Shane O'Bree

[Heater39]

He is durable, experienced, puts his body on the line for the team and no-one could doubt his work ethic. Unfortunately I don't think he'd get a game for any other team, we really need to develop some other options.

 

[ozpie]

Develop other options?....good point, i mean whatever happened to Danny Stanley? if anything this thread should be about why Stanley and Cook are still on the list, not why one of the clubs best servants of the last 10yrs who is still in the best 22 is. First Rocca then O'bree, i think ppl on this site have very short memories and tend to bag the only players whom they know the name of. Yes he might be past his prime but he is obviously still good enough to be one of our more consistant midfielders and will stay in the team untill that changes.
I think you'd find he would get a game for at least 3 other teams, probably more. How about we bag someone who obviously isnt gettin any better and unlike obree has NEVER appeared in our best players list? Chris Bryan anyone?

 

[tess]

Obree's problem is of not his doing, simply he isn't a top notch AFL player and in our team which lacks top notch players he gets found out.

 

[FuManchu]

Fu manchu,
Why do u bother to comment on something u obviously know nothing about?......one sided my arse, cheesy is probably one of the best wrong foot kicks in the team, maybe the league. Maybe you should actually watch a couple of collingwood games before you decide to post on this site again.
Next

I have, he is shocking both sides. hence the incredible amount of turnovers he creates. And as someone pointed out, why does he go so often to his non preferred, even when not under pressure.

He is probably one of the key ingredients to our lack of success onfield all decade. Ever wonder why he never gets a tag? They want him to get the ball!

perhaps you should watch more Collingwood games

 

[Pie eyed]

I like Cheesey.
He has his bad points sure and he is not getting any younger.

But I like Cheesey.

I like Johnno too.
They bring an intangible to the side and when they are on the side is on.

"Charlie" Manson had his detractors for a long time but he did the business for us.

And any comments of "yeah but Manson was....." are all in hindsight.
He was lampooned mercilessly for a long time.

I liked him too.


Three cheers for the also rans and hacks who would die for our club.
The ones who are not stars or the much abused "elite".
The grunts.

I love grunts.

 

[mdc]

Johnson had the lowest contested possession rate in the entire league last year. He is the opposite of grunt. I dub him Ben "anti-grunt" Johnson.

Agree about O'Bree though, he was in our best handful last week.

As an aside, I would like to hear a bit more about this Manson character, if you're so inclined.

 

[Optimax]

Johnson had the lowest contested possession rate in the entire league last year. He is the opposite of grunt. I dub him Ben "anti-grunt" Johnson.

Agree about O'Bree though, he was in our best handful last week.

As an aside, I would like to hear a bit more about this Manson character, if you're so inclined.

Jame killer manson

or charlie who was really a killer manson?

 

[Pie eyed]

Johnson had the lowest contested possession rate in the entire league last year. He is the opposite of grunt. I dub him Ben "anti-grunt" Johnson.

Agree about O'Bree though, he was in our best handful last week.

As an aside, I would like to hear a bit more about this Manson character, if you're so inclined.

James "Charlie" Manson............legendary guitarist, the most uncoordinated kick ever to grace a footy field and 1990 Premiership player for the mighty Collingwood Magpies. He also sported a "Kramer" hair do many years before Kramer was invented.
Manson was listed as CHF in the GF side but was predominantly played in the ruck, taking Rucking duties from Monkhurst when ever the ball was in the forward line or if Monky was too far away to get to the contest.
Manson had what was at best described as an "awkward" and at worst "terrible" kicking style where he basically brought his foot, leg attached, up to the ball in his hands to kick instead of dropping the ball onto his foot. Manson was one of the few players capable of this having enormously long arms...lol. The only target you could be sure he would hit was the ground and even then gravity was having a big influence. Strangely enough the kicks he will always be remembered for were the small percentage which he managed to to slot through but always at the crucial and most important time. He performed when it counted most.

When Manson was ordinary he was extremely ordinary but on song he was a miracle of bio-mechanics.

He was rough around the edges, inconsistent, frustrating and inaccurate but he lived for the game and the Pies and I loved him on the field. He made a difference although it is difficult to try and explain why.

But he did win the ultimate prize despite all this.

 

[doppleganger]

Agree about O'Bree though, he was in our best handful last week.

He was in our best, and his time on ground was less than 70%!!

The cheese is the easy target.

