Universal Love Simon Madden - A True Legend

[yodellinhank]

And, just for once, let's keep this one free of moaning about our current terrible state; every other thread on this board is full of it so we can take a break from that here, please.

 

[Doss]

Yeah, sorry to inconvenience you Hank.

 

[yaco55]

Can you imagine a ruck/forward kicking over 500 goals - A gun.

 

[JayDon]

Agree with all above. Old enough to have seen all of his career. Remember a strong rumor at one point about discussion of Simon being swapped with North's Steve McCann. Was very nervous. Luckily didn't eventuate.

 

[Pweter]

The greatest ruckman we've had. One of the greatest players we've had. Imagine him tapping it to Reynolds, Hutchison and Hird?

It was still pretty cool seeing him tap to Watson, Daisy Williams, Baker etc

 

[Howard Moon]

add me to the growing list of kids who had the number 27 on their jumper.

there was just something about Jayson Laycock that.... wait - sorry wrong chat



They say only a certain few players actually change the game or change their craft, lots say polly farmer changed the ruck position with his handball - I dunno, I wasn't around then, but I was around for Madden, I reckon he was the next bloke to change the position.

If my childhood memory of stats rings true, I reckon he was only 197cm and around 97kg. Pretty short and light for a ruckman really, not much different from todays rank and file midfielder. But I guess times were different, the tallest were only 206cm at the time.

But I reckon ruckmen of the time used to just run in and lock horns like old bulls, or wrestle - then this spring heeled bloke comes in - he pioneers his style of jumping into his opponent ruck which gives him a boost up while keeping the other bloke at bay.. ok, so he can jump into a guy, big deal? But old mate Madden then had this ability to turn his body once in the air and direct the ball down on a plate to his midfielders on a 360 degree plane.

So this changes the art of ruck work I reckon - then the guy can go forward and be just as dangerous.

A true champ.

 

[Doss]

Has another ruckman averaged over 1.5 games a goal a game, or kicked anywhere near as many goals, as S.Madden?

Worth remembering that he held the Essendon goal kicking record until Lloyd overtook him in 2003.

 

[Howard Moon]

Has another ruckman averages over 1.5 games a goal a game, or kicked anywhere near as many goals, as S.Madden?

Worth remembering that he held the Essendon goal kicking record until Lloyd overtook him in 2003.

he played near 400 games so that also helps to kick over 500

 

[Pweter]

I worshiped the guy as a kid, however living 500km away I only got to see him on the odd televised game, finals and Winners.

It wasn't so much that Madden would jump better than any other ruckman, many others could jump, but it was the timing of his leap, the fact he jumped into the opposition ruckman, and the way he used the ride that set him apart. On top of that, as has been mentioned, he was a great grab, a great kick, just a bloody great footballer and anyone who denies it has several layers of shit in their eyes.

Being a tall kid I wanted to play footy like Simon Madden, the only issue is I was built more like a far more uncoordinated version of Justin Madden.

 

[DERO]

add me to the growing list of kids who had the number 27 on their jumper.

there was just something about Jayson Laycock that.... wait - sorry wrong chat



They say only a certain few players actually change the game or change their craft, lots say polly farmer changed the ruck position with his handball - I dunno, I wasn't around then, but I was around for Madden, I reckon he was the next bloke to change the position.

If my childhood memory of stats rings true, I reckon he was only 197cm and around 97kg. Pretty short and light for a ruckman really, not much different from todays rank and file midfielder. But I guess times were different, the tallest were only 206cm at the time.

But I reckon ruckmen of the time used to just run in and lock horns like old bulls, or wrestle - then this spring heeled bloke comes in - he pioneers his style of jumping into his opponent ruck which gives him a boost up while keeping the other bloke at bay.. ok, so he can jump into a guy, big deal? But old mate Madden then had this ability to turn his body once in the air and direct the ball down on a plate to his midfielders on a 360 degree plane.

So this changes the art of ruck work I reckon - then the guy can go forward and be just as dangerous.

A true champ.

He could mark like few other also. It is no coincidence that Mike Sheehan rates him as the best he has seen.

 

[Darealrath]

View attachment 497828
The full collection...

I think young Simon made my coffee this morning

 

[VelvetSledge]

I think young Simon made my coffee this morning

Double lactose-free soy orange mocha frappucino with a shot of almond milk and sufferage?

 

[Runk]

Ask any person who saw Simon play and you'll not hear a bad word said about him. Being a local Essendon area bloke too only helped the aura already around him.

FWIW: The man knocked back a MASSIVE contract from the Sydney Swans also to stay at Essendon which only enforced his loyalty to the club and the loyalty to him from the fans.

As I said previous, bled black and red. A true legend.

 

[Doss]

he played near 400 games so that also helps to kick over 500

Obviously. But when you compare that to a cross section of other rucks who immediately come to mind:

Polly Farmer - 356 games, 277 goals (I've included his WAFL games as I think that's only fair - his Geelong record alone was 101 games, 65 goals)
Justin Madden - 332 games, 190 goals
Dean Cox (best ruckman I've seen in my time) - 290 games, 169 goals
Corey McKernan - 237 games, 310 goals
Michael Gardiner - 181 games, 110 goals
John Barnes - 202 games, 90 goals
David Hille - 197 games, 153 goals
Paddy Ryder - 213 games, 149 goals
Gary Dempsey - 329 games, 144 goals
John Nicholls - 328 games, 307 goals
Shaun Rehn - 167 games, 62 goals
Aaron Sandilands - 254 games, 92 goals

Obviously these comparisons are a bit arbitrary, but still...

