Hawks 2013 forward line

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QuietB

QuietB

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Was this the greatest forward line of all time?

Buddy - 1,066 goals
Rough - 578 goals
Gunston - 450 goals*
Cyril - 275 goals
Puopolo - 185 goals
Breust - 520 goals*

Most of these guys were a complete menace defensively.

Breust might be the most underrated player in AFL history.

All of them were elite at ground level (maybe not Gunston but he held his own).
 
There are 5 AA's and 2 Coleman medallists in that Frwd 50 and another with the best Frwd Press player in the comp for a few years! İncredible talent .
 

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Even though we didn't win the Grand Final the 1985 team looks pretty imposing.

Leigh Matthews - 915 goals (202 Brownlow votes and somehow never won it - 2 B&F, 1 ALFPA MVP - 4 Premierships)
Gary Buckenara - 293 goals (3 All Australian, 4 premierships) - did not play GF 1985
Jason Dunstall - 1254 goals (3 Colemans, 4 B&F, 1 ALFPA MVP, 2 All Australian, 4 Premierships)
Dermott Brererton - 464 Goals (1 B&F, 1 AA, 5 Premierships)
Peter Knights - 201 Goals (3 Premierships) - did not play GF 1985.
John Kennedy - 210 goals (4 Premierships)

Other players of note in that team include
John Platten - 228 goals (1 Magarey, 5 AA, 2 B&F, 1 Brownlow, 4 Premierships)
Michael Tuck - 320 goals (2 AA, 7 premierships)
Robert Dipierdomenico - 130 goals ( 1 Brownlow, 5 Premierships)
Ken Judge - 176 goals (1 Premiership) (Actually named on the half forward line for the 1985 GF)
Terry Wallace -123 goals (4 B&F - 2 at Footscray 2 at Hawks, 1 AA Footscray, 3 Premierships)
Gary Ayres - 70 golas (2 Norm Smith, 1 B&F, 5 Premierships)
Chris Mew - 21 goals (5 Premierships)
Peter Shwab - 38 golas (3 Premierships)
Rodney Eade - (4 Premierships)
 
Last edited:
Ugottabjokin said:
Even though we didn't win the Grand Final the 1985 team looks pretty imposing.

Leigh Matthews - 915 goals (202 Brownlow votes and somehow never won it - 2 B&F, 1 ALFPA MVP - 4 Premierships)
Gary Buckenara - 293 goals (3 All Australian, 4 premierships) - did not play GF 1985
Jason Dunstall - 1254 goals (3 Colemans, 4 B&F, 1 ALFPA MVP, 2 All Australian, 4 Premierships)
Dermott Brererton - 464 Goals (1 B&F, 1 AA, 5 Premierships)
Peter Knights - 201 Goals (3 Premierships) - did not play GF 1985.
John Kennedy - 210 goals (4 Premierships)

Other players of note in that team include
John Platten - 228 goals (1 Magarey, 5 AA, 2 B&F, 1 Brownlow, 4 Premierships)
Michael Tuck - 320 goals (2 AA, 7 premierships)
Robert Dipierdomenico - 130 goals ( 1 Brownlow, 5 Premierships)
Ken Judge - 176 goals (1 Premiership) (Actually named on the half forward line for the 1985 GF)
Terry Wallace -123 goals (4 B&F - 2 at Footscray 2 at Hawks, 1 AA Footscray, 3 Premierships)
Gary Ayres - 70 golas (2 Norm Smith, 1 B&F, 5 Premierships)
Chris Mew - 21 goals (5 Premierships)
Peter Shwab - 38 golas (3 Premierships)
Rodney Eade - (4 Premierships)
Click to expand...
Agree the 85 forward line is extraordinary, certainly on paper.

The issue with them is that it’s probably only peak Brereton (8 goals in a losing GF) and maybe Kennedy.

From memory Bucky was still recovering from his knee reconstruction around that time (can’t remember), while Matthews, Knights and Dunstall were either at the very end or very beginning of their careers.

Platten arrived the following year. And, as you imply, Ken Judge was more than handy in the forward line.

We had ridiculous talent throughout that decade.
 
Ugottabjokin said:
Even though we didn't win the Grand Final the 1985 team looks pretty imposing.

