Top Ten Favourite Players: Larrikins and Legends

boltsbabyblues

Cancelled
Aug 27, 2017
625
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Carlton
Brendan Fevola - Hard not to love this big idiot. He was a real Carlton bloke and a fans player. Was a shining light in dark days and a bloody champion player. Have been lucky enough to have had some beers and a couple of darts with him; a genuine lad.

Anthony Koutoufides - Had posters of him on my wall growing up; couldn't believe the size, skill and impact of him at his peak. I rated him that highly I used to consciously carry the ball one handed in games just to be like him (a couple of mistakes were made from time to time :p). Gun. That '99 prelim too... **** yeah!

Wayne Johnston - Have become mates with Johnno in the past couple of years and know him his family well. I actually have his AFL life membership in my wallet. I am too young to of truly appreciated his halcyon days but have heard all the stories (rippers) and seen his work on the field; unbelievable player. Have gone to plenty of games with him and he has taken me to functions including the Legends Lunch the last two years which has been phenomenal. Good bloke and great to get on the piss with.

Stephen Kernahan - Actually approached me at said Legends Lunch last year, "So I'm not the biggest bloke in the room for once, how come you're not out there? We need another good ruckman" and bought me beers all day and told me some ripping 'inside info' stories if you like. If you think he's a top bloke already, he's an even better bloke. Great Carlton man and not many have contributed to our club like he has. Could play a bit...

Kade Simpson - What a contributor. Just an absolute warrior, great leader and awesome player. I feel like we are always going that much better when Simmo is out there and he will be irreplaceable. Love his effort, output and attitude.

Eddie Betts - I just loved watching him play and still do to be honest. Along with Fev, he gave me something to cheer for when things were pretty average. Electric player but a shame he never got the best out of himself in Navy Blue. Love Eddie.

Stephen Silvagni - Such a Carlton bloke that his contribution now continues with his great work as a list manager IMO and his offspring hopefully having me cheer for Silvagni's for years to come. Great legacy. Probably one of the best players I've seen take the field to boot.

Matty Allen - Probably a childhood nostalgia choice, especially considering how pissed I was when he left us for * but as a young kid and ruckman myself I always watched him closely. I walked past him and Justin Murphy :rolleyes: one day at the G when they were both injured and thought he was the biggest bloke I've ever seen. I thought it was pretty cool.

Andrew McKay - Just remember him being a rolls-royce and always feeling assured when he had ball in hand. Just never seemed to make a mistake and always made great decisions, including doing the small things. Also happy he is putting his sizable brain to work currently for the good of the club.

Andrew Walker - Was at Princes Park for his debut and saw him take that massive hanger. First game I think i'd been to at our ground. Always thoroughly enjoyed watching him play despite his injuries and perhaps not fulfilling his massive potential. Exciting player, loved his marking.


I was there too! but funnily enough he dropped it :p
 
1. Jesaulenko - greatest blue of all time
2. Harmes - most underated Blue of all time
3. Doull - guru
4. Hunter - most courageous
5. Ashman - greatest rover in the Blues history
6. Kernahan - greatest contested mark
7. Bradley - greatest running player
8. Silvagni - greatest defender
9. Dean - kenny hunter mark II
10. Judd - only Blue this century worth watching (until Charlie Curnow)

Hard to argue with that list, saw them all play. Another I loved watching was Trevor Keogh, he was a star.
 
Aug 27, 2014
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there are no other teams worthy
1. Jesaulenko.
The name, the aura, just worshipped every word he said on World of Sport Club Corner ever Sunday after we played in first couple of seasons I followed the game in 1978 and 79.
See his highlights of when he was young just showed how lucky the earlier generation of Blue fans were that saw the late 60's and all the 70's.

2. I had players I liked such as Keough and Ashman after Jezza left but really by the time I started being able to goto games myself as a teenager the Dominator took over as my clear favourite player to watch as he played the game with the will and ferocity that was super exciting and inspiring to watch.

