Opinion Which players would have been the best if not for injury?

[Freomaniac]

Shaun Rehn

I was gonna post this...

1991-95, gradually developing into a good ruckman.

1996, knee reco

1997 and 1998, crows won flags with Shaun Rehn fit.

1999, Sadly another knee reco.

2000: Played 16 games but far from his peak 1997-8 years.

2001-02: 33 games in 2 seasons at the hawks. Played all 3 finals for the hawks including that 2001 semi final vs Port.

 

[Freomaniac]

There is one really interesting one, with a twist,.he is already one of the greatest.

Barry Robran is considered the greatest South Australian footballer. The stories about him are Legion. He also destroyed his knee, and never came back as good. It destroyed his career. He did his knee at 26 years of age. Imagine how good he would have been if he had of played another 6 years at the same quality as the previous 8.
He would have been the Don Bradman of AFL.

I have heard about him. He was before my time.

He did win SANFL premierships with North Adelaide late in his career.

He did have 2 sons play in the AFL. Jonathan was one that played for hawks and essendon.

I remember his other son Matthew who played for the crows. He got premiership medals in 1997-8. Injuries forced him into retirement.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Rod Owen another from the Saints

Quite a sad back story to Rod

 

[Gavin Excell]

John Greening by the length of Flemington. Would have been Collingwood's greatest player of all time.

I read this about JG just now. I hadn't realised he attempted comebacks over the next few seasons following the hit.

The Greening Incident

It was July 8, 1972, and Collingwood's Round 14 clash with St Kilda at a muddy Moorabbin was meant to be a tough contest between two likely finalists.

forever.collingwoodfc.com.au

 

[BigPond101]

Morabito could have been our Judd now he's a real estate

 

[South of the Yarra]

I read this about JG just now. I hadn't realised he attempted comebacks over the next few seasons following the hit.

The Greening Incident

It was July 8, 1972, and Collingwood's Round 14 clash with St Kilda at a muddy Moorabbin was meant to be a tough contest between two likely finalists.

forever.collingwoodfc.com.au

Thanks for sharing. Jim O'Dea (and the coach who allegedly ordered the hit) should be ashamed. Footballs most cowardly act.

 

[T2B_]

Menzel with knees would have gone alright

Its what has always pissed me off about his brother Troy, clearly had tonnes of talent, don't think he had any where near the injury troubles of Dan, yet just didn't apply himself enough.

 

[rapidfire7]

Jack Watts

 

[Gone Critical]

The bit I'll add about Jako was a direct comment from Malthouse in a private admission. He stated Jako was the one player he had ever coached (up until then at least) who simply could never be replaced in a team.
He was just 19 in West Coasts 1992 premiership. He was playing WAFL CHF at 16. He was the All Australian CHB '94 and '95 at just 21&22 years of age. The next year at just 23, he wrecked his knee, lost his mobility and was never the same.
Yet despite that and what most people never put together in the timeline, he still dominated one of the arguable GOATS of all time CHF's (Carey), during Norths success period, on one bloody leg!!
I'll back Micks opinion on just how incredible he was and would have been in history bar that bloody knee!!

We had been talking about Allen not Glen. Glen was a beauty and the Carey match up one for the ages. Almost Carey’s biggest career flaw was Jako clearly had his measure.

 

[Rabish Binney]

Thanks for sharing. Jim O'Dea (and the coach who allegedly ordered the hit) should be ashamed. Footballs most cowardly act.

Shocking story.

Any ramifications for the coach who allegedly ordered the hit?

 

[South of the Yarra]

Shocking story.

Any ramifications for the coach who allegedly ordered the hit?

Absolutely shocking.
'Allegations were made that Jim O'Dea, a member of the Victorian Police, under instructions from his coach, Allan Jeans, also a member of the Victorian Police, was to fix up John Greening early and get him out of the game.'

No ramifications for that coach.

 

[Robroy22]

Thanks for sharing. Jim O'Dea (and the coach who allegedly ordered the hit) should be ashamed. Footballs most cowardly act.

Ashamed? They both should have been charged after the incident. One the hitman and a coach who ordered the hit and then threatened interviewers with his Police connections.

O'Dea and other thugs (Cowboy Neale, Carl Ditterich) existed at St Kilda in the 60's-70's because Jeans condoned their thuggery.

They should have been charged, the VFL/Now AFL should be ashamed....possibly as ashamed as they are of the Nicky Winmar jumper raise at Viccy Park....they should clear the air over the Greening incident, accept that it happened on their watch and ensure that the names Jeans and O'Dea are not lauded as great contributors to our code.

