Dermott Brereton: how do opposition supporters remember him?

[PerfectFooty]

Derm is a bit before my time as a player, but obviously he had a reputation garnered from his actions on the field. Strong for playing out that Grand Final, but the acts like when he stepped on that guys head go remembered as well. Obviously remembered as a great of Hawthorn as he never really peaked again after leaving the hawks as a player and has a stronger association with them from playing and after retiring.

Being a Millennial opposition fan though, I remember him more so for being a core member of Nine's AFL coverage as well as spells on the footy show (more so than his time at 7 before they lost the rights). Had a fairly moderate voice for special comments that wasn't loud or grating, and offered pretty fair insight without bullshit stats. So I more so remember him as that ex hawthorn guy the media than anything else. Probably stayed on a little to long with fox but went alright there early days too

 

[Bedi]

Joking if course. Both he and abletts hits would see a lengthy suspension these days.

yeah both resulted in very serious injuries so interesting how times have changed - as neither would have been considered reportable despite clear intent to cause maximum harm

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

yeah both resulted in very serious injuries so interesting how times have changed - as neither would have been considered reportable despite intent to cause maximum harm

Yeah madness looking back.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Junior level I got dropped with a shirt front or elbow to the jaw. Blind sided. I thought it was a fair hit. So too did the umps. 2 years before I had a guy with a vendetta steaming towards me. Both hit each other at the same time. Elbow tucked in. I dropped him he was down for minutes. I must have hit him with my arm and shoulder to the head. Fair hit play on. Unps agreed.

Different back then. Madness.

 

[Bedi]

Champion player, and i dont use the term lightly. He dominated the ground, it seemed, as someone in the crowd you kept thinking "where is he" and he'd let you know with the blonde perm and lime green boots.

Extremely theatrical, not in a "fake for a free" way, but in a "smash your bloke in the face then take the match winning mark + goal" way.

Way too small for chf, brave, skilled, and a massive footy brain. Superb strong hands, a good kick for goal, and a good field kick. I recall him snapping a few early, once the back was wrecked he did less ground work.

Came to Collingwood for a season as a broken down wreck, played forward pocket, kicked 4 and 6 vs Geelong and was on field forward coach for Sav Rocca who kicked 90+ goals in a pretty poor side.

Shone so bright people didn't realise Dunstall was a better footballer until Brereton retired.

So a very brilliant player, played out of position in the hardest spot, wrecked his body and rarely played a bad final.

Imagine someone as reliable medium forward like Gunston, as annoying and desperate as Sicily, a big game player almost at the level of Dusty, dirty as Zorko (but never stupid), crashed packs like Mihocek, and enraged the opposition like Nick Daicos.

One of my favourites of all time, played beautiful footy. Also grew up a mad Collingwood supporter, forced to play for Hawthorn by the shonky anti magpie zones.

Well said Cyclops. Looking at this highlights package i'm amazed how good he was even before he had the blonde hair!

 

[ferball]

Junior level I got dropped with a shirt front or elbow to the jaw. Blind sided. I thought it was a fair hit. So too did the umps. 2 years before I had a guy with a vendetta steaming towards me. Both hit each other at the same time. Elbow tucked in. I dropped him he was down for minutes. I must have hit him with my arm and shoulder to the head. Fair hit play on. Unps agreed.

Different back then. Madness.

I was playing a game once and the guy I was on punched me in the nose. I laughed at him so he did it again. Umps ignored it. (Probably cos it was such a weak punch.) Did it a third time five minutes later, this time right in front of the ump so I finally got a free for high contact or around the neck or whatever it was back then.

Piss weak punches, was probably trying to get me to belt him back so he got a free or I got reported/carded. But still he didn't think twice about it. (And that guy couldn't punch either. Someone who knew what they were doing could have broken my nose easy enough.) It was a random break in play and he thought "I'm gonna belt this guy."

Shit like that used to happen all the time. Probably the only reason I remember that incident was cos it was so weak.

 

[Chip Scab1]

how about this one at 3:50?

8 weeks today. The commentators were keen to say it was a hip and shoulder, so nothing to see here.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Tony Evans for wce Geelongs worst nightmare. 3 in 92 gf, 3 in 94 gf and 4 at KP in a 94 home and away game proving to be the difference.

 

[Bedi]

8 weeks today. The commentators were keen to say it was a hip and shoulder, so nothing to see here.

it's possibly my all-time fav Brereton memory. Entirely within the rules and resulted in an important goal in a big final. But by today's standards i think 8 weeks could be about right – given both intent and the fact Van Der Haar was out cold.

 

[spenze]

Well it's that difference that one could argue tips the scales in Brereton's favour

Loved watching Dermott play, great CHF but not in the same conversation as the Duck and he'd say the same thing...Duck that is

 

[spenze]

My favourite Brereton moment was when he ran through the Bombers huddle swinging arms. Could only imagine the uproar now but at the time people just chuckled

 

[Chip Scab1]

it's possibly my all-time fav Brereton memory. Entirely within the rules and resulted in an important goal in a big final. But by today's standards i think 8 weeks could be about right – given both intent and the fact Van Der Haar was out cold.

I welcome any and all carnage where an Essington player is 'wronged'. Love it.

Please post more!!!