3. When Dominator body was saying time to pack it in because the warrior could not help himself Parkin told him he had to and I needed to find a new favourite. Some guy called Stephen Silvagni started to take that mantle. He was quiet personality but as a player just had the spirit and skill to beat champion opponents like few players will ever match. Did not matter if he was centre half back, full back or full forward. The guy just used all his marking and body skill to outmatch even some of the best other key position players the game has ever seen.

4. Bruce Doull. The Flying Dormat. Ripped off from being higher because of those other legends.
He was pretty much a cult legend not just to Carlton fans but to all footy fans that just marvelled he was so consistently good and reliable. The fact he was so shy and never said a word just made his walking legend status bigger. The BEST DEFENDER EVER!!!

5.Kenny Sheldon. He was one of the famous mosquito fleet. A skillful rover the could also play forward and kick over 50 goals in a premiership season.

6. Rod Ashman. The number 1 rover for us that stopped Sheldon , Buckley, Cattoggio and Marcou getting more time onball.

7. Wayne Harmes. Whilst the other smalls were creating havoc up the front half this guy was the dynamic intercept mark in back half and then could be switched to centre like in 1981 grand final to dominate there too or forward like in 1982 Qualifying Final when he destroyed Hawks with 4 goals in about 8 minutes in one of our typical premiership style quarters of that magic era.

8. Kenny Hunter. His courage, marking ability and quiet warm smile as a person just made him a favourite of many. In a era full of true larrikins like Jimmy Buckley, Sellers, Dominator, Perovic and the Buzz this guy complimented that well placed arrogant strut with some nice quiet confidence you trusted in every week.

9. Trevor Keough. One of the original mosquito fleet before the new generations of Buckley, Sheldon, Marcou and Catoggio took the stage with Ashman. Only played about a season or two of me following the game before he retired.

10. Kade Simpson. Like SOS, Kenny Hunter and Doull one of the quiet humble types but plays to win and hates defeat. Sadly for him his era the other extreme to theirs. Still a bloody champion competitor that plays in the same spirit of those Carlton legends of the past.
 

navybluesince75

Team Captain
Nov 29, 2012
317
628
AFL Club
Carlton
Rod Ashman
Peter McConville
Geoff Southby
Greg Williams
Peter Dean
Jim Buckley
Michael Sexton

After home town bias

Stephen Silvagni (played on the greatest forwards and sustained excellence)
Craig Bradley (elite runner, loyalty and standards never dropped)
Bryce Gibbs (left home at 17 to move interstate, will play 300 afl games)
Peter Motley (my avatar says it all about friendship and loyalty)
 

Garth Vader

Club Legend
Jun 2, 2012
1,493
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In no particular order and quite subjective, IMO:

- Wayne Johnston - hard, fast, bullet-like passes, one-step torps from outside 50. And if you ever got hip n' shouldered by him... underrated, IMO.

- Greg Williams - mongrel, incredible kick and more incredible handball. Incredible vision. High possessions but so damaging with most of them.

- Fraser Murphy - shining light for me during somewhat of a darkish era at CFC from 84-86.. Explosive speed, old-style rover. Shorter than Bolts.

- Val Perovic - for the thrill of hearing the 'woofs'. Made me giggle like a school girl.

- Peter Bosustow - only two years, but just an amazing, gifted player who took speccies regularly. You want x-factor?

- Brendon Fevola - could kick them from almost anywhere. Possibly the greatest forward ever for our club. Larrikan like few others at the Blues.

- Ken Hunter - you want courage? Was as slight as Simmo for many years and flew across packs in an era when it was almost legal to kill opponents.

- Chris Judd - speed, explosiveness, ridiculous handballs to advantage with 5 players hanging off him.

- Anthony Koutafides - great mark, incredible strength. At his peak, unbeatable. The way he would hold off the opposition while rucking or marking.

