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Opinion Paul Couch

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I watched the 1989 Semi-Final against Melbourne a couple of weeks ago. Couch & Bairstow were punished by Blight for their QF and both started on the bench. Bairstow got on either late in the first quarter or early in the second because of an injury while Couch doesn't get off the bench until early in the third quarter. Despite this he ended up with 21 disposals, 3 marks & a goal!
 
Goose19 said:
I watched the 1989 Semi-Final against Melbourne a couple of weeks ago. Couch & Bairstow were punished by Blight for their QF and both started on the bench. Bairstow got on either late in the first quarter or early in the second because of an injury while Couch doesn't get off the bench until early in the third quarter. Despite this he ended up with 21 disposals, 3 marks & a goal!
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Wrong. It wasn't punishment. It was strategy.

Melbourne beat Geelong in Round 16 (or thereabouts), due mainly to their two taggers (Newport and someone else) negating Bairstow and Couch. Their entire gameplan against Geelong was based around this. Blight, to his credit, made the one intelligent coaching move during his tenure at Geelong (there weren't many) and started them both on the bench. This hadn't been done before and it completely threw Melbourne out. Both players ended up coming on and playing good games. As coaching moves go, it was a masterstroke.

Still remember the final quarter - 10.10. Ablett's performance in that quarter (and the whole game) was just out of this world.
 
I'm sure that was the final that the players came out before the game started and rolled in the mud - the 'G that year was a bog. Was one of Blight's symbolic gestures to show that we meant business I assume. God he had some wacky ideas..

As Partridge said Ablett was extraordinary that game. I knew walking out of the ground that day we would beat the dons in a return match even though they had flogged us the week before.
 

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Partridge said:
Wrong. It wasn't punishment. It was strategy.

Melbourne beat Geelong in Round 16 (or thereabouts), due mainly to their two taggers (Newport and someone else) negating Bairstow and Couch. Their entire gameplan against Geelong was based around this. Blight, to his credit, made the one intelligent coaching move during his tenure at Geelong (there weren't many) and started them both on the bench. This hadn't been done before and it completely threw Melbourne out. Both players ended up coming on and playing good games. As coaching moves go, it was a masterstroke.

Still remember the final quarter - 10.10. Ablett's performance in that quarter (and the whole game) was just out of this world.
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Ah, thanks for clearing that up. Bad presumption on my behalf. And yes, Ablett was incredible!
 
Partridge said:
Wrong. It wasn't punishment. It was strategy.

Melbourne beat Geelong in Round 16 (or thereabouts), due mainly to their two taggers (Newport and someone else) negating Bairstow and Couch. Their entire gameplan against Geelong was based around this. Blight, to his credit, made the one intelligent coaching move during his tenure at Geelong (there weren't many) and started them both on the bench. This hadn't been done before and it completely threw Melbourne out. Both players ended up coming on and playing good games. As coaching moves go, it was a masterstroke.

Still remember the final quarter - 10.10. Ablett's performance in that quarter (and the whole game) was just out of this world.
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The guy that impressed me in that match was Shane Hamilton. He had 25 kicks, 15 marks, 4 handballs and kicked 2.2, all of that in his 11th senior game. While Ablett (24 touches, 7 goals) and Stoneham (23 touches, 4 goals) were widely praised for their performances in that game, Hamilton's efforts seem to be glossed over.
 
SJ said:
I don't agree with some of that article. I don't think Corey and maybe one or two others should make that side.
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It's a tough one to say. Personally, I'm happy with the previous team of the century being judged the best team the Cats could put on the park from 1901-2000, with the current players gunning for the next team of the century. With regards to Corey specifically, I will say that if we were picking the team and looked back on a player from 50-60 years ago, who had played 250+ games, won two best and fairests and played in the 1951/52/63 premierships, there's no way he'd miss out.
 
winty said:
The guy that impressed me in that match was Shane Hamilton. He had 25 kicks, 15 marks, 4 handballs and kicked 2.2, all of that in his 11th senior game. While Ablett (24 touches, 7 goals) and Stoneham (23 touches, 4 goals) were widely praised for their performances in that game, Hamilton's efforts seem to be glossed over.
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And Bruce Lindner was horrific!
 
