top 3 all-time players from your club

[smithy]

What are the Top 3 all-time players you have ever seen play from the club you support?
It's not as easy as you might think but in your own opinion who are the best 3 footballers you have seen play for your club?

MIne are 1) Peter Motley 2) Michael "FLASH" Graham and 3) Paul Hollis... my club being Sturt.

Maybe the first 1 or 2 is easy but the 3rd is a killer....

What are yours ?

Regional leagues of course

SMithy

 

[Uncle Steve]

Originally posted by smithy
What are the Top 3 all-time players you have ever seen play from the club you support?
It's not as easy as you might think but in your own opinion who are the best 3 footballers you have seen play for your club?
[...]
Maybe the first 1 or 2 is easy but the 3rd is a killer....

For the Bays (IMO):

Peter Carey is the obvious first choice. All the superlatives which could reasonably be applied to a footballer have been exhausted on him. A more devoted ruckman you will never find. 447 (?) games for the Tigers and a score of state appearances on top of that. Right to the end of his career he was consistently one of Glenelg's better performers.

Second would, after a little thought, go to Stephen Kernahan. Many would agree he was the best player never to win the Magarey Medal. It speaks volumes for the guy's character that he stayed with Glenelg until he won a flag. Yet it's a shame that he left when he still had many, many more years to play.

3rd, as you say, is a killer. Plenty of players would slot in here. Your criterion of "you have ever seen play" narrows it down a little; I cannot include Neil Kerley or Peter Marker, and I only saw the twilight of Freddy Phillis' career. I would consider names like Tony McGuinness, Tony Hall, Jim West, Peter Maynard, Darren Mansell, Nick Chigwidden... but in the end I'll say:

3rd - Graham Cornes. (the audience groans) Seriously - he played with a certain flair that no other footballer had. I have very fond memories of watching him in the early '80s. It was exciting whenever he got the ball 'coz you knew something magical was about to happen - and it usually did.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Bruce Lindsay
Bob Hank
Kevin McSporran (personal fave)

cheers

 

[Jars458]

From what I read after not seenig two of my three players I would say this. The 1987-1990 West Torrens playing list is thin on the ground for talent until the merger. I moved to Australia in 1987.

West Torrens

1 Bob Hank
2 Lindsay Head
3 Michael Long (his best footy was for Essendon but I am including that.)


Eagles (post 1990 players) - this is very tough as no real stand outs.

1 Scott Camporeale - most of it at Carlton but its best players we are talking about
2 Steven Sziller - because of his form in the Premiership year
3 Gavin Colville (super consistent - gr eat leader)

 

[Santos L Helper]

Originally posted by smithy


MIne are 1) Peter Motley 2) Michael "FLASH" Graham and 3) Paul Hollis... my club being Sturt.


SMithy

Paul Hollis??????? Mate, I reckon there would have been 14 000 better players at Sturt.

Mine are 1. Russell Ebert 2. Bruce Light 3. Stephen Clifford.

Unlucky to miss out are Darrell Cahill, Russell Johnston, Greg Phillips and Scott Hodges.

 

[Jars458]

Originally posted by Santos L Helper


Paul Hollis??????? Mate, I reckon there would have been 14 000 better players at Sturt.

Mine are 1. Russell Ebert 2. Bruce Light 3. Stephen Clifford.

Unlucky to miss out are Darrell Cahill, Russell Johnston, Greg Phillips and Scott Hodges.

Scott Hodges!!!!!!!!!

You are joking mate

Did you not see Buckley Wanganeen McLeod etc etc all play fo Port

Hodges was an ordinary footballer at times who was given goals on a silver platter by a dominant Port midfield

As an AFL player he was generally useless

Please don't brig up the 94 SANFL grand final

cheers

 

[Macca19]

Originally posted by Jars458
From what I read after not seenig two of my three players I would say this. The 1987-1990 West Torrens playing list is thin on the ground for talent until the merger. I moved to Australia in 1987.

West Torrens

1 Bob Hank
2 Lindsay Head
3 Michael Long (his best footy was for Essendon but I am including that.)


Eagles (post 1990 players) - this is very tough as no real stand outs.

1 Scott Camporeale - most of it at Carlton but its best players we are talking about
2 Steven Sziller - because of his form in the Premiership year
3 Gavin Colville (super consistent - gr eat leader)

How can you include players like Long and Comporeale that only played 1 year at the club??
How strange.

If thats the case i will say:

Best of all time:
1. Russel Ebert
2. Scott Hodges
3. Greg Phillips

Best of the 90s:
1. Scott Hodges
2. Andrew Mcleod
3. Craig Bradley

unlucky to miss out - Bruce Light, Roger Delaney, Johnston, Ginever, Anderson, Tim Evans

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

OK - time to lob a hand grenade into this little Port Adelaide love-in :

GRAINGER


well ?