- Stephen Silvagni - made bitches of so many of the legendary forwards when team defence didn't exist. Could take a speccie as well.
 
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agro

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 7, 2003
8,326
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You won't understand the potential of this guy by looking at his stats. Two young blokes really stood out to me at Carlton in 93'. Steven Oliver was one and Koutoufides was the other. Oliver got hold of Glen Jakovich in a game that year. If you go and check Kouta's stats back then you'd call him very average too. The difference is that one went on to fulfill his talent, while the other quit league footy and instead dominated bush footy.

Oliver was a smart player, quick and agile and good below his knees for a guy his size back then. He could have made it at AFL level and been a pretty good player if he'd been committed. It's a bit like Charlie Curnow these days, everyone can see the talent, even if the stats aren't showing it.


I've always said if David Parkin had the balls to play Oliver and Koutafides in the 1993 Grand Final instead of a Brett Sholl or Tim Powell - things may have been a little different.
 

Tommy Alvin

Team Captain
Apr 25, 2017
335
1,498
AFL Club
Carlton
  1. Doull
  2. Dean
  3. Rhys-Jones
  4. Brown
  5. Johnston
  6. Williams
  7. Meldrum
  8. Hanna
  9. Simpson
  10. Silvagni (SOS)
Then me...TA
 

Broadside

Premiership Player
Jul 15, 2007
3,051
10,278
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I've always said if David Parkin had the balls to play Oliver and Koutafides in the 1993 Grand Final instead of a Brett Sholl or Tim Powell - things may have been a little different.
I remember being pissed off that morning when I heard on the radio they selected Athorn ahead of Ron Deulio (spelling?). A tagger instead of a speedster. Think it hurt them.
 
Sep 10, 2003
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1. Jimmy Buckley - the legend. Sitting in the dunnies listening to the neddies on the trans.....amongst a myriad of stories.

And a top bloke. 3 flags.

2. Peter 'Percy' Jones - anyone spotted in a polka dot tie in a bar the night before a final......is a gggod. Equal BOG with 17 others in '72. 4 flags

3. The Buzz - called himself the Best from the West after one game, and got photographed wearing toy guns to prove it. 2 flags.

4. Sellers - dumb as paint, hands like cement, always came good in finals.

Ed: did a nude photoshoot, which loses him a point. 3 flags.

5. Bruce Doull - he's said his piece.

6. Kenny Sheldon - Bomba the Jungle Boy, supposedly went up a palm tree in Hawaii in 3 seconds.

Belted Ronnie Wearmouth senseless and used the 'pregnant wife' as a defence. 3 flags

7. Alex Marcou - carpet shoulders himself. Drank like a fish, liked the social life and not afraid to wear the blue footy boots. 3 flags.

8. Dominator - liked a night out. Famous for being picked up barefoot walking along Beach Rd 2 days before a final.

Ed: unconfirmed.

4 flags.

9. Big Earl Spalding - knocked Guy McKenna into another hemisphere.

If he was kicking goals we always won.

Used to have a front stool at the Tunnel, hands were so big he made a pint look like a thimble

One flag.

10. Fev - we all know. Zero flags
 
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BobP

Team Captain
Oct 20, 2015
551
860
AFL Club
Carlton
I had a quick flick through the book at Readings on Lygon. The chapter on Doull made me chuckle. Especially the part where the author thought he had snagged a phone interview with Doull only to be disappointed.

I have a question for those who watched him on here. Considering both the violent and physical nature of the game in the 70s and 80s, was Doull ever subject to acts of violence? If so, would he remain his usual cool self? Or would he give it back as good as he got?

Crosswell had this to say:

"Doull's game has a moral purity about it, and that is why opponents have always found it extremely difficult to be unfair to him. It would have shamed them."
 

The Blue Baggers

Premiership Player
Apr 7, 2013
3,919
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I had a quick flick through the book at Readings on Lygon. The chapter on Doull made me chuckle. Especially the part where the author thought he had snagged a phone interview with Doull only to be disappointed.