 

[Dave]

My favourite player as a kid. The mark above was a defining memory for me as an 8 yr old and I’d go as far as to say that that single mark gave me my first hero in life.

Yeah, was there that day, was amazing.

 

[Blind Turn]

I think young Simon made my coffee this morning

Young Simon had the hipster thing going on. He wore glasses too, but unlike a true hipster the lenses were prescription...

 

[Runk]

Obviously. But when you compare that to a cross section of other rucks who immediately come to mind:

Polly Farmer - 356 games, 277 goals (I've included his WAFL games as I think that's only fair - his Geelong record alone was 101 games, 65 goals)
Justin Madden - 332 games, 190 goals
Dean Cox (best ruckman I've seen in my time) - 290 games, 169 goals
Corey McKernan - 237 games, 310 goals
Michael Gardiner - 181 games, 110 goals
John Barnes - 202 games, 90 goals
David Hille - 197 games, 153 goals
Paddy Ryder - 213 games, 149 goals
Gary Dempsey - 329 games, 144 goals
John Nicholls - 328 games, 307 goals
Shaun Rehn - 167 games, 62 goals
Aaron Sandilands - 254 games, 92 goals

Obviously these comparisons are a bit arbitrary, but still...

That shows there truly are two kinds of ruckmen doesn't it? Absolutely amazing.

We don't celebrate him enough.

 

[Howard Moon]

Obviously. But when you compare that to a cross section of other rucks who immediately come to mind:

Polly Farmer - 356 games, 277 goals (I've included his WAFL games as I think that's only fair - his Geelong record alone was 101 games, 65 goals)
Justin Madden - 332 games, 190 goals
Dean Cox (best ruckman I've seen in my time) - 290 games, 169 goals
Corey McKernan - 237 games, 310 goals
Michael Gardiner - 181 games, 110 goals
John Barnes - 202 games, 90 goals
David Hille - 197 games, 153 goals
Paddy Ryder - 213 games, 149 goals
Gary Dempsey - 329 games, 144 goals
John Nicholls - 328 games, 307 goals
Shaun Rehn - 167 games, 62 goals
Aaron Sandilands - 254 games, 92 goals

Obviously these comparisons are a bit arbitrary, but still...

makes you wonder however, with the huge gap in the numbers whether it was just pure ability over the other guys or

-were we blessed to always have another quality ruck (Merrett, Salmon, *cough* Somerville) allowing madden to rotate more freely and often forward?
-were rucks of the day more likely just to plough on all game in the middle (no rotations) while madden was able to rest fwd

dunno. The closest guy on the list was mckernan with 300ish goals who id probably consider maybe more fwd than ruck? or maybe a 50/50 split guess

 

[Doss]

McKernan was more ruck than forward, the years when he really kicked lots of goals was when he was covering up forward for Longmire being injured and Capuano was rucking.

 

[Howard Moon]

McKernan was more ruck than forward, the years when he really kicked lots of goals was when he was covering up forward for Longmire being injured and Capuano was rucking.

I was trying to think who their other ruck was, I was thinking big spider burton - would never have guessed Capuano!

I was actually just discussing it with a mate - about how salmon walked into hawthorn, a few years later he is in their team of the century as a ruckman..

It probably said more about the state of the hawks rucks over the years, in their genuine dominant 80s/90s era, who was their ruck? Dear?

 

[Doss]

I was trying to think who their other ruck was, I was thinking big spider burton - would never have guessed Capuano!

I was actually just discussing it with a mate - about how salmon walked into hawthorn, a few years later he is in their team of the century as a ruckman..

It probably said more about the state of the hawks rucks over the years, in their genuine dominant 80s/90s era, who was their ruck? Dear?

Greg Dear and Paul Abbott in the later 80s.

Don Scott had retired by ‘83 and their ruck was some bloke called Ian Paton. Can’t say I know anything about him.

 

[Howard Moon]

Greg Dear and Paul Abbott in the later 80s.

Don Scott had retired by ‘83 and their ruck was some bloke called Ian Paton. Can’t say I know anything about him.

I reckon he was the guy sheedy told madden to have a crack at in 84 with those feminine windmill punches

 

[DERO]

Obviously. But when you compare that to a cross section of other rucks who immediately come to mind:

Polly Farmer - 356 games, 277 goals (I've included his WAFL games as I think that's only fair - his Geelong record alone was 101 games, 65 goals)
Justin Madden - 332 games, 190 goals
Dean Cox (best ruckman I've seen in my time) - 290 games, 169 goals
Corey McKernan - 237 games, 310 goals
Michael Gardiner - 181 games, 110 goals
John Barnes - 202 games, 90 goals
David Hille - 197 games, 153 goals
Paddy Ryder - 213 games, 149 goals
Gary Dempsey - 329 games, 144 goals
John Nicholls - 328 games, 307 goals
Shaun Rehn - 167 games, 62 goals
Aaron Sandilands - 254 games, 92 goals

Obviously these comparisons are a bit arbitrary, but still...

Do we call Salmon a ruck? Great ruck and also a fantastic forward. I am still dirty on the cretins that booed him out of the club.

 

[Darealrath]

Young Simon had the hipster thing going on. He wore glasses too, but unlike a true hipster the lenses were prescription...

I remember being told his contacts fell out in the '90 GF but I was never sure if it was fact or fiction.

 

[Runk]

Greg Dear was a very good ruckmen and a multiple premiership player so how Salmon beat him is just extraordinary imo.