The Three Black and White Magicians

[South of the Yarra]

For those of us old enough to remember we were blessed to watch 3 of the most talented players to ever grace a football field.

Peter Daicos, a man who could do things on a football field that no one else could. Not only a genius up forward but a wizard in the midfield. The best all round kick I have ever seen. Brucey Mc probably summed him up best when Daicos was taking a kick from the boundary line pinned up against the fence. He said 'A normal man who be odds against to kick this, but Daicos he is odds on. Its through, he's a freak.' 97 goals in a season and 13 in a game the following year. We will never ever see the likes of him again.

Phil Carman, as talented a man to ever wear the black and white. A gifted athlete who ran an Olympic qualifier over 800m. The best way to describe him is a blend between Gary Ablett Snr and Peter Daicos. A brilliant aerialist and incredible on the ground with snaps, banana kicks and evasive skills. Such posie and balance. I was there at Moorabbin when he kicked 11. WOW is all that can be said.

John Greening- It is the Football world's loss that they never ever got to see John Greening at his best. A magician who Peter McKenna described as the most talented player he ever played with or against. He had a magnificent blend of speed and endurance, was an incredible in the air, could rack up possessions and kicked bags of 7,6 and 5 whilst playing on a wing /ruck rover. His career was destroyed by a cowardly St Kilda king hit where he was lucky to live. I will never forget his comeback game. The game of AFL missed out on one of its finest champions and Collingwood missed out on a couple of Premierships due to his loss.

For those who saw all 3. Who was the most talented? If you didn't have the pleasure ask you fathers or mothers or Grandparents. We truly were blessed even though two never were able to reach their full potential for differing reasons.

 

[jmac70]

I didn’t see Greening but my dad told me plenty. Daicos will always be my favourite player, and it thrills me to see his boy(s) running around in the black and white now.

 

[kaistar]

Alan Didak?

 

[South of the Yarra]

I didn’t see Greening but my dad told me plenty. Daicos will always be my favourite player, and it thrills me to see his boy(s) running around in the black and white now.

Loved the great man as well mate and it is amazing to see his boys running around. I wore his number on my back. Do you remember the buzz when he went near the ball? You just new something was going to happen. I don't think any player in our history won the hearts of Collingwood fans like the Macedonian Marvel did.

 

[South of the Yarra]

Alan Didak?

Loved Dids. Certainly had amazing talent and skill but think he is a few steps under the other 3 for pure talent.

 

[Bad Horse]

From what I got from my dad, Daicos was the one who he was in absolute awe of. He was the one my dad worshipped, and the one he used to say he was trying to be like when I could get him into some kick to kick.

I have seen some old footage and it has given me an idea of what he was talking about.

The impression I have on both Greening and Carmen I havent seen as much out there and potentially the mystique is more dependent on those who were there which is a shame.

My hero player is and always will be Nathan Buckley.

 

[jmac70]

Loved the great man as well mate and it is amazing to see his boys running around. I wore his number on my back. Do you remember the buzz when he went near the ball? You just new something was going to happen. I don't think any player in our history won the hearts of Collingwood fans like the Macedonian Marvel did.

I sure do! What a player he was, and what a great man he is.

 

[South of the Yarra]

I sure do! What a player he was, and what a great man he is.

He is indeed a great man.

 

[South of the Yarra]

From what I got from my dad, Daicos was the one who he was in absolute awe of. He was the one my dad worshipped, and the one he used to say he was trying to be like when I could get him into some kick to kick.

I have seen some old footage and it has given me an idea of what he was talking about.

The impression I have on both Greening and Carmen I havent seen as much out there and potentially the mystique is more dependent on those who were there which is a shame.

My hero player is and always will be Nathan Buckley.

Bucks would be the most consistent elite footballer I have ever seen. He just didn’t play bad footy. Daics was a once in a generation player that we will never see again. Your Dad was right.

 

[joff]

Only ever saw Daicos play,the man is a living god in my view one thing that's not spoken about to much today was his ability to boot the torpedo his accuracy with it was incredible I still hang on his every word when he's on telly a true legend of our great club.

 

[jackcass]

Definitely Greening, then Daicos, then Carmen.

Sadly we never got to see the best of Greening, cruelly cut down at such a young age. Same can be said for Daicos who was a midfield genius who essentially had to reinvent himself as a forward due to injury. Carmen was a freak but just lacked the temperament and consistency of the other 2.

 

[South of the Yarra]

Only ever saw Daicos play,the man is a living god in my view one thing that's not spoken about to much today was his ability to boot the torpedo his accuracy with it was incredible I still hang on his every word when he's on telly a true legend of our great club.

I could not agree more. One of my boys rang SEN when Josh Daicos made his debut. They asked him how his Dad (me) described Peter. My son replied ‘My Dad said he wasn’t a man, he was a God’.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Alan Didak?