I have a question for those who watched him on here. Considering both the violent and physical nature of the game in the 70s and 80s, was Doull ever subject to acts of violence? If so, would he remain his usual cool self? Or would he give it back as good as he got?

Crosswell had this to say:

"Doull's game has a moral purity about it, and that is why opponents have always found it extremely difficult to be unfair to him. It would have shamed them."

Couple of times he had his head band pinched , that would upset him !!

He did learn , after it happened a couple of times he started to keep a spare in his sock !!
 
Feb 17, 2006
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I did try to compile a list of 10. Got it down to 20.

1. Wayne Johnston - In an era of ironic and iconic nicknames he absolutely earned his. Had an extra gear for finals where he would just take over.

2. Peter Motley - Sooooo good. Great skills and had a Rhys-Jones-like ability to make time stand still while he had the ball. Tragic circumstances meant he had a short career. Loved that Bradley gave him his '87 premiership medal.

3. Bruce Doull - Rightly remembered as a great defender in the traditional sense but his link play up the field was pretty good too.

4. Anthony Koutoufidis - Amazing to watch. There was a game in Perth where he was single-handedly tearing West Coast apart. The opposition players started avoiding their runner because no-one wanted to get the message that they'd been moved onto Kouta.

5. Rod Ashman - one of the last true rovers, and one of our best.

6. Stephen Kernahan - initially hated him for giving Doull a thrashing in SOO one year but grew to tolerate him for his consistency and glorious marking. Nah, more seriously, he was a terrific player and leader, and a faithful servant of the club for many years since his retirement.

7. Geoff Southby - Superb fullback and good bloke to boot. How good a defender was he? The Tigers knew they couldn't beat him so in '73 they had to go dirty.

8. Ken Hunter - warrior of the game. He wasn't fearless; he knew all about fear and pain and flung himself into harms way again and again. Genuinely courageous. Forward or back, he was brilliant and gutsy.

9. Stephen Silvagni - gun fullback and a good forward to boot. Every time I hear a current-day defender heralded as "the best of all time" I only have to recall the 1995 finals series to put it to rest. Matthew Scarlett, Alex Rance, et al - you'd have to play at your best for another decade to reach the level below SOS.

10. Chris Judd - talk about a new hope. I remember exactly where I was when I heard he'd chosen Carlton. Didn't disappoint.

11. Milham Hanna - back when 'utility' wasn't code for 'athletic with no idea how to play football' or 'doesn't play well in any position so let's keep moving him around in a desperate attempt unsettle the opposition', Mil played a variety of positions well. Forward, back, and on the wing, he was a consistent contributor alongside stars.

12. Dean Rice - love that we gave this guy a shot when others wouldn't touch him and he repaid the faith in spades. Hard tackler and solid forward.

13. Eddie Betts - skills, pace, showmanship, passion. Still love watching this bloke play.

14. Aaron Hamill - tough, skilled and a leader. Understood why he chose to leave but still left me gutted.

15. Craig Bradley - no-one comes close to this guy for high-level consistency, year after year. Long-range bananas on the run from 50 a speciality.

16. Peter Dean - Hard as. Loved the club, hated losing.

17. Justin Madden - smart ruckman who played hard but didn't take himself too seriously. When asked for a quote about reaching the 300-game mark he said it was "an indictment on the game." And yes, that goal on the run in 1993.

18. Stephen Oliver - didn't play many games for the Blues but he was special. Broke my heart when he went back to the bush.

19. David Glascott - Skillfull, fast and gutsy. Humble guy. Met him a few years back and he was genuinely surprised that I knew and cared who he was.

