,Bundy will be a loss.

 

[Sttew]

Featherby is probably why Brian Peake floundered at Geelong, at least that's my opinion. Both could really only play one position - in the middle. And problem was Featherby owned the position. I recall when Featherby was injured, and Peake played in the middle against Footscray, he absolutely dominated.

We've had some classy centremen over the years - Alistair Lord, Wayne Closter, Peter Featherby, Greg Williams, Brian Peake, Paul Couch

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Featherby is probably why Brian Peake floundered at Geelong, at least that's my opinion. Both could really only play one position - in the middle. And problem was Featherby owned the position. I recall when Featherby was injured, and Peake played in the middle against Footscray, he absolutely dominated.

We've had some classy centremen over the years - Alistair Lord, Wayne Closter, Peter Featherby, Greg Williams, Brian Peake, Paul Couch

Your right about that- i can remember going to a Hawthorn v Geelong game out at Waverly when Rod Olsen was coach - and they played Featherby all day as a permanent forward pocket - you could see he was piiissed off and totally disinterested - would have been lucky to have 5 possessions for the day

And by the way ( in true Geelong fashion for that era) the Cats totally dominated the game - but somehow lost by a 1 point !

 

[FredLeDeux]

Struggles against a real good tag still.I'm hoping Caddy and Duncan can give him more support in that regard next year,Bundy will be a loss.

It would have been interesting to see how many of the modern scragger-taggers would be so keen to try it against Hocking, knowing that they were the ones going to come out of the game black and blue; the one area in which Hocking definitely has it over Selwood is the consistent ferocity and "heaviness" of his tackling of the opposition player who had the ball.
But at the rate Selwood is going, he looks very likely to catch and pass Hocking as the "Best of the Rest" (of the past 50 years, anyway) after the "Big 2", GAS and Polly.

 

[you pick one]

It would have been interesting to see how many of the modern scragger-taggers would be so keen to try it against Hocking, knowing that they were the ones going to come out of the game black and blue; the one area in which Hocking definitely has it over Selwood is the consistent ferocity and "heaviness" of his tackling of the opposition player who had the ball.
But at the rate Selwood is going, he looks very likely to catch and pass Hocking as the "Best of the Rest" (of the past 50 years, anyway) after the "Big 2", GAS and Polly.

Or Greg Williams.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Or Greg Williams.

I thought his "tackle" on Rhys-Jones was one of the best "good for football" things I ever saw.
I'm just sorry the cameras missed the bit later on in the FP where Jones had another go and Williams whacked him in the (broken) jaw again, "So help me" said Diesel in his interview with Sheahan.

 

[Sttew]

Found this YouTube footage of Featherby 1982 Round 7. Only 43 seconds!!!

 

[nohairandfair]

I thought his "tackle" on Rhys-Jones was one of the best "good for football" things I ever saw.
I'm just sorry the cameras missed the bit later on in the FP where Jones had another go and Williams whacked him in the (broken) jaw again, "So help me" said Diesel in his interview with Sheahan.

Apparently it didn't matter what sport Rhys-Jones played he had white line fever by the bucket loads.

My PE teacher who played for Waverley at the time mentioned that Rhys-Jones raised the dukes on the cricket pitch as well.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Apparently it didn't matter what sport Rhys-Jones played he had white line fever by the bucket loads.

My PE teacher who player for Waverley at the time mentioned that Rhys-Jones raised the dukes on the cricket pitch as well.

In 2000 he was appointed coach of Heidelberg Football Club. After a run of injuries in 2001 he decided to pull on the boots himself and was quickly suspended by the Diamond Valley league from playing football until 2003 and fined $3000 after assaulting an opponent.

 

[nohairandfair]

In 2000 he was appointed coach of Heidelberg Football Club. After a run of injuries in 2001 he decided to pull on the boots himself and was quickly suspended by the Diamond Valley league from playing football until 2003 and fined $3000 after assaulting an opponent.

He was a nutter but copped a few in return!

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Reading this thread and seeing so many names I'd've enjoyed watching (Clarke Sr, Bairstow, Mossop, Fos, Newlands, Nankervis brothers et al) as an opposition fan but there's a couple of questions I've got.

Who was the most frustrating player of the '70's and '80's and who was the biggest whipping boy then?

 

[nohairandfair]

Reading this thread and seeing so many names I'd've enjoyed watching (Clarke Sr, Bairstow, Mossop, Fos, Newlands, Nankervis brothers et al) as an opposition fan but there's a couple of questions I've got.

Who was the most frustrating player of the '70's and '80's and who was the biggest whipping boy then?

Good god, there were many.

I remember a lanky dude called Leigh Crawford in the seventies who resembled a trussed turkey with his mobility.

As kids, we laughed every time he got a touch... we weren't much chop in those days.

 

[FredLeDeux]

and yet, from all vision I watched so far, he never once second guessed himself or thought about pulling right out of the contest. He wasn't very big either, at least didn't look solid but he must have been incredibly brave. Dished it out but like Brereton, they tended to put themselves in harms way when they knew opponents looking for a square up were in the vicinity.

Did you ever see Ditterich play?
Was he similar in that regard?

Ditterich was the dirtiest player I ever saw.
He was very big, very fast, very heavy, and utterly ruthless with knee, elbow, fist, forearm and coathanger.
The only way to treat him was the way Balmey did

 

[Bobby_]

was there any story to that particular hit Fred?
Did Balme cop a whack by Carl previously or something

 

[FredLeDeux]

was there any story to that particular hit Fred?
Did Balme cop a whack by Carl previously or something

I don't know mate, it was probably just Balmey being Balmey, he was no gentleman on the field, in fact he was just a thug.

I do remember the day at Geelong Ditterich was being escorted off the ground by coppers past the howling crowds when the proverbial little old lady got past the jacks and into him with her umbrella. From memory she damaged tendons in his hand and he missed the best part of a season.
Karma.

 

[nohairandfair]

and yet, from all vision I watched so far, he never once second guessed himself or thought about pulling right out of the contest. He wasn't very big either, at least didn't look solid but he must have been incredibly brave. Dished it out but like Brereton, they tended to put themselves in harms way when they knew opponents looking for a square up were in the vicinity.

Did you ever see Ditterich play?
Was he similar in that regard?

Yeah I did. Big Carl was a unit and liked the biff. They were different times.

 

[Vdubs]

Reading this thread and seeing so many names I'd've enjoyed watching (Clarke Sr, Bairstow, Mossop, Fos, Newlands, Nankervis brothers et al) as an opposition fan but there's a couple of questions I've got.

Who was the most frustrating player of the '70's and '80's and who was the biggest whipping boy then?

Frustrating- Peter Johnston (Number 3), imho.
Amazing mark, but could , and regularly did, miss a goal even from inside the goal square.

Whipping boy- can't recall that was a done thing back then.

 

[David the Cat]

Not 70's, but I remember in the 60's John Yeates used to cop a terrible hiding from the crowd every week.

And…..he was captain!

 

[OzeSparky]

was there any story to that particular hit Fred?
Did Balme cop a whack by Carl previously or something

Gotta love the follow up with the dropping the knee into the back.

Im guessing he got 2 weeks?