Remember the days we fielded tall teams...?

ivan rassmussen

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Lots of talk on here with the acquisition of Keith Bruce about how tall we will be next year, and how rare it is. Contrary to popular belief, it has happened. This game from 1990 has Grant, Coleman, Wigney and Kennedy as forwards, and Harrington, Foster and Del-re in defence. (Was early in Danny’s career when Wheeler still considered him as a bit of a swingman(!), and late in Rick’s career when he was pushed forward often.)
Wheeler also later tried the Ballantyne, Grant, A Campbell, Del-re forward setup - believing they were all mobile enough to be interchangeable, but Campbell did his knee and Ballantyne lost the confidence of the coach. Wigney was often used as a third tall at either end as well. Anyway, just an example, if Wheeler had kept his job he might have gone to Bevo levels of “versatility”...!

 

Libba39

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I've got vague memories of us fielding some tall teams. One would have been where we played Ayce Cordy as a permanent full forward, and I think we were pretty tall when Bandy and Street were playing.
 
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Don't forget the Twin Towers

images (7).jpeg
 

stefoid

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Don't forget the Twin Towers


Phht! if we're talking twin towers, look no further than the days when Trent Bartlett and Kingsley Hunter graced the field together

Did Daniel Bandy ever play with these guys? Or was it deemed too dangerous because the combined spectacle of such a trio de torres in close proximity would have created some kind of black hole of awesomeness so potent that none could escape?

sadly, we may never know
 

bobs head soup

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Much maligned era, but the Allan Joyce teams of the mid 90s probably had the best combination of talls I can remember.

Scott Wynd was a champion Ruckman, and Luke Darcy (though still young), Ilija Grgic and Barry Stanfield were all versatile and competent 2nd rucks.

Chris Grant of course was a champion KPP in whatever position we most needed and Matthew Croft and Craig Ellis formed a really solid Kpd combination, with Danny Southern, Shane Ellen and Steve Kretiuk in support.

Youngsters like Danny Hargraeves, Ben Sexton and Brad Nicholson were showing promise but proved to be disappointing.

Other talls on the list included Danny Del Re (a shadow of his 1992 glories), Tony Campbell and Sedat Sir.
 
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ivan rassmussen

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Much maligned era, but the Allan Joyce teams of the mid 90s probably had the best combination of talls I can remember.

Scott Wynd was a champion Ruckman, and Luke Darcy (though still young), Ilija Grgic and Barry Stanfield were all versatile and competent 2nd rucks.

Chris Grant of course was a champion KPP in whatever position we most needed and Matthew Croft and Craig Ellis formed a really solid Kpd combination, with Danny Southern, Shane Ellen and Steve Kretiuk in support.

Youngsters like Danny Hargraeves, Ben Sexton and Brad Nicholson were showing promise but proved to be disappointing.

Other talls on the list included Danny Del Re (a shadow of his 1992 glories), Tony Campbell and Sedat Sir.

I reckon the problem with those guys is a lot weren’t genuine talls. Crofty made it to 190 after starting his career as a 188 flanker, Ellis was listed as 189 for years, and didn’t have the bulk to be a genuine CHB, Kretiuk 184, Southern and Ellen 188, Nicholson 186 - they were holding down key positions because there was no one else.
 

ivan rassmussen

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In the mid 70s we would play Merrington, Quinlan & Salmon in the backline and Sandilands, Welch & Parke (later Templeton) in the forward line. Ian Morrison was in the mix too as a mid-sizer.
Dempsey and Round in the ruck, or even Gary Baker (who might have been the guy we traded to Melbourne for Parke)

And Hampshire replaced Round too - Bluey actually played back pocket in many games minding their resting ruck, including in the 76 elim final! Imagine playing a guy that slow in the backline these days. Welshy would have struggled to beat Bluey too - he played on Hudson one day at Footscray, took off bouncing the ball and Hudson ran him down! Big Fish was a loss when he went back to the farm, could have held down CHB leaving Bernie to play permanent CHF, Kelvin at FF, and Sandilands at FB - watching Laurie I adapted his “punch the FF in the back of the head but make it look like you’re going for the ball” method throughout my junior career!
 

bobs head soup

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I reckon the problem with those guys is a lot weren’t genuine talls. Crofty made it to 190 after starting his career as a 188 flanker, Ellis was listed as 189 for years, and didn’t have the bulk to be a genuine CHB, Kretiuk 184, Southern and Ellen 188, Nicholson 186 - they were holding down key positions because there was no one else.
That was how it was back then. People remember Kennedy and Foster as a great KPD combo and rightfully so, bit it's surprising to look back and see they were both under 190 cm, shorter than all of our current first choice onballers (Bont, Macrae and Dunkley).

Still reckon Wynd, Grant, Darcy, Standfield, Grgic and Campbell were a decent selection of genuine talls.
 
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I seem to recall one pre-season game against Melbourne, early 90’s - where we played three talls and they all kicked multiple goals. Media hyped up our new found attack - and of course they all went goalless next week....

My recollection of stats ain’t great - so may be slightly poetic licensed....
 

ivan rassmussen

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That was how it was back then. People remember Kennedy and Foster as a great KPD combo and rightfully so, bit it's surprising to look back and see they were both under 190 cm, shorter than all of our current first choice onballers (Bont, Macrae and Dunkley).