 

[carb70]

I would say that best 3 port players of all time would be:-

1. Russell Ebert
2. Bob Quinn
3. Geoff Motley


Others to consider would be Bradley and John Cahill

Macca, you can't have a go at Jars for picking Camporeale and Long after you picked McLeod who was at Port for just as long as the other 2 were at the Eagles

 

[Santos L Helper]

Originally posted by Bloodstained Angel
OK - time to lob a hand grenade into this little Port Adelaide love-in :

GRAINGER


well ?

BSA, I saw Graingers whole career and he was a champ at times. Sure he was vicious, but as we have heard, quite a lot of that was under instruction from one Jack Cahill. Whenever Russell Ebert was out there settling him down, he played some great football.
I'll wait the 5 seconds it takes for other teams supporters to say he was a thug and yes he was, but he was our thug and I loved it.

Jars, Hodges was the best SANFL full forward of his era, and as this is about local leagues, he has every right to be in my list.

 

[Macca19]

Originally posted by carb70

Macca, you can't have a go at Jars for picking Camporeale and Long after you picked McLeod who was at Port for just as long as the other 2 were at the Eagles

The whole reason i picked Mcleod was cos Jars picked Campo and Long. Hence why i wrote "If thats the case then:"

If i was to take Mcleod out i would probably fill his place with Stephen Carter

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

I actually have a soft spot for Grainger

He may have been a thug, but he was also one of the best Half Forwards the game has ever seen.

Still remember one day at Thebarton Oval in early '82 (I think) - he took Torrens apart, virtually single handed.

Soared over the pack so high that he turned every mark into a chest mark rather than an overhead grab ...

devastating performance.

cheers

 

[Macca19]

Originally posted by Jars458


Scott Hodges!!!!!!!!!

You are joking mate

Did you not see Buckley Wanganeen McLeod etc etc all play fo Port

Hodges was an ordinary footballer at times who was given goals on a silver platter by a dominant Port midfield

As an AFL player he was generally useless

Please don't brig up the 94 SANFL grand final

cheers

WHAT!?!?!?!?!?

Ordinary footballer that not only WON A MAGAREY, but was leading goalkicker 5 times, and was Best and Fairest twice.
Not many full forwards can boast 693 goals from 183 games. THe most dominant full forward of the modern era. Noone has come close to him - not even Richardson.
He was probably the last great SANFL full forward.

I wont go into his AFL record - but his statistics show he is right up there with the best forwards of the last 20 years in the AFL. What i mean by that is he took less games to kick 100 career AFL goals than Lloyd, Dunstall, Grant, Carey, and about 5 others, and is very comparable to Tony Locketts. If he was actually given half a chance at Full Forward he very well could of been a fantastic AFL player as well...pity he had a coach who hated his guts more than anyone else.

Maybe you should check out the 1990 Grand Final where Scott Hodges tears apart Glenelg in the last half - even with a broken knee (which he did before half time). Maybe you should check out the 1990 Prelim final where Hodges kicks 13 goals. Or most of the games from the 1996 season - especially the Grand Final where he single handedly defeated Centrals.
And of course your favourite match - the 1994 Grand Final - where he demolished Jason Spher in a mind blowing last quarter.

Its one thing to get the ball - but another to slot it thru the middle - as Ian Perrie shows. Sure Hodges had a great midfield feeding him the ball - but he also kicked plenty of goals from 'out his arse' so to speak.

Anyone that bags Scott Hodges is a very daft ignormaus if you ask me. Either very bitter that he couldnt produce his SANFL form at the Crows, or were just sick of watching him tear apart every team in the competition. Why else would you think he is an ordinary footballer?

Oh yeah by the way - Buckley would of played about 5 games with Scott Hodges

 

[Jars458]

Originally posted by Macca19


The whole reason i picked Mcleod was cos Jars picked Campo and Long. Hence why i wrote "If thats the case then:"

If i was to take Mcleod out i would probably fill his place with Stephen Carter

I know this is entirely subjectvie but STEPHEN CARTER???????

Ginver, Mark Williams Steven Williams Roger Delaney Greg Phillips

Tregenza, - were all better players than CARter and that's just to name a few

Bradley never played for Port in the 90's so you would need to take him out as well.

 

[carb70]

Originally posted by Macca19


The whole reason i picked Mcleod was cos Jars picked Campo and Long. Hence why i wrote "If thats the case then:"

If i was to take Mcleod out i would probably fill his place with Stephen Carter

Sorry about that Macca, now it all makes sense.

I also see Carter is playing for the Maggies this week. That should be interesting. The last time I saw Carter he was about 10kgs overweight.

 

[Macca19]

Originally posted by Bloodstained Angel
OK - time to lob a hand grenade into this little Port Adelaide love-in :

GRAINGER


well ?

Dave Grainger could of been anything!!
Ive only seen Grainger on old games, and highlight videos, but of what i have seen this guy could of been one of the greatest CHFs the game has ever seen. The equivalent of Wayne Carey with the brain of Brererton, Muir and Greg Williams combined.

If he kept his mind on the job and not the back of someones head then he could of been a phenomenon. Anyone that says he was crap obviously never saw him play football.

It really is a shame he didnt have the right sorta head on his shoulders.

 

[Macca19]

Originally posted by carb70


Sorry about that Macca, now it all makes sense.

