Daicos - A Once in a Generation Player

[Professor Knowall]

I just read the O.P. GREAT POST. I saw Daicos dominate with his sublime skills as a 19 y.o. The game against Richmond at Victoria Park (back whan Richmond were actually a top side) where he kicked 9 goals from the HFF I rate as the greatest individual game I've personally seen. Great memories.

 

[Amber Guzzler]

Ron Barassi also listed him in his top 31 players of all time, ranked top 20 if I remember.

Ron always loved Daics. Use to talk about his weekly miraculous goal on WoS every Sunday morning, arguing with Bobby Davis, who tried to pass them off as flukes every week.

 

[Amber Guzzler]

well I hope that someone told you how wrong you were.

in Today's game he would be encouraged to centre it and play the percentages.

he was absolutely a product of his time, and certainly not ahead of it.

For Daics, having a snap from the boundary line or going the torp from well outside 50 was playing the percentages.

 

[jmac70]

Great thread...really enjoyed it. Truly one of the great players that all true footy fans appreciate.

 

[Sigh RolleyEyes]

i attended a 5 day footy camp back in 84 when he came up to canberra during school holidays. very friendly/humble/likeable person

blokes who are awesome at what they do and are awesome blokes too are awesome

 

[WandallBone]

For Daics, having a snap from the boundary line or going the torp from well outside 50 was playing the percentages.

ha ha. well played

 

[Magpie Mick]

I can't think of a more highly skilled player in my time watching Collingwood. I remember Rex Hunt (think it was him) saying Daics was better than Balldock. I never watched Balldock play, but I knew that was a very good compliment.

That was actually Jack Dyer in 1981 on World of Sport.

I may be biased but I always maintain that Daicos was the best footballer I have ever seen seen!

 

[Amber Guzzler]

He was a great player but your definitely biased..

Once in a generation? What exact generation was that? Are we talking the 80's, the 90's or both combined? Are we purely talking about small forwards? Because if not there are even more I'd take ahead of him.

James Hird.. clearly a better player in every way and would be picked before Daics... perhaps not as skilled.. but would be more likely to get you over the line.. Also cut down in his prime yet fought his way back from continuous injury to captain a premiership winning a Norm Smith in the process.

All those freaky goals from Macedonian marvel yet his career average sits at 18 pos and 2 goals and won 2 B&F’s… must have been some average games. Hardly once in a generation career.. Let’s not forget he played at full forward, so lets not deflect from the fact that the ball was often going to him unlike say Milne at St Kilda or even Didak now especially in that era.

From 1979 – 1981, the Pies lost the granny.. where was this special young talent on those three days? Certainly didn’t pull a Jonathan Brown in 2001. Sure he got cut down from injury.. but we don’t rate players on what coulda been otherwise John Coleman is the greatest player of all time.

In 1990.. 7 possesions, 2 goals in a pumping. Unbelievable player.. but once in a generation.. I think not.

You never saw him play, did you? You really need to have seen him play, and understand how the games was played in that era. Here's an example that I was lucky enough to witness with my own eyes:

Daicos marked the ball right on the point where the 50m line meets the boundary, attacking side of the ground. Within a few seconds, he'd run back run in off a couple of steps, and laid into a torp. He must have been close to 55m out when he kicked it, and it went right through the middle. When he took the mark, he was right between me and the goal, so I was right behind him as he kicked. It was the most beautiful thing you'll ever see on a football field. None of this throwing bits of grass in the air al la M. Lloyd. Just get the ball, run in, and kick it.

And he did this on a regular basis. In fact he did something almost every games that other players would be happy to say they'd done once. It wasn't just that he scored a lot of goals from a player of his type. It was how he scored them. He kicked goal that nobody else would be likely to kick, and he did it so regularly, he's remember for it even today.

Truly in a class of his own.

 

[Aussie Joe]

You never saw him play, did you? You really need to have seen him play, and understand how the games was played in that era. Here's an example that I was lucky enough to witness with my own eyes:

Daicos marked the ball right on the point where the 50m line meets the boundary, attacking side of the ground. Within a few seconds, he'd run back run in off a couple of steps, and laid into a torp. He must have been close to 55m out when he kicked it, and it went right through the middle. When he took the mark, he was right between me and the goal, so I was right behind him as he kicked. It was the most beautiful thing you'll ever see on a football field. None of this throwing bits of grass in the air al la M. Lloyd. Just get the ball, run in, and kick it.

And he did this on a regular basis. In fact he did something almost every games that other players would be happy to say they'd done once. It wasn't just that he scored a lot of goals from a player of his type. It was how he scored them. He kicked goal that nobody else would be likely to kick, and he did it so regularly, he's remember for it even today.

Truly in a class of his own.

This...

For those of you that never saw him play, don't bother saying how much better Player X was.

