Opinion Our favourite Indigenous player since AFL era

[King Corey]

Cable.

All you young whipper snappers out there need to get your hands on a replay of the 1977 Preliminary Final. It was one of the greatest individual performances in the history of this club.

Cable went head to head with the great Leigh Matthews and absolutely destroyed him, helping himself to a lazy 38 touches (including 22 handballs) in the process. Back then, 38 touches would probably be the equivalent of 50+ touches these days. He was everywhere that day.

Imagine all the stationary players he could hit in the back of the head with a bullet handball if he was in our current side?

 

[Gumble Frankieton]

Cable.

All you young whipper snappers out there need to get your hands on a replay of the 1977 Preliminary Final. It was one of the greatest individual performances in the history of this club.

Cable went head to head with the great Leigh Matthews and absolutely destroyed him, helping himself to a lazy 38 touches (including 22 handballs) in the process. Back then, 38 touches would probably be the equivalent of 50+ touches these days. He was everywhere that day.

Not bad for a bloke who was just on the cusp of turning 34!

 

[Hojuman]

Not bad for a bloke who was just on the cusp of turning 34!

Still my all-time favourite North finals win. That handball to Alves.

 

[Gumble Frankieton]

Still my all-time favourite North finals win. That handball to Alves.

I’ve been watching a fair bit of old footy highlights/games on YouTube since the virus. Some great games and fantastic players like Cable, Greig, Shimma, Blight, Jim & Phil etc on to watch. Plus all the great ‘90s action. Highly recommended to anyone that wants a momentary escape from all the gloom.

 

[Hojuman]

I’ve been watching a fair bit of old footy highlights/games on YouTube since the virus. Some great games and fantastic players like Cable, Greig, Shimma, Blight, Jim & Phil etc on to watch. Plus all the great ‘90s action. Highly recommended to anyone that wants a momentary escape from all the gloom.

Bit sad though. You can find full b&w prelims. and semi-finals for big clubs ( Coll, Carl, Rich ) from the late 60's, 70's but very few of ours mid 70's.

 

[Gumble Frankieton]

Bit sad though. You can find full b&w prelims. and semi-finals for big clubs ( Coll, Carl, Rich ) from the late 60's, 70's but very few of ours mid 70's.

Yep, same here. There’s bits and pieces out there.
I’d love to see more of Keith Greig in full flight (before his knee injury especially)

 

[see see]

Still my all-time favourite North finals win. That handball to Alves.

Outside of the premierships, mine too.

It was arguably our finest hour as a club. We went into the game as heavy underdogs having lost something like our last five to the Hawks. They also perceived us to be a bit soft and flashy which was ironic as we had the likes of Croswell, Baker, Breidis, Cassin, Keenan etc who were all seriously tough hombres. Our intensity and speed of ball movement right from the start put them on the back foot and they never recovered. They were totally rattled.

It was the heavyweight championship between the two greatest teams of the era and we won by a resounding KO.

 

[Tas]

I had the pleasure of watching Cable play when I was young, my brother and I wore Jim and Phil's number on our jumpers, it was a joy to watch them play growing up.

I think Winnie's time with us was too brief, he had just the three full seasons with us but he was electric and highlighted you didn't need to get a lot of the footy to be an insanely damaging player. In 1998 he averaged 13.6 disposals but kicked 40 goals, 30 behinds and god knows how many assists or score launches. It is a shame he started his career at Fremantle and he had that terrible knee injury. I think Thomas has the potential to be as good as Abraham as a half forward, he also has the potential to be something more as a midfielder but I am not sure how his development will pan out or if he takes that step, a lot of talented guys have not.

Wells was another player that had amazing skill, was beautiful to watch in full flight but my absolute favourite was Pickett, not only was he a gifted footballer who could play down back, up forward or in the middle, but he had mongrel and put the fear of god into the opposition. He went hard and he went fair, he just mistimed it now and then.

It is a shame he left the club and went to play for Port, I think losing Pickett and Bell were a big part of our downfall as a club, we needed their class at the club and with the compensation we had we completely botched finding adequate replacements. Carey's loss was also significant from a moral/psychological perspective but at least we got Wells out of it thanks to Carlton's cheating exposed.

I am optimistic about the new group, Thomas is very talented and Simpkin has taken a massive leap forward. I think Ahern has a lot of talent but I fear his development has been handled poorly, his confidence looks shot, I think our desire to plug holes in our horrible stodge gameplan has resulted in killing a lot of the natural talent some of our players have and I am concerned about how we develop the rest of the talented kids.

 

[ChoppyGun]

I'm 39 and wasn't born when Cable played that game.

I'm also rapt I'm still considered a "young whipper snapper" by some.

Has made my day see see! Thanks!

 

[ChoppyGun]

Imagine all the stationary players he could hit in the back of the head with a bullet handball if he was in our current side?

You say that like it would be a bad thing?

