John Greening 50 years ago today - 8 July 1972

[greening22]

Round 9 1972 vs Geelong = 46 disposals, 6 goals.
Round 10 1972 vs South Melbourne = 45 disposals, 4 goals.

Remarkable stats even in this day and age. Very sad what happened only a few weeks later.

We were robbed one of our greatest talents fulfilling his full potential.

You have forgotten his 50 disposals against Geelong at Victoria Park in Round 7 of 1971. Not bad for a 20 year old alternating between the wing & ruck-roving. Then again there was also his 7 goals against Carlton at Princess Park in 1969 when was just 18 years old & playing as a young ruck-rover. By the way, I was there at Moorabbin with a few mates on that day of infamy & I can tell you all that it was a very volatile atmosphere not only during the game but especially on the walk back to the local train station. O'Dea should have been banned for life as well as he should have been facing criminal assault charges. I have no doubt that he would have won the Brownlow in 1972 & ultimately gone onto captain Collingwood. Even in 1977 he would have only been 26 & more likely than not hitting his peak. It still makes me incredibly sad when I think of that entire situation. Bye.

 

[greening22]

Saints have been cursed ever since

Scumbags!

 

[greening22]

WTF???

We've forgiven the Japanese, and even the f**king Germans - yet you think it's even remotely reasonable for some stupid old dicktards to be sobbing in their Metamucil about an incident on a footy ground 50 years ago??!! FFS.

It's borderline psychotic behaviour.

Well-made you were not there. Moreover, having had 3 relatives who fought the Japanese & saw what they did to hundreds of Australians on the Sandakan Death March - as well as the Rape of Nanking & the thousands of atrocities on the Thai-Burma Railway & the treatment of Allied POW's in place such as Changi & the mass massacres in Manila in 1945 - but I have not forgiven them. Plus, I will certainly not forget. Finally, you know where you can stick your muesli with your asinine comments, pal! Somewhere where the sun does not shine!

 

[Back One Out]

Complete garbage

Nope

 

[Red Bull]

Same year that Essendon thug, Roger Merrett ruptured one of Kelvin Moore's testicles with a squirrel grip

Fun times.

Here’s the king of the squirrel grip



Libba might have been up for it too along with a bit of eye gouging …

 

[Atomboy]

The game is better for stamping out the behind the play hits regardless of what people like Rex Hunt think, but if the rumored reason for Leigh Matthew's hit on Bruns are true then its a different situation to what happened to John Greening.

Can you expand on the reason, I haven’t heard that context before ?.

 

[Borisdog]

It happened so early in the game and well behind the play, it's inconceivable that it wasn't premeditated. Too many of those style of incidents happened happened over the years under the watch of a certain coach.

Coppers.

The filthiest, dirtiest snipers there ever was.

 

[Munga]

Sheesh, some people going around with a chip on their shoulder here.
Thuggery is terrible inside and outside the sport, but thousands of punches have been thrown in this sport alone, unjustified, in-play, behind play... thousands. It sounds like Greening got unlucky. I'm not condoning it at all, just acknowledging the reality of the game in the past.
I'd be very disappointed if O'Dea didn't apologise to Greening. But holding against the club and it's supporters? Some of you probably need counselling, seriously. I suppose it would've been scary seeing that as a kid.

 

[Maggie Greg]

You have forgotten his 50 disposals against Geelong at Victoria Park in Round 7 of 1971. Not bad for a 20 year old alternating between the wing & ruck-roving. Then again there was also his 7 goals against Carlton at Princess Park in 1969 when was just 18 years old & playing as a young ruck-rover. By the way, I was there at Moorabbin with a few mates on that day of infamy & I can tell you all that it was a very volatile atmosphere not only during the game but especially on the walk back to the local train station. O'Dea should have been banned for life as well as he should have been facing criminal assault charges. I have no doubt that he would have won the Brownlow in 1972 & ultimately gone onto captain Collingwood. Even in 1977 he would have only been 26 & more likely than not hitting his peak. It still makes me incredibly sad when I think of that entire situation. Bye.

This is my article about the Geelong game in Round 9 1972

Greening dominates Round 9 1972

 

[Blue1980]

...forgot that one.
Add it to the list.

Dermie on van der haar 89 second semi

 

[Eddie Van Halen]

Karma still biting the 'Aints on the arse 50 years later.
Hopefully this sad excuse of a loser club has many more years of mediocrity.

 

[Bombermania]

Can you expand on the reason, I haven’t heard that context before ?.

The rumor I've heard from Hawthorn people and its just a rumor but the story goes that Bruns was going the squirrel grip.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

Wouldn't surprise me at all if Sheedy ordered TD to knock out Gavin Brown in the 1990 GF or worse, Michael Long almost paralyzing Troy Simmons in the 2000 GF, which for me, was the biggest dog act still in my life following footy (I am 42)

 

[Sky]

Wouldn't surprise me at all if Sheedy ordered TD to knock out Gavin Brown in the 1990 GF or worse, Michael Long almost paralyzing Troy Simmons in the 2000 GF, which for me, was the biggest dog act still in my life following footy (I am 42)

Went to school with Michael Long’s daughter, dunno about him but her mum is a really nice woman.