Watson, Cross, Priddis etc are all shocking disposals yet do the in and under grunt work and are surrounded by the flashy skilled players.

The problem aint the cheese, he will be in our best few most weeks, as he was in rnd 1. The problem is no young bloke has demanded his spot.....Stanley, Cook.....they aren't looking like quality AFL football players.

Even H.Shaw, Thomas, Clarke....why aren't they dominant clearance players and forcing OBree out of the side????

 

[DoubleO7]

He was in our best, and his time on ground was less than 70%!!

The cheese is the easy target.

He is either on the bench or on ball. I can't remember seeing O'Bree play in another position.

Watson, Cross, Priddis etc are all shocking disposals yet do the in and under grunt work and are surrounded by the flashy skilled players.

These two bolded players both possess elite handballing skills which make up for their less then desirable kicking skills.

The problem aint the cheese, he will be in our best few most weeks, as he was in rnd 1. The problem is no young bloke has demanded his spot.....Stanley, Cook.....they aren't looking like quality AFL football players.

Stanley has never been given ago in the middle in his AFL career to this point.

Even H.Shaw, Thomas, Clarke....why aren't they dominant clearance players and forcing OBree out of the side????

Heath Shaw is a back pocket/Halfback flanker who has average ground level skills. Clarke is a rebounding defender similar to Shaw and Thomas is a forward flanker who in due course could possibly dominate clearances (it's up for debate) .

 

[Gymnorhina tibic]

2008 - O'Bree had more clearances, goal assists, tackles and handballs than any other player in the side - think about who your favourite players are and how they get the oppurtunities to do the things that make you admire them on the field.

 

[mdc]

Great write-up Pie Eyed.

 

[Pie eyed]

Maybe some of us older types should do a weekly "nostalgic" feature on an old player in the nest?

The club has had some great and unique servants over the years.
Some true characters.

 

[mdc]

Maybe some of us older types should do a weekly "nostalgic" feature on an old player in the nest?

The club has had some great and unique servants over the years.
Some true characters.

I'm sure us younger types would love to read something like that. Doesn't have to be weekly either, just throw something together whenever you're in between naps.

 

[Gymnorhina tibic]

Years ago a mate of mine told me that Charlie is the guitarist for TISM, many enquiries since have neither confirmed or denied. I'll never forget the day he got a free near the goals and layed down lame so the ump gave the kick to another pie (?), then loped back to the centre good as gold for the next hitout. Another fav of mine from that time is Ronnie McKeown if someone wants to do a retrospective.

 

[half_back_flank]

Its laughable to say that because he is the best at the club after 9 years at one thing and that we should keep him. What if jason Wild was the best similarly, would that be the case to keep him?

We need to look at him compared to what other teams are ofering, if he hasnt come up to that level in 9 years, then its about time we started looking for players that do come up to scratch, not persist with 3rd rate.

As someone said the other day, and its quite apt: if you change nothing, nothing changes

But he wasnt, we had no use for him so he got rid of him. O'bree still plays a very important part in our midfield, and until someone steps up and plays it better than him, he will always have a place in the 22.

 

[PieLebo87]

His one side is his opposite.

lol its funny coz its true

 

[kevind]

James "Charlie" Manson............legendary guitarist, the most uncoordinated kick ever to grace a footy field and 1990 Premiership player for the mighty Collingwood Magpies. He also sported a "Kramer" hair do many years before Kramer was invented.
Manson was listed as CHF in the GF side but was predominantly played in the ruck, taking Rucking duties from Monkhurst when ever the ball was in the forward line or if Monky was too far away to get to the contest.
Manson had what was at best described as an "awkward" and at worst "terrible" kicking style where he basically brought his foot, leg attached, up to the ball in his hands to kick instead of dropping the ball onto his foot. Manson was one of the few players capable of this having enormously long arms...lol. The only target you could be sure he would hit was the ground and even then gravity was having a big influence. Strangely enough the kicks he will always be remembered for were the small percentage which he managed to to slot through but always at the crucial and most important time. He performed when it counted most.

When Manson was ordinary he was extremely ordinary but on song he was a miracle of bio-mechanics.

He was rough around the edges, inconsistent, frustrating and inaccurate but he lived for the game and the Pies and I loved him on the field. He made a difference although it is difficult to try and explain why.

But he did win the ultimate prize despite all this.