Still reckon Wynd, Grant, Darcy, Standfield, Grgic and Campbell were a decent selection of genuine talls.

By the mid 90s though, KPs at either end were over 190 - except for our defenders. Croft was the only one from your original post that had the size and strength to play KPD - that’s why Grant ended up at CHB. Kennedy and Foster were standard height for their era - especially when opposed to Dunstall 188 and 191 Lockett. Our defenders almost right through the 90s were comparatively too short, and why Carey, Brownless, Sumich etc often got off the chain against us. Even Standfield was a pinch hitter in defence, played his best footy as a forward but had to compete against Grant and Cook and Darcy. Was moved back because he had height, not so much for his defensive craft.
 

ivan rassmussen

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I seem to recall one pre-season game against Melbourne, early 90’s - where we played three talls and they all kicked multiple goals. Media hyped up our new found attack - and of course they all went goalless next week....

My recollection of stats ain’t great - so may be slightly poetic licensed....

If it was a night game at Waverley I think you’re right. Grant, Adrian Campbell and Ballantyne. Was the fittest and muscled up Campbell had ever been - then he did his knee and they tried moving him to defence. Very talented player, still follows the Dogs and turns up at past player functions.
 
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If it was a night game at Waverley I think you’re right. Grant, Adrian Campbell and Ballantyne. Was the fittest and muscled up Campbell had ever been - then he did his knee and they tried moving him to defence. Very talented player, still follows the Dogs and turns up at past player functions.

That sounds about right mate, it’s a stretch for the old memory thingy...
 

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And Hampshire replaced Round too - Bluey actually played back pocket in many games minding their resting ruck, including in the 76 elim final! Imagine playing a guy that slow in the backline these days. Welshy would have struggled to beat Bluey too - he played on Hudson one day at Footscray, took off bouncing the ball and Hudson ran him down! Big Fish was a loss when he went back to the farm, could have held down CHB leaving Bernie to play permanent CHF, Kelvin at FF, and Sandilands at FB - watching Laurie I adapted his “punch the FF in the back of the head but make it look like you’re going for the ball” method throughout my junior career!
Can't believe I remembered Gary Baker but forgot Bluey.

I still think that 75 team was one of the best we ever had and then we had the tragedy with Neil Sachse and Peter Welsh did a knee. We had a whole load of teenagers in that team, too. Templeton, Stoneham, Jennings, Dunstan, Whitten, Wheeler.

What could have been.

Wheeler, Sandilands, Salmon
Power, Sachse, Abbey
Collins, Featherby, Stoneham
Whitten, Quinlan, Morrison
Welsh, Templeton, Jennings
Dempsey, Dunstan, Huppatz

9 of that 18 finished their careers elsewhere and Salmon retired at 23.
 

AJARWA

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I reckon the problem with those guys is a lot weren’t genuine talls. Crofty made it to 190 after starting his career as a 188 flanker, Ellis was listed as 189 for years, and didn’t have the bulk to be a genuine CHB, Kretiuk 184, Southern and Ellen 188, Nicholson 186 - they were holding down key positions because there was no one else.
And Melbourne's tall forward setup with Lyon, Swartz, Neitz and co would pull our pants down every time, or so it felt.
 

AJARWA

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If it was a night game at Waverley I think you’re right. Grant, Adrian Campbell and Ballantyne. Was the fittest and muscled up Campbell had ever been - then he did his knee and they tried moving him to defence. Very talented player, still follows the Dogs and turns up at past player functions.
The days when doing your knee pretty much ended your career.
 

Mr. Walker

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Youngsters like Danny Hargraeves, Ben Sexton and Brad Nicholson were showing promise but proved to be disappointing.

I always felt Brad Nicholson was unlucky. Seemed to have all the abilities required of an excellent fullback, just trapped in a 186 cm tall body. Played some very good games for us but the height difference between him and his opponent told in the end.
 
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Phht! if we're talking twin towers, look no further than the days when Trent Bartlett and Kingsley Hunter graced the field together

Did Daniel Bandy ever play with these guys? Or was it deemed too dangerous because the combined spectacle of such a trio de torres in close proximity would have created some kind of black hole of awesomeness so potent that none could escape?

sadly, we may never know
All three played in exactly 5 games for us during early 2002 (R1, R2, R4, R5, R7). We lost every game.

They were also the last five games of Trent Bartlett's career.
 
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Was r1 the game that Kingsley Hunter ran the length of the ground to kick just about the goal of the year?
You're probably thinking of this one from 2000:



It actually was awarded goal of the year, the first and only time we have featured in that award.
 
You're probably thinking of this one from 2000:

...

It actually was awarded goal of the year, the first and only time we have featured in that award.
Some pretty lethargic chasing from the Brisbane defenders there. They would have copped a fair old tongue lashing from Matthews for that.
 
You're probably thinking of this one from 2000:



It actually was awarded goal of the year, the first and only time we have featured in that award.

Was that Round 2, our first match at Colonial? If so, that was the last match I went to before I moved back to the states three days later. That last week here is just a blur to me. I do remember that I cried like a baby after the match(which we lost), not knowing if I'd ever go to the footy again. My next match was Round 7 on May 12, 2002 where I met up with a bunch of BF Doggie posters. Good times. :)
 
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