Stephen Kernahan

[Linekers Ears]

He tended to play around the ground as a ruck in the SA league as I recall. Settled into a key forward role at Carlton.

Glenelg had a dominant ruckman while they had Sticks so Sticks wasn't required to ruck except as relief. Peter Carey played about a million games from the early 70's - 450+ I think. And Sticks kicked 5 from CHF for Glenelg in the '85 GF and subbed for Peter Carey in ruck.

He was always a key forward. Very mobile early on at Carlton, slowed down later in his career. Different player to Dermot - Dermot brilliant but Sticks better IMO because Hawthorn had so many brilliant players at that time. As others have pointed out, Sticks was the No 1 forward for Carlton for ten years, Dermot didn't have to kick bags because Dunstall would.

 

[demondavey]

Interesting how that impacted the perception of Flower. He is still rembered as a great. I think you've got to be careful about including team achievements in a players achievments. By the time Flower played finals it was ptetty much it for him.
How a player stands up under the pressure of finals is valid though, it's complicated.

Yeah it's a tough one. Two players I look at that were identical re statistics were Lynch and Neitz. Both played 306 games, Lynch kicked 633 goals, Neitz 631. Yet one has 3 premierships, the other none. So who is the better player? Anyone's guess with those stats.

 

[Bokonon_]

Glenelg had a dominant ruckman while they had Sticks so Sticks wasn't required to ruck except as relief. Peter Carey played about a million games from the early 70's - 450+ I think. And Sticks kicked 5 from CHF for Glenelg in the '85 GF and subbed for Peter Carey in ruck.

He was always a key forward. Very mobile early on at Carlton, slowed down later in his career. Different player to Dermot - Dermot brilliant but Sticks better IMO because Hawthorn had so many brilliant players at that time. As others have pointed out, Sticks was the No 1 forward for Carlton for ten years, Dermot didn't have to kick bags because Dunstall would.

My recollection is for the Bays he wasn't really a stay at home forwatd. Did ruck at times But a bit like Roughead he could Bob up anywhere. It was a long time ago and I certainly didn't see him play for the bays that often. I also dont recall him as anything other than a stay at home forward for the Blues, but again a long time ago.

 

[Orange Agent]

And Rocca is another very underrated forward. Was he more of a FF though?

I always remember Kernahan as more FF than CHF.

 

[Linekers Ears]

My recollection is for the Bays he wasn't really a stay at home forwatd. Did ruck at times But a bit like Roughead he could Bob up anywhere. It was a long time ago and I certainly didn't see him play for the bays that often. I also dont recall him as anything other than a stay at home forward for the Blues, but again a long time ago.

I don't think you are wrong. He was in the league team from age 17, starting as a tall flanker then progressing to key roles but while he moved around, he was rarely on the defensive side of centre unless he was rucking.

And he kicked 20 goals in four grand finals (15 in three VFL GFs) so he turned it on when it mattered.

Great player. When you talk about the best forwards, he's in the semi's without dropping a set.

 

[Bokonon_]

I don't think you are wrong. He was in the league team from age 17, starting as a tall flanker then progressing to key roles but while he moved around, he was rarely on the defensive side of centre unless he was rucking.

And he kicked 20 goals in four grand finals (15 in three VFL GFs) so he turned it on when it mattered.

Great player. When you talk about the best forwards, he's in the semi's without dropping a set.

Absolutely
And I think It's disrespectful to judge him just on his time at the Blues. He moved as a 24yo with an impressive record.

 

[Monkey King]

I always remember Kernahan as more FF than CHF.

Sticks alternated between key posts for a good portion of his career, more often at CHF and sometimes rucking when he was younger, and then settling deeper at FF when he was older. You probably also remember him for his floaters and helicopter kicks, but again, that’s something that came more often later in his career. His career was nothing like Sav Rocca’s in term of position played, more like Tredrea or Jono Brown.

FWIW back when the ToC was announced in 96’, a large group of current and former captains were polled on who was the best captain from a rival club; Kernahan topped the poll in a canter.

 

[Power Raid]

He tended to play around the ground as a ruck in the SA league as I recall. Settled into a key forward role at Carlton.

Glenelg was pretty decent back then

Carey (glenelg not the kangaroos version) would have been the number one ruck with Kernahan competing in the forward ruck and the back up

 

[MightyTiger]

Where’s he at?

Found him.

 

[demondavey]

I always remember Kernahan as more FF than CHF.

I meant Rocca

 

[TedDougChris]

Chris Grant is underrated. He had amazing years and played around the ground including FF, CHF, ruck and CHB.

