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Opinion Top 40 Stars of the 80s

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SaintsManMat

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working on a thing at the min with stars of the 80s (going to get to 70s,90s and 00's in the near future)

Wanted peoples opinions on this list, not trying to start a fight and am willing to change my list just using this as a starting point..

Longevity is important, so guys like Matthews who only dominated for half of the decade are down a little, but he will be up on the 70s one...

1 Simon Madden 2 Ross Glendinning 3 Tim Watson 4 Peter Daicos 5 Terry Daniher 6 Michael Tuck 7 David Cloke 8 Justin Madden 9 Bernie Quinlan 10 Robert DiPierdomenico 11 Merv Neagle 12 Jason Dunstall 13 Glenn Hawker 14 Leigh Matthews 15 Wayne Johnston 16 Simon Beasley 17 Terry Wallace 18 Michael Roach 19 Brian Wilson 20 Gerard Healy 21 Dale Weightman 22 Gary Ablett 23 Paul Roos 24 Roger Merrett 25 Gary Ayres 26 Gary Buckenara 27 Geoff Raines 28 Tony Shaw 29 Brian Taylor 30 Dermott Brereton 31 Mark Lee 32 Jim Krakouer 33 Greg Williams 34 Brian Royal 35 Tony Lockett 36 Peter Moore 37 John Platten 38 Robert Flower 39 Richard Osborne 40 Doug Hawkins
Just missing the list were Rod Ashman, Russell Greene, Paul Van Der Haar, Phil Krakouer, Schimma, Jim Jess, Val Perovic,etc

Cheers
 
melbournemartin said:
I obviously can't comment too much on this as I wasn't alive but was David Cloke really THAT good? From many reports he could barely kick.
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a lot of guys who couldnt kick really well have dominated...look at Stewy Loewe for example...he got better towards the end of his career but at the start was dreadful...Cloke was pretty damn good at his best...
 

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The 80's were a curious era. With Hawthorn, Carlton and Essendon collectively dominant for it, most of the top 40 would come from these 3 clubs you'd think. Not necessarily true.

Carlton: Wayne Johnston, Ken Hunter, Craig Bradley, Stephen Kernahan, Justin Madden
Collingwood: Geoff Raines and David Cloke (Richmond and Brisbane too), Peter Daicos, Darren Millane
Essendon: Simon Madden, Tim Watson, Terry Daniher, Paul Van Der Haar, Paul Salmon
Fitzroy: Bernie Quinlan, Michael Conlan
Footscray: Doug Hawkins, Simon Beasley, Steve MacPherson, Brad Hardie
Geelong: Greg Williams (Sydney), Gary Ablett
Hawthorn: Leigh matthews, Michael Tuck, Robert Dipierdomenico, Dermott Brereton, Jason Dunstall, Richard Loveridge, Chris Mew, Chris Langford
Melbourne: Robert Flower, Peter Moore
North Melbourne: Wayne Schimmelbusch, Jim and Phil Krakouer
Richmond: Michael Roach, Dale Weightman, Mark Lee
St. Kilda: Trevor Barker, Tony Lockett
South Melbourne/Sydney: Barry Round
West Coast: Ross Glendenning (North Melbourne)
Brisbane: Roger Merrett (Essendon)

Good luck making a 40 out of that lot.
 
pazza said:
The 80's were a curious era. With Hawthorn, Carlton and Essendon collectively dominant for it, most of the top 40 would come from these 3 clubs you'd think. Not necessarily true.