Leigh Matthews - 915 goals (202 Brownlow votes and somehow never won it - 2 B&F, 1 ALFPA MVP - 4 Premierships)
Gary Buckenara - 293 goals (3 All Australian, 4 premierships) - did not play GF 1985
Jason Dunstall - 1254 goals (3 Colemans, 4 B&F, 1 ALFPA MVP, 2 All Australian, 4 Premierships)
Dermott Brererton - 464 Goals (1 B&F, 1 AA, 5 Premierships)
Peter Knights - 201 Goals (3 Premierships) - did not play GF 1985.
John Kennedy - 210 goals (4 Premierships)

Other players of note in that team include
John Platten - 228 goals (1 Magarey, 5 AA, 2 B&F, 1 Brownlow, 4 Premierships)
Michael Tuck - 320 goals (2 AA, 7 premierships)
Robert Dipierdomenico - 130 goals ( 1 Brownlow, 5 Premierships)
Ken Judge - 176 goals (1 Premiership) (Actually named on the half forward line for the 1985 GF)
Terry Wallace -123 goals (4 B&F - 2 at Footscray 2 at Hawks, 1 AA Footscray, 3 Premierships)
Gary Ayres - 70 golas (2 Norm Smith, 1 B&F, 5 Premierships)
Chris Mew - 21 goals (5 Premierships)
Peter Shwab - 38 golas (3 Premierships)
Rodney Eade - (4 Premierships)
Click to expand...
leigh Matthews won 8 b&f
 
Tall poppy Syndrome said:
Agree the 85 forward line is extraordinary, certainly on paper.

The issue with them is that it’s probably only peak Brereton (8 goals in a losing GF) and maybe Kennedy.

From memory Bucky was still recovering from his knee reconstruction around that time (can’t remember), while Matthews, Knights and Dunstall were either at the very end or very beginning of their careers.

Platten arrived the following year. And, as you imply, Ken Judge was more than handy in the forward line.

We had ridiculous talent throughout that decade.
Click to expand...
The thing that makes 2012 and 2013 so amazing is every single one of them is at their peak.

Buddy 69 & 60
Rough 41 & 72
Gunston 39 & 46
Cyril 39 & 19 (injured)
Breust 49 & 40
Puopolo 24 & 15

All of these guys are in their peak years. 5 of them do it for another 3/4/5/6 years.

It is a crazy good forward line.
 
Ugottabjokin said:
Even though we didn't win the Grand Final the 1985 team looks pretty imposing.

Leigh Matthews - 915 goals (202 Brownlow votes and somehow never won it - 2 B&F, 1 ALFPA MVP - 4 Premierships)
Gary Buckenara - 293 goals (3 All Australian, 4 premierships) - did not play GF 1985
Jason Dunstall - 1254 goals (3 Colemans, 4 B&F, 1 ALFPA MVP, 2 All Australian, 4 Premierships)
Dermott Brererton - 464 Goals (1 B&F, 1 AA, 5 Premierships)
Peter Knights - 201 Goals (3 Premierships) - did not play GF 1985.
John Kennedy - 210 goals (4 Premierships)

Other players of note in that team include
John Platten - 228 goals (1 Magarey, 5 AA, 2 B&F, 1 Brownlow, 4 Premierships)
Michael Tuck - 320 goals (2 AA, 7 premierships)
Robert Dipierdomenico - 130 goals ( 1 Brownlow, 5 Premierships)
Ken Judge - 176 goals (1 Premiership) (Actually named on the half forward line for the 1985 GF)
Terry Wallace -123 goals (4 B&F - 2 at Footscray 2 at Hawks, 1 AA Footscray, 3 Premierships)
Gary Ayres - 70 golas (2 Norm Smith, 1 B&F, 5 Premierships)
Chris Mew - 21 goals (5 Premierships)
Peter Shwab - 38 golas (3 Premierships)
Rodney Eade - (4 Premierships)
Click to expand...
John Platten wasn’t at Hawthorn in 1985
Started in 86
 
Ooops yes Platts 1986.

As a cohesive playing group the 2012/13 the better team, but name wise the 1985 team as a collective will be unsurpassable.
Yes noted that Dunstall at the start of career and Knights/Mattehws at end and Bucky had done his ACL.

Sorry typo on Matthews - 8 BnF ridiculous.
 

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I don't know if others would agree but despite being the lest heralded of the group, in a big game with scores close, I'd want Puopolo kicking a tough set shot 35-40m on an angle, maybe even in a pocket, over all the rest of them.

He seemed to relish it and rise to the occasion.
 
QuietB said:
Was this the greatest forward line of all time?

Buddy - 1,066 goals
Rough - 578 goals
Gunston - 450 goals*
Cyril - 275 goals
Puopolo - 185 goals
Breust - 520 goals*

Most of these guys were a complete menace defensively.

Breust might be the most underrated player in AFL history.

All of them were elite at ground level (maybe not Gunston but he held his own).
Click to expand...
Looking at the list and the total goals displayed like that actually helps me appreciate those players more. I think I took it for granted 10 years ago just how good a lot of our players were
 
Tall poppy Syndrome said:
Agree the 85 forward line is extraordinary, certainly on paper.

The issue with them is that it’s probably only peak Brereton (8 goals in a losing GF) and maybe Kennedy.

From memory Bucky was still recovering from his knee reconstruction around that time (can’t remember), while Matthews, Knights and Dunstall were either at the very end or very beginning of their careers.

