Toast Complete Champions for our Club

[RW]

LRT wasn't under rated... I rated him very highly!!!

As you should have, he was excellent in both winning grand finals

 

[Gimmeafree]

3 champions I've watched:

1. Adam Goodes

2. Paul Kelly

3. Tony Lockett

(I was born post Bobby Skilton's career and would no doubt have him top 3 in the place of Plugger)

Best Clubman - Brett Kirk / Paul Kelly

Most under rated player -
LRT (shame on all of you who have failed to mention him, you disgust me.)
Jude Bolton
Wade Chapman

I just rewatched the 2012 GF tonight. was lucky enough to be there near the Hawthorn cheer squad of all places. LRT was immense, apart from missing a sitter in the first quarter he was in my top 2 for the norm smith that day with Hannebery desperately unlucky not to win it. You are right GCB, Happy to add LRT as underrated.

 

[brad cooper]

I just rewatched the 2012 GF tonight. was lucky enough to be there near the Hawthorn cheer squad of all places. LRT was immense, apart from missing a sitter in the first quarter he was in my top 2 for the norm smith that day with Hannebery desperately unlucky not to win it. You are right GCB, Happy to add LRT as underrated.

please tell me you gave it to that cheer squad when malceski kicked the final goal.

 

[Gimmeafree]

please tell me you gave it to that cheer squad when malceski kicked the final goal.

I did more than that. In the second quarter straight after we kicked the second goal in a row, we stood up turned to the cheer squad and shouted TWO. GOALS. UNANSWERED. nearly lost our voices after shouting 8 goals unanswered. When Mal kicked it it Kind of hung in the air and we couldn’t believe it floated in. yep We gave it to them.

 

[brad cooper]

I did more than that. In the second quarter straight after we kicked the second goal in a row, we stood up turned to the cheer squad and shouted TWO. GOALS. UNANSWERED. nearly lost our voices after shouting 8 goals unanswered. When Mal kicked it it Kind of hung in the air and we couldn’t believe it floated in. yep We gave it to them.

love your work, their entire fan base are a pack of pricks.

 

[SSwans2011]

3 champions I've watched:

1. Adam Goodes

2. Paul Kelly

3. Tony Lockett

(I was born post Bobby Skilton's career and would no doubt have him top 3 in the place of Plugger)

Best Clubman - Brett Kirk / Paul Kelly

Most under rated player -
LRT (shame on all of you who have failed to mention him, you disgust me.)
Jude Bolton
Wade Chapman

Hard to say LRT was underrated when he won two Norm Smiths

 

[zyzzbruh]

LRT wasn't under rated... I rated him very highly!!!

Unpopular opinion but I think he was overrated if anything. That grand final performance turned him into a cult hero and undid any alterior opinion anyone had of him before that. He was the spud of all spuds in the early part of his career, never seen a more awkward player in my life lol. Wouldn't change him for the world tho.

 

[Choogler]

Ok mate. Here's my attempt...

3 champions I've watched:

1. Paul Kelly - He is the reason I support the bloods... That fateful late afternoon, footy on the TV, I see the Pies (I think) belting us in a miserable wet muddy contest... the Swans players not interested, not chasing, not tackling... except one. Kels was throwing himself into packs, going back with the flight & standing in front of blokes double his size without a backwards step. Frantic. Courageous. Fighting. Never giving in. He won my lifelong support that day & he will always be my favourite player because of it.

2. Adam Goodes - Probably the most unique & amazing of the players I've ever seen play the game. He could turn a game on it's end and completely dominate with deft touches, hard running, speed, agility, strength & skill. One of the most influential I've seen. When he turned it on WE were seemingly unstoppable! More-so than his skill on the footy field is the man he has become off it. Him & MickeyO are changing lives & bringing better futures to kids who have deserved better from society but not had opportunity. Goodesy is a champion on & off the field. A footy player I loved & a man I respect.

3. TBA - I need to have a think about this & come back to it. It's too hard (& I have a baby I need to go cuddle).

Best Clubman - Brett Kirk

This one is an easy one! Kirky bled red & white more than any player I can think of. While he was playing he was a favourite of mine. His commitment, bravery & determination was second to none. There was no playing for frees or bending at the knees for Kirky. He went in bloody hard & focused. Sacrificing his body for the team like most would not. He pulled every bit of talent & skill from himself & lifted those around him. He didn't focus on the stats & things he could do to make him look better. He focused on the things the team needed. The 1%ers, hard ball gets, blocks, taking the impact of an opponent, pressuring, backing up, scrapping at the bottom of packs & boy could he tackle!! He was always communicating & leading (ask Nick Davis!). Bloods culture ran through him. He personified it. He lived it. And it showed on the field. That cultural shift & all the success that followed because of it was driven & lead by guys like Kirky. Guys that embraced it & lead from the front. If you want to know what a clubman looks like, look at Kirky in his last game. Blood. Emotion. Passion. Giving absolutely everything until the very last siren.