Carlton: Wayne Johnston, Ken Hunter, Craig Bradley, Stephen Kernahan, Justin Madden
Collingwood: Geoff Raines and David Cloke (Richmond and Brisbane too), Peter Daicos, Darren Millane
Essendon: Simon Madden, Tim Watson, Terry Daniher, Paul Van Der Haar, Paul Salmon
Fitzroy: Bernie Quinlan, Michael Conlan
Footscray: Doug Hawkins, Simon Beasley, Steve MacPherson, Brad Hardie
Geelong: Greg Williams (Sydney), Gary Ablett
Hawthorn: Leigh matthews, Michael Tuck, Robert Dipierdomenico, Dermott Brereton, Jason Dunstall, Richard Loveridge, Chris Mew, Chris Langford
Melbourne: Robert Flower, Peter Moore
North Melbourne: Wayne Schimmelbusch, Jim and Phil Krakouer
Richmond: Michael Roach, Dale Weightman, Mark Lee
St. Kilda: Trevor Barker, Tony Lockett
South Melbourne/Sydney: Barry Round
West Coast: Ross Glendenning (North Melbourne)
Brisbane: Roger Merrett (Essendon)

Good luck making a 40 out of that lot.
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Pretty good list - reckon I'd substitute Loveridge with Platten. The Rat won a brownlow as well as being a premiership player.
 
the "stars" as I see it don't have to be the best players - Some I would have around the mark:

David Rhys Jones, Greg Williams, Dermie, Justin Madden, Kernahan, Silvani, Daicos, Platten, Glendenning, Doug Hawkins, Paul Roos, Bradley, Dunstall, Roger Merret, Dipper, Hocking, Nev Brunz, Gary Ablett, Lockett, Stoneham, Tim Watson, Terry Daniher, Gary Pert, Lethal, Gary Lyon, Brad Hardie, Terry Wallace, Buckenara, Stynes, Rod Grinter, Rod Carter, Gerard Healy, Tucky...

I can' think of anything else at the moment.
 
Would Matthew Larkin crack it for a Guernsey?

3 x B&F's and a Vic rep.

I'd rate him ahead of Conlan or McPherson.
 
was Glendinning that good??

I suppose he was a brownlow medallist which is fair effort.

I haven't seen near enough very much of 80's footy to be honest, but just interesting in that ranking. I was under the impression he wasn't on the level of the likes of Dermie, Platten, Daniher, Watson, Dipper and co.
 
Black Thunder said:
was Glendinning that good??

I suppose he was a brownlow medallist which is fair effort.

I haven't seen near enough very much of 80's footy to be honest, but just interesting in that ranking. I was under the impression he wasn't on the level of the likes of Dermie, Platten, Daniher, Watson, Dipper and co.
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My memory was the was the perfect key position player. I think he held down every key post at North in his time there before becoming the Eagles FF. His performances at SOO level were well recognised too.

When he first arrived (it took 3 years) at North, he was primarily CHB...but, stood Moncrieff in the '78 GF (well beaten). He and Blight were a great double act up forward for North - and both could kick the thing a country mile.

Without him, North probably wouldn't have been on top of the ladder in 1983 to boot. And the Eagles wouldn't have made the finals in his final year in 1988 without his leadership present.
 
Black Thunder said:
was Glendinning that good??

I suppose he was a brownlow medallist which is fair effort.

I haven't seen near enough very much of 80's footy to be honest, but just interesting in that ranking. I was under the impression he wasn't on the level of the likes of Dermie, Platten, Daniher, Watson, Dipper and co.
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Pffft, puuuulleeaase!

Imagine a Glen Jakovich that could swing forward and consistently kick bagfuls of goals.

Dermott Brereton rated Glendinning higher than Dunstall and Lockett.
 
pazza said:
My memory was the was the perfect key position player. I think he held down every key post at North in his time there before becoming the Eagles FF. His performances at SOO level were well recognised too.

When he first arrived (it took 3 years) at North, he was primarily CHB...but, stood Moncrieff in the '78 GF (well beaten). He and Blight were a great double act up forward for North - and both could kick the thing a country mile.

Without him, North probably wouldn't have been on top of the ladder in 1983 to boot. And the Eagles wouldn't have made the finals in his final year in 1988 without his leadership present.
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interesting. i think he's possibly one that has slipped through the cracks in terms of how he's career has been portrayaed in hindsight.

from someone who started following from mid 90's, but i still know and am pretty aware of most of the guns of the 80's that have been mentioned in this thread and what they did on the field. but you rarely hear of glenddining and what he achieved. it's really for that reason alone that i was suprised he was rated number 2 on the original list.... it's nothing to do with me thinking "he's not number 2"... i'd have a fair idea of what most guys on that list achieved through reading in the media and videos now and then that i've watched over the years....

in fact there are only two things i'd really know about ross. he was west coasts first captain and he won a brownlow medal.
 
