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Interested in hearing you members’ thoughts on the “Tigers Treasures of the Century” voting (assuming you all got what I got in the mail yesterday!) Looks like an outstanding concept (congrats to the organisers) and sure to provoke plenty of differences of opinion and healthy debate.
For what it’s worth, I’ll kick-start thing with my nominations (at the risk of being howled down).
DEFINING MOMENTS: Would think it would be a race in two between THE THEME SONG and TOMMY HAFEY’S APPOINTMENT AS COACH. I’ll go with the theme song for sentimental reasons. You know it and I know it, there’s a reason why it is considered the best song in the league – and not just by us Tigers. Though I can see the Hafey appointment getting the chocolates, the great man helping deliver us our greatest era.
PREMIERSHIPS OF THE CENTURY: Would bottle them all. Been alive for three and see two, but would have to go with the one in my lifetime I didn’t see, 1973. The flag was ours for the taking in 1972, yet eluded us. Revenge was indeed sweet, particularly after losing an earlier final to Carlton. 1967 was both dominant and drought breaking, but 1973 sweeter!
MARKS OF THE CENTURY: MICHAEL ROACH. Flew so high that he damn near marked the ball around his ankles. Could easily make a case for it being the greatest mark of all time. Runner-up: Royce Hart’s 67 grand final grab…on the greatest stage of them all. Geoff Raines 1982 nomination would be a close up third. Was there that day, as I was Roachy’s and spent the next three weeks at junior football training trying to emulate it.
CLASS OF THE CETURY: Probably the hardest category of all to find a winner. I give the nod to Royce Hart, who revolutionised the game and the way centre half forward was played (pity about the coaching career!) Something tells me though KB may get the eventual nod, but Rolls Royce for mine.
BRAVE ACTS: Love the fact that my favourite footballer of all time Francis Bourke gets two nominations in this category – the playing with a fractured leg in 1971 and the infamous clash with Stephen Mount at Arden Street in 1980, immortalised in the Toyota ad. Tempted to go with St Francis, but MATTHEW RICHARDSON’S 2007 Dreamtime game against Essendon when he played with a broken nose, fractured eye socket and 13 stitches is too damn hard to ignore. Even the great man’s harshest critics could not help but applaud that night (pity the umpire’s weren’t so gracious, denying him what would have been a match winning goal!!!)
GOAL OF THE CENTURY: I’ll take MATTHEW KNIGHTS’ 1995 semi-final nomination against Essendon – one of three he kicked out of four in our otherwise ordinary first half. But how good was Knighta on that day? And how crucial was the goal. The fact I am putting it ahead of Michael Mitchell’s round 22 goal in 1990 speaks volumes. That goal was nothing short of sensational, but the timing of Knights’ effort was more crucial.
SERVANTS OF THE CENTURY: The name says it all – RICHMOND…GRAEME RICHMOND. Has anyone been more influential off-field than this guy? I think not! Always admired what Neville Crowe did in the late 80s-early 90s. We were gaaaaaawn, but he galvanised the masses. But hard to go past GR.
BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE: KEVIN BARTLETT’S 21 goals in the 1980 finals series will be hard to beat, punctuated by a record equalling bag of seven in the grand final. KB could do no wrong in that finals series. Simply unstoppable. Arguably the greatest final series ever by an individual and finals is what it is all about. Runner-up: Hafey’s four premierships – for once I am putting the individual ahead of the team…and not all that comfortable about that! Jack Titus’ 202 consecutive games was freakish too…….it just don’t happen anymore!
THE STRONG AND BOLD: FRANCIS BOURKE, not just because he is my favourite, but for all the reasons stated in the brochure. “Unflinching courage and unstoppable valour on the field through 300 stellar games…key figure in five premierships.” But I’ll lay short odds on JACK DYER winning this one regardless. Uncompromising and bled for the yellow and black!
CONTROVERSY OF THE CENTURY: delete the Trade Wars with Collingwood, Alan Bond’s simply dumb Brisbane plan and the John Pitura trade…no need reminding us of what a basket case we can be at times. The swaps are interesting. Lost out with Pitura but won big time with Stewart (Barrott) and Broderick, Gale and to a lesser extent Dundas) for Hogg. Poor ol’ Fitzroy, couldn’t take a trick! Me, I’ll go for NEIL BALME’S 1973 RAMPAGE. Had all the impact of the WINDY HILL BRAWL a year later, yet caused by 20 fewer men. Face it, it was a big reason why we won!!! Magnificent stuff.
