Geelong "forgettables"

[thejester]

Showing my age - thought Spencer was The Natural and whooped with joy! Surely he'll be the captain of the forgettables of the naughties.

 

[azyboy]

Ha ha. Brett Spinks. I always wondered if it would have been better to draft a dead cow instead. Brought new meaning to the term useless.

Yep, used to fancy himself at the Eureka back in the day. Tool. Christian O'Brien (Obey) was a cult hero for some, had the determination and built like the proverbial but lacked the pace and was not big enough to be a KPP.

Marcus Baldwin was perceived as a great hope after bagging 7 in a seconds match. Kicked three against hawthorn on debut IIRC, but never did much after.

I think Brett Hungerford played 1 or 2 games in 91? KPP who went on to dominated at local league level.

Daniel Fletcher, son of former football manager Gary, also played one game for the club back in 94 I think. His brother Simon was rookied by us and went on to play 50 odd games at Richmond.

To those knocking Grant Tanner, I thought he was a very good in and under player, terrific hands, could play the role of a tagger or as a dour defender. Remember, he also played in an era in which we were a very good football side and spots were at a premium.

 

[azyboy]

What about the twice drafted in the late 80's early 90's Gary Phillips. Played three games i think in just as many years.

Brett Bailey's only game came Rd 1 1990, a 115 point whuppin' at the hands of the Hawks...Ugly game, we led early in the 3rd quarter then....Floodgates!!

Other players of that year to not even play were Gary Keane (Ex-Fitzroy), and also Geelong's 1st and i think only Irish draft pick Colum Mcmanamon. Unless we only count blokes who played a senior game.

Earlier in the 80's we had superstars like Ross Christensen, Darren Jackson, Alan Reid and also Steven Carey, that forever remembered Bomber's clubman who graced our list in 1986 i think. John Hoiles also should get a mention, along with Peter Whyte. You could nearly make a team out of the 'Duds of the Mid 80's!!

I remember Carey, Reid and Jackson...Are you getting Ross Christensen confused with Damien and Marty who both plyed for cats in mid to late 80's?

Had forgotten about Brett Bailey.
Grgic was a talented footballer who played in 2000 GF for the dees lining up on a HBF. Never looked like it though at catland.

 

[krisholio14]

Yep, used to fancy himself at the Eureka back in the day. Tool. Christian O'Brien (Obey) was a cult hero for some, had the determination and built like the proverbial but lacked the pace and was not big enough to be a KPP.

Marcus Baldwin was perceived as a great hope after bagging 7 in a seconds match. Kicked three against hawthorn on debut IIRC, but never did much after.

I think Brett Hungerford played 1 or 2 games in 91? KPP who went on to dominated at local league level.

Daniel Fletcher, son of former football manager Gary, also played one game for the club back in 94 I think. His brother Simon was rookied by us and went on to play 50 odd games at Richmond.

To those knocking Grant Tanner, I thought he was a very good in and under player, terrific hands, could play the role of a tagger or as a dour defender. Remember, he also played in an era in which we were a very good football side and spots were at a premium.

Tanner was a regular until he did his knee. Then he apparently developed a serious drinking problem and was never seen again. Up to that point I thought he was a more than handy player.

Simon Fletcher played for Carlton not Richmond too if i'm not mistaken.

 

[krisholio14]

This is a sad thread for me because Daniel is my nephew and I was overjoyed when he got drafted to Geelong. But, things didn't work out well for him. He worked BLOODY hard but never settled, had BAD injury trouble (hole in the heart similar to Eagleton I think which required 2-3 lots of surgery to correct) he's a shy country kid from SA and didn't fit in easily. I admit he didn't deliver for Geelong in his 17 games, but, knowing the other side of the story personally, there are reasons why his career never took off.

My guess is that lots of other people on this list and thread had stories and circumstances that weren't widely known or made public. There are plenty of talented footballers who haven't made it. Injury plays a big part in it.

Sadly Daniel is pretty disillusioned by the whole experience. The politics and behind the scenes stuff took it's toll as well.
I talked to Bomber, Frank Costa and Billy Brownless about him and they all rated him and believed he would make it. Josh Hunt and David Johnson were at his wedding and they both believed he would make it at AFL level.
But it didn't happen.

So, before you lay into past players or present players, whether they be stars or journeymen, remember it's a tough comp and not everyone who deserves to make it makes it.