Now that Sadly "Couchy" has left us should the club lobby the AFL for Paul to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

He would be very much worthy of the honour
 
Partridge said:
Wrong. It wasn't punishment. It was strategy.

Melbourne beat Geelong in Round 16 (or thereabouts), due mainly to their two taggers (Newport and someone else) negating Bairstow and Couch. Their entire gameplan against Geelong was based around this. Blight, to his credit, made the one intelligent coaching move during his tenure at Geelong (there weren't many) and started them both on the bench. This hadn't been done before and it completely threw Melbourne out. Both players ended up coming on and playing good games. As coaching moves go, it was a masterstroke.

Still remember the final quarter - 10.10. Ablett's performance in that quarter (and the whole game) was just out of this world.
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yes that was my recollection of it too
 
Certainly some in the hall of fame that should not have been included before couch.
 

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While on the subject of Couchy, does anyone remember the 3AW after the game interview in the mid 90's? Geelong had a big win at the MCG. Can't remember over who, but Couch was BOG. Rex Hunt conducted an interview. It went for several minutes. I remembered thinking Couch sounded different; I put down to analogue radio. It turned out the person Rex interviewed was NOT Couch, but an imposter!
 
Son_Of_God29 said:
Now that Sadly "Couchy" has left us should the club lobby the AFL for Paul to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

He would be very much worthy of the honour
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Each year they are limited to 6 inductees, of whom
- 1 must be a non-player, and
- 2 must have retired within the last 10 years.
That leaves 3 spots for older players, of which you can just about guarantee at least one, if not two, will be non-Victorian.
 
vinum coupe said:
Doesn't bother me. And Libba probably did have a better career. Really surprised Couch was in our team of the century.

Anyhoo, who else from the geelong side of that era is already in?
Gaz Snr
...
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always thought that Libba's form was a bit scratchy .......
 
Sttew said:
While on the subject of Couchy, does anyone remember the 3AW after the game interview in the mid 90's? Geelong had a big win at the MCG. Can't remember over who, but Couch was BOG. Rex Hunt conducted an interview. It went for several minutes. I remembered thinking Couch sounded different; I put down to analogue radio. It turned out the person Rex interviewed was NOT Couch, but an imposter!
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I remember it...but completely different to you! :D Maybe it happened twice?!
It was the last game of the 1989 season against Richmond. Tim Lane on the ABC said on air that they were going to get Couch to ring them from the rooms for an interview (he had 40 odd touches I think and was BOG, but didn't get a Brownlow vote :eek: ).
Some guy rang in saying he was Couch. They did the interview and Tim Lane said after the interview had finished that Couchy sounded a bit vague about the game! Later Couch did ring in and they worked out what had happened. :)
 
Turkey Tom said:
I remember it...but completely different to you! :D Maybe it happened twice?!
It was the last game of the 1989 season against Richmond. Tim Lane on the ABC said on air that they were going to get Couch to ring them from the rooms for an interview (he had 40 odd touches I think and was BOG, but didn't get a Brownlow vote :eek: ).
Some guy rang in saying he was Couch. They did the interview and Tim Lane said after the interview had finished that Couchy sounded a bit vague about the game! Later Couch did ring in and they worked out what had happened. :)
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Hmm. Maybe the truth lies somewhere between the 2? I was sure it was Rex Hunt. The rest of your account sounds spot on!
 

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I'd prefer to not be tagged into this thread.
And certainly not this year thanks.
 
Son_Of_God29 said:
Now that Sadly "Couchy" has left us should the club lobby the AFL for Paul to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

He would be very much worthy of the honour
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Shouldn't make any difference. He either deserves it on merit or he doesn't. Whether they're still around or not shouldn't matter.
 
Son_Of_God29 said:
Over - looked for Hall of Fame honours again in 2017 - If Anthony Stevens was a better player than Couchy then we must be living in an alternative universe
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Means nothing now.
 

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