Hard bastards

[Bunk Moreland]

Watching all these old games, it’s one facet of those great teams that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Watching the comeback game against North

Solomon
Johnson M
Johnson J
Moorcroft
Hardwick
Barnard

Players who loved taking the body as much as the ball. You can tell in the bumps and tackles how much they loved the contest.

I don’t mean in a sniping fashion (though they all probably had that in them), just hitting the contest.

Is it something we’re really missing in today’s side?

Who have we got to make the opposition look over their shoulder? Smith maybe? Tippa? Ambrose?

That’s all I can really think of.

Or is it not required today?

 

[yodellinhank]

There was this one time Langford just ran straight off to the interchange.

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

I'm a hard bastard just watching these blokes.

 

[yodellinhank]

It was the whole idea of Townsend i think.

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

And the class on the outside of these grunt players is amazing...Mecuri, Hird, Caracella, Rama & co. Incredible.

 

[DapperJong]

I watched that game too and I was like lolnorf

 

[Darealrath]

Watching all these old games, it’s one facet of those great teams that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Watching the comeback game against North

Solomon
Johnson M
Johnson J
Moorcroft
Hardwick
Barnard

Players who loved taking the body as much as the ball. You can tell in the bumps and tackles how much they loved the contest.

I don’t mean in a sniping fashion (though they all probably had that in them), just hitting the contest.

Is it something we’re really missing in today’s side?

Who have we got to make the opposition look over their shoulder? Smith maybe? Tippa? Ambrose?

That’s all I can really think of.

Or is it not required today?

Stringer and Bellchambers perhaps, at a stretch.

Reckon its required but it's just one part of a complex recipe; going all in on it won't get you very far if you don't have players who can hit targets, run both ways, stick to the game plan etc.

 

[Run and carry]

Definitely not an enforcer but Dylan Clarke loves the physical nature of the game.

 

[Zach Package]

I forgot how explosive Jason Johnson was.

Dude was basically the proto Chris Judd

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

I forgot how explosive Jason Johnson was.

Dude was basically the proto Chris Judd

My 19 year old was watching and half an hour or so in....he was like..who is this JJ? Fair to say he was very impressed by his game. Which was an outstanding game at that.

 

[Seagrave_Holmes]

Elliot Kavanagh & Nick O'Brien back in the day.

But seriously, Patty Ambrose from the current team. Still remember that spear tackle on Brad Hill in the dying seconds of the match against the Hawkes.

 

[ant555]

Watching all these old games, it’s one facet of those great teams that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Watching the comeback game against North

Solomon
Johnson M
Johnson J
Moorcroft
Hardwick
Barnard

Players who loved taking the body as much as the ball. You can tell in the bumps and tackles how much they loved the contest.

I don’t mean in a sniping fashion (though they all probably had that in them), just hitting the contest.

Is it something we’re really missing in today’s side?

Who have we got to make the opposition look over their shoulder? Smith maybe? Tippa? Ambrose?

That’s all I can really think of.

Or is it not required today?

I think it is still required to a degree.

 

[Darealrath]

I forgot how explosive Jason Johnson was.

Dude was basically the proto Chris Judd

He was such a bull. That goal against north where he doesn't even bother sidestepping and just runs through the tackler is one of my all time favourites.

 

[rumply]

Team needs more Devon Smith agro.

 

[NAB777]

Most great sides over the years have had a hard edge.

 

[blitzer]

This gets brought up every now and again but honestly our team suffers more from a lack of superstars than a lack of hardness. We already have blokes that would be lauded as tough competitors (Ambrose, Smith, Tippa, Townsend, Stringer, Hurley) if we had the superstars to lift the team up to the top of the ladder. How long has it been since we've had a genuine out and out top 5-10 player in the comp? Its really just Watson and he was only at that level for about 3 years (was a good top 25-50 player for longer). Daniher was the bloke who looked to have the trajectory but injuries have derailed him. Merrett has threatened at times but again is more of a top 30 player than top 5-10 unless he can take his game to another level consistently.

Our previous teams had Hird, Lloyd, Fletcher, Mercuri etc who were not only stars but who performed at a high level for many seasons.

 

[eth-dog]

Townsend is as hard as they come.

Mason Redman has a lot of campaigner about him.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Barry Young went ok, or Dean Wallis

 

[ghostdog]

Tough guys no one is mentioning. Not the most skilful, but tough. I thought Adam McPhee was tough. Solomon was tough.
I liked Pevers and Sam Lonergan. Courtney Dempsey wouldn't flinch a front on tackle and Hank Slattery didn't seem to understand that he could be hurt sometimes. Nick Kommer would go at a pack like a madman at times. Not sure if there's much the distinguishes tough from courageous. They probably overlap there somewhere.

 

[Ambrosia]

Players who I say who benefit the side with their hardness/temperament/super competitive nature are:

Hard Nuts/No concern for their safety or the oppositions; Townsend, Guelfi, Ambrose

Enjoy Laying out the opposition: Stringer, Tippa, Bellchambers, Mckernan, Smith, Redman

Above league average toughness: Hurley & Hooker

Too early to tell but shown good signs: Snelling, McBride, Draper, Mosquito

 

[eth-dog]

Players who I say who benefit the side with their hardness/temperament/super competitive nature are:

Hard Nuts/No concern for their safety or the oppositions; Townsend, Guelfi, Ambrose

Enjoy Laying out the opposition: Stringer, Tippa, Bellchambers, Mckernan, Smith, Redman

Above league average toughness: Hurley & Hooker

Too early to tell but shown good signs: Snelling, McBride, Draper, Mosquito

I'd 100% put Redman in the top category. He genuinely wants to hurt the oppo

 

[srobbo]

Stringer and Bellchambers perhaps, at a stretch.

lol a very very very very big stretch.

 

[Albertross]

We need a modern day version of Merv Neagle, ****ing loved that guy. Don't think I ever saw him take a backward step.

Mark Johnson was another. Can't remember who it was against now, but I do recall an incident when he told a player to "get up you weak campaigner" after he was fairly, or not so fairly, put on his ass. Memory is vague so I cant recall if he gave away a free for his choice of words or copped a 50. Maybe someone else can help with that.

Dev has a bit of mongrel in him (undisciplined at times), as does Redman. We need a few more though. Nothing wrong with asserting some authority in a match, as long as it's not detrimental to the team.

 

[Pweter]

We need a modern day version of Merv Neagle, ******* loved that guy. Don't think I ever saw him take a backward step.

Mark Johnson was another. Can't remember who it was against now, but I do recall an incident when he told a player to "get up you weak campaigner" after he was fairly, or not so fairly, put on his ass. Memory is vague so I cant recall if he gave away a free for his choice of words or copped a 50. Maybe someone else can help with that.

Dev has a bit of mongrel in him (undisciplined at times), as does Redman. We need a few more though. Nothing wrong with asserting some authority in a match, as long as it's not detrimental to the team.

Merv and Dippa going toe to toe was awesome in that 83 - 85 period. Both tough as nails in both general play and the biff, but both highly skilled wingmen.

The Mark Johnson incident you're talking about was against Sydney though I can't recall who he upended.

It's hard having that tough element these days, it's such a fine line between a legit bump/hit/tackle and one that draws the ire of the MRP.

 

[Ambrosia]

lol a very very very very big stretch.

Yeah definitely not someone who you would describe as tough or hard at it. Does like to throw his weight around a bit though.