Most under rated player - Sam Reid

Constantly bagged for being injured or not producing goals/marks/possessions... Despite him playing a good amount of career games (to this point) IMO & his role being so flexible he is shifting between FF, HB, CHF, Ruck, FB, FP, BP... The bloke is a great mark, a fair kick & has a crack. He is a leader on the field (just watch him & don't let your preconcieved bias cloud your judgement). Clearly does everything asked of him, important to our structural flexibility & a seemingly good fella... Like with the Reg Grundy hate early on, I just don't get it. A player who has committed to our club over such an extended period, who seems to try hard & sacrifice individual glory for the team is someone I'd think deserves much more respect than he often seems to be afforded.

Not a Swans supporter but loved Paul Kelly. Seriously underrated and one of the most courageous players I've ever seen. One of my all time favourites.

 

[swanssince2002]

LRT may have not been the most classiest player to watch but he won over our hearts with his great performances when it mattered most. The people's champ.

 

[aussietomt]

Great post.

Where do you start: Ironmonger, Bayes, Healey, Toohey,Carroll, Browning,
Kelly,Kirk.
Let’s not forget the indefatigable Cresswell, Maxwell…on the field…and his unbelievable efforts to set up the ongoing character and Swans never say die efforts each and every week.
Bolton is not a name as popular as Smith and Jones, but we have had three rippers on our lists.
Mickey ‘O and Goodsy were stand outs on the field but also after career efforts.
Big Tunbridge was an unsung ruck performer and added to the sheen with his great success in moulding our premiership ruckman later on.

 

[Mister B]

LRT wasn't under rated... I rated him very highly!!!

Surely we are talking league wide though. We knew how good he was.

 

[swansfan51]

Franklin is a better player than Goodes. I will die on this hill (and 90% of neutrals will agree with me)

No player has ever had more All-Australian selections which speaks to his incredible consistency, which is often overlooked because of his match-winning moments of brilliance

EDIT: My 3 champions, in no particular order

Bob Skilton
Lance Franklin
Tony Lockett

Tony Lockett

Age

58

Ht

191cm

Wt

108kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.2

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

1.8

2star

M

6.3

5star

T

0.5

3star

G

4.8

5star

No current season stats available

D

8.2

2star

K

5.6

3star

HB

2.6

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

0.0

1star

G

1.4

5star

 

[robbieando]

Franklin is a better player than Goodes. I will die on this hill (and 90% of neutrals will agree with me)

Get ready to die.

Seriously though its a close call and one that I will pick Goodes based on having watched his entire career. Buddy is close and his best is still electric to watch even today

 

[scaryness]

I think Buddy is arguably the best forward of all time. The era he played in means he couldn't get the lofty goal per game averages of the others and it took longer to get 1000 but I think if you place him in one of the more forward-friendly eras that have existed he would jump off the page. I don't think anyone has ever had the profile that Buddy has, he is totally unique.

 

[robbieando]

Will be the last forward to get 1000 goals

 

[Kennedy Parker]

Buddy is the sort of talent you would only come across once in a lifetime.

In terms of who is the most influential player for their contribution to the club, it's still Goodes for mine.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Must say I am enjoying every contribution.

I reckon LRT is up there with the most underrated players we have had. Absolutely loved the unco Unit who would rise to the big moment. But for me the criminally under-recognised Craig Bolton

Craig Bolton

Age

43

Ht

189cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.5

3star

K

8.5

3star

HB

4.9

4star

M

4.6

4star

T

1.8

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

1.2

2star

M

3.8

4star

T

0.4

3star

leads the pack.

 

[Bloods86]

Must say I am enjoying every contribution.

I reckon LRT is up there with the most underrated players we have had. Absolutely loved the unco Unit who would rise to the big moment. But for me the criminally under-recognised Craig Bolton

Craig Bolton

Age

43

Ht

189cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.5

3star

K

8.5

3star

HB

4.9

4star

M

4.6

4star

T

1.8

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

1.2

2star

M

3.8

4star

T

0.4

3star

leads the pack.

Didn't get the credit he (Bolton) deserved, has probably been forgotten by most non Swans fans, most media - but he did get some industry recognition in 2 x All Australian, Dream Team and Intl Rules.

 

[sataris]

Franklin is a better player than Goodes. I will die on this hill (and 90% of neutrals will agree with me)

No player has ever had more All-Australian selections which speaks to his incredible consistency, which is often overlooked because of his match-winning moments of brilliance

EDIT: My 3 champions, in no particular order

Bob Skilton
Lance Franklin
Tony Lockett

This is the truth.

Franklin is the best player at the club, and it's not even close.

 

[caesar88]

Buddy = greatest player to ever play for the Swans

Goodes = greatest career of all Swans

I would still argue Goodes is the better player, simply because he could just do a lot more on the field than Buddy can. But greatness isn't always measured in terms of ability.

