Dav
Hotel? Trivago.
10k Posts
Koala
SFA State of Origin
Coney Island Warriors - Sweet F.A.
Pantskyle
SFA Fight For MND
SFA Daffodil Day Fund Raiser
Brisbane Dolphins Player - BFFCL
BFFCL Club Captain
Blue Mountain Bounders Player - BFFCL
He was promptly signed by the Dragons foundation captain Pie 4 Life, and that marked the beginning of Ljp86's Sweet FA career. Tomorrow afternoon, he will play his 416th game for the Dragons, and break the all-time games record held by Fred.
CAREER
Ljp86 made his debut in the first ever match for both the Dragons and the Las Vegas Bears. Starting in the back pocket, he spent half the game on the bench before coming back on in the forward line in the third quarter. He kicked 2 of the Dragons' 5 goals in that quarter as his side eventually overcame a 31 point deficit at half time to win by 4 points. With 3 goals from 5 kicks, Ljp86 had made an indelible impact on debut, but no one would have been able to predict he would continue on for another 415 games.
Ljp went on to kick 53 goals in his debut season after moving into full forward halfway through. His efforts at the fledgling club were rewarded, going on to win the Dragon's first ever best and fairest as well as leading goalkicker and the captain's award. His returns in Season 6 and 7 were far more modest, splitting his time between forward and midfield, but it would be Season 8, now vice captain of the newly formed Southern Dragons (a merger between the Dragons and Southern Sharks), that he would reach the peak of the Sweet Football Association. Playing in midfield throughout the season, Ljp stormed home to win the Season 8 Mobbs Medal with 21 votes, etching his name in league folklore and establishing himself as one of the superstars of the league.
A young Ljp plying his trade for the original Dragons Football Club in Season 7
In Season 9, he became captain of the club, taking over from foundation captain Pie 4 Life. He continued his strong form, coming equal 4th in the Mobbs and winning his second consecutive best and fairest medal. He was also named on the wing in the first ever All-SFA side. He returned to greatness in Season 10, leading the Dragons to the minor premiership and winning his second Mobbs Medal, this time by a comfortable 4 votes, and getting his second consecutive All-SFA selection, again on the wing. In hindsight, this was the peak of Ljp86's career on-field. 6 seasons under his belt, with three club best and fairests and two Mobbs Medals. Off-field however, he would continue to add to his reputation.
Ljp went on to hold the Dragons captaincy for a record 10 seasons, starting in Season 9 and handing over to The Filth Wizard and Gee Dub at the end of Season 18. He shared the role at times - with Crows88 in Season 9, boncer34 in Season 17 and TFW in Season 18 - but he continued to be the heart and soul of the Dragons and overtook Pie 4 Life for the club game record. Although he never reached the peak of Seasons 8 to 10 again, he achieved further All-SFA selections in Season 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, taking him to a then-unprecedented seven consecutive selections, with 5 on the wing, and won his 4th and 5th club best and fairests in Season 12 and 13. In Season 13, for the first time, the Sweet FA had a Hall of Fame induction, and Ljp86 was the first name read out by league founder Mobbs.
Eddie McQuire welcomes Mobbs to the stage to begin the inaugural induction of the Sweet FA Hall of Fame
"This player is probably the least sung of tonight's heroes. Despite captaining his club for five seasons, and winning the same number of Best & Fairest medals, despite an equal highest number of ALL-Sweet FA caps, and dual Mobbenfuhrer Medal medallions, he's not often talked about as a legend of the league. But when you also take into account many seasons of tireless work compiling information to support the administrations over the years, it's gets a little peculiar that his name isn't quite as synonymous with awesome as it should be.
Congratulations, Ljp86!"
He would also go on to become one of the first Immortals of the Hall of Fame in Season 22, a unanimous and welcomed decision.
By Season 17, Ljp86 had been a Sweet FA player for 13 seasons and captain of the Dragons for 9 seasons. He had 2 Mobbs Medals, 5 club B&Fs, 7 All-SFA selections and was at that point possibly the best individual qooty player of all time. He had played in 3 minor premierships for the Dragons, in Season 5, 10 and 14, but the major accolade eluding him was a flag. In Season 17, the high flying Dragons swept aside the Demons for a spot in the Grand Final, but fell short by 6 goals to the Wonders in the decider. After over 200 games, Ljp had come so close and yet finished so far, and at the end of Season 18, with his activity dwindling, he handed over the full captaincy to The Filth Wizard. The final piece in the jigsaw was yet to fall into place.
Ljp86 walking away from the meeting in which Dragons powerbrokers confirmed TFW was now sole captain
"Biggest game of the year, probably one of the biggest Grand Finals in the SFA of all time. Arguably the two of the best clubs performance wise on-field and media wise for the season lining up in the GF. Should be a good thread and also a cracking game nonetheless.
"He lined up at half forward flank, and by all accounts, had a quiet game. But you couldn't tell that to him, you couldn't tell that to anyone, because at the end of the day, the Dragons had won by 15 points. For the first time since debuting in Season 5, Ljp86 was a premiership player.
A smiling Ljp86 after training at Dragon Island
SPEECHES
Pie 4 Life recruited Ljp to the Sweet FA in Season 5, was his first captain, and the pair would go on to set and hold the record for most games played together.
