Opinion 5 Toughest Cats You've Seen

[dazbroncos]

Curse you, Frappe!

My picks:
1 Max Rooke
2 Darren Milburn
3 Joel Selwood
4 Gaz Snr
5 Buddha

Dasher.... quality nugget.

GO Catters

 

[Spazz Cat]

I guess he didn’t have to worry about messing up that pretty face of his. But yeah he copped a few big hits. The solomon one especially. I was at that game. Dog act.

Yeah that was brutal. Even in the 70's/80's that would be considered a dog act.
I also remember a bad one against Norf in that final we flogged em,
Collingwood in the 11 granny,
And another one in the early days when he tagged Buckley.

 

[Sparkle]

I was born in time to see about two weeks of Garry Hocking, so I'll have to leave him out. My top five:

1 - Joel Selwood
2 - Max Rooke
3 - Tom Lonergan
4 - Jimmy Bartel
5 - Harry Taylor

Selwood, Rooke and Lonergan probably don't need any justification, as for Bartel, the way he climbed over opponents for marks and his selfless play adds him to my list. Taylor makes it not so much on recent form, but acts such as the diving smother in the '09 GF, the mark in the '09 GF and a similar mark in Round 15 2010 which give him the fifth spot on my list

 

[Man0gwaR74]

Surely Paul Chapman deserves a mention. Loved watching him play. He was a gun and incredibly hard at the ball!

Good Call also! I remember days when the cats star midfield struggled and they would throw Chappy in there for a spark to turn the tide of some games. Hard at the ball and always ready to put his body on the line!

 

[Down at K Park]

Yeah that was brutal. Even in the 70's/80's that would be considered a dog act.
I also remember a bad one against Norf in that final we flogged em,
Collingwood in the 11 granny,
And another one in the early days when he tagged Buckley.

Was that the game buckley wiped blood on ling and got suspended?

 

[Spazz Cat]

Was that the game buckley wiped blood on ling and got suspended?

Not sure sorry. Remember Ling totally tagged him out of the game though.
Buckley was frustrated, so could of been it.

 

[Reppie]

Pretty sure Damian Drum was pretty tough from memory.

 

[Mr Blicavs]

If this has been done, then apologies and close..I may have imbibed this evening.

With the chat re GAS in the last week or so, I started viewing a bit of footage on You Tube and had me thinking..

Fighter tough (as in can handle themselves)

1. G Ablett Snr
2. A Bews (insisted in fighting in about 10 divisions above his weight)
3. C Mooney
4. S Johnson (underrated)
5. R Waddell (left field)

Hard at the ball tough

1. G Hocking
2. J Selwood
3. G Ablett Snr
4. D Drum
5. R Card...apologies G Williams, J Corey, J Kelly, R Bogunovich etc

Garry Ablett Snr was not tough. He lined blokes up, and ran through them.....nothing tough about that.
Rarely saw him shape up if ever when confronted


For mine:
1. Joel Selwood (captain courageous)
2. Mark Yeates. (Could legitimately fight)
3- Ray Card (actually put the fear of god into people)
4. Ken Hinkley. (Often put his health at risk by taking intercept marks in front of charging forwards). Never shirked it. (Honourable mention to Tommy Lonegran for exactly the same reason)
5. Garry Hocking. (Would take on anyone, including John Worsfold in his beastly prime)


* James Parsons unlucky to miss out

 

[Frappe]

Garry Ablett Snr was not tough. He lined blokes up, and ran through them.....nothing tough about that.
Rarely saw him shape up if ever when confronted


For mine:
1. Joel Selwood (captain courageous)
2. Mark Yeates. (Could legitimately fight)
3- Ray Card (actually put the fear of god into people)
4. Ken Hinkley. (Often put his health at risk by taking intercept marks in front of charging forwards). Never shirked it. (Honourable mention to Tommy Lonegran for exactly the same reason)
5. Garry Hocking. (Would take on anyone, including John Worsfold in his beastly prime)


* James Parsons unlucky to miss out

Ablett Snr didn't have to shape up because no one wanted to take him on. Was renowned for his pugilistic ability. Heard that from an AFL footballer.