I think you underrate Jimmy. What he had was energy, physical presence, pace for his size, loved a contest and he could take a contested mark. Sure, his kicking style was a nightmare, but it was usually effective. If only our rucks today had half of his physical presence.

He was very popular amongst his teammates due to the above attributes.

 

[The Dan Fan]

he isn't going anywhere soon, especially not untill we can find someone as good but younger or just better to play his role. we have some possibilities but their mostly unproven and someone else would still get dropped to accomodate them you'd think. when do you think shane will retire anyway? that might be stanleys que to throw the boots on in the middle and show us what he can really do .

 

[kevind]

Years ago a mate of mine told me that Charlie is the guitarist for TISM, many enquiries since have neither confirmed or denied. I'll never forget the day he got a free near the goals and layed down lame so the ump gave the kick to another pie (?), then loped back to the centre good as gold for the next hitout. Another fav of mine from that time is Ronnie McKeown if someone wants to do a retrospective.

Ronnie McKeown was one of those players who really divided supporters, in the same way perhaps that Josh Fraser, Shane O'Bree and Shannon Cox do today.

He began as our great white hope to solve the perennial search for a CHF, but simply did not work hard enough to cement his place as a forward. At 6' 2" in the old scales,perhaps he wasn't quite quick or good enough to succeed as a forward.

He was eventually trialled as a FB by Leigh Mathews with some success. He was a reasonably good mark,strong bodied, competitive at ground level, a thumping kick and was usually instructed to kick his beautiful 60 metre drop punts to our superb marking wingers in Brown and Millane as well as the ruckmen(How things have changed!!!)

Against the lesser full backs he was always solid and his kicking from defence was quite a weapon. Unfortunately for Ronnie, the top FFs really troubled him. I saw Lockett greet him with a thump to the head and about 10 goals out of about 14 in a game at Morrabin one day. Ronnie looked really intimidated, but then again who wouldn't(Interestingly Lockett actually kicked a goal the goal umpire awarded a point that day-so his goal kicking record should have an extra 1).

In another game at Carlton, V Fitzroy in 1990, Alistair Lynch kicked 2.7 on Ronnie in the first quarter. Dunstall also kicked bags on Ronnie a few times as well.

Ronnie was often questioned about his attitude to the game, and I know from a conversation with Leigh Mathews in 1990 that the coach had lots of concerns about the number 5.

Unfortunately for Ronnie, Lethal pulled the pin on him midway through the 1990 finals series and he missed playing in a premiership.

Interestingly, after the 1990 GF win, we made our way back to VIc Park and the first person I saw inside the gates was a rather shattered, downcast Ronnie McKeown. In those situations it is better to say nothing, but instead I couldn't resist offering him commiserations. He was gracious in his reply but desperate not to be noticed at his time of grief.

 

[hotpie]

Of course Ronnie isnt the only hard luck story of 1990. Alan Richardson and Brian Taylor were also desperately unlucky.

BT kicked two goals in the desperate last quarter of the drawn final against the Eagles. His cameo in the 1990 finals was as important as anybody else's contribution. Had we lost to the Eagles we may not have won the flag. Matthews took the tough decision to drop him and go for a smaller more mobile and more accountable forward line. Hence Crosisca - a half back flanker - playing CHF in the GF. The Eagles game was Taylor's last.

Richo was "injured" before the GF. Nobody really knows if he was injured or whether that was a gentle way of dropping him.

 

[Trojan82]

Ok so here is what I gather from the responses.....

1. O'Bree has great skills on both sides of his body.
2. O'Bree has terrible skills on both sides of his body.

That has cleared that up.

Whether or not O'Bree would get a game in any other team is not a valid argument. You would have to take out of 'any other team' there number 1 clearance player to make it slightly more valid...

Geelong - No
Hawthorn (Minus Mitchell) - Would he make it...Debatable...Young, Sewell, Bateman....Maybe not.
Bulldogs (Minus Cross) - I'd say probably. With Griffen and Cooney for company.
St. Kilda (Minus...Dal Santo? Ball?) - Yup
Adelaide (Minus Whoever) - Probably not.
Sydney (Minus Kirk) - There midfield is much weaker without Kirk....They'd play O'Bree.
North Melb (Minus Simpson?) - Probably.
Richmond - No

The rest are probably Yes.... Remember this is my opinion I am not a coach of any sort. But theoretically to try and put a player into another side means taking there version of that player out.

