Opinion 5 Toughest Cats You've Seen

Man0gwaR74

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There are players getting mentioned for different reasons here and I like that Clinger gets a mention for being a durable player and Chappy getting a mention for being uncompromisingly hard at the ball.
Selwood
Rooke
GAS
Budda Hocking
This 4 is a lock for mine.
All deserving to be in that top grouping for different reasons, which is weird but plausible.
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
This is actually comical coz it is not even disputable to question GAS's toughness. Opposition were always intimidated by GAS and it wasn't coz of him lining up players. What you need to understand is that GAS was like a freight train on the lead and struck fear in his opponents because of it but putting himself in those situations put him at risk of getting hurt also; it was a double edged sword! Do you think that those speccies that he took were all about hurting his opponents?!? He was the king of the jungle for those reasons.
5 - Harry Taylor
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
Harry Taylor is one of the smartest guys that could be on an AFL list and is one of the best readers of the flight of the ball in the AFL, but he wouldn't make my top50 for hardness! Doesn't make him not a great player coz he plays the game at a smarter level to most, but let's try not to confuse desperation and courage for toughness!
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)
Another that mistakens bravery for toughness imo! Ken Hinkley was best known for playing loose in defense, correct? Domsy is a great competitor and I love how he has stood his ground and it's an amazing accomplishment for him to overcome that injury to establish himself as a great player in the AFL, but if it wasn't for that hit he copped that almost killed him, he wouldn't even be getting a mention here imo! Again, let's not confuse toughness with bravery. He was fighting for his spot in the team and if he didn't play that way then he wouldn't have made it at AFL level imo!
Also players like Couchy
From the reasoning that I see presented about other players, would suggest that maybe my cousin Couchy gets a mention?
 
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There are players getting mentioned for different reasons here and I like that Clinger gets a mention for being a durable player and Chappy getting a mention for being uncompromisingly hard at the ball.

All deserving to be in that top grouping for different reasons, which is weird but plausible.

This is actually comical coz it is not even disputable to question GAS's toughness. Opposition were always intimidated by GAS and it wasn't coz of him lining up players. What you need to understand is that GAS was like a freight train on the lead and struck fear in his opponents because of it but putting himself in those situations also put him at risk of getting hurt also; it was a double edged sword! Do you think that those speccies that he took were all about hurting his opponents?!? He was the king of the jungle for those reasons.

Harry Taylor is one of the smartest guys that could be on an AFL list and is one of the best readers of the flight of the ball in the AFL, but he wouldn't make my top50 for hardness! Doiesn't make him not a great player coz he plays the game at a smarter level to most, but try not to confuse desperation and courage for toughness!

Another that mistakens bravery for toughness imo! Ken Hinkley was best known for playing loose in defense, correct? Domsy is a great competitor and I love how he has stood his ground and it's an amazing accomplishment for him to overcome that injury to establish himself as a great player in the AFL, but if it wasn't for that hit he copped that almost killed him, he wouldn't even be getting a mention here imo! Again, let's not confuse toughness with bravery. He was fighting for his spot in the team and if he didn't play thet way then he wouldn't have made it at AFL level imo!

From the reasoning that I see presented about other players, would suggest that maybe my cousin Couchy gets a mention?
Great post.
In most situations, Couchy did not jump out as a classically tough player, but any player who was as heavily tagged week in week out and triumphed, is tough. Ne NEVER EVER sooked. for a free kick. Just got on with it with that perpetual smile.
Was always a massive fan of his, and often spoke to him while he was out walking the tracks in Grovedale. His knee was a real issue and what he had to put up with, just to get on the ground, also qualifies for toughness.
Really, each and every player that gets to play a senior game is tough. To get on a list is tough, to get regular games is tougher.
But the players who are almost insane with lack of fear or care of personal or others safety, are they tougher or stupider?
I love watching Isaac Heeney play.
Then there's Ben Cunnington, Jack Ziebell, Luke Parker etc who are absolutely fearless anywhere on the ground.
With the new emphasis on head protection, as it should be, toughness may be redefined over the next decades.
 

Spazz Cat

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Good question!
Its neither. They make a lot of money now and is a full time career.
The real tough players are the tradies who show now fear in local leagues.
If they get injured theyre stuffed. Mate of mine had to leave his job and drive a truck cause clubs insurance wouldnt pay for his knee reco.
 

Man0gwaR74

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Its neither. They make a lot of money now and is a full time career.
The real tough players are the tradies who show no fear in local leagues.
If they get injured theyre stuffed. Mate of mine had to leave his job and drive a truck cause clubs insurance wouldnt pay for his knee reco.
FYP!
Yes and you post a good perspective about how to observe this but it could also be pointed out about teams of players that win premierships in the AFL without the star quality. WCE wining the GF didn't have any star performers in their finals campaign but the players as a group were mentally more prepared to make the sacrifices for it imo.
 

Spazz Cat

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FYP!
Yes and you post a good perspective about how to observe this but it could also be pointed out about teams of players that win premierships in the AFL without the star quality. WCE wining the GF didn't have any star performers in their finals campaign but the players as a group were mentally more prepared to make the sacrifices for it imo.
Yeah possible. But also could be really well coached, 2 home finals, 12 h+a games at Optus with loud screaming fans.
Richest club in the league.
Like Richmond the year before I never underestimate the effect of a loud feral crowd to just give that extra little bit of energy for those work rate sacrifices.
 

Man0gwaR74

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Yeah possible. But also could be really well coached, 2 home finals, 12 h+a games at Optus with loud screaming fans.
Richest club in the league.
Like Richmond the year before I never underestimate the effect of a loud feral crowd to just give that extra little bit of energy for those work rate sacrifices.
You say coaching also but coaching is all about getting the players mentally prepared. Some players don't need to be shown the way but I think that some superstars need to be reminded about what it takes to win games. Not 30+ possessions every week, not a bag of goals every week and not a Best On Ground every week.
 

