Opinion Dirtiest Essendon players in your time watching

ghostdog

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 18, 2008
16,020
11,856
gondawanaland
AFL Club
Essendon
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!
 
Mar 11, 2018
10,049
17,007
AFL Club
Essendon
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
 

Nicholas61

All Australian
Sep 21, 2020
825
968
AFL Club
Essendon
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

All Australian
Sep 21, 2020
825
968
AFL Club
Essendon
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.
 
Dec 14, 2008
19,797
32,194
AFL Club
Essendon
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
 
Dec 14, 2008
19,797
32,194
AFL Club
Essendon
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
 
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.
 

nonamehack

Team Captain
May 9, 2007
317
230
Ballarat
AFL Club
Essendon
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.

 
Feb 4, 2001
41,026
23,822
East Burwood
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Arsenal
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.
 
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