As an opposition support, you would always fear the ball in Diacs hands anywhere near the goals (especially during a close game). And you knew that a defender would be killed if he was on his game that day. Every bloody kid with a footy in his hands used to want to kick a goal like Diacos regardless who they supported. A true legend.

 

[WandallBone]

For those of you that never saw him play, don't bother saying how much better Player X was.

Hold on, are you saying that everyone who saw him play knows there was no one better?

I sure as **** hope not.

 

[Amber Guzzler]

Hold on, are you saying that everyone who saw him play knows there was no one better?

I sure as **** hope not.

Better at what? Kicking miracle goals from impossible angles? That would be fairly close to the truth.

 

[Pie eyed]

Hold on, are you saying that everyone who saw him play knows there was no one better?

I sure as **** hope not.

What he is saying and many would agree with is this......

You're saying a garage guitarist is as important as Les Paul just because he's as good on the wah wah handle. You're missing both the point and the context. One invented the other copies.

And all without ever having seen Les Paul.

 

[Ricmel]

I can't think of a more highly skilled player in my time watching Collingwood. I remember Rex Hunt (think it was him) saying Daics was better than Balldock. I never watched Balldock play, but I knew that was a very good compliment.

I was fortunate enough to see both play. In many ways Baldock was sort of a prototype for Daicos. In his day he was known as "Magic" and was renowned for kicking the impossible goal. The other player I think who fits into this category was Jesaulenko. People forget how good he was. This was a guy who by rights should have been playing on a flank kicking 100 goals in a season as a sort of makeshift full foward.

Looking at Daicos and Baldock, Daics was better with his feet and on the ground but both were very good. Baldock was better in the air and played CHF for a lot of his career.

Which one would you have in your team? I couldn't split them as players, both could cut you up severely. Baldock was a premiership captain so I'd give it to him on leadership basis.

If you threw Jezza into the mix I think you have 3 players across 3 different eras that make for really interesting comparison.

 

[Pie eyed]

I was fortunate enough to see both play. In many ways Baldock was sort of a prototype for Daicos. In his day he was known as "Magic" and was renowned for kicking the impossible goal. The other player I think who fits into this category was Jesaulenko. People forget how good he was. This was a guy who by rights should have been playing on a flank kicking 100 goals in a season as a sort of makeshift full foward.

Looking at Daicos and Baldock, Daics was better with his feet and on the ground but both were very good. Baldock was better in the air and played CHF for a lot of his career.

Which one would you have in your team? I couldn't split them as players, both could cut you up severely. Baldock was a premiership captain so I'd give it to him on leadership basis.

If you threw Jezza into the mix I think you have 3 players across 3 different eras that make for really interesting comparison.

Unfortunately I never saw Baldock play, but I have heard enough who did, see him play, make comments such as yours to accept he was a very important and exciting player to watch and a star of his generation.
Having never seen him play it is impossible for me to compare him to any player. If you get my point.

Jezza was a gun and when he was at his peak used to drop into training at Belconnen when I was a youngen whenever he was in Canberra.
Although his Canberra Milk ads have let him down.

 

[FuManchu]

Unless you saw daicos in the period 1988 to 1992, you have no idea how good he was. Those who saw him week after week know exactly what I am talking about. best Collingwood player in the last 50 years with daylight between him and Buckley who is second best.

One was supremely skilled, the other probably the best percentages player.

 

[Aussie Joe]

Hold on, are you saying that everyone who saw him play knows there was no one better?

I sure as **** hope not.

No. That's not what I am saying. To often BF people compare current day players against players they never saw. Eg. I would never compare Carey against Coleman because I never saw Coleman play. But too often people will compare a current day player against a player they never saw play just based on stats. Footy is not just about stats. It's a team game. Diacos lifted the Pies, had fanastic skills and gave Pies supporters faith.

 

[Amber Guzzler]

No. That's not what I am saying. To often BF people compare current day players against players they never saw. Eg. I would never compare Carey against Coleman because I never saw Coleman play. But too often people will compare a current day player against a player they never saw play just based on stats. Footy is not just about stats. It's a team game. Diacos lifted the Pies, had fanastic skills and gave Pies supporters faith.

That certainly happened in the 1990 GF. When he kicked his first goal, we were goalless and didn't look confident up forward at all. The Daics weaves a bit of magic, and the whole team lifted. We kicked the next 6 goals after that.

 

[Ricmel]

No. That's not what I am saying. To often BF people compare current day players against players they never saw. Eg. I would never compare Carey against Coleman because I never saw Coleman play. But too often people will compare a current day player against a player they never saw play just based on stats. Footy is not just about stats. It's a team game. Diacos lifted the Pies, had fanastic skills and gave Pies supporters faith.

I think also people fall into the trap of over rating past players based on fond memories.

I happened to be in Sydney a few months ago and just by chance on one of the sports channels in the hotel room there was a full replay of the 1965 Grand Final between StKilda and Essendon.