Whilst I don't think lining up players and ironing them out like he, Derm and Plugger did was tough, I don't doubt his toughness.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Mark Bos

 

[Vdubs]

1. Buddha
2. J. Selwood
3. Ablett snr
4. Devine
5. Colbert
6. Bos
7. Card
8. Lonergan
9. Newman
10. S. Hocking

 

[Vdubs]

Garry Ablett Snr was not tough. He lined blokes up, and ran through them.....nothing tough about that.
Rarely saw him shape up if ever when confronted


For mine:
1. Joel Selwood (captain courageous)
2. Mark Yeates. (Could legitimately fight)
3- Ray Card (actually put the fear of god into people)
4. Ken Hinkley. (Often put his health at risk by taking intercept marks in front of charging forwards). Never shirked it. (Honourable mention to Tommy Lonegran for exactly the same reason)
5. Garry Hocking. (Would take on anyone, including John Worsfold in his beastly prime)


* James Parsons unlucky to miss out

Must disagree about GASnr. He was tough and fearless and having seen nearly all his games, I can not recall any situation where he was fronted and shirked it.
Card also lined up Greig, who had eyes only for the ball, and has been called tough ever since.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Garry Ablett Snr was not tough. He lined blokes up, and ran through them.....nothing tough about that.
Rarely saw him shape up if ever when confronted


For mine:
1. Joel Selwood (captain courageous)
2. Mark Yeates. (Could legitimately fight)
3- Ray Card (actually put the fear of god into people)
4. Ken Hinkley. (Often put his health at risk by taking intercept marks in front of charging forwards). Never shirked it. (Honourable mention to Tommy Lonegran for exactly the same reason)
5. Garry Hocking. (Would take on anyone, including John Worsfold in his beastly prime)


* James Parsons unlucky to miss out

I agree re your comment Ablett - him and Lockett - i never saw them stand toe to toe with anyone - but there was plenty of crude stuff . Damian Bourke wasnt tough - those swinging arms when blokes wernt looking

An example of genuinely tough - saw right in front of me 1980 second semi at Waverly- Francis Bourke is standing up - but bent over with his arms outstretched to pick upp the ball . Kelvin Mathews -( Leighs brother ) and a bit of a thug and playing for Geel - crunched Bourke in the head with his hip - as hard as he good . Bourkes face was covered in blood and he was in gah gah land - but insisted on taking his free kick ( with the trainers propping him up ) which he did

Thats what i call genuinely tough

 

[Vdubs]

Ablett did not n

I agree re your comment Ablett - him and Lockett - i never saw them stand toe to toe with anyone - but there was plenty of crude stuff . Damian Bourke wasnt tough - those swinging arms when blokes wernt looking

An example of genuinely tough - saw right in front of me 1980 second semi at Waverly- Francis Bourke is standing up - but bent over with his arms outstretched to pick upp the ball . Kelvin Mathews -( Leighs brother ) and a bit of a thug and playing for Geel - crunched Bourke in the head with his hip - as hard as he good . Bourkes face was covered in blood and he was in gah gah land - but insisted on taking his free kick ( with the trainers propping him up ) which he did

Thats what i call genuinely tough

GAs would never go toe to toe with any player. He would have been lethal, and everybody knew it. He was a ball player and getter and anyone, anything in his way was fair game.
Toughness obviously means different things to different people.
Newman and Lonergan playing on despite losing kidneys, Menzel playing on despite numerous knee ops and seasons missed, Colbert, Bartel and Hinkley going for marks with zero self preservation as if there was no tomorrow....

 

[you pick one]

Ablett did not n

GAs would never go toe to toe with any player. He would have been lethal, and everybody knew it. He was a ball player and getter and anyone, anything in his way was fair game.
Toughness obviously means different things to different people.
Newman and Lonergan playing on despite losing kidneys, Menzel playing on despite numerous knee ops and seasons missed, Colbert, Bartel and Hinkley going for marks with zero self preservation as if there was no tomorrow....

