Congratulations, Paul Salmon

[hawkforce]

I think I speak for most Hawthorn fans when I say that the Fish's career as ruckman was an overwhelmingly pleasant surprise.

A true champion and gentleman of the game.

 

[The Dutchman!]

No argument from this Don fan. Humility, talent and honesty have never been so well represented.

 

[jod23]

Summed up in one word.....absolute champion, bloody legend, fantastic guy on and off the field, complete gentleman and arguably the greatset ruckman the game has seen.

Shit that was 22 words

haha

2000 the year of the Eagle<----keeping the faith.

 

[RICE80SF]

Sorry to rain on Fish's parade but as an Essendon supporter I thought his efforts post '93, culminating in the '95 finals series, were disgraceful.

Granted he was an excellent servant up until then, but as a senior player on big BIG buiccies to sook about not getting the no. one ruck position(this he has admitted time and time again) really pissed me off.

People forget that post-Madden and pre- Lloyd we had no other big forwards to fill the position that Salmon was forced to occupy. Sheedy & the rest of his team-mates needed him there not in the ruck.

I wasn't one of the supporters booing him off the ground against the Eagles in the '95 final, but I don't blame them for their anger. If a 17y.o. kid, one M. Lloyd didn't stand up so bravely then Salmon would've lost it for us with his soft arse effort.
Then the next week against Richmond he did it again with his misses on goal when we had 'em on toast.

Totally understand Hawk fans loving him but I never saw Salmon play in the ruck with real "oomf" the way he does at Hawthorn. I just remember him being owned by blokes like Monkhorst when he rucked, very soft.

The guy must be a great bloke off the ground and I congratulate him on most of his career.

Hey and Jod have you ever heard of Polly Farmer, John Nichols and Simon(The Great One) Madden? Salmon would be lucky to make a top 30 of all time great ruckmen, get off the grass.


------------------
BOMBER BLITZ IN 2000!

 

[dons_r_tops]

Rice80sf

I think you were a bit harsh on a great ornament to the game how do you feel about the 2-3 years hirdy was and getting paid big bikkies as you say for doing Nothing except being on 7's Wounded and nearly dead

 

[RICE80SF]

Totally different story. No-one can help it if they are out of the game because of injury. Could you imagine Hirdy ever whinging about not being in his preferred spot, no way no how.


------------------
BOMBER BLITZ IN 2000!

 

[gocatsgo]

Well done Fish!

300 games richly deserved, only champions make it 300 games and officially you are a champion.

Essendon supporters showed their true character in 1995 and its good to see you stick it up 'em at Hawthorn.

Congratulations on a job well done.

GCG

 

[Bernie]

That's a good point.

Has any other 'champion' player ever been booed off the ground by his own fans ?

The only other player that I can remember was one Kevin Walsh , another 'stalwart of the club' who got the treatment at Windy Hill V the Blues.

Is there a pattern here ?

 

[Grendel]

Salmon, deadset top bloke, well done the Fish. Proved all the doubters wrong and should have a Brownlow to boot!

ps Rice, whinge all you want about him not standing up for your last few seasons as a bomber. If Sheedy had played him in the ruck full time like he wanted to and how he SHOULD have for the Dons you may have won some more flags. But no Sheeds decides to keep jobbers like Sommerville and Alessio (why couldnt they have been traded for a forward? Oh and I thought the Alessio
was a forward anyway yet you dont complain about his soft efforts, ONE KICK and they didnt boo him of the ground did they?) in the ruck. Salmon was promised the ruck at Essendon when Madden went, no wonder he felt unhappy. What he has done for the Hawks has been huge.
Well done the big man.

 

[Dave]

Hear hear Grendel, The Fish has been sensational. Well done Sockeye!

 

[servo]

I am an anti-victorian Crow supporter and i take my hat off to Paul Salmon. A true champion of the game. Pitty the Bomber fans have no long term memory and boo their best players because of a few poor games.

 

[Dan26]

Onya Fish

You're a legend. You'll always be a Bomber as far as I'm concerned.

Servo,

All supporters have been guilty of "booing". Did you see Adelaides disgraceful treatment of Gary Ayres. They had to shut down the message board on the Crows web-site because of the tirade of abuse directed at him by his teams own supporters !

As Fish said on "Talking footy" the other night, he doesn't hold grudges. Some Bomber fans have even apologised to him ! Hows that for humility !

Also, Fish said, that there were some Hawks fans who were critical of signing him, and they apologised as well after his great form. Is that any different ?

All clubs have a player who frustrates his clubs supporters. Fish was a legend though in every sense of the word. Still, there were times when he could make you cringe.

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by servo:
Pitty the Bomber fans have no long term memory and boo their best players because of a few poor games.

I love the way one incident where *ONE* player was booed off the ground becomes the above drivel. Not every Bomber fan booed Paul off the ground that day, nor have I witnessed any other single player booed off by bomber fans.

 

[jod23]

Hey Rice80 read more carefully i said arguably the best ruckman to ever play the game do you know what that means.....arguably

2000 the year of the Eagle

 

[Daniel]

Yeah, "arguably" means "I'm too weak to come right out and defend a bold statement so I'll put a little qualifier in there".

No, just kidding.