I started watching and ended up watching the whole thing. I could not believe how poor the skills were. Every third kick was a mongrel kick in hope, marks were dropped, handball was laughable. Seriously, most of the players would not have gotten a game with a VFL club, let alone an AFL club.

Todays players are the most skilled ever because they practise and train more than ever before.

As others have said, what Daics was doing 15 years ago is almost a weekly occurence now. I watched Didak and Thomas mucking around on the MCG before a game a few weeks ago and they were practising "dribble" kicks from the boundary line about 30 metres out. I reckon they were getting 8 out of 10 through the middle.

Point is, you can't tell someone who has grown up on the game in late 90s and 00s how good someone was because there is not the context of the skill levels at the time.

 

[Pie eyed]

I think also people fall into the trap of over rating past players based on fond memories.

I happened to be in Sydney a few months ago and just by chance on one of the sports channels in the hotel room there was a full replay of the 1965 Grand Final between StKilda and Essendon.

I started watching and ended up watching the whole thing. I could not believe how poor the skills were. Every third kick was a mongrel kick in hope, marks were dropped, handball was laughable. Seriously, most of the players would not have gotten a game with a VFL club, let alone an AFL club.

Todays players are the most skilled ever because they practise and train more than ever before.

As others have said, what Daics was doing 15 years ago is almost a weekly occurence now. I watched Didak and Thomas mucking around on the MCG before a game a few weeks ago and they were practising "dribble" kicks from the boundary line about 30 metres out. I reckon they were getting 8 out of 10 through the middle.

Point is, you can't tell someone who has grown up on the game in late 90s and 00s how good someone was because there is not the context of the skill levels at the time.

Agree totally, although was interested to hear Daicos himself, after watching the video of the 1990 GF for the first time in 15 years or so, mention how amazed he was at the similarity to the way the game is played today.

Era to era it is deed and the general consensus which gives the best indication of a players ability.
When a player, any player, not specifically Daicos, is almost universally feted by both friend and foe you get a pretty accurate feel for how good they were.

In fact in some instances it is more accurate an assessment in hindsight as many current players suffer in reputation due to the immediacy of supporter bias, hatred and parochial blindness.

Many players are recognised more accurately skill wise by the masses after they are no longer playing and actually influencing results.

 

[walhawk]

Unless you saw daicos in the period 1988 to 1992, you have no idea how good he was. Those who saw him week after week know exactly what I am talking about. best Collingwood player in the last 50 years with daylight between him and Buckley who is second best.

One was supremely skilled, the other probably the best percentages player.

Agree.
Daics could make the footy talk. Champion player & bloke.
Cut remember him cutting us up during that period, but then again, not many did.

 

[DidakDelight]

@Ricmel

Can you draw any comparisons between Jezza and Hird?
I was to young to see Jezza play but from the highlights i've seen he appeared to move like Hird

 

[jonesy86]

Ross Lyon needs his head read.

He compared Steven Milne to a group of players including Brett Allison, Phil Matera and Peter Daicos.

None of those 3 are fit to polish Daicos' boots.

 

[Ricmel]

@Ricmel

Can you draw any comparisons between Jezza and Hird?
I was to young to see Jezza play but from the highlights i've seen he appeared to move like Hird

Yeah I reckon that is not a bad comparison. I think Jezza was a more "natural" footballer and probably wouldn't have had to "practice" as much as Hird. For impact on the ground I think they would have been very similar, maye give Hird the edge because he was a more natural leader.

But when Jezza was flying, particularly in the early 70s, he was like Daics and Doc, doing things no one else was doing at the time. Hirdy probably wasn't as spectacular but his unique aspect was that he really had no weakness.

 

[Thommo 42]

Todays players are the most skilled ever because they practise and train more than ever before.

As others have said, what Daics was doing 15 years ago is almost a weekly occurence now.

Sort of, but Daicos did it every week. These days it might happen every couple fo weeks from a different player, but Daicos was doing it every week. Added to the fact that he wasn't just dribbling and snapping goals from impossible angles, he was also adept at nailing torps from 55+ at windy suburban grounds, nailing running shots from either foot on a regular basis and also hitting teammates with laser accuracy from any situation from either foot.

He could do it al, while in the modern game there are players who can one of these skills well, but I can't think of any that can do all of them.

I watched Didak and Thomas mucking around on the MCG before a game a few weeks ago and they were practising "dribble" kicks from the boundary line about 30 metres out. I reckon they were getting 8 out of 10 through the middle.

Doing it in a warmup, and doing it under tackling pressure in a qualifying final in the last quarter with the scores level is a different thing!

Point is, you can't tell someone who has grown up on the game in late 90s and 00s how good someone was because there is not the context of the skill levels at the time.

Agreed, in general the modern day skills are better. But is there are player in the modern game that has put a gap between him and the field like Daicos did?

 

[Blaster]

What about Rene Ferdinand Kink?

Or Mickey Conlan?

Those were the days of serious steriod use.

Today players look like greyhounds.