I for one do not dispute that you have to have some level of football ability to get on an AFL list. Fossie was a far better footballer than the vast majority of us could hope to be, and for me it is always a shame to see guys like him get chopped. A bit like what will happen to Matthew Spencer at the end of this year. Probably not quite good enuff at the top level, but never leaves anything out on the field and is a real team man. Fossie was a similar type of player, and I know as a fan I feel for those sorts of guys who give their all and then some, and still come up short.

I think this thread in many ways is a tribute to those guys who just couldn't quite go on with it. The thread may be titled 'forgettables' but most of us aren't having much trouble remembering them

 

[sarah.13]

I think this thread in many ways is a tribute to those guys who just couldn't quite go on with it. The thread may be titled 'forgettables' but most of us aren't having much trouble remembering them

Nice way of looking at it.

 

[catempire]

This is a sad thread for me because Daniel is my nephew and I was overjoyed when he got drafted to Geelong. But, things didn't work out well for him. He worked BLOODY hard but never settled, had BAD injury trouble (hole in the heart similar to Eagleton I think which required 2-3 lots of surgery to correct) he's a shy country kid from SA and didn't fit in easily. I admit he didn't deliver for Geelong in his 17 games, but, knowing the other side of the story personally, there are reasons why his career never took off.

My guess is that lots of other people on this list and thread had stories and circumstances that weren't widely known or made public. There are plenty of talented footballers who haven't made it. Injury plays a big part in it.

Sadly Daniel is pretty disillusioned by the whole experience. The politics and behind the scenes stuff took it's toll as well.
I talked to Bomber, Frank Costa and Billy Brownless about him and they all rated him and believed he would make it. Josh Hunt and David Johnson were at his wedding and they both believed he would make it at AFL level.
But it didn't happen.

So, before you lay into past players or present players, whether they be stars or journeymen, remember it's a tough comp and not everyone who deserves to make it makes it.

Western Cat, that's a useful contribution to this thread.

I should point out that while there's definitely a fair degree of fun being made of the players listed there's certainly no malice intended by posters here.

The title - "forgettables" - on my reading is meant to reflect that it is easy to forget these blokes who came onto the scene briefly but disappeared for whatever reason. It is NOT meant to mean that we should forget these players.

I don't think anyone here underestimates what it takes to even make it onto an AFL list, let alone to make something of that career. Sadly, there will always be those players that don't go on to bigger and better things and I guess they can either be forgotten forever or brought up on occasions such as this.

Hope the boy Daniel does well in whatever life brings him from here on in.

 

[tommahawk_07]

tom lonergan

 

[sarah.13]

Shane Hamilton,played in 89 grand final,looked like being a great little player and then disappeared.

 

[Selwood07]

Western Cat - I endorse those who said we are not maligning these players - you could do the same in show-business or any field. We are making fun of ourselves really. Brett Spinks came with such a fantastic reputation - he was a wheat farmer, I believe, and "could heave a bag of wheat some enormous distance" - this in itself was self-mocking as wheat hasn't been bagged for yonks. Then, when he started to play for us, opponents found he was top heavy (like a wheat bag) and would knock him out of the contest at shoulder height knowing that he would go over and it would take him forever to get up. He became the butt of jokes partly because of this - "He kicks goals with all the skill of a bag of wheat!"
Nothing personal - he was simply not the footballer we thought we were getting - and we laugh about our delusions as much as his failings.

 

[catters05]

Craig Biddiscombe - promised so much,delivered so little.Thankfully we suckered Richmond into taking him

hahaha Richmond r so shit.

 

[Generalissimo]

Scott Bamford
Tristan Lynch

 

[tommahawk_07]

martin mckinnon

 

[Stripey PJs]

So, before you lay into past players or present players, whether they be stars or journeymen, remember it's a tough comp and not everyone who deserves to make it makes it.

Especially when one's competing with M.Scarlett for a place.
"Fearless Foster" ('scuse the Al Mac reference) was picked at 23, so clearly he was rated by the club. Getting drafted ahead of Chappy, Ling, Gia and Rhino, etc, is something to hang your hat on.

Excellent post, Western Cat, thanks for the reminder.
(and nice reply, Diablo)

 

[azyboy]

Tanner was a regular until he did his knee. Then he apparently developed a serious drinking problem and was never seen again. Up to that point I thought he was a more than handy player.