20. Andrew McKay - Talk about professional. Put in the effort and his body time and time again.
 

BobP

Team Captain
Oct 20, 2015
551
860
AFL Club
Carlton
1. Fev

In a sick kind of way, I think back to the days when Fev was literally the only shining light with a sense of nostalgia. In the midst of the countless thrashings we copped during those dark years, a game would inevitably come where Fev would just seize control and kick us to victory. Although wins were few far and between, Fevola's performances would always give me something to look forward to on the weekend. I'm a grown man now but if I saw Fev on the streets I'd give him a hug because for a young kid supporting a club which was down in the gutter, he was the only bright spot.

2. Kade Simpson

The man who bleeds navy blue. Drafted by the club during its darkest period. Hand on heart, if someone said to me that I could have one of Goddard, Wells, or Simpson, I'd take Simpson every day of the week, without hesitation. In a sense he embodies the journey of the Carlton Football Club, revelling in the rare highs, shattered by the many lows. Nevertheless, he always kept his head high and tried his absolute hardest, throwing himself into dangerous contests, and jumping for hazardous marks, that is despite his comparatively slight frame. The moment which impressed upon me the significance of Simpson was after a game in which we were thumped, by, and my memory may be wrong, Hawthorn in 2015. The camera focused upon Simpson in the rooms post-game and he looked absolutely disgusted, and devastatingly disappointed. Now, you'd think he'd have cut himself a bit of slack considering that a terrible Carlton side had just come up against the would be premiers, but it's a testament to the kind of person Simpson is that he didn't. He's probably the player who most deserves success at the club and the sad thing is he won't be around for when Carlton inevitably rise up the table. Nevertheless, I hope he remains with the club in some capacity, so he can get a taste of any future success.
 

Boy with chook

All Australian
Sep 28, 2014
646
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1 - Jezza. The man was a freak. A pack of 10 or so players would be around a disputed ball and Jezza would stroll in one side of the pack and a second later would exit the other side ball in hand.
2 - Bruce Doull. So reliable and had great disposal
3 - Big John. Breathtaking palming of the ball weather in the ruck or contesting a mark while resting in the forward pocket and dropping to the waiting rovers.
4 - The Dominator. Because he was
5 - Peter Dean. Could easily have been BOG in 95 GF
6 - Geoff Southby. Those torps he did at kick ins. Wow.
7 - Kouta.
8 - Diesel. Why did we let him go???
9 - Rhys. For toweling up Brereton in 87 GF
10 - Ron Barassi. Cos his was the first number I had on my back.

I’m halfway through the book at the moment and it’s a really good read. Highly recommend.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

Benaly28

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 24, 2016
9,962
24,686
AFL Club
Carlton
Beasy
Campbell
Prendergast
Doering
Mckernan
Sporn
Harford
Angwin
Norman
Mansfield
Martyn

Ahh the early 00's.
 

The Blueseum

History of the Carlton Football Club
Jul 26, 2007
781
1,428
Princes Park
AFL Club
Carlton
I had a quick flick through the book at Readings on Lygon. The chapter on Doull made me chuckle. Especially the part where the author thought he had snagged a phone interview with Doull only to be disappointed.

I have a question for those who watched him on here. Considering both the violent and physical nature of the game in the 70s and 80s, was Doull ever subject to acts of violence? If so, would he remain his usual cool self? Or would he give it back as good as he got?

Crosswell had this to say:

"Doull's game has a moral purity about it, and that is why opponents have always found it extremely difficult to be unfair to him. It would have shamed them."

Doull was not a dirty player.

BUT.

If one of his team-mates was being assaulted or an opponent did something wrong toward him he would give it back in spades. He did not take a backward step at any stage and let them know in no uncertain terms to stop.
 
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Kismet

Premium Platinum
Jan 30, 2009
586
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Doull was not a dirty player.

BUT.

If one of his team-mates was being assaulted or an opponent did something wrong toward him he would give it back in spades. He did not take a backward step at any stage and let them know in no uncertain terms to stop.


Years ago I read where someone suggested a measurement for perfection and gauging it in Doulls.

And to borrow the apocryphal nickname of John Eales, Bruce’s nickname should’ve been ‘Nobody’, because nobody’s perfect.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
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