Rate a player: Barry Stoneham

[skipper kelly]

Your thoughts on this big Cat.

 

[Harris 10]

Average player, injury cost him

 

[Jack-Packenham]

I think to be fair to all you have to split his career into two parts. Before the injuries and after the injuries.

Before the injuries he was a very athletic hard running key position player who could play anywhere on the ground. Was a key to the cats during there run of good form 89-mid 94. My only concern was he wasn't a great kick for goal and didn't kick enough goals from centre half forward to be considered up with the best at the time. e.g. Brereton, Kernahan, Carey and Lyon. Just check the record books for 1989 when the cats were kicking 25 goals a week and see how many Barry kicked for the year. I think it was about 20.

After the injury I thought he struggled big time. Towards the end of his career I thought he was nearly the worst player I'd seen run around for the cats. ( yes worse than Henry and Menchy ). He was at the club after Colbert left and all the fuss was being made about how the cats treated there aging stars and just let them leave the club or be sacked. I believe that was the only reason he was getting a game in 2000 because he was contributing nothing on the field. He thought he was showing strength by pushing a guy over after he took the mark and walked around the forward line chesting opposition defenders trying to intimidate them. He should have tried to intimidate them by taking a mark or kicking a goal. But sadly for all by that time Barry was nothing but a spectator.

 

[catempire]

Ask Dermott Brereton what he thinks of him. Rates him very highly.

Truth is, we were all denied seeing what he could produce due to that cruel injury.

And Jack, one reason why he didn't kick as many goals was that he played further up the ground and often even at CHB if we needed him. Brereton, Kernahan, Carey and Lyon often played much closer to goal (not saying Stoneham was in their class anyway). There was also the little matter of G.Ablett and B.Brownless who had that area covered for Geelong anyway.

 

[Kooley]

great player in his prime. skillful, strong and as tough as nails without being a thug.

 

[MarkT]

Very good for a short time but overall just a decent player and over rated IMO by Cat fans. Might have been different had he not destroyed his leg just when he was peaking.

 

[Partridge]

And Jack, one reason why he didn't kick as many goals was that he played further up the ground and often even at CHB if we needed him. Brereton, Kernahan, Carey and Lyon often played much closer to goal (not saying Stoneham was in their class anyway). There was also the little matter of G.Ablett and B.Brownless who had that area covered for Geelong anyway.

Agree about Stoneham playing in the ruck and centre half back far more than any mentioned above. However I disagree with the ratings. Carey and Kernahan were better players, but from 1989-1993 Stoneham was just as good as Brereton and easily superior to Lyon - one of the most gutless and overrated players I've ever seen. And for all the hype about Brereton (mostly self generated) I never really worried about him when we played Hawthorn. I was far more concerned with Platten, Pritchard, Dunstall etc as they were far more influential and consistent.

Stoneham should have retired around 1997-98. He was finished physically but the club stupidly thought better to be nice than be realistic. No wonder it took so long to rebuild.

 

[Kooley]

Agree about Stoneham playing in the ruck and centre half back far more than any mentioned above. However I disagree with the ratings. Carey and Kernahan were better players, but from 1989-1993 Stoneham was just as good as Brereton and easily superior to Lyon - one of the most gutless and overrated players I've ever seen. And for all the hype about Brereton (mostly self generated) I never really worried about him when we played Hawthorn. I was far more concerned with Platten, Pritchard, Dunstall etc as they were far more influential and consistent.

Stoneham should have retired around 1997-98. He was finished physically but the club stupidly thought better to be nice than be realistic. No wonder it took so long to rebuild.

excellent analysis. Stoneham was as good as both Lyon and Brereton in his prime.

 

[TuskenRaider]

Gun.

 

[Jack-Packenham]

Agree about Stoneham playing in the ruck and centre half back far more than any mentioned above. However I disagree with the ratings. Carey and Kernahan were better players, but from 1989-1993 Stoneham was just as good as Brereton and easily superior to Lyon - one of the most gutless and overrated players I've ever seen. And for all the hype about Brereton (mostly self generated) I never really worried about him when we played Hawthorn. I was far more concerned with Platten, Pritchard, Dunstall etc as they were far more influential and consistent.

You obviously don't remember Dermie kicking a bag against the cats at Optus Oval in 91 when Ablett made his return from retirement in the reserves.

Gary Lyon was a great player. Twice as good as Baz.

 

[billybrownless16]

Big Bad Bustling Barry Stoneham was a star

 

[skywalk750]

You obviously don't remember Dermie kicking a bag against the cats at Optus Oval in 91 when Ablett made his return from retirement in the reserves.

Gary Lyon was a great player. Twice as good as Baz.

hahahahahaha

 

[bradrowe#32]

excellent analysis. Stoneham was as good as both Lyon and Brereton in his prime.