 

[ScottBo]

Buddy can do the extraordinary, has an incredible skill set and highlight reel. He's also consistently impressive. The thing I've always thought about Goodsey and his versatility is if you could clone one player at their prime, and create a team of them, I can't imagine who could beat a team of Adam Goodes? Not even a team of Buddy Franklins.

 

[Gimmeafree]

Comparing Buddy v Goodesy is like being asked which son do you love the most.

 

[bungee]

** Sorry. This needs a Toast prefix, but my eyes could not find it. Maybe a friendly Mod could oblige. **

I was struck the other day when someone associated the number 14 more with Paul Kelly (who I revere) than with Bobby Skilton. It got to me thinking about many things, not least in how blessed the Bloods have been with some grand players over our long journey.

It is a generational thing I guess. I never got to see Pratt, (Basher) Williams or Nash play for us but I was imbued with their deeds by older rellos. To this day I celebrate Hudson with more games did not break the 150 record set by Pratt. It really would have been a grave injustice.

I count myself immeasurably lucky to have lived to see 2005. I still pinch myself.

The point of this thread is for us as Bloods fans, irrespective of age is to:
1. List their 3 out and champions they have seen
2. Identify their favourite Clubman in their time following the Bloods
3. Suggest who they think was the most under rated player in their time following the great Club.

There is obviously no right or wrong answers. Hope that Board members from every generation get something from this thread.

So I will kick it off.

The three champions that I was lucky enough to watch:
1. Bobby Skilton - forget the 3 Brownlows, the bloke was extraordinary every time he took the field.
2. Ron Clegg - my first hand knitted Sth jumper had 23 on the back. The bloke could play anywhere. He once took 32 marks in a game at CHB. In those days the Marks were invariably contested. Had great footy IQ and the skills to match. (I have hopes for Buddy still but he is still just the 2nd best Number 23 to play for us)
3. Adam Goodes - first saw him as a laughing stringbean forward booting 6 for Ballarat Rebels in their GF win. I was absolutely beside myself when we took him as a mid to latish pick. As we all know Adam became a champion player and an even better person.

Best Clubman

Heaps fall into this group and our Club has been lucky to have so many. Players like Johnny Rantall, Brett Kirk, Luffy and Denis (crazy horse) Carroll spring readily to mind, but for me Barry Round was the epitome of what a wonderful Clubman was all about.

Most under rated Player

There are heaps of those. Ackerley and Lambert spring to mind as well as Hughie McLaughlin. But for me it was the Number 6 in our 2005 Premiership team - Craig Bolton. FFS as well as blanketing every forward he even developed and trialled a sleep rough wether proof swag for homeless folk.

So Ok I hope people have a bit of fun with this during the quieter months ahead of what should be a great season for the Bloods.

Craig Bird. 2012 Premiership player. It's no coincidence that we won the 2012 GF with Bird (equal 4th for effective disposals) but lost the 2014 GF when Bird was used as sub. When he did come on he had an immediate impact, picking up 8 disposals, 7 of them effective and half of them contested, in just 40 minutes of game time. Bird had more disposals than many of our players had in the whole game. For his limited game time, Bird was only just behind JPK for his impact. There were very few players who shone in that 2014 decider, one of those was Craig Bird. I can't help thinking what might have been had we played Bird and ROK, who were both big game players.

I guess we all took Bird for granted, blessed as we were with a treasure trove of top midfielders. Bird was eventually shouldered out in 2015, the year after ROK, to fit Mitchell into a midfield overflowing with talent. By 2015 JPK reached 40 touches/game for the first time in 2014, with Mitchell beginning to pull big numbers and Hanners firmly in his prime. Parker was nearing his best while Goodes was still formidable even when past his best. Jack & Macca were also available as very effective mids.

In 2016 we let Bird go to Essendon, where he still managed an average of 22 possessions/game in a team made of bits and pieces that only won 3 games. Bird was always reliable, a very good midfielder pushed out by a future Brownlow medallist. Bird took a role every week and did it well. He was a champion in as was every other member of the 2012 Premiership team. Bird could certainly lay claim to being the most under-rated player to ever wear the No. 14.

 

[RW]

Franklin is a better player than Goodes. I will die on this hill (and 90% of neutrals will agree with me)

No player has ever had more All-Australian selections which speaks to his incredible consistency, which is often overlooked because of his match-winning moments of brilliance

I'll join you on that hill, and I'm one of Adam Goodes' biggest fans...

 

[Wolfgang West]

Franklin is a better player than Goodes. I will die on this hill (and 90% of neutrals will agree with me)

No player has ever had more All-Australian selections which speaks to his incredible consistency, which is often overlooked because of his match-winning moments of brilliance

EDIT: My 3 champions, in no particular order

Bob Skilton
Lance Franklin
Tony Lockett

Agree with everything you have said here. Kelly just outside that top 3.