It saddens me how criminally underrated Dermott Brereton's career has become.

B0SK

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A disturbing trend I've noticed in recent years is for football 'experts' like Mike Sheahan and members of the public to woefully underrate Dermott Brereton's career.
It would tickle me with amusement if it didn't happen so often these days, but when I see folks rating Brereton lower than other CHFs like Grant, Loewe, Kernahan, Riewoldt, Brown & Tredrea all I can do is shake my head and sigh.

I'm not going to waffle on (much) about why Dermott Brereton has a legitimate claim to being the greatest CHF to ever play the game. Instead i'll jot down a few points to help those of you who witnessed his wonderful career to remember how special he was.

He played his first game aged 17, in a final, and kicked 5 goals. He kicked 8 goals in a losing grand final.
He was the toughest, meanest player in the toughest, meanest team football has ever known.
He was supremely talented but often sacrificed his own game to bring others into the play.
He was the most feared enforcer in the league, essential to protecting guys like Platten & Pritchard.
No player since has ever had an on-field presence like Brereton. Not Carey, not anyone.

Brereton had it all. Supreme marking & kicking skills, incredible football brain, quick for his size, amazing strength, absolute fearlessness, brute aggression, but most of all it was his sheer personality and the way he strutted around like he owned the entire ground that made him unique.

Its no coincidence when Brereton's body started failing him in the early 90s we stopped winning premierships.
When he played well the entire team walked taller. Nearest thing I've seen to it was with Carey at North, but Carey was not a natural showman like Brereton was. Technically a better player perhaps, but football is a form of entertainment not a science.

Yeah, we all know he drinks his own bathwater and can barely pause long enough between bouts of self-promotion to draw breath (no wonder he and Eddie are mates!) but its blatantly unfair to let his post-football personality negatively colour his amazing career at Hawthorn.


Here's what Youtube clips I could dig up on the great man.





 
Feb 24, 2013
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He was the toughest, meanest player in the toughest, meanest team football has ever known.


]

Got no problem with the gist of your premise BOSK....But this line here.....NO, not even close!

The 60's 70's put the 80's to shame for tough & fearless eras, teams & footballers.....The 71 side would smack the 80's sides off the park for meanness & toughness....All of Bremner, Matthews, Bussell & Scott wouldn't take an ounce of s**t off 'The Kid'!...Hell, Big Al would just sit on him.

Perhaps if you stipulated the context as within your footballing memory, then that would cut the mustard!

But yeah...'The Kid' was likely our best BIG game player.... Alongsides of "The Big Dipper though!
 

B0SK

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Got no problem with the gist of your premise BOSK....But this line here.....NO, not even close!

The 60's 70's put the 80's to shame for tough & fearless eras, teams & footballers.....The 71 side would smack the 80's sides off the park for meanness & toughness....All of Bremner, Matthews, Bussell & Scott wouldn't take an ounce of s**t off 'The Kid'!...Hell, Big Al would just sit on him.

Perhaps if you stipulated the context as within your footballing memory, then that would cut the mustard!

But yeah...'The Kid' was likely our best BIG game player.... Alongsides of "The Big Dipper though!
I'm not doubting you Procrastinator.

I started following footy in the 80s and it'd be foolish of me to compare Brereton to guys I never saw play.
Sadly the kids of today are in the same boat when it comes to Dermie himself and that's one reason I get so annoyed to see him not being given his proper dues as one of the greatest ever. If we aren't careful these youngsters will grow up without realizing why he became so famous in the first place.
 
Feb 24, 2013
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I'm not doubting you Procrastinator.

I started following footy in the 80s and it'd be foolish of me to compare Brereton to guys I never saw play.
Sadly the kids of today are in the same boat when it comes to Dermie himself and that's one reason I get so annoyed to see him not being given his proper dues as one of the greatest ever. If we aren't careful these youngsters will grow up without realizing why he became so famous in the first place.

Yeah fair enuf mate....As to those 5 he kicked in the First Semi Against Norf as a 17 year old on debut....They were all put down his throat & delivered on a platter courtesy of Barney!.... Who tore Norf to shreds that day in his last ever game starting as a Rover.

Barney & Knightsy weren't too bad on the big stage either, let me give you the drum!

But yeah,....5 Premierships to Derm = Brown's 3 & Carey's 2 combined....Probs best to remind people THAT way I reckon!....Even Royce Hart, the CHF of the 20th Century only has 4 in his cupboard playing the toughest possie on the ground.
 

Hodginator

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I don't think you'll find too many people around here who think otherwise. You should copy and paste your post to thread about Mikes top 50 on the main board and have a laugh at others arguing about how Riewoldt and Tredrea are better.
 