A few names that haven't been mentioned yet:
  • Maurice Rioli
  • Leon Baker
  • Mark Williams
  • Tony Buhagiar
  • Brian Wilson
  • Alan Ezard
  • Dennis Carroll
  • Tony McGuinness
  • Doug Barwick
  • Andrew Bews
  • Paul Hawke
  • Leon Harris
  • Steve Wallis
  • Tony Elshaug
  • Garry Foulds
  • Robert Wiley
  • Warwick Capper
  • Michael Taylor
  • John Annear
  • Peter German
  • Barry Mitchell
Might not be any of them worthy of the top 40 (a few of them as much due to lack of career longevity in the VFL/'80s as anything else - a number of "half decade" players in there, either beginning/ending their careers in the '80s, or just staying in the VFL for a few years), but they should all certainly be in the conversation of good/great players from the '80s.

I'd have Gary Ablett much higher than #22 as well. Averaged 3.5 goals per game in the '80s playing as a winger/half forward flanker. From what I've seen, he was a much better all-round player in the '80s than in his more-remembered '90s century-kicking full forward incarnation too.
 

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Butts_JZZ30 said:
Not sure if you want to include some SANFL players, but Michael Aish from Norwood was a star in the 1980's same for Mark Nailey as well.
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Watching (on Fox Sports 1 the other night) Naley kick four goals in a quarter during a State of Origin game against Victoria from 1987 certainly pushed him up a few pegs for me. I knew he was a great player anyway, but that raised his standing immensely in my mind. Could certainly match it with the best of the Vics.

If we're talking great SANFL footballers from the '80s, you'd have to mention Chris McDermott (arguably the best player in the country circa 1987) and Andrew Jarman (always a better player than his brother IMO) too.
 
Black Thunder said:
was Glendinning that good??

I suppose he was a brownlow medallist which is fair effort.

I haven't seen near enough very much of 80's footy to be honest, but just interesting in that ranking. I was under the impression he wasn't on the level of the likes of Dermie, Platten, Daniher, Watson, Dipper and co.
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Glendinning was an out an out gun.

Could play CHB and CHF - bit better at CHB.

Been watching footy since the early 70's - Rate him in the top 3 CHB's in that time .

Point of reference - Better player than Glen Jakovich.
 
Damon_3388 said:
Watching (on Fox Sports 1 the other night) Naley kick four goals in a quarter during a State of Origin game against Victoria from 1987 certainly pushed him up a few pegs for me. I knew he was a great player anyway, but that raised his standing immensely in my mind. Could certainly match it with the best of the Vics.

If we're talking great SANFL footballers from the '80s, you'd have to mention Chris McDermott (arguably the best player in the country circa 1987) and Andrew Jarman (always a better player than his brother IMO) too.
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Both excellent calls. Add Gary McIntosh to that list.

Was there ever much of a drive to get Andrew Jarman to the VFL in the 1980's? I know McIntosh and McDermott were both pursued hard and chose to stay in Adelaide.
 
Butts_JZZ30 said:
Both excellent calls. Add Gary McIntosh to that list.
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How could I forget the old Macca!

Butts_JZZ30 said:
Was there ever much of a drive to get Andrew Jarman to the VFL in the 1980's? I know McIntosh and McDermott were both pursued hard and chose to stay in Adelaide.
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Andrew Jarman was drafted by Brisbane at #15 in the 1987 VFL draft, but chose to stay in SA, and won the Magarey Medal and a Premiership that year with North Adelaide (also got a Fos Williams Medal against Western Australia and All-Australian selection in '87 too). Brisbane also selected McDermott with the #2 pick in that draft, but they had no luck convincing him to join them either.