Agreed. Injury cost the big red head. I remember when he broke his leg at Fitzroy.

 

[danny_ablett5]

Barry was a fantastic player, second only to Fred Flannagan as our best ever CHF, injury's certainly made him a lesser impact player. but he was still very consistent when he returned from his injury's.
He could play anywhere on the ground, be it ruck, CHB, but he was the true CHF of the team.

 

[Kapow!!!]

Nice Bloke I'll give him that much. I remember the famous Kardinia Park draw in 96 when I was mascot for the Bears that day when I was 7. I ran through the banner from the old race and seeing no runner in sight to take me back down the race I just kept running with the Bears players into their warm-up. I even kicked balls to Roger Merret, Vossy and Leppa. When the first siren went I just about jumped 10 ways from Sunday. I didn't know what to do. I ran off the field and not knowing where the Bears rooms were ran to the nearest person to get help. At the time I had no idea but I ended up going to the Geelong Bench and asking Barry Stoneham which way the rooms were. He walked me to the Brisbane rooms as the umpire was bouncing the ball.

Top Bloke

 

[~GURU~]

Didnt rate him at all

 

[cats56]

Super player before his crippling injury. Was easily the best versatile big man when in his prime. Sheedy said at he time he was the first player he would pick from another side, over Carey, Lockett, Ablett, Brereton etc.

Intimidating and would create a path for teammates up forward, also go down back and contain the likes of a rampaging Loewe, Lockett etc. and take a turn in the ruck. Was definately our general before the injury. Unfortunately a shadow of his former self post injury.

 

[jim boy]

Agreed. Injury cost the big red head. I remember when he broke his leg at Fitzroy.

Yeah that was a bizarre incident, just went up for the ruck as normal, nothing looked out of place, it's just that he broken his leg.

It wasn't such a bad break either, not like Brown's, it just that it kept getting infected and that's ultimately where the rot set it.

 

[answerman]

Nice Bloke I'll give him that much. I remember the famous Kardinia Park draw in 96 when I was mascot for the Bears that day when I was 7. I ran through the banner from the old race and seeing no runner in sight to take me back down the race I just kept running with the Bears players into their warm-up. I even kicked balls to Roger Merret, Vossy and Leppa. When the first siren went I just about jumped 10 ways from Sunday. I didn't know what to do. I ran off the field and not knowing where the Bears rooms were ran to the nearest person to get help. At the time I had no idea but I ended up going to the Geelong Bench and asking Barry Stoneham which way the rooms were. He walked me to the Brisbane rooms as the umpire was bouncing the ball.

Top Bloke

Great story! Thanks for sharing that!

And FWIW, he was a gun CHF who could play anywhere. In the '91 finals he stood Lockett and shut him out of the game. Injury robbed us of seeing a very very good footballer.

 

[Bloods]

Disappointing player.

 

[Beckers]

Nice Bloke I'll give him that much. I remember the famous Kardinia Park draw in 96 when I was mascot for the Bears that day when I was 7. I ran through the banner from the old race and seeing no runner in sight to take me back down the race I just kept running with the Bears players into their warm-up. I even kicked balls to Roger Merret, Vossy and Leppa. When the first siren went I just about jumped 10 ways from Sunday. I didn't know what to do. I ran off the field and not knowing where the Bears rooms were ran to the nearest person to get help. At the time I had no idea but I ended up going to the Geelong Bench and asking Barry Stoneham which way the rooms were. He walked me to the Brisbane rooms as the umpire was bouncing the ball.

Top Bloke

That story is class!!!! You nearly started an AFL game at age 7

 

[Kooley]

Disappointing player.

funny

 

[JUBJUB]

Disappointing player.

WTF ?

 

[Partridge]

You obviously don't remember Dermie kicking a bag against the cats at Optus Oval in 91 when Ablett made his return from retirement in the reserves.

Gary Lyon was a great player. Twice as good as Baz.

I do remember it - he kicked 8 goals from full forward against Mark Neeld. I also remember the night Grand Final in 1988 when Mark Bos thrashed him, round 6, 1989 where he was very ineffectual in a game with 51 goals scored. Even the Grand Final, for all the legend about Brereton in it he didn't touch the ball after half time. I saw every Geelong v Hawthorn game from 1984-1995 and I just didn't see Brereton do that much against us. Not compared to Dunstall or others.

Gary Lyon was the most insipid, spineless, frontrunning player I can remember seeing. Typified the Melbourne side at that time. Had skill, and would destroy you if you were off or things went his way. But if the opposition were tough, and serious, and committed, would be completely unsighted. 1989 match at MCG a good case in point, both sides in super form, and we kept them to 2 goals. Plus he really turned it on in the 1988 Grand Final didn't he? The word "great" should be grammatically incorrect when used on that gutless wonder.

 

[Bloods]

WTF ?

Didn't live up to his potential, hence he was a disappointment.