Yr’ thoughts? And don't forget to vote!
For what it’s worth, I’ll kick-start thing with my nominations (at the risk of being howled down).
DEFINING MOMENTS: Would think it would be a race in two between THE THEME SONG and TOMMY HAFEY’S APPOINTMENT AS COACH. I’ll go with the theme song for sentimental reasons. You know it and I know it, there’s a reason why it is considered the best song in the league – and not just by us Tigers. Though I can see the Hafey appointment getting the chocolates, the great man helping deliver us our greatest era.
PREMIERSHIPS OF THE CENTURY: Would bottle them all. Been alive for three and see two, but would have to go with the one in my lifetime I didn’t see, 1973. The flag was ours for the taking in 1972, yet eluded us. Revenge was indeed sweet, particularly after losing an earlier final to Carlton. 1967 was both dominant and drought breaking, but 1973 sweeter!
MARKS OF THE CENTURY: MICHAEL ROACH. Flew so high that he damn near marked the ball around his ankles. Could easily make a case for it being the greatest mark of all time. Runner-up: Royce Hart’s 67 grand final grab…on the greatest stage of them all. Geoff Raines 1982 nomination would be a close up third. Was there that day, as I was Roachy’s and spent the next three weeks at junior football training trying to emulate it.
CLASS OF THE CETURY: Probably the hardest category of all to find a winner. I give the nod to Royce Hart, who revolutionised the game and the way centre half forward was played (pity about the coaching career!) Something tells me though KB may get the eventual nod, but Rolls Royce for mine.
BRAVE ACTS: Love the fact that my favourite footballer of all time Francis Bourke gets two nominations in this category – the playing with a fractured leg in 1971 and the infamous clash with Stephen Mount at Arden Street in 1980, immortalised in the Toyota ad. Tempted to go with St Francis, but MATTHEW RICHARDSON’S 2007 Dreamtime game against Essendon when he played with a broken nose, fractured eye socket and 13 stitches is too damn hard to ignore. Even the great man’s harshest critics could not help but applaud that night (pity the umpire’s weren’t so gracious, denying him what would have been a match winning goal!!!)
GOAL OF THE CENTURY: I’ll take MATTHEW KNIGHTS’ 1995 semi-final nomination against Essendon – one of three he kicked out of four in our otherwise ordinary first half. But how good was Knighta on that day? And how crucial was the goal. The fact I am putting it ahead of Michael Mitchell’s round 22 goal in 1990 speaks volumes. That goal was nothing short of sensational, but the timing of Knights’ effort was more crucial.
SERVANTS OF THE CENTURY: The name says it all – RICHMOND…GRAEME RICHMOND. Has anyone been more influential off-field than this guy? I think not! Always admired what Neville Crowe did in the late 80s-early 90s. We were gaaaaaawn, but he galvanised the masses. But hard to go past GR.
BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE: KEVIN BARTLETT’S 21 goals in the 1980 finals series will be hard to beat, punctuated by a record equalling bag of seven in the grand final. KB could do no wrong in that finals series. Simply unstoppable. Arguably the greatest final series ever by an individual and finals is what it is all about. Runner-up: Hafey’s four premierships – for once I am putting the individual ahead of the team…and not all that comfortable about that! Jack Titus’ 202 consecutive games was freakish too…….it just don’t happen anymore!
THE STRONG AND BOLD: FRANCIS BOURKE, not just because he is my favourite, but for all the reasons stated in the brochure. “Unflinching courage and unstoppable valour on the field through 300 stellar games…key figure in five premierships.” But I’ll lay short odds on JACK DYER winning this one regardless. Uncompromising and bled for the yellow and black!
CONTROVERSY OF THE CENTURY: delete the Trade Wars with Collingwood, Alan Bond’s simply dumb Brisbane plan and the John Pitura trade…no need reminding us of what a basket case we can be at times. The swaps are interesting. Lost out with Pitura but won big time with Stewart (Barrott) and Broderick, Gale and to a lesser extent Dundas) for Hogg. Poor ol’ Fitzroy, couldn’t take a trick! Me, I’ll go for NEIL BALME’S 1973 RAMPAGE. Had all the impact of the WINDY HILL BRAWL a year later, yet caused by 20 fewer men. Face it, it was a big reason why we won!!! Magnificent stuff.
Yr’ thoughts? And don't forget to vote!