Ljp86 and I have had a long connection in the league. We both made our debuts together and hold the record for playing the most games in the same team. Ljp is one of a kind because while some of the new players might not know the impact he has had on the game, he is a worthy Hall of Famer and Legend of the SFA. In his glory days he was the best player out there on and off the field, but never resorted to spamming, he was a quality poster with witty remarks. He was someone I looked up to and shared many memories with, and am proud to have played as long as I have with him. Ironically he was one of the last players I recruited to the team and he started in the back pocket! Then went forward and through the midfield and was a star. He is genuinely a champion bloke who I respect as much as anyone on here, and we've been through highs and lows together, but he wholeheartedly deserves to hold the record and be up there with the very best in the league.
Ljp86 and I have had a long connection in the league. We both made our debuts together and hold the record for playing the most games in the same team. Ljp is one of a kind because while some of the new players might not know the impact he has had on the game, he is a worthy Hall of Famer and Legend of the SFA. In his glory days he was the best player out there on and off the field, but never resorted to spamming, he was a quality poster with witty remarks. He was someone I looked up to and shared many memories with, and am proud to have played as long as I have with him. Ironically he was one of the last players I recruited to the team and he started in the back pocket! Then went forward and through the midfield and was a star. He is genuinely a champion bloke who I respect as much as anyone on here, and we've been through highs and lows together, but he wholeheartedly deserves to hold the record and be up there with the very best in the league.
I've known Lj as long as I have been in the Sweet FA, starting in his Dragons side in S16 where I knew him as a no nonsense, what you see is what you get poster. Across a couple of seasons after I had a more hands on role joining his LG, eventually co-captaining the Dragons and then taking over entirely, something many in the league didn't expect from this Dragons faithful.
The one thing you know with Lj is that he is reliable... clockwork. Whether it's his message of support post sim or his wonderful efforts running the ladder and fixture thread season in and out, you know he is stepping up. In my first season as admin it was my biggest fear, that he would hand it to me. Nobody does it better. Of course there was nothing to fear, this man books holiday leave in with admins, quite extraordinary.
Lj has done something quite incredible with this milestone, he's stayed a Dragon (back, back you heathens). I don't know if he's a one club player but if I'm not wrong he's been a Dragons lifer which in itself is a big milestone. It takes a certain temperament to stay seated at one club as much as it does to front up season after season here. I offer my congratulations and respect to Ljp, for what he's afforded the league and me personally in his time here. Well done mate.
ljp has been a foundation stone of the middle and modern eras of this competition. He's always one of the first names that comes to mind when I think of the term "quality contributor". He doesn't waste any space on random blathering, everything is either a relevant game-related contribution or a measured response to a query or jibe. I once ran a quick media piece naming my favourite 20+ "posters" in the game, and I'm pretty sure his name came up at #1.
His work on the ladder and results thread has been phenomenal - it's been a staple for many years and as far as I know it came off his own bat, not as the result of a league search for a nominated charlie to do the work. It's one of the real go-to threads of the league on a weekly basis, it's an F5 thread on Sunday nights. He has been tireless and relentless with this contribution and it adds a massive amount of value for its information and the chatter that surrounds it.
This is a fantastic and well-deserved achievement for a legend of the game. Maybe now he'll soften up a bit and actually congratulate or even mention the opposing team in his after-match summation posts. I get the feeling he chuckles to himself every time he does this!
Congratulations ljp on this record achievement!
STATS, ACCOLADES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
I'm not going to write paragraphs about these, because I think a list will speak for itself.
Career Statistics (as of Season 26 Round 8)
italics indicates all-time leader
Games: 415
Goals: 347
Finals: 32
Hitouts: 19
Kicks: 3146
Marks: 1683
Handballs: 3269
Tackles: 458
Frees For: 350
Frees Against: 449
Dream Team: 21145
Achievements
- All-time games record holder
- Mobbs Medal x2 (S08, S10)
- All-SFA x7 (S09, S10, S11, S12, S13, S14, S15)
- Sweet FA Hall of Fame (S13) and Immortal (S22)
- Frankston Rover Medal x2 (S12, S20)
- All-time Dragons games record holder
- All-time Dragons goals record holder
- Dragons FFC Premiership Player (S19)
- Southern Dragons/Dragons FFC captain (S09-18)
- Dragons FFC Hall of Fame (S23)
- Dragons FFC Best and Fairest x5 (S05, S08, S09, S12, S13)
- Dragons FFC Leading Goalkicker (S05)
- Dragons FFC Minor Premiership x4 (S05, S10, S14, S25)
I'd like to conclude by again congratulating Ljp86 on breaking the all-time games record and pretty much cementing himself as the greatest qootballer of all time, at least when you weight up what he has done in the game from a neutral perspective. I focused on his qooty, and not his posting, because although some may have forgotten where he started, and what exactly he has achieved, I'm fairly certain most of you guys won't have forgotten him as a poster and just what he brings to the league. Congrats mate, I know I haven't been around for what you've done, but the whole point of a legacy is that people like me get to enjoy it.
416
Thankyou to Pie 4 Life, Mobbs and The Filth Wizard for their speeches, and to The Half Back (another protege of Ljp) for his graphical help.
Ophidian Old Boys