Platten arrived the following year. And, as you imply, Ken Judge was more than handy in the forward line.

We had ridiculous talent throughout that decade.
Click to expand...


Correct weight here, perfect summary.

Peak years all of them would have been incredible though!
 
QuietB said:
The thing that makes 2012 and 2013 so amazing is every single one of them is at their peak.

Buddy 69 & 60
Rough 41 & 72
Gunston 39 & 46
Cyril 39 & 19 (injured)
Breust 49 & 40
Puopolo 24 & 15

All of these guys are in their peak years. 5 of them do it for another 3/4/5/6 years.

It is a crazy good forward line.
Click to expand...
Not just crazy talented but such a well balanced forward line as well.

Buddy as the big powerful Full Forward Roughy as the hybrid Key Forward/Ruck/Ruck Rover
Gunners and Bruest as the skilful mid sized forwards
Cyril and Poppy as the small forwards who are as good in the air as they are on the ground and apply excellent forward 50 defensive effort

I think you can pinpoint a turn around in our forward line capacity this year when we started to try and replicate something lik the above (ie adding Ryan as second key forward to help Lewis). Some of the front six combos at the start of the year that had Greene as our power forward were very how to say, "unusual".

To my eye though we are still crying out for a high marking small forward who can also apply pressure. Makes sense that we are chasing Ryan.
 
QuietB said:
The thing that makes 2012 and 2013 so amazing is every single one of them is at their peak.

Buddy 69 & 60
Rough 41 & 72
Gunston 39 & 46
Cyril 39 & 19 (injured)
Breust 49 & 40
Puopolo 24 & 15

All of these guys are in their peak years. 5 of them do it for another 3/4/5/6 years.

It is a crazy good forward line.
Click to expand...


I've been in awe of those names and that group since around the time Buddy left. Five generational talents and a hard edged ball of bouncy muscle who got more than the most out of himself in Poppy.

I can't remember where the footage was, but one of our coaches pointed out how easy it was to be a successful forward line operator in 2013 when you were in charge of that crew.

You look at Freo as good as they were that year, and they just didn't have a chance unless they played perfectly in the GF.

We were good enough to lose the midfield and still win that game on the strength of those forwards and our back 6, which was also exceptional (Lake, Gibson, Burgoyne, Birchall, Stratts).
 
Dipper said:
I don't know if others would agree but despite being the lest heralded of the group, in a big game with scores close, I'd want Puopolo kicking a tough set shot 35-40m on an angle, maybe even in a pocket, over all the rest of them.

He seemed to relish it and rise to the occasion.
Click to expand...
I'd still have Gunston tbh
 
Prototype modern day mobile KPF in Buddy. No one comes close.
Prototype modern day 3rd tall forward in Gunners. Paved the way for the likes of Bailey Fritsch.
Prototype modern day FWD/Ruck/utility in Roughy. Paved the way for the likes of Luke Jackson.
Prototype modern day defensive pressure forward in Poppy. Paved the way for the likes of all the Richmond shitmen.

Plus two all time great small forwards.

Plus we had David Hale rotating in who is still IMO the best ever specialist ruck/fwd in the modern era.

That forward line had the pinnacle - creme de la creme - of their respective player roles in the forward line. I don't think it can be topped at least in the modern era. Many of those players in our 2013 forward line have defined the way forwards play.
 
QuietB said:
Was this the greatest forward line of all time?

Buddy - 1,066 goals
Rough - 578 goals
Gunston - 450 goals*
Cyril - 275 goals
Puopolo - 185 goals
Breust - 520 goals*

Most of these guys were a complete menace defensively.

Breust might be the most underrated player in AFL history.

All of them were elite at ground level (maybe not Gunston but he held his own).
Click to expand...
IMO yes, undoubtedly.
They composed the perfect combination of everything you could want in a forward line and produced peak performance individually, and as a collective.
They looked great on paper, in stats, and in form.

Few non-Hawthorn people will ever recognise their greatness.
 
SSSSSS said:
Prototype modern day mobile KPF in Buddy. No one comes close.
Prototype modern day 3rd tall forward in Gunners. Paved the way for the likes of Bailey Fritsch.
Prototype modern day FWD/Ruck/utility in Roughy. Paved the way for the likes of Luke Jackson.
Prototype modern day defensive pressure forward in Poppy. Paved the way for the likes of all the Richmond shitmen.

Plus two all time great small forwards.

Plus we had David Hale rotating in who is still IMO the best ever specialist ruck/fwd in the modern era.

That forward line had the pinnacle - creme de la creme - of their respective player roles in the forward line. I don't think it can be topped at least in the modern era. Many of those players in our 2013 forward line have defined the way forwards play.
Click to expand...
You forgot the prototype Cyril who paved they way for...........Cyril
 
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