B&GBlood

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The kids probably think Derm is like Luke Darcy, a football nobody who gets his head on the teevee and they think he is famous for being famous like so many Kardashians
 
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Aw. don't be sad. Here's an emoji to cheer you up: :rainbow:

Yeah....That was worth it!:rolleyes:

You Sure your not an opposition poster masquerading under a Hawk Alias?

270 Posts in 7 years & you come up with this!:drunk:
horse s**t.png
 

Mitchell19

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A disturbing trend I've noticed in recent years is for football 'experts' like Mike Sheahan and members of the public to woefully underrate Dermott Brereton's career.
It would tickle me with amusement if it didn't happen so often these days, but when I see folks rating Brereton lower than other CHFs like Grant, Loewe, Kernahan, Riewoldt, Brown & Tredrea all I can do is shake my head and sigh.

I'm not going to waffle on (much) about why Dermott Brereton has a legitimate claim to being the greatest CHF to ever play the game. Instead i'll jot down a few points to help those of you who witnessed his wonderful career to remember how special he was.

He played his first game aged 17, in a final, and kicked 5 goals. He kicked 8 goals in a losing grand final.
He was the toughest, meanest player in the toughest, meanest team football has ever known.
He was supremely talented but often sacrificed his own game to bring others into the play.
He was the most feared enforcer in the league, essential to protecting guys like Platten & Pritchard.
No player since has ever had an on-field presence like Brereton. Not Carey, not anyone.

Brereton had it all. Supreme marking & kicking skills, incredible football brain, quick for his size, amazing strength, absolute fearlessness, brute aggression, but most of all it was his sheer personality and the way he strutted around like he owned the entire ground that made him unique.

Its no coincidence when Brereton's body started failing him in the early 90s we stopped winning premierships.
When he played well the entire team walked taller. Nearest thing I've seen to it was with Carey at North, but Carey was not a natural showman like Brereton was. Technically a better player perhaps, but football is a form of entertainment not a science.

Yeah, we all know he drinks his own bathwater and can barely pause long enough between bouts of self-promotion to draw breath (no wonder he and Eddie are mates!) but its blatantly unfair to let his post-football personality negatively colour his amazing career at Hawthorn.


Here's what Youtube clips I could dig up on the great man.







I'd be really surprised if anyone thinks he rates lower than these CHF's. If your basing it on the Mike Sheahan top 50 feedback i'm pretty sure no one is mentioning Derm because he wouldn't qualify. (had to play 100 games in the 90's)

Sorry if I've misread your reasoning though. If it is a commonly held view then I pity those fools. He (and Dunstall) are the reason I barrack for this great club so I'd be annoyed if he was underrated that criminally.
 
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Might be because he was done relatively early in his career, even for a CHF. Can't think of any other reasons, he was even a very marketable player, didn't fly under the radar, was the face of TipTop, a larger than life character, followed up with a media career. No reason to be overlooked really.
 

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I remember the day the Vics completely spanked the Croweaters at the MCG. Derm started on the bench. With a forward line that included Dunstall, Lockett, and Ablett, he was a handy one to bring in as a shock player.

Every week, with no exception, opposition supporters would bay for his blood. They hated him with a passion usually reserved for a dodgy drunken Uncle. But this day, when he ran onto the "G", 85,000 Victorians finally got to do what they'd always wanted to do and scream and yell their guts out for the biggest player in the game.

Then Andy Collins tackled Tony Hall...
 
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You are spot-on Bosk.
Dermie turned games; he won games; he was the ultimate competitor.
Centre Half Forward was by far the hardest position to play in his time.
I just loved the way he played.
I know Allan Jeans loved the way he played as well.
He is just so under-rated. For an extravert he is very modest about his playing days.
 
Dermie was a great footballer. Football media for me, are like bonsai practitioners: they do this weird thing, where they take something, make it small by obsessing over it, bending it to their personality and whims, then proudly putting it out in the world as something 'major', imbued with their dark-art craft and knowledge. Actually, they're more like bonsai opinion practitioners. That's Mike to a tee.
 

MistyAvalon

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i loved watching him...............hell i loved watching most players at the time..as you can probably guess by my avi
 

OneEyedHawk

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Could not agree more. Sure, Derm is acknowledged by many as being a great of the game...but I've said on this site numerous times over the years that I fear that his..ah, polarising, nature in the media will or already has significantly detracted from his standing in the game.

People may find him annoying, and yes he does enjoy talking about himself, but he was an absolute killer on the field. Completely exquisite skills, and as legitimately brave and tough as anyone. The best CHF I've seen in 39 years, outside of the King of course.
 
Dermie was a great footballer. Football media for me, are like bonsai practitioners: they do this weird thing, where they take something, make it small by obsessing over it, bending it to their personality and whims, then proudly putting it out in the world as something 'major', imbued with their dark-art craft and knowledge. Actually, they're more like bonsai opinion practitioners. That's Mike to a tee.
Great analogy! Though, as fans on a forum you could argue the same applies to some of us!
 
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