I'd much rather watch that than our current modus operandi of players continually handballing to a teammates feet from 3 metres away.

 

[Colbys Boots]

Cable.

All you young whipper snappers out there need to get your hands on a replay of the 1977 Preliminary Final. It was one of the greatest individual performances in the history of this club.

Cable went head to head with the great Leigh Matthews and absolutely destroyed him, helping himself to a lazy 38 touches (including 22 handballs) in the process. Back then, 38 touches would probably be the equivalent of 50+ touches these days. He was everywhere that day.

Yep, playing on arguably the greatest player of all time at the end of his greatest season. And Cable tore him a new one.

 

[7577969923]

Cable.

All you young whipper snappers out there need to get your hands on a replay of the 1977 Preliminary Final. It was one of the greatest individual performances in the history of this club.

Cable went head to head with the great Leigh Matthews and absolutely destroyed him, helping himself to a lazy 38 touches (including 22 handballs) in the process. Back then, 38 touches would probably be the equivalent of 50+ touches these days. He was everywhere that day.

Great post! I am just too young to remember Cable. Any idea where we could see that match?

 

[Hojuman]

Great post! I am just too young to remember Cable. Any idea where we could see that match?

On the you-tube mate. Just type her in. Bit grainy. Just watch for that handball at 2.50.

 

[big_e]

1. LT
2. Byron
3. Winnie

HM: Wells, Simpkin

Started following Claremont just after the Krakouers left and started following NMFC after they left - bugger.

 

[Bertie22]

Imagine all the stationary players he could hit in the back of the head with a bullet handball if he was in our current side?

That is what happened in 1970 during his first incarnation. We were awful at that time and he was so far ahead in thinking and skills. I think he finished 4th in the Brownlow that year. Gun. In 1977 I still remember him stab passing (young people need to look that up) from the gasometer wing to a leading Daryl Sutton and hitting him on the chest. I swear Daryl was taken backwards by the impact after a 40 metre bullet pass. Gun.

 

[Colbys Boots]

That is what happened in 1970 during his first incarnation. We were awful at that time and he was so far ahead in thinking and skills. I think he finished 4th in the Brownlow that year. Gun. In 1977 I still remember him stab passing (young people need to look that up) from the gasometer wing to a leading Daryl Sutton and hitting him on the chest. I swear Daryl was taken backwards by the impact after a 40 metre bullet pass. Gun.

Cable was probably the last player in the VFL to execute the stab pass. My dear old dad was an excellent stab passer but it was a skill that definitely wasn't genetic. I'd also suggest that it's easier to stab pass anything other than a Sherrin.

 

[Cyber_punk]

Winston. So many wizardly things from nowhere.

 

[King Corey]

No disrespect to Tarryn but sorry, Winnie was another level up.

60m either foot, mark from any position and could play inside or out.

 

[ChoppyGun]

No disrespect to Tarryn but sorry, Winnie was another level up.

60m either foot, mark from any position and could play inside or out.

Yeah that's fair.

I might add though that I'm not sure another level even exists when Winnie was fit and confident.

 

[ChoppyGun]

Here's a question then based on King Corey assessment. (I agree with)

Winnie our most talented I've ever seen.

Cable gets lots of mentions in this thread (no doubt deserved)

Who was more naturally talented? (clearly Cable a better career but that's not the question. Krakouers in convo)

 

[ferball]

Great post! I am just too young to remember Cable. Any idea where we could see that match?

Tef linked some of it, or the highlights or even the whole thing sometime recently. Maybe in the memory lane thread.

 

[Gumble Frankieton]

If he had played a couple more years like his first (‘93) then Adrian McAdam would certainly have been a candidate. Pretty much the personification of an unfulfilled natural talent.
I recently watched the highlights from that game against Coll at Vic Park in ‘93. McAdam kicked 9 goals.....yep, that was some good highlight

 

[LB2Snake]

Here's a question then based on King Corey assessment. (I agree with)

Winnie our most talented I've ever seen.

Cable gets lots of mentions in this thread (no doubt deserved)

Who was more naturally talented? (clearly Cable a better career but that's not the question. Krakouers in convo)

Winnie by miles IMO.....cable had “perfected his craft” through repetition. Winnie could make the ball talk.
Had the side step and pirouette fully dialled too.

 

[ChoppyGun]

Winnie by miles IMO.....cable had “perfected his craft” through repetition. Winnie could make the ball talk.
Had the side step and pirouette fully dialled too.

Very interesting opinion. Thanks.

Maybe Cable a gun sure but not the freakish tricks.

 

[Masked Avenger]

No disrespect to Tarryn but sorry, Winnie was another level up.

60m either foot, mark from any position and could play inside or out.

Big call KC on TT given he's hardly started. I saw Winston Abraham's whole career at North and while his top end was certainly impressive he never impacted games as regularly as each of the Krakouer brothers did. They were in much weaker teams too.