Simon Fletcher played for Carlton not Richmond too if i'm not mistaken.

Actually I think he played for both (fletcher)

 

[Just do something]

Actually I think he played for both (fletcher)

I cant belive no-one has mentioned Michael Schultz he was a very awkward player. Matt Spencer reminds me of him actually.

 

[krisholio14]

I cant belive no-one has mentioned Michael Schultz he was a very awkward player. Matt Spencer reminds me of him actually.

Schulze was an 80's player. If we are going back that far, I have to mention the name of Craig Alderdice.

 

[Just do something]

Schulze was an 80's player. If we are going back that far, I have to mention the name of Craig Alderdice.

The praying mantace he went ok. What about Peter Johnson could take a mark couldnt kick for peanuts.

 

[chapmanmagic35]

Joel McKay

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

What about Paul Lynch? He's definitely in Western Cat's 'cut-down-and-nearly forgotten-through-injury' type players. Played in the 90's in the forward line. The guy could and should have been a champion. Dodgy hammys and maybe even the dreaded OP cut this guy down.

 

[krisholio14]

What about Paul Lynch? He's definitely in Western Cat's 'cut-down-and-nearly forgotten-through-injury' type players. Played in the 90's in the forward line. The guy could and should have been a champion. Dodgy hammys and maybe even the dreaded OP cut this guy down.

When I was reflecting on the words of WesternCat the other day, Lynchy was the first player that came to mind. In 1997, Dermott Brereton rated him in the best 10 players in the comp when fit. Alas, those hammies! I remember him in the 97 QF, (in which Carey put us out of business), where he was keeping us in it to half time, then the hammy went again, and that was his evening over, and the teams too as it transpired.

In 2000, he started the year off in red hot form (including a matchwinning display against the Dockers in Perth), before he was again injured in round 7. Had 11 goals from 6 games to that stage. Came back into the VFL side and was showing red hot form there, playing particularly well in the first final, before the hammies went again. He never graced the field for us again at any level.

His hammies were so shot, when he went back to the Geelong league to captain/coach, he lasted all of two games before they went again. He at last pulled the pin.

Damn shame really, because he was a very talented footballer who had a 200 game career ahead of him. From 1993 to 2000 he only managed 62 games. We kept him on the list year after year hoping his legs would come good, even tho he wasn't playing. In the end his body just wouldn't allow it.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Yeah, I've yet to see another player with the chronic hamstring tears Lynchy had - what happened to him was nothing short of cruel. Nobody's fault, but these things happen I guess. In my own mind, I'd sort-of 'adopted' him while he was playing - I really wanted him to step into the post-Ablett breech up forward and kick some arse.

He would've done it, too...

 

[azyboy]

When I was reflecting on the words of WesternCat the other day, Lynchy was the first player that came to mind. In 1997, Dermott Brereton rated him in the best 10 players in the comp when fit. Alas, those hammies! I remember him in the 97 QF, (in which Carey put us out of business), where he was keeping us in it to half time, then the hammy went again, and that was his evening over, and the teams too as it transpired.

In 2000, he started the year off in red hot form (including a matchwinning display against the Dockers in Perth), before he was again injured in round 7. Had 11 goals from 6 games to that stage. Came back into the VFL side and was showing red hot form there, playing particularly well in the first final, before the hammies went again. He never graced the field for us again at any level.

His hammies were so shot, when he went back to the Geelong league to captain/coach, he lasted all of two games before they went again. He at last pulled the pin.

Damn shame really, because he was a very talented footballer who had a 200 game career ahead of him. From 1993 to 2000 he only managed 62 games. We kept him on the list year after year hoping his legs would come good, even tho he wasn't playing. In the end his body just wouldn't allow it.

Left Colac and went to Lara to captain coach where he led them to a premiership in 2002, starring in the GF (fittingly played at KP) kicking 6 goals despite St Josephs trying to knock his head off. Went on to captain coach Portarlington and is currently plying his trade for Leopold.

 

[krisholio14]

Left Colac and went to Lara to captain coach where he led them to a premiership in 2002, starring in the GF (fittingly played at KP) kicking 6 goals despite St Josephs trying to knock his head off. Went on to captain coach Portarlington and is currently plying his trade for Leopold.

Marvellous to hear. I thought he blew a hammy out at Lara and decided to can it.

 

[94_Eagles]

What is Merriman's Christian name?