Spazz Cat

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You say coaching also but coaching is all about getting the players mentally prepared. Some players don't need to be shown the way but I think that some superstars need to be reminded about what it takes to win games. Not 30+ possessions every week, not a bag of goals every week and not a Best On Ground every week.
Yeah, for sure. I agree with that. It's a major part. Huge.
I remember seeing a few things on TV bout Alan Jeans. Just the mental preparation and the things he used to say that had nothing to do with the actual tactics of the game etc were genius.
Not just generic statements, but he knew all his players and what made them tick and what to say to every one.
 
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Probably need more contributions from some older posters or the history books as Id say there was some tuff guys pre the 80's and 70's ...

Devine and Smith and Hickey were tough from what Ive read and heard... fight .. no idea

Ray Card was tough .. and Damien Bourke did what had to be done on occasions ... but not many players I have seen are as legit tough as Joel Selwood ..
 
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Probably need more contributions from some older posters or the history books as Id say there was some tuff guys pre the 80's and 70's ...

Devine and Smith and Hickey were tough from what Ive read and heard... fight .. no idea

Ray Card was tough .. and Damien Bourke did what had to be done on occasions ... but not many players I have seen are as legit tough as Joel Selwood ..
Gee Turbo, don't think you're going to find many blokes who saw Hickey play, or even Smith for that matter.
 
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Gee Turbo, don't think you're going to find many blokes who saw Hickey play, or even Smith for that matter.

No fair enough you are right of course... but you know what I mean... I heard stories of players in the Dyer era.. when they were sharpening their stops and coins in elbow bandages ... and they worked jobs sat morning before playing Just think we might have had some tough guys going back.
 

Max Milburn

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No fair enough you are right of course... but you know what I mean... I heard stories of players in the Dyer era.. when they were sharpening their stops and coins in elbow bandages ... and they worked jobs sat morning before playing Just think we might have had some tough guys going back.
How tough was it though? Some of it was just thuggery. (Not all, of course.)
 
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No fair enough you are right of course... but you know what I mean... I heard stories of players in the Dyer era.. when they were sharpening their stops and coins in elbow bandages ... and they worked jobs sat morning before playing Just think we might have had some tough guys going back.
I saw Smith,but the bloke that stuck in my mind all these years was George McGath,just happened to be another no33,Tuff as nails.
 

Goggin Our Best

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Joel Selwood is the toughest player I've ever seen...comfortably. The sheer number of times he continually takes a hit for the benefit of the team is unequalled.

And Gazza not tough...pft.

Ive raved over Sellwood - one of Geelongs greatest players - if not the best - in my opinion one of the most important

The player he has allways reminded me of from the past - even looks a tad like him ( and i couldnt give a feuck about posters who hate Collingwood ) is Des Tuddenham

Never shirked an issue - led from the front - predominantly an onballer - but could go forward and kick multiple goals .

Thats the great thing about Selwood - week in week out he is consistently good - other top Geel players from the past (pre 2007 ) could go missing - even look disinterested
 
Paul Vinar....if anyone saw him back in those days, pls add. Like all those legends of the 50's 60's they were all cut from stone.

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Yes...Vinar was hard...my recollections of Vinar, however, was more his prodigious kicking...I think he approached 80 yards with a drop kick and I recall him winning the WOS long kick competition all those years ago...perhaps more than once.

Still go with John Devine from that era though....hard as a cats head...


Edit: Dug this up on Vinar....kicked a punt 101 yards....:eek::eek::eek:....

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2009/05/21/71991_news.html
 
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Goggin Our Best

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Yes...Vinar was hard...my recollections of Vinar, however, was more his prodigious kicking...I think he approached 80 yards with a drop kick and I recall him winning the WOS long kick competition all those years ago...perhaps more than once.

Still go with John Devine from that era though....hard as a cats head...


Edit: Dug this up on Vinar....kicked a punt 101 yards....:eek::eek::eek:....

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2009/05/21/71991_news.html

Just on that era - seeing you saw them etc - you might be interested that Cursed Cat on the main board under the thread " Older Premierships " he put vision up of all Geel premierships from 63 back

The 1963 one was excellent - he had the whole last qtr ( i had never seen that before - i watched that the other night ) excellent quality vision - Geel ripped Haw to bits - toyed with them - thought you might be interested if you hadnt seen it before
 

Man0gwaR74

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Joel Selwood is the toughest player I've ever seen...comfortably. The sheer number of times he continually takes a hit for the benefit of the team is unequalled.

And Gazza not tough...pft.
I think that Joel Selwood is a classic case for debate of that toughness/stupidity query that Vdubs suggested. Joel always gets caught up in unnecessary BS in games and gives away needless free kicks because of this. Joel has taken too much of the team burden for physicality on his shoulders over the years and has prolly worn himself out for it. The old battle horse needs to use his wisdom more when applying his aggression imo!
 
I think that Joel Selwood is a classic case for debate of that toughness/stupidity query that Vdubs suggested. Joel always gets caught up in unnecessary BS in games and gives away needless free kicks because of this. Joel has taken too much of the team burden for physicality on his shoulders over the years and has prolly worn himself out for it. The old battle horse needs to use his wisdom more when applying his aggression imo!
I remember early doors everyone was saying Joel would be burned out and gone from the game at 25, either by those so called dodgy knees or one too many concussions. But here he is still going strong. The man is ridiculously durable especially given the brand of footy he plays. He's a star.
 
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