Universal Love Thanks Birch

[HairyO]

Couldn’t find a thread on Birchall so bumping this.

‘A good bloke’: Birchall feels the love as four-time flag winner retires

After four premierships in 248 games with Hawthorn, and 39 games over two seasons with the Brisbane Lions, one of the generation’s best running defenders has retired.

www.theage.com.au

A Hawthorn great. A pity the injuries got him - reckon he’d be 350 plus otherwise.

For sure. Would easily have made it to 300. Fantastic career.

 

[Dewnior]

Absolute champion of the game.

Will be remembered as one of (if not) the best half back flankers of the modern era.

I'll never forget the massive hip and shoulders he would regularly dish out.

Enjoy retirement and all those premiership reunions.

 

[theiaofseed]

Shame he just misses the 300 games, was an absolute beast for us.

 

[Kil Phearns]

#BetterThanEnright
#BetterThanMackie

Even with no right foot, and even though he didn't receive one millionth of the individual accolades that those two 17,000 time AAs did.

 

[Billyc]

Really good player. I remember when he played his 200th game thinking that he had played 200 very similar games. He was just such a consistent presence over a long period of time. Rarely played a bad game. His consistency and his hardness are the two things I will remember Birchall for. He was genuinely tough for such a skilful player.

 

[Buttonsticher]

I always wished they would put a mike on Birch and Stratts when they were offering constructive criticism to oppo players. Reckon he would add some much needed personality in a media role, there certainly is not much competition. Was really hoping he would get his 5th with Brissie. Many thanks Birch and best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

the last domino to fall from our four-peaters

today officially marks the end of an era

well done Birch, awesome player

 

[hardway]

I always wished they would put a mike on Birch and Stratts when they were offering constructive criticism to oppo players. Reckon he would add some much needed personality in a media role, there certainly is not much competition. Was really hoping he would get his 5th with Brissie. Many thanks Birch and best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

To this day I still want to know what he said to buddy in the 2014 GF

 

[streetspirit]

Super player. So reliable.

 

[Steven Tyler]

To this day I still want to know what he said to buddy in the 2014 GF

“Can’t wait for the reunion of this Premiership in 2024………………..oh wait”

 

[moginie]

A mature head from a very young age. Consistent to the very end.

 

[CHUBBSS]

The most trusted player in the back half, ridiculous how little mistakes he made

 

[Argy]

Pity he couldn't add a fifth. Great player. Deadly left foot. A vital part of our threepeat.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

One of the GOAT HBF'ers.

He wouldn't have had double digit poor games in his career. He was so damn reliable and was a big game player too. Also he was one of the truly elite kicks in the game.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

The last of our 4 timers between 08-15 to call it a day, best of luck in retirement Birch you're a star.

 

[Jables]

#BetterThanEnright
#BetterThanMackie

Even with no right foot, and even though he didn't receive one millionth of the individual accolades that those two 17,000 time AAs did.

Enright was a midfielder in all but name though he played so high up, I didn't realise he had 6x AA's holy s**t.

Everyone knows about his skill and reliability, but to me Birch was one of those weird dudes where he he would have half a dozen great, hard defensive plays and he'd show up on the stats sheet with like one tackle. I guess he did like straight up winning the ball or bumping, kinda amazing he didn't get injured more in that case.

 

[Jethro!]

To this day I still want to know what he said to buddy in the 2014 GF

You might have COLA but tonight we're drinking champagne

 

[Hawthorn23]

Superstar.

Will probably be forgotten by the broader public but never forgotten within!

 

[Blackhawk42]

One of my all time favourite Hawks.

One of the most underrated players to play the game.

Studying his game was the reason I turned my own footy career around and became a regular senior footballer.


Congratulations on a spectacular career Birch. Always Hawthorn.

 

[Max Powers]

Congrats to Birch on his career. Such an underrated player outside of Hawthorn. Absolute epitome of reliability.

 

[toomanysquibs]

Great career. Amazing that he only received one AA. Deserved at least two or three more.

The two blokes at Geelong who won so many AA gongs were OK, Enright definitely a cog or two above Mackie. You wonder how much Geelong's game style with he flicking the ball around from HB through the middle helped pad out the stats for them there. They were also well supported by good tall players, who worked hard to get those HBF runners into the game.

Neither of them were at Birchall's level with ball in hand though. They didn't have Birchall's ability to slice a pass through traffic, or impact a contest so clinically, to run and deliver long with laser like precision.

Neither were as hard either, in the case of the latter not even close.

I think there is a pretty strong argument that hypothetically you could pick two of Grant Birchall over those two guys, and be a far better team for it.

Seems almost criminal that he's got one AA, while the poorer of those guys mentioned above has two.

Fortunately he has the 4 flags to help him feel better about that.

Loved the beaver. Still miss seeing him there on the HBF, just getting better and better as time went by.