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With Wojo's retirement, Lancelot Link's injury, Chappy's age catching up with his hairstyle, and the uncertainty of Trav's pinned foot painting a dark cloud over Kardinia Park, many a Geelong supporter approached this pre-season wondering where the much needed injection of foot-speed would come from, if at all, in 2013.
At one point it did seem that Bundy, Mots, Murder and T-Hunt would have their work cut out catching that bloke with the cherry under his wing, jumping the Barwon End fence.
Then.... A few months down the training track and football media have dubbed us 'The Mosquito Fleet'. It seems the footy gods have smiled and the Catters are now blessed with a wealth of boys burning up the grass over these opening rounds. Let's hope they stay healthy and on their games throughout the year.
This pre-season did get me thinking of other great Geelong speedsters, the ilk of Bobby Davis, 'Turkey' Turner, Kevin (WHO?) Ablett, et cetera. Two of the fastest are listed below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Grant
(24 September 1915 – 1 December 1982) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong and Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Grant usually played on the half forward or half back flank.
He had exceptional pace, winning the 1938 130-yard Stawell Gift in eleven and eleven-sixteenths of a second, off a handicap of 11½ yards.
A member of Geelong's premiership team in 1937, Grant won their best and fairest award in 1939 and was their leading goalkicker in 1940 with 47 goals. In 1942 he moved to Fitzroy and spent two seasons with the club, topping their goalkicking in 1942 with 43 goals. He returned to Geelong in 1945 and captained them the following season.
http://aussierules.australianrules.com.au/2005stories/topstawell.html
The most decorated player to combine football and professional running was Jack Grant, a half-back in Geelong's 1937 premiership team, who played for Geelong and Fitzroy for more than a decade and also won the 1938 Stawell Gift. After winning the gift, Grant was given a week off by Geelong selectors and invited to make a lap of honour around the Corio Oval before the opening-round match against Melbourne. The next week he returned to football.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Polinelli
(born 18 February 1943) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the early 1960s.
Polinelli started his career as a rover but developed into a dashing wingman. The club encouraged him to train with Arthur Edgerton, a specialist sprint coach based in Geelong. Under Edgerton's guidance Polinelli won the 1966 Bendigo Gift before finishing 2nd to Bill Howard in the 1966 Stawell Gift.
He was a reserve in Geelong's 1963 premiership side and only appeared on the field briefly during the last quarter. It is said that he had a pipe which he would smoke during the half time of matches. He was shortlisted for the VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century but didn't make the final cut.
http://aussierules.australianrules.com.au/2005stories/topstawell.html
Polinelli was a brilliant footballer and runner despite a habit of sucking on a pipe. After being recruited by Geelong from Dunolly, in central Victoria, Polinelli dazzled on a wing in winter and scorched up running tracks in summer. In 1966, he won the Bendigo Thousand and failed only narrowly to become the first runner to achieve the Bendigo-Stawell double (a feat still not achieved) when he finished second behind Bill Howard. The next year, Polinelli was among the best in Geelong's grand final team. In 1969, the Cats denied his request to run at Stawell and miss the opening-round match against Melbourne on Easter Monday. Polinelli responded by gaining 35 kicks.
When pace across the ground comes to mind, who are the Cats you best remember for line-breaking runs and short speed bursts?
At one point it did seem that Bundy, Mots, Murder and T-Hunt would have their work cut out catching that bloke with the cherry under his wing, jumping the Barwon End fence.
Then.... A few months down the training track and football media have dubbed us 'The Mosquito Fleet'. It seems the footy gods have smiled and the Catters are now blessed with a wealth of boys burning up the grass over these opening rounds. Let's hope they stay healthy and on their games throughout the year.
This pre-season did get me thinking of other great Geelong speedsters, the ilk of Bobby Davis, 'Turkey' Turner, Kevin (WHO?) Ablett, et cetera. Two of the fastest are listed below.
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JACK GRANThttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Grant
(24 September 1915 – 1 December 1982) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong and Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Grant usually played on the half forward or half back flank.
He had exceptional pace, winning the 1938 130-yard Stawell Gift in eleven and eleven-sixteenths of a second, off a handicap of 11½ yards.
A member of Geelong's premiership team in 1937, Grant won their best and fairest award in 1939 and was their leading goalkicker in 1940 with 47 goals. In 1942 he moved to Fitzroy and spent two seasons with the club, topping their goalkicking in 1942 with 43 goals. He returned to Geelong in 1945 and captained them the following season.
http://aussierules.australianrules.com.au/2005stories/topstawell.html
The most decorated player to combine football and professional running was Jack Grant, a half-back in Geelong's 1937 premiership team, who played for Geelong and Fitzroy for more than a decade and also won the 1938 Stawell Gift. After winning the gift, Grant was given a week off by Geelong selectors and invited to make a lap of honour around the Corio Oval before the opening-round match against Melbourne. The next week he returned to football.
------------------------------------------
TONY POLINELLI http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Polinelli
(born 18 February 1943) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the early 1960s.
Polinelli started his career as a rover but developed into a dashing wingman. The club encouraged him to train with Arthur Edgerton, a specialist sprint coach based in Geelong. Under Edgerton's guidance Polinelli won the 1966 Bendigo Gift before finishing 2nd to Bill Howard in the 1966 Stawell Gift.
He was a reserve in Geelong's 1963 premiership side and only appeared on the field briefly during the last quarter. It is said that he had a pipe which he would smoke during the half time of matches. He was shortlisted for the VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century but didn't make the final cut.
http://aussierules.australianrules.com.au/2005stories/topstawell.html
Polinelli was a brilliant footballer and runner despite a habit of sucking on a pipe. After being recruited by Geelong from Dunolly, in central Victoria, Polinelli dazzled on a wing in winter and scorched up running tracks in summer. In 1966, he won the Bendigo Thousand and failed only narrowly to become the first runner to achieve the Bendigo-Stawell double (a feat still not achieved) when he finished second behind Bill Howard. The next year, Polinelli was among the best in Geelong's grand final team. In 1969, the Cats denied his request to run at Stawell and miss the opening-round match against Melbourne on Easter Monday. Polinelli responded by gaining 35 kicks.
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When pace across the ground comes to mind, who are the Cats you best remember for line-breaking runs and short speed bursts?
[slaps wrist] Thanks Fred!