 

[Gough]

Phil Carmen springs to mind

I used to love watch him doing his nut on the boundary line of Adelaide Oval as coach of mid 90s Sturt.

 

[bloodsbigot]

Jamie Lawson

Beat me to it. What a tragedy.

 

[Kappa]

Ben Reid

20

Ben Reid

Age

36

Ht

196cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.3

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

4.9

4star

M

6.0

5star

T

1.2

3star

G

0.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

14.0

4star

K

8.6

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

6.0

5star

T

1.0

3star

G

0.0

1star

.

For a time he was the best intercepting KPD in the league with a lethal 60 meter bullet kick on him. Never lost 1 on 1's, intercepted everything and rebounded amazingly.

At 22 he was already the AA key defender and premiership player. Sadly after that, he basically torn a calf/hamstring/quad every 2nd game he played and barely got on the field. When he did, he had lost a lot of power/mobility in his legs and was never the same player.

Not at the same level, but Matthew Scharenberg

12

Matthew Scharenberg

Age

30

Ht

191cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.0

4star

K

10.0

4star

HB

8.1

5star

M

5.9

5star

T

1.4

3star

MG

215.0

3star

D

13.3

3star

K

8.3

3star

HB

5.0

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.7

4star

MG

157.0

3star

D

15.2

4star

K

8.6

4star

HB

6.6

4star

M

5.0

5star

T

1.2

3star

MG

226.8

4star

was called the best young kid Mark Williams had ever seen, but had a serious foot issue then did a couple of ACL's in a row and never got a run at it tragically.

 

[PCORF]

Trent Hentschel

Trent Hentschel

Age

42

Ht

193cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.2

3star

K

7.8

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.2

3star

G

1.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

6.8

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

1.6

2star

M

2.8

3star

T

0.6

3star

G

0.2

3star

may have kicked a few hundred goals if he did not get injured.

 

[PCORF]

I was gonna post this...

1991-95, gradually developing into a good ruckman.

1996, knee reco

1997 and 1998, crows won flags with Shaun Rehn fit.

1999, Sadly another knee reco.

2000: Played 16 games but far from his peak 1997-8 years.

2001-02: 33 games in 2 seasons at the hawks. Played all 3 finals for the hawks including that 2001 semi final vs Port.

You missed 1995.

Shaun Rehn also went down with the right knee in 1995 at football park in a non contact injury, landing while changing direction inwards, knee was bent. ACL, stretchered off to the rooms.

He reinjured the right ACL again in 1996 almost exactly a year later also at football park when he planted his foot changing direction inwards with his leg out, he went off on a stretcher before walking to the bench. In 1999 he tore his left ACL on the centre bounce pad during the preseason. Despite the terrible injury he returned and played 3 more seasons and 49 games.

 

[Glenn_]

Beat me to it. What a tragedy.

Indeed , just started getting Brownlow votes in a couple of games immediately before what turned out to be his final game.

 

[Hawksboy72]

Matthew Egan

Matthew Egan

Age

42

Ht

196cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.5

3star

K

4.8

2star

HB

5.7

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.2

3star

No current season stats available

D

7.0

2star

K

3.2

2star

HB

3.8

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

0.4

3star

On SM-S918B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Peter Crimmins was cut down in his prime.

 

[Gone Critical]

Peter Crimmins was cut down in his prime.

True and he was a beauty

 

[Freomaniac]

Trent Hentschel may have kicked a few hundred goals if he did not get injured.

Another Solid crow in that Neil Craig finals era of 2005-09.

I am still convinced had he not done his knee in mid 2006, Crows would of won that prelim vs eagles and beat the swans in the grand final.

 

[Cleric]

I have heard about him. He was before my time.

He did win SANFL premierships with North Adelaide late in his career.

He did have 2 sons play in the AFL. Jonathan was one that played for hawks and essendon.

I remember his other son Matthew who played for the crows. He got premiership medals in 1997-8. Injuries forced him into retirement.

Yeah his boys wernt a tenth of their dad.
You have other SA legends like Lindsey Head, Russell Ebert etc, but Barrie is considered a level above all of them.

 

[Cleric]

Trent Hentschel may have kicked a few hundred goals if he did not get injured.

Wayne Carey called him Trent Potenial.

 

[WilloTree]

Fyfe and Morobito were taken in the same draft. Morobito was the better of the two.