Amazing!

Played around half his career in the back half and still kicked over 500 goals. If we had a second KPP during his time, might have kicked close to 1000...

 

[Snake_Baker]

Forget about the comparisons. The bloke was a gun.

 

[Flea2Superboot]

Yeah it's a tough one. Two players I look at that were identical re statistics were Lynch and Neitz. Both played 306 games, Lynch kicked 633 goals, Neitz 631. Yet one has 3 premierships, the other none. So who is the better player? Anyone's guess with those stats.

I remember thinking at the time that Neitz and Lynch were probably hard to split, even for a biased Lions fan like me. Both quite different styles early in their careers to later, both missed extended periods of time when they should have been at their peak. I didn’t see enough of Neitz really but Lynch obviously spent a lot of his early days in the backline. Didn’t realise how close their stats were. Both very good players.


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[demondavey]

I remember thinking at the time that Neitz and Lynch were probably hard to split, even for a biased Lions fan like me. Both quite different styles early in their careers to later, both missed extended periods of time when they should have been at their peak. I didn’t see enough of Neitz really but Lynch obviously spent a lot of his early days in the backline. Didn’t realise how close their stats were. Both very good players.


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Very similar careers. Both played a lot as defenders and obviously up forward. Absolutely uncanny that statistically what seperates them is literally 2 goals!

 

[a_shot_on_ehlo]

I'd have Darrel Baldock right up there if we are going to talk about top 5s, he was a genius.

Rob Walls and Jezza (although a different type) also need to be talked about

I would take Sticks ahead of Brereton if I was picking a CHF to build a team around, doesn't mean he was a better footballer though

 

[Snake_Baker]

I would take Sticks ahead of Brereton if I was picking a CHF to build a team around, doesn't mean he was a better footballer though

Kernahan was a better footballer than Brereton.

For large chunks of his career, Kernahan WAS the Carlton forward line.

Brereton was almost always Hawthorns second fiddle.

 

[Dank You Steven]

Yes, if we were basing this on best 80s haircuts but no re player performance

Total shit - Brereton was THE player of the 80s - the most feared finals performer of the lot.

 

[demondavey]

Total shit - Brereton was THE player of the 80s - the most feared finals performer of the lot.

He was one, Kernahan had a pretty decent finals record.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Kernahan was a better footballer than Brereton.

For large chunks of his career, Kernahan WAS the Carlton forward line.

Brereton was almost always Hawthorns second fiddle.

Sticks would've been second fiddle if he played for the Hawks too.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Will never understand the way he is rated above some others. Same with Brown.

Sticks was far better than Brown... if Brown wasn't a good Aussie country kid from Victoria who kept telling us he loves a few "frothies" and was lucky enough to be part of the Lions threepeat, he'd be talked about in the group with Tredrea, C.Grant and Kernahan, and nowhere near Carey, Roo and Pav.

 

[demondavey]

Sticks was far better than Brown... if Brown wasn't a good Aussie country kid from Victoria who kept telling us he loves a few "frothies" and was lucky enough to be part of the Lions threepeat, he'd be talked about in the group with Tredrea, C.Grant and Kernahan, and nowhere near Carey, Roo and Pav.

Kernahan is in the same category as Carey and Riewoldt.

 

[Art Corvelay]

I'm not saying Sticks was more influential in finals, but his goals record in finals is far better then Breretons. Sticks kicked 65 goals in 18 finals and Brereton kicked 53 goals in 26 finals.

Hawthorn Dermie: 189 games, 427 goals (2.3/game), first 11 years of his career.
Kernahan at Carlton: 251 games, 738 goals (2.9/game), 12 years.

25% more goals per game over more games is a significant difference.

Sticks played in 4 GFs out of 18 finals. 18 goals in those GFs. Not too shabby.

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Lol, shot down every opinion espoused by Luv_our_club on this topic. Good work.

 

[gordo2016]

Kernahan was a magnificent footballer and an outstanding leader. One of the very, very best.

 

[Turnover]

Carey
Franklin
Riewoldt
Brown and Pavlich
Tredrea
Kernahan and Brereton


“For mine”

Can't believe you rate Riewoldt above those players, played under a roof half his career on bowling greens. Sticks and dermie played in mud.

 

[demondavey]

Can't believe you rate Riewoldt above those players, played under a roof half his career on bowling greens. Sticks and dermie played in mud.

From that order, I'd go:

Carey
Franklin
Kernahan
Riewoldt
Pavlich
Brereton
Tredrea
Brown