 

[morsie]

Remember a Fitzroyv Hawthorn match at the G.Fitzroy leading ,Hawthorn were the top team.Bang ,Darren Kappler BOG at that stage takes a mark, Brereton comes in and "spoils" by knocking him out.Hawthorn got home in a close one. No report, these days 4 weeks easy.Cynical and premeditated.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

how many weeks for this these days?

TBH it's not as dirty as people say it is, it's what is called "making them earn it" 80s style. It's different to cheap shots after players have disposed the ball or cheap shots when they are on the ground out of the play which happened to Dipper that game as well. He dished out the elbow to Buddha but he copped his fair share all game.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Wow. A guy ran at him so he broke his jaw. And he didn’t say anything untoward about Free when he was on a football panel. Top bloke.

Did you hear his excuse for stomping on Tallis head in a pre-season game? The younger kids were teasing him.

He actually didn't have an excuse, Tallis I think baulked him and it infuriated Dermott so he wanted to make the kid in his words eat some dirt if he got the chance to tackle him. It was easily his worst act on the field probably just in front of him belting Lyon from behind after a marking contest but than again Stretcher Lyon deserves it.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Remember a Fitzroyv Hawthorn match at the G.Fitzroy leading ,Hawthorn were the top team.Bang ,Darren Kappler BOG at that stage takes a mark, Brereton comes in and "spoils" by knocking him out.Hawthorn got home in a close one. No report, these days 4 weeks easy.Cynical and premeditated.

That's because it was a shoulder not the elbow, back than shoulders didn't get you suspended.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

I was playing a game once and the guy I was on punched me in the nose. I laughed at him so he did it again. Umps ignored it. (Probably cos it was such a weak punch.) Did it a third time five minutes later, this time right in front of the ump so I finally got a free for high contact or around the neck or whatever it was back then.

Piss weak punches, was probably trying to get me to belt him back so he got a free or I got reported/carded. But still he didn't think twice about it. (And that guy couldn't punch either. Someone who knew what they were doing could have broken my nose easy enough.) It was a random break in play and he thought "I'm gonna belt this guy."

Shit like that used to happen all the time. Probably the only reason I remember that incident was cos it was so weak.

Some bloke I was playing on was getting lippy and smart alecy to my teammates so I sledged him back with " they get more kicks than you ever will champ have a look at ya" didn't like that very much so we had a punch on that nobody paid attention to which was the way back in the day.

 

[Oliver09]

Obviously a good player but the carry on over the 89 bump is ridiculous. It wasn't that big. See bigger bumps every week 35 plus years later. He put Daisy Williams into retirement 2 weeks earlier and also picked off Van der Haar. Both were pretty average efforts. Pity Merrett was at Brisbane by then, if you know there's someone like him for the opposition you don't do what he did.

 

[Pistol Night]

My favourite Brereton moment was when he ran through the Bombers huddle swinging arms. Could only imagine the uproar now but at the time people just chuckled

If he did it now Zach Merrett would get a piggy back

 

[Cyclops]

Brereton was a joyful thig in that he loved belting blokes, but he usually did it to win.

I guess it was cynical, he wasn't as plainly evil as Lethal, and there were plenty of blokes dishing it out in his era.

Didn't actually shine that bright vs the Pies, from memory we put thugs on him like Banks and Kelly, so we were on the front foot there, ie we bashed him all day.

The umps knew he was thug so he didn't get a lot of frees.

Brereton stated his most difficult opponent was Mick Gayfer, who rarely belted anyone: Micky used to cuddle his opposition and the joke was he'd follow them home after the game.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

Obviously a good player but the carry on over the 89 bump is ridiculous. It wasn't that big. See bigger bumps every week 35 plus years later. He put Daisy Williams into retirement 2 weeks earlier and also picked off Van der Haar. Both were pretty average efforts. Pity Merrett was at Brisbane by then, if you know there's someone like him for the opposition you don't do what he did.

Brereton wasn't scared of anybody, Merrett was there in 85 when Dermie started to throw his weight around on the field and didn't do much about it from memory.

 

[Hoop1888]

Watched an interview of him on Open Mike, seemed like a balls to the wall type of player (from the clips of him playing) Speaks very well and seems like a likeable bloke, but am sure that's also up for debate. Highly amused when Mike asked him if he sent money over to the IRA and noticed he was a guest star on Pugwall. Great head of hair as well.

 

[Partridge]

how many weeks for this these days?

That's actually one of my favourite clips. Especially because of the total lack of remonstration from any Hawthorn player afterwards. The reason? What Ablett did then was completely fine then. You had Ayres and Langford and others, hardly shrinking violets. No one looked even remotely perturbed.

 

[Partridge]

how about this one at 3:50?

By the standards of 1989 - that was absolutely fair and play on. Every day.

 

[Partridge]

Most would say Wayne Carey is the greatest centre half-forward the game has seen – and it’s hard to argue with that – but when it comes to a package of big-game players, presence and characters of the game, I'd argue Dermott Brereton has him covered.

This is where media reputation has absolutely dwarfed actual performance.

He was a top player, and produced some massive big games - no doubt at all. But pretending he was just behind Carey is laughable. For consistent week in week out performance Kernahan had Brereton covered by miles. If you don't believe me (and I wouldn't either) just check the records. That's not even including previous CHFs such as Royce Hart and so on.