I picked the blokes that would give me a sleepless nights before a game.

 

[you pick one]

James Kelly is under estimated here IMO,tough as nails,never beaten and made his opponent earn everything.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Ablett did not n

GAs would never go toe to toe with any player. He would have been lethal, and everybody knew it. He was a ball player and getter and anyone, anything in his way was fair game.
Toughness obviously means different things to different people.
Newman and Lonergan playing on despite losing kidneys, Menzel playing on despite numerous knee ops and seasons missed, Colbert, Bartel and Hinkley going for marks with zero self preservation as if there was no tomorrow....

Your right about Gazza. Strongest player I've ever seen and could fight.
No-one would ever go toe to toe with him.
A couple of the blokes anyway that he ran through were square ups for dirty acts done to him.
The point about the last 3 players is what I consider tough also.
Also players like Selwood who cop multiple hits and keep giving 100%.
Also players like Couchy and Buddha who had to play on Libba back in the day.
Never complained or whinged. Just kept going.

 

[you pick one]

My mentally tough/courageous would be different to my toughest
Lonergan
Selwood
Menzel
Newman
Gary Hocking, the only one to make both lists

 

[Mr Blicavs]

I agree re your comment Ablett - him and Lockett - i never saw them stand toe to toe with anyone - but there was plenty of crude stuff . Damian Bourke wasnt tough - those swinging arms when blokes wernt looking

An example of genuinely tough - saw right in front of me 1980 second semi at Waverly- Francis Bourke is standing up - but bent over with his arms outstretched to pick upp the ball . Kelvin Mathews -( Leighs brother ) and a bit of a thug and playing for Geel - crunched Bourke in the head with his hip - as hard as he good . Bourkes face was covered in blood and he was in gah gah land - but insisted on taking his free kick ( with the trainers propping him up ) which he did

Thats what i call genuinely tough

I remember that Bourke incident.

I also agree with you on the definition of ‘tough’. Joel Selwood is the epitome of toughness, gets belted around the head week in week out and keeps bouncing back to his feet for more.
What Tyson Fury did last weekend (getting to his feet after being flattened by Wilder) is tough.
But in life, there are some blokes you just don’t cross the line with. Mark Yeates was on of those guys. I got t feeling Cradqas too. Yes, he did line up and flatten Jezza, but I recall a lot of players being afraid to win go near him.

 

[Sttew]

I remember that Bourke incident.

I also agree with you on the definition of ‘tough’. Joel Selwood is the epitome of toughness, gets belted around the head week in week out and keeps bouncing back to his feet for more.
What Tyson Fury did last weekend (getting to his feet after being flattened by Wilder) is tough.
But in life, there are some blokes you just don’t cross the line with. Mark Yeates was on of those guys. I got t feeling Cradqas too. Yes, he did line up and flatten Jezza, but I recall a lot of players being afraid to win go near him.

I forgot Yeates

Another one was a Gary Malarkey

 

[Vdubs]

Another truly tough little bugger who was absolutely fearless was Sean Denham. Was in the Buddha mould.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Another truly tough little bugger who was absolutely fearless was Sean Denham. Was in the Buddha mould.

Can only remember the 93 GF. Tottally took Williams out of the game.

 

[JackFlash]

G Ablett Snr
Buddha
M Scarlett
J Scarlett
Selwood

 

[you pick one]

Can only remember the 93 GF. Tottally took Williams out of the game.

Gilding the Lilly there a bit Spazzy,Williams would have been in Carlton's top 3 that day with Sticks and Bradley,won the fight too.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Gilding the Lilly there a bit Spazzy,Williams would have been in Carlton's top 3 that day with Sticks and Bradley,won the fight too.

Oh fair enough. I always thought he tagged him right out of it.
Surprised they lost so easily with those 3 playing well.