Opinion Dirtiest Essendon players in your time watching

[Marcel Proust]

I never bought that biomechanics defense that the leg has to fling out when the arm does. Just legal mumbo jumbo. Fletch admitted himself he got into a bad habit of flicking out body parts and it became his normal move

Also a dirty prick.

 

[Mr Bultitude]

Direct and dirty

On AND off the field it seems.

 

[ghostdog]

I never bought that biomechanics defense that the leg has to fling out when the arm does. Just legal mumbo jumbo. Fletch admitted himself he got into a bad habit of flicking out body parts and it became his normal move

I didn't mind it. Saved us numerous times and couldn't quite be classed as dirty. Walked the line well. Good job, Fletch!

 

[Shane Heard]

There were a lot of hard blokes back in the mid 80s..very tough and would hold nothing back.

But as others have said..Hardwick, Solly and Mark Johnson

Mark Johnson

Age

42

Ht

179cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.6

4star

K

9.9

4star

HB

5.7

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

14.0

4star

K

8.4

4star

HB

5.6

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.2

3star

were absolute psychopaths and would be prepared to run through anyone in their way.

Jason Johnson

Jason Johnson

Age

43

Ht

180cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.6

5star

K

13.0

5star

HB

7.5

5star

M

4.3

4star

T

2.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.8

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

1.2

2star

T

1.0

3star

was just as hard but as a mid he was more focused on winning ball. But if ran into him or got tackled you were in for a bit of pain

 

[Big Slam]

Anthony Antrobus.

Little man syndrome mixed with white line fever and a sprinkle of crazy.

Did some dirty, dirty knee drops back in the day.

 

[thaibomber]

Ken Roberts and John Cassin Back in the early '70's

 

[Nicholas61]

Merrett was actually filthy...t

I actually didn't like him much. It was all raised elbows and sliding knees. Not much real toughness IMO.

Started to dislike him more when I heard him interviewed (after leaving Essendon) and he was asked if he had ever felt fear on the football field. He said no and I call bullshit on anyone who says that.....especially someone whose specialty was meeting front on contact with raised elbows!

He was part of an era that I loved but I just don't the affection for this guy that I have for pretty much everyone else who played back then.

He gave Darrin Pritchard a nasty one at the Gabba in the 90s. Doesn’t take much courage to go after the smallest guy on the field who didn’t have a mean bone in him - I thought Pritchard was never the same player after that. From memory was an elbow to the head.

 

[Nicholas61]

Anyone mentioned Billy Duckworth?? I remember Dermott said he was on the bottom of a pack one day and Billy stood on his hand then twisted his studs causing a large deep nasty wound.

 

[Nicholas61]

Jason Johnson was just as hard but as a mid he was more focused on winning ball. But if ran into him or got tackled you were in for a bit of pain

JJ was so tough. At Subi on an awful wet night he got kneed in the face from someone coming the opposite way - he clutched at it for 10 seconds then got back into the play. He had a cracked cheekbone.

 

[Howard Moon]

JJ was so tough. At Subi on an awful wet night he got kneed in the face from someone coming the opposite way - he clutched at it for 10 seconds then got back into the play. He had a cracked cheekbone.

Johnson's shirtfront on Blakey in the night final was a thing of beauty

 

[Pweter]

Johnson's shirtfront on Blakey in the night final was a thing of beauty

A brutal hit, but a part of the game back then. Nowadays it'd be a free, 50m and 4 weeks on the sideline

 

[Howard Moon]

Anyone mentioned Billy Duckworth?? I remember Dermott said he was on the bottom of a pack one day and Billy stood on his hand then twisted his studs causing a large deep nasty wound.

Billy reminds me of that clumsy fat kid at school that would always hurt people by accident with his over exuberant antics

 

[Howard Moon]

A brutal hit, but a part of the game back then. Nowadays it'd be a free, 50m and 4 weeks on the sideline

I reckon blakey actually gained momentum the other way, he didn't just hit and drop, he bounced backward. like a classic trampoline double bounce

 

[Howard Moon]

speaking of dirty... moments after johnson, martyn with the knee drop on lloyd

 

[Shane Heard]

speaking of dirty... moments after johnson, martyn with the knee drop on lloyd

JJ the battering ram.

Bless his soul

 

[Jesse Custer]

Barry Young, Dean Wallis, Michael Long, Damian Hardwick off the top of my head. Pre 2000 footy was full of dirty players.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Dimma was a bastard.

Never saw him much in the media til he took the Richmond job.

Found it very hard to reconcile the smiling, amiable bloke with the sociopath who had roamed around our backline a decade earlier

 

[rumply]

speaking of dirty... moments after johnson, martyn with the knee drop on lloyd

off topic but Lloyd's kicking for goal never gets old, master of his craft.

 

[Dero]

Anthony Antrobus.

Little man syndrome mixed with white line fever and a sprinkle of crazy.

Did some dirty, dirty knee drops back in the day.

He had a screw loose. Genuine nutter.

 

[Dero]

 

[lethalselbow]

Sorry to intrude.

Roger Merrett.

Always loved him as a player. Talented, hard and super dirty. 80's football!

 

[Pweter]

Sorry to intrude.

Roger Merrett.

Always loved him as a player. Talented, hard and super dirty. 80's football!

Username checks out

It was such a different era. I'm glad the behind the play thuggery has been taken out of it but gee I miss the shirtfront.

 

[nonamehack]

There were a lot of hard blokes back in the mid 80s..very tough and would hold nothing back.

But as others have said..Hardwick, Solly and Mark Johnson were absolute psychopaths and would be prepared to run through anyone in their way.

Jason Johnson was just as hard but as a mid he was more focused on winning ball. But if ran into him or got tackled you were in for a bit of pain

Just ask north's blakey how J.J was.

 

[windyhill]

Stephen “Stan” Carey. Brutal. Premiership player. Sent the footballer of the century into retirement with a broken cheekbone. Chased dipierdomenico all day, one day at Windyhill, but Cameron Clayton was the one that caught up with him in retaliation to the Stoneham incident.
Stan The Man gave Leigh matthews the send off he deserved on behalf of many.

 

[Shane Heard]

Brings a tear to the eye watching this great video..Hardwick highlights particularly enjoyable