- Aug 13, 2014
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- #1
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.
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.