Unfairly Maligned Players

[year of the cat]

I still get cold chills when the memories come back - the Cats are 3 points down against the Lions at the Junction Oval in a magnificent thriller. (Quinlan is killing us, as he usually did, keeping them in the game). Johnno takes a speccy over a pack (he was always a great mark), 15 meters from goal, when the siren goes. Standing behind the goals at the Fitzroy St. end, I was hoping against hope. Yet true to form, poor Johnno kicked out on the full. For those not even born yet - you're so, so lucky. But we loved him all the same. At least it wasn't 5 metres out in a GF for f**** sake!

Thats hilarious - was at that game!! Can remember after a free kick was given to us in front of our goal that my Dad shouted out "Give it to Johnno!!" after he had kicked I don't know how many points up until then.

Pretty sure that Garry Wilson ran riot that day as well.

Must have been quite young then. What year was it? 1980 odd?

 

[g-thing]

Yep. Copped more attention then he deserved for shirking a contest. Has been very good since.

Travis Varcoe anyone? Always seems to be improving, but not improving fast enough for a lot of people. Started behind with a pretty bad injury, and is still very young.

It wasn't until after the grand final that I checked Varcoe's stats. All the Varcoe supporters out there saying, "Wow check out his defensive pressure in the forward line, he makes all the difference in the forward 50 etc "
well where was that in the granny...... one tackle .......one tackle ........ don't start me on the rest of his game!!!!!!

 

[Sydney_Malakellis]

Peter Johnston
Stephen Reynoldson
Kent Kingsley
Darren Flanagan
Gavin Exell
Shane Hamilton
Bruce Lindner
Justin Murphy
Stephen Lunn

I could keep going

Oh you said unfairly.......

I reckon Darren Flanagan helped bring us back (along with some bald bloke) into the 89 GF after Bourke did nothing early...

 

[vinum coupe]

I reckon Darren Flanagan helped bring us back (along with some bald bloke) into the 89 GF after Bourke did nothing early...

yes the old Don Scott quote "you're only as good as your last game"

 

[vinum coupe]

Yeah, ofcourse it was - the Fitzroy homeground for years. Born and raised in St.Kilda, I was first taken to a game there when I was 4 - Lions V Cats. Those stripes, and the Cats won - I was obsessed and in love, with Terry Bright and Tomahawk's dad as heroes. Little did I know I would spend the next 30 odd years in some Twilght Zone turmoil known as 'A Geelong Supporter'.

But back to the topic on hand.....I remember chatting in a drunken haze after the '92 GF that had Handley been picked (instead of Poole???), we would have got up - I thought he had a great year, and was a solid player. (Yeah I know - he was there in '94 and '95 and never recovered, but who else did?)

That's wierd. I saw every game between 76 and 81. I can remember windy hill, moorabbin, arden st, victoria park, lakeside oval, but for the life of me I can't remember the junction oval.

My fav player back then was scratcher. Hated Terry Bright.

 

[James1970]

Thats hilarious - was at that game!! Can remember after a free kick was given to us in front of our goal that my Dad shouted out "Give it to Johnno!!" after he had kicked I don't know how many points up until then.

Pretty sure that Garry Wilson ran riot that day as well.

Must have been quite young then. What year was it? 1980 odd?

Yeah, around 1980, '81. 10 at the time, and would have got in free with my VFL Footy Juniors Card from the Peter Landy show on Sundays. He used to read out the membership numbers just like tatts, and you would sit in your pjs hoping to win a footy or jumper. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be...

 

[darren forssman]

It wasn't until after the grand final that I checked Varcoe's stats. All the Varcoe supporters out there saying, "Wow check out his defensive pressure in the forward line, he makes all the difference in the forward 50 etc "
well where was that in the granny...... one tackle .......one tackle ........ don't start me on the rest of his game!!!!!!

is your varcoe bashing any worse than the shannon bashing that goes?

people in glass houses and all....

 

[coopy_one]

That's wierd. I saw every game between 76 and 81. I can remember windy hill, moorabbin, arden st, victoria park, lakeside oval, but for the life of me I can't remember the junction oval.

My fav player back then was scratcher. Hated Terry Bright.

Yeah I never missed a match in that era either but can remember going there once at least. And then for a few Army Reserve Cup matches (old name for the reserves). Yeah it was Gary Wilson who played well on that occasion. Am sure I had the game on tape. Who knows where that would be?? Had Scratchers number on my duffle coat. Also wasnt fussed with Bright. Bit soft.

 

[year of the cat]

Yeah, around 1980, '81. 10 at the time, and would have got in free with my VFL Footy Juniors Card from the Peter Landy show on Sundays. He used to read out the membership numbers just like tatts, and you would sit in your pjs hoping to win a footy or jumper. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be...

Was 11 and it was the Junior Supporters Club Card that you're referring too. Never bloody had my number come up despite watching it religiously for a few years.

Following it was World of Sport Replay which was just a rehash of the previous days horse racing. It used to give me the shits that I had to wait for it to finish before World of Sport started.

Ah... the old days.....

 

[vinum coupe]

Was 11 and it was the Junior Supporters Club Card that you're referring too. Never bloody had my number come up despite watching it religiously for a few years.

Following it was World of Sport Replay which was just a rehash of the previous days horse racing. It used to give me the shits that I had to wait for it to finish before World of Sport started.

Ah... the old days.....

Loved both. Still bleeding they don't replay the races now.

I remember watching that junior supports club and they used to replay bits of Big M little league games. One of the kids in our team was egged on one day down at moorabbin to have a shot from the boundary. He kicked a banana and jagged it. crowd went nuts and it made it onto the replay the next day which was a thrill for us kids.

 

[reidy75]

Sean Simpson.

For a while there was kicking the ball horrendously, was completely lacking in confidence.

Up there as a dud of the first order. The only time he wasn't kicking the ball horrendously was when he didn't have it.

 

[g-thing]

is your varcoe bashing any worse than the shannon bashing that goes?

people in glass houses and all....

Yeh..... fair call ... tired and emotional when I wrote that

 

[ripitup27]

Henry Playfair...very good linkman in 2004 before he broke his jaw. The years we do well we have a good linkman at CHF (Ablett 2007). Henry just lost confidence after the jaw.

 

[Ninty]

He does?

He does actually. But obviously not much praise happening lately. I thought he had a great game against Sydney and praised him then. But he didn't back it up.

 

[Barabbas]

Henry Playfair...very good linkman in 2004 before he broke his jaw. The years we do well we have a good linkman at CHF (Ablett 2007). Henry just lost confidence after the jaw.

So true. He was never the same after that.