First GF I remember watching as a kid was 04, I knew Farmer had played for Melbourne before Freo but not Simmonds. Learn something every day.

 

[Scroater]

The rumor I've heard from Hawthorn people and its just a rumor but the story goes that Bruns was going the squirrel grip.

Wasn't Leigh Matthew's brother playing at Geelong and it had something to do with him???

 

[pz5151]

O'Dea really should have been charged by the police and spent time in Gaol (was before my time, but been told by many old time footy fans it was the biggest dog act ever.

Poor John Greening. Deserved better and I don't believe he ever got real justice for whatever happened to him..

See post above about him being a cop as to why he didn't.

 

[windyhill]

Wouldn't surprise me at all if Sheedy ordered TD to knock out Gavin Brown in the 1990 GF or worse, Michael Long almost paralyzing Troy Simmons in the 2000 GF, which for me, was the biggest dog act still in my life following footy (I am 42)

Long was bashed from pillar to post his whole career. The Simmonds hit was a shocker. Long had felt Essendon were losing concentration and took it upon himself to “fly the flag” It was so out of context to what was happening on the scoreboard at the time of that game. When you get pure ball players trying to “fly the flag” you will often get this awkward looking outcome.

 

[Catsace]

Wasn't Leigh Matthew's brother playing at Geelong and it had something to do with him???

Kelvin Matthew's last year at Geelong was 1982.

 

[iameviljez]

Sheesh, some people going around with a chip on their shoulder here.
Thuggery is terrible inside and outside the sport, but thousands of punches have been thrown in this sport alone, unjustified, in-play, behind play... thousands. It sounds like Greening got unlucky. I'm not condoning it at all, just acknowledging the reality of the game in the past.
I'd be very disappointed if O'Dea didn't apologise to Greening. But holding against the club and it's supporters? Some of you probably need counselling, seriously. I suppose it would've been scary seeing that as a kid.

I agree. It’s awful, but no club was above throwing a haymaker in the 70s, and certainly Collingwood were no choirboys.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

The tension between McKenna and Jeans was palpable in this clip after the Matthews and Bruns incident in '85.

McKenna never forgot what happened 13 years earlier.

I've seen that clip a few times before, but never really considered the context of the history between McKenna and Jeans. Really interesting. Lucky they had Jack Dyer for the pissy sponsor's plug at the end, tough crowd for anyone else to stroll in on.

 

[Seedsfan]

Sheesh, some people going around with a chip on their shoulder here.
Thuggery is terrible inside and outside the sport, but thousands of punches have been thrown in this sport alone, unjustified, in-play, behind play... thousands. It sounds like Greening got unlucky. I'm not condoning it at all, just acknowledging the reality of the game in the past.
I'd be very disappointed if O'Dea didn't apologise to Greening. But holding against the club and it's supporters? Some of you probably need counselling, seriously. I suppose it would've been scary seeing that as a kid.

How is punching someone in the back of the head a mile off the ball “Greening getting a bit unlucky”? Jeans sent him out to knock him out, it shows where the Saints are at that they awarded O’Dea with life membership

 

[Sqotty from office works]

Every year a large group of firends has a social golf tournament on the Gold Coast. We usually retire to the Broadbeach Bowls Club just near the casino for a dinner and some liquid refreshments on one of the days. On the wall is a very large picture of John Greening in his playing days.

One of our guys started chatting with one of the locals about the photo etc and the local chap knew a hell of a lot about it. Our guy then said "you know all about that because you must be John Greening" to which the chap said "yes I am".

Very nice man who holds no remorse about the incident and enjoyed a beer and a laugh with our large group.

There is a green named after John at Broadbeach.
He enters the Australian championship most years with his brother in law Ingo.
Nice blokes and worthy drinking partners.

 

[Munga]

How is punching someone in the back of the head a mile off the ball “Greening getting a bit unlucky”? Jeans sent him out to knock him out, it shows where the Saints are at that they awarded O’Dea with life membership

Unlucky with how he ended up. Pretty common stuff in the past. "Lethal" was awarded just a few things, too. Move on, mate.

 

[Sqotty from office works]

Unlucky with how he ended up. Pretty common stuff in the past. "Lethal" was awarded just a few things, too. Move on, mate.

Leathal actually could play.
Jimmy couldn't.
Leigh also copped plenty.
Thugs like Jimmy were eventually forced from the game,that way purely good class athletes entered the arena and didn't get ran out of game.
One of the best things game achieved.

 

[Gordon Farkas]

Every year a large group of firends has a social golf tournament on the Gold Coast. We usually retire to the Broadbeach Bowls Club just near the casino for a dinner and some liquid refreshments on one of the days. On the wall is a very large picture of John Greening in his playing days.

One of our guys started chatting with one of the locals about the photo etc and the local chap knew a hell of a lot about it. Our guy then said "you know all about that because you must be John Greening" to which the chap said "yes I am".

Very nice man who holds no remorse about the incident and enjoyed a beer and a laugh with our large group.

Does anyone know (or care) what Jim O‘Dea is up to now?

Did the karma bus ever pay him a visit?