Darren Jarman was selected at #55 in the 1986 VFL Draft by Melbourne, but he obviously stayed at home until he eventually joined Hawthorn in 1991. Andrew and Darren were also selected by Brisbane as pre-draft picks in 1989, but still refused to go north.
 
I knew about McDermott, in his case for example, does that mean the #2 pick is wasted? It seems outrageous that they would draft him without being convinced he would leave. Or did they later do a trade that allowed him to play for Adelaide, unsure how it works?
 

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Butts_JZZ30 said:
I knew about McDermott, in his case for example, does that mean the #2 pick is wasted? It seems outrageous that they would draft him without being convinced he would leave. Or did they later do a trade that allowed him to play for Adelaide, unsure how it works?
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I think back then it just used to go to waste, because they still had to sign the player for them to be a part of their club. Nowdays it's not even a consideration that a player won't join the club that drafts them.

These days it's pretty much a given that once you're drafted you'll be at the club the next season, so it seems weird now that someone would refuse to go to "the big league" if drafted. Back then things were much different, and the leagues outside of the VFL were much stronger than they are now, and people had more loyalty to them as well.
 
Butts_JZZ30 said:
Both excellent calls. Add Gary McIntosh to that list.

Was there ever much of a drive to get Andrew Jarman to the VFL in the 1980's? I know McIntosh and McDermott were both pursued hard and chose to stay in Adelaide.
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Garry McIntosh reminds me of Glenn Archer-hard, tough, straight at the ball. North Melbourne made a massive offer to McIntosh to get him over to Arden St in the early-to-mid 1980s, but he told them in no uncertain terms where to go. Even when the Adelaide Crows started in 1991, McIntosh said no, telling then Crows football manager Neil Kerley he wanted to stick with the Redlegs. How would Garry McIntosh go if he had come to the VFL during the 1980s?
 
Jascave said:
Garry McIntosh reminds me of Glenn Archer-hard, tough, straight at the ball. North Melbourne made a massive offer to McIntosh to get him over to Arden St in the early-to-mid 1980s, but he told them in no uncertain terms where to go. Even when the Adelaide Crows started in 1991, McIntosh said no, telling then Crows football manager Neil Kerley he wanted to stick with the Redlegs. How would Garry McIntosh go if he had come to the VFL during the 1980s?
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I honestly think he would of absolutely dominated in the VFL. He was probably the hardest player I have ever seen. I think in the small suburban grounds in Melbourne he would of starred. Especially considering grounds regularly got wet and boggy in the 1980's, particularly in Melbourne. He has probably been remember more as a hard man now, but he really was an excellent footballer.

On a side note, I actually had the privilege of standing on a 40 year old Macca one day :) in the SAAFL.

His decision not to play for the Crows in an interesting one. I'm an avid Norwood supporter, but he really should have played for the Crows. He really did bleed red and blue. There is some debate suggesting that Norwood really encouraged him to stay in the SANFL when probably the best thing for him and the state would of been for him to play for the Crows.

Midfield of McGuiness, McDermott, Andrew Jarman and Gary McIntosh WOW!!!!
 
Trevor Barker not getting enough cred in this thread.
 
Best team of the 80's;

Harmes Silvagni Ayres
Doull Mew Hunter
Milliane Williams Baker
Johnston Kernahan Bartlett
Daicos Dunstall Matthews
S.Madden Watson ; Plattern
Brereton Quinlan
 
My team of the 1980s:

B: B.Doull G.Ayres C.Langford
HB: R.Glendinning T.Daniher C.Mew
C: D.Hawkins G.Williams K.Greig
HF: S.Kernahan D.Brereton W.Johnston
F: B.Quinlan J.Dustall L.Matthews
R: S.Madden M.Tuck G.McIntosh (SA)
INT: S.Michael (WA) M.Aish (SA) T.Watson R.DiPierdomenico
EMERG: P.Daicos W.Harmes R.Ebert (SA) M.Rioli
COACH: Allan Jeans
 

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Opinion Top 40 Stars of the 80s

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