Players injury left behind

[Allblack]

We were discussing Coleman as a champion and the best in the game and how injury cut him short. I was wondering who people think are some of the best players in recent memory to never really get to show their worth because of injury.

Mine will surprise a few due to my usual Essendon bias. Lee Walker for Collingwood. I think he would have been one of the greats but for his dodgy knees

 

[Yze_Magic]

Mate, Ill give you one name that will sum up the whole topic

David Schwarz

 

[Demonheart]

Mate, Ill give you one name that will sum up the whole topic

David Schwarz

Add Stephen Tingay, Glenn Lovett, Allen Jakovich and Paul Prymke (although I have my doubts about the last one) to that list.
What made it worse was that they were all in the same generation.

 

[Chadwiko]

winston abraham

 

[Yze_Magic]

Add Stephen Tingay, Glenn Lovett, Allen Jakovich and Paul Prymke (although I have my doubts about the last one) to that list.
What made it worse was that they were all in the same generation.

We were easily on our way to aPremiership in that period

Then they all get cut down by njury at the same time, well before their time was up

And dont forget Garry Lyon. Missed a good 2 years cos of his back. And Neitz. Shattered his jaw in 1997 then broke his leg in 1998

 

[ozzult]

Travis Gaspar.

 

[dees_best]

Mate, Ill give you one name that will sum up the whole topic

David Schwarz

Exactly my thoughts Yze_Magic.

 

[Ricketts]

Paul Lynch

 

[Silvagnis]

Andrew Phillips
Adrian Whitehead- Premiership player and kicked the last Carlton goal in the '95 Grand Final.

 

[BrisGirl]

I know you mean, players that almost made it but I have always felt for Kouta.

He should have won that Brownlow that year, but due to injuries he missed out by 1 or 2 votes, but he has never made it back to those heady heights of completely dominating the competition throughout a full season due to his constant injury woes.

He is a champion player, will always be known for winning games due to his complete skills in all areas of the game, but I doubt you will see a full premiership season from Kouta again.

 

[1980GFVideo]

Neale Daniher

Captain at about twenty I think.

The only time Robert Walls has made me laugh is when tells the story of how he was carried off on a stretcher against the Bombers and was being booed by the Essendon supporters as he came off.

Apparently Daniher really carved them up that day and was to be the next superstar and Walls was contemplating on the stretcher how good that kid was.

 

[IDGAF]

Tony Free - people forget how good freezer was , rarely gets mentioned in despatches

 

[masai]

Laurie Keene, Ben Allan, Clem Michael, Stephen Hooper.

 

[OneEyedHawk]

Neale Daniher

Captain at about twenty I think.

The only time Robert Walls has made me laugh is when tells the story of how he was carried off on a stretcher against the Bombers and was being booed by the Essendon supporters as he came off.

Apparently Daniher really carved them up that day and was to be the next superstar and Walls was contemplating on the stretcher how good that kid was.

Beat me to it. They had the senior coach from Assumption College on SEN the other day and were going through all the greats that school has produced. Was a who's who of footy greats and he said Neale Daniher was the best player to come through the school. Could have been anything.

 

[RainseysGirl]

Hmmm...Tony Free was my favourite player when i was about five...most likely the only one i knew

 

[missionpossible]

port have only had one player in this catagory to date and that would be bowen lockwood.
Not so much a great whos career was cut short but his career was cut short berfore he was great. (one has to remember he was playing better than tredrea when he got injured and they were in the same age group, not saying he would be as good as tredrea now but boy it would have been good to have both of them up in front of goal)
The obvious great from SANFL to have his career cut short would have been Barrie Robran (Triple magarey medalist before he injured his knee and would have been about 25 at the time, I am not sure on the age)

 

[colby68]

Darren Harris and Paul Spargo for the Roos.

 

[MarkT]

John Greening, Ricky Barham, Alan Edwards, Leigh Walker all would have been Collingwood greats IMO if not for injury. Walker is a bit more speculative given he played so few games.

 

[leaper]

Brad Boyd. He was an out and out champion. In the games he played for the Lions, (only 15) he had a couple of BOG's, in his last year. He had all the attributes.

Done too soon, as the song goes.

 

[milo]

Laurie Keene, Ben Allan, Clem Michael, Stephen Hooper.

Clem Michael could have been anything.

 

[Allblack]

John Greening, Ricky Barham, Alan Edwards, Leigh Walker all would have been Collingwood greats IMO if not for injury. Walker is a bit more speculative given he played so few games.

I can remember watching Walker though. Maybe a case of being too fearless. Could be time fading my memory but I think it was his final appearance and the first or second game back from a knee reco and he was awesome. Have never felt so sorry for a Collingwood player as when I saw him go down

 

[dipper86]

Mate, Ill give you one name that will sum up the whole topic

David Schwarz

i agree also. would of been one hell of a player, great leap mark and quick, pity what those 3 reconstructions did to him, He lost most of those qualities after the knee injurys and still managed to carve a reasonable carear.

 

[Blues_Man]

I know you mean, players that almost made it but I have always felt for Kouta.

He should have won that Brownlow that year, but due to injuries he missed out by 1 or 2 votes, but he has never made it back to those heady heights of completely dominating the competition throughout a full season due to his constant injury woes.

He is a champion player, will always be known for winning games due to his complete skills in all areas of the game, but I doubt you will see a full premiership season from Kouta again.

I agree with most of that...Kouta reached the top but his knee injury has stymied his chances of sustaining those performances that we all remember

 

[UNIT]

Clem Michael could have been anything.

How much do you want to romanticize the bloke. I remember watching him in a few WAFL games and on the Tele for the Dockers....very run of the mill player IMO, not a shade on the old man.

 

[FreoRules]

Lee Walker was one of the best juniors playing in Australia before he did his knees.

I firmly believe that he could have been one of the best in AFL prior to his knee injuries.