Just not same in 3 mentioned.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Peter Daicos must top the three because he just did it over the journey.
250 games.
Incredible talent, sublime skill.
Uber elite.

Phil Carman second but only because I saw him (small kid) and when he was on Fabulous Phil was something else.
Unfortunately had a screw loose with his oddities that cost us big in 1977.

John Greening unfortunately was denied by a heinous barbaric act. Could have been anything and was but for ...

 

[jonbe54]

For those of us privileged to witness Daicos in the pivot . . . he had no peers whatsoever, like a snake charmer he could outwit opponents without even moving and was an opposition's nightmare. Impossible to match up on, few now know how good an aerialist he was but it was so - fine mark. When the ball hit the ground he was incomparable.

Carman . . . flawed genius . . . could do absolutely anything on the footy field - except hold his temper.

Greening - had the potential to be better than Daicos because he was just so explosive and intimidating.

Have to give it to Daicos on exposed form but Greening would probably equaled him, given the chance. Carman, dear god what a dipstick - some of us have seen an interview he did after he retired and he thought that his actions were amusing. Just plain dumb.

 

[joff]

I could not agree more. One of my boys rang SEN when Josh Daicos made his debut. They asked him how his Dad (me) described Peter. My son replied ‘My Dad said he wasn’t a man, he was a God’.

True that mate did you ever see the footage the club put up of Daicos and Faz having a bit of a competition at bending the bouncing ball through the goals I think Daicos got Faz in the end I'm not sure how to post it sorry but it's worth a look

 

[magpie_marty]

Tough call Greening i would rate 1st then Carmen and then Daicos.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

True that mate did you ever see the footage the club put up of Daicos and Faz having a bit of a competition at bending the bouncing ball through the goals I think Daicos got Faz in the end I'm not sure how to post it sorry but it's worth a look

Another player that had incredible ball skill away from the field ie like a party trick was Doug Hawkins.
Not sure the nicest ever.

But on field Daicos would leave him in the dust

 

[Bard]

My Dad is a huge Daicos fan which I guess surprises none, whereas my mates dad who’s also a fanatic thinks Carmen was by far the best player of all time (full stop). Both are probably slightly too young to remember enough of Greening... having not seen any play live myself, I guess they all could mount a case pretty easily!

 

[Apples]

Phil Carman was perhaps the most talented of the three. I think he played the best game by any player I ever saw one day down at Moorabbin. Greening was awesome. I saw his first game and his last; also down at Moorabbin. I counted the game at Moorabbin as his last, because he was but a shadow of himself after he was almost killed by Jim O'Dea; the reason I loathe and detest St.Kilda and hope they never, ever win another flag.
Daicos was the only player who I ever saw in black and white who excited the faithful just by running near the ball. As a young man sitting close to the front row of the Sherrin Stand in the 70s and 80s, I saw Daicos kick a few of his immortal goals...."right in front of me." He regularly sent Collingwood supporters into a state of ecstasy. I'm sure the cheer squad invented the chant, "Better than Sex, Better than Sex...Collingwood is better than sex," purely because Daicos could send us into a state of unbridled delirium.

I'd have to Vote 1: Daicos, just from sheer consistency of output.
Dids, for all his ability, was not in the same park as the above.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Phil Carman was perhaps the most talented of the three. I think he played the best game by any player I ever saw one day down at Moorabbin. Greening was awesome. I saw his first game and his last; also down at Moorabbin. I counted the game at Moorabbin as his last, because he was but a shadow of himself after he was almost killed by Jim O'Dea; the reason I loathe and detest St.Kilda and hope they never, ever win another flag.
Daicos was the only player who I ever saw in black and white who excited the faithful just by running near the ball. As a young man sitting close to the front row of the Sherrin Stand in the 70s and 80s, I saw Daicos kick a few of his immortal goals...."right in front of me." He regularly sent Collingwood supporters into a state of ecstasy. I'm sure the cheer squad invented the chant, "Better than Sex, Better than Sex...Collingwood is better than sex," purely because Daicos could send us into a state of unbridled delirium.

I'd have to Vote 1: Daicos, just from sheer consistency of output.
Dids, for all his ability, was not in the same park as the above.

Phil Carman was the closest to Gary Ablett Snr of any player I can recall.
Sheer brute power and elite skill.

Unfortunately for us he didn’t have the discipline of a level headed guy. Great shame for us.

 

[jmac70]

Daicos is also such a humble bloke. Always happy to chat and shake hands.

 

[DuckToaster]

What a man

 

[good4footy]

My mum once told me that if Carman had the attitude of Buckley he would have had Ablett senior covered.

The best player i saw was Daicos. He was a gun midfielder and then a magic forward. If you can match Leigh Mathews in anything you are special. They hold the most goals kicked in a season by a small forward ever...97.
Can you imagine the media if so called stars like Rioli and Betts kicked 97 in a season. They kick half of that and people go nuts.

 

[Gavin Brossisca]

What a man

What a video - Millane - Brown - Daicos