Cheesey does his job and its an unrewarding job but he does it...every week. Teams don't (Except Geelong) have an abundance of these types of players and I bet they are held in very high regards and for us to 'steal' a player of this type from another club would cost us a fortune....

So he best option is to already have a player (preferably more than 1) that can step into this role, both because O'Bree isn't the greatest and because he is close to retirement age. That leaves the question....Who will take on this role/s?

As a side note....IMO The Pies are very heavily reliant on O'Bree at the moment, unhealthily so. We need to get players in to take this role on ASAP. I can't see Thomas as that person...Has he ever been an in and under player? Davis is a maybe....But it seriously must come from our pool of talented kids...If O'Bree was to pull a hammy and be out for 4 weeks early this season we'd be in more trouble than I care to think about because no-one can seriously do this role....yet.

 

[Pie eyed]

I think you underrate Jimmy. What he had was energy, physical presence, pace for his size, loved a contest and he could take a contested mark. Sure, his kicking style was a nightmare, but it was usually effective. If only our rucks today had half of his physical presence.

He was very popular amongst his teammates due to the above attributes.

Don't get me wrong.
The views I expressed where the "popular" view of the day.
I loved the man and even today if I saw him in the street I'd buy him a beer.
My point, which was originally in relation to Obee, was that even the most unlikely players can do the business and forever write their names in the pantheon of a Collingwood history.

 

[Pie eyed]

Ronnie McKeown was one of those players who really divided supporters, in the same way perhaps that Josh Fraser, Shane O'Bree and Shannon Cox do today.

He began as our great white hope to solve the perennial search for a CHF, but simply did not work hard enough to cement his place as a forward. At 6' 2" in the old scales,perhaps he wasn't quite quick or good enough to succeed as a forward.

He was eventually trialled as a FB by Leigh Mathews with some success. He was a reasonably good mark,strong bodied, competitive at ground level, a thumping kick and was usually instructed to kick his beautiful 60 metre drop punts to our superb marking wingers in Brown and Millane as well as the ruckmen(How things have changed!!!)

Against the lesser full backs he was always solid and his kicking from defence was quite a weapon. Unfortunately for Ronnie, the top FFs really troubled him. I saw Lockett greet him with a thump to the head and about 10 goals out of about 14 in a game at Morrabin one day. Ronnie looked really intimidated, but then again who wouldn't(Interestingly Lockett actually kicked a goal the goal umpire awarded a point that day-so his goal kicking record should have an extra 1).

In another game at Carlton, V Fitzroy in 1990, Alistair Lynch kicked 2.7 on Ronnie in the first quarter. Dunstall also kicked bags on Ronnie a few times as well.

Ronnie was often questioned about his attitude to the game, and I know from a conversation with Leigh Mathews in 1990 that the coach had lots of concerns about the number 5.

Unfortunately for Ronnie, Lethal pulled the pin on him midway through the 1990 finals series and he missed playing in a premiership.

Interestingly, after the 1990 GF win, we made our way back to VIc Park and the first person I saw inside the gates was a rather shattered, downcast Ronnie McKeown. In those situations it is better to say nothing, but instead I couldn't resist offering him commiserations. He was gracious in his reply but desperate not to be noticed at his time of grief.

Funny you mention Ronnie. After I posted about us older chaps doing a few write ups on past players, he was the first that sprang to mind. Hmmm.
Ronnie was desperately unlucky to miss on the big day and had a large hand in getting us there.
The coach has to make these very difficult decisions and I am glad I never have had to.
He also suffered a terrible family tragedy after 1990 with his young twin daughters both dying suddenly. I felt terribly for him then, and now, as these things go far beyond simply missing a Grand Final.

The 1990 side had some wonderful footballers but also some outstanding characters, as did the entire AFL then.

Definitely worth a few write ups.
Maybe you'd do a few to Kevind?

 

[FuManchu]

The problem Ronnie suffered was that he never really owned a position. At any other time, he would have slotted in at Full back or even full forward, but just at that juncture, we had Taylor who was on his last legs literally and then a move to a unique forward structure in Daicos and Brown, so really a big man deep forward wasnt the way Matthews wanted it.

And down back Chrisso who was having a tremendous year. In fact that whole backline was a delight to watch, it functioned so well.

Ronnie only ever got to play bit parts in that year. Same too with Richo, altho he may have got a run in the GF if he hadnt broken the collarbone.