I also see Carter is playing for the Maggies this week. That should be interesting. The last time I saw Carter he was about 10kgs overweight.

cheers. Yeah Carter is playing his first game for the season - and will be fantastic to have him back to sure up the defence. I saw Carter at Alberton the other week and he looked alright to me - but i guess we will find out on the weekend!! I hope he doesnt clock anybody!

 

[Santos L Helper]

Uncle Steve will have a field day talking about Grainger. A field day in 1981 to be precise.

BSA, I think I was at that game at Thebarton, because I can remember Grainger destroying the Eagles in a game out there.
I also remember Grainger and Ugo Colasante going toe to toe at Norwood one day. Grainger sat him down on his big, fat, deli owning arse.

 

[Jars458]

Originally posted by Macca19




Oh yeah by the way - Buckley would of played about 5 games with Scott Hodges

I knew I could count you Macca!!!

At his best he was very good I agree

Your stats on his first 100 goals in AFL are very interesting

I guess those others you mentioned would have been 17 when they started whereas Bodges was a bit older

You are right in saying that my view of him is coloured by watching him drop chest mark after chest mark for the Crows. One game agsint Collingwood at Vic Park particularly sticks in my memory.

11 Goals against Geelong was the highlight and if Lindner and Maynard had kicked to him instead of bombing from 55 a few times he could probably have kicked 16 that day.


My comment on Buckley Wanganeen etc is that you can't be saying Hodges is a better footballer than those blokes. Not a chance.

My view is that if Richo played in the Port side that Hodges did, he would have kicked as many goals if not more.

That goal Hodges kicked in the 96 Prelim final won me a bet so I can thank him for that.

So in summary he wasn't bad, but I think you overate him.

 

[Uncle Steve]

Originally posted by Santos L Helper
Uncle Steve will have a field day talking about Grainger. A field day in 1981 to be precise.

81 or 82, take your pick. There were significant Granger/Glenelg incidents in both years. But if you want to get me into the mood for launching into total anti-Granger diatribe, you'll have to get a few beers into me first.

 

[Blues2001]

Enjoying this post. Plenty of great Carlton players listed.

Just one thing though - re: Peter Motley.

How good do you think he could've been? Better than Bradley or Kernahan? Did he show more potential than those two?

 

[carb70]

Originally posted by Jars458

So in summary he wasn't bad, but I think you overate him.

Jars, do you know what Scott Hodges meant to Port. He might not have been the greastest player to play for the club but he was Port Adelaide through and through. He bled for the club he inspired his fellow team mates and he always stood up to be counted when the going got tough. There were numerous times he won games off his own boot and there was even times when he kicked more goals in a game than the opposition.

I will never forget the day he kicked 10-10 against Sturt in the rain he made it look so easy while other players were stuggling to handle the ball beause of the poor conditions. Also his 14 goals against West at Alberton the same week Port announce their intension on joining the AFL. Also his 13 goals in a Perliminary final against North. As well as that goal to win the Perliminary final against Norwood a few years back and who could forget his last quarter in the 94 GF, I sure you remember it.

To you and other people who don't support Port he might of been just an average footballer but to every Port supporter who saw him play week in week out he was something special and he provided us with some great memories. Thank You Scotty.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Motley was the best of the famous 'Class of 86'

Better than Bradley, Kernahan, better even than Platten.

He was all class, and a huge loss to the game.

cheers

 

[carb70]

Originally posted by Bloodstained Angel
Motley was the best of the famous 'Class of 86'

Better than Bradley, Kernahan, better even than Platten.

He was all class, and a huge loss to the game.

cheers

BSA, It's hard to rate which one was better. They were all differnet style of players. Motley could do the special magical thing on the field while Bradley was more of the athelete, Platten was your typical in and under rover and Kernanhan strength was his marking. All 4 were great and without doubt they were the greatest SA footballers of their era.

 

[Blues_Brat]

Jeez!! Talk about a can of worms!

Smithy has mentioned 3 of my fave players from Sturt. I still have my duffelcoat with Paul Hollis on the back, met the man after the 98 Grand Final, got a great photo of us pissed as farts. Very under rated player.. probably because he was seen as 'soft', "thinks a hip and shoulder comes from a butcher shop" as someone told me.

The 3 best players from Sturt IMO:

1 Paul Bagshaw
2 Rick Davies
3 Bo Morton

The 3 best players I have witnessed first hand:

1. Rick Davies

His season in '83 at full forward was sensational. Hard to beleive he had pain killing injections in his knees before every game. Kicked a then record haul of goals for a season.

2. Peter Motley

Some of the things Mots could do with a football was magical to watch. I swear he had wings whenever he went up for a mark. He would've been one of the games greats if his career wasn't cut tragically short, could've won a Brownlow. Damn near won the Magarey in '85, I cried when I was told about his accident. Go on, call me a wuss.

3. Paul Bagshaw.

Baggy is a legend at Unley. I've put him at no 3 on this list because he was at the end of his career, the one and only time I saw him on the field. I was named after him BTW.