Who is the most hardcore AFL player ever?

[Tandy]

Mitch Robinson seems pretty hardcore. He goes in like a bull, can dish it out as much as he gets and seems to live and breath footy. Cat >head

 

[Dank You Steven]

Had to add Ben cousins. Not sure I know if anyone who pushed themselves to the limit harder than he did

I hope he straightens out


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He won't.

 

[Dank You Steven]

LOL holy s**t, he literally used to go around clotheslining people on the field. Did that sort of s**t even carry a suspension back in the day?

No! It was the Bruns incident in 85, and a huge punch up at Windy Hill in 86 between the Swans and Essendon that saw a change in attitude towards this sort of thing. Bot those examples saw "trial by video" come into play - technology and the numbers of cameras meant you couldn't get away with things anymore. Before then, even if the camera saw it, if the ump didn't report you you were clear.

My brother was at the game where Bruns went down, and he said he had it coming all day - snide antics in packs, squirrel gripping, gouging etc. - said he got what he deserved and Geelong were responsible for most of the aggro. No argument with Steven Hocking squaring up - to be expected - but Jacko and Bruns were a disgrace.

 

[Dank You Steven]

He went to tackle Brad Hill and hurt himself and had to leave the game.

Voss in recent times. Ayres in the 80s. Before that every team had a couple of enforcers.

Hawthorn in the 80s had Derm in attack, Dipper in the midfield and Ayres at the back. Fear across every part of the ground from an opposition point of view. And I loved it!

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Matthews, Archer, Ayres... spring to mind...

 

[roacheee]

.... different strokes for different folks and all that..... but slipknot are pretty terrible .... are you still 15 and its 1999?

talk about taste and you live where exactly?

 

[radiojake]

talk about taste and you live where exactly?

I wouldn't think giving my exact living coordinates online to be particularly smart - nor do I understand the relevance ?

 

[aflcliche]

Lenny Hayes?

 

[Frank Gallagher]

Hawthorn in the 80s had Derm in attack, Dipper in the midfield and Ayres at the back. Fear across every part of the ground from an opposition point of view. And I loved it!

We had Dennis Banks and Darren Millain.

 

[Dwhale44]

Harry

 

[Dank You Steven]

We had Dennis Banks and Darren Millain.

Don't hold a candle to those three - yep, tough, dangerous on and off the field, but Derm, Dipper and Ayres intimidated their direct opponents, their zone, and therefore the opposition. And played very hard off the field as well by all accounts.

 

[Bulldog1954]

It’s a toss up between Ryan Lonie, Nathan Lonie, Aaron Fiora and Andrew Swallow.

How did Swallow get bracketed in with the others? Off field religion? Very tough on field.

 

[manboob]

My brother was at the game where Bruns went down, and he said he had it coming all day - snide antics in packs, squirrel gripping, gouging etc. - said he got what he deserved and Geelong were responsible for most of the aggro. No argument with Steven Hocking squaring up - to be expected - but Jacko and Bruns were a disgrace.

 

[Dank You Steven]

How did Swallow get bracketed in with the others? Off field religion? Very tough on field.

Good player Swallow - miles ahead of those others listed.

 

[big_bazza]

Jude Bolton is still one of my favorite Swans ever due to his ridiculous, sometimes stupid courage and hardness at the ball with no regard for his own safety.

 

[Marcus DuQuesne]

No! It was the Bruns incident in 85, and a huge punch up at Windy Hill in 86 between the Swans and Essendon that saw a change in attitude towards this sort of thing. Bot those examples saw "trial by video" come into play - technology and the numbers of cameras meant you couldn't get away with things anymore. Before then, even if the camera saw it, if the ump didn't report you you were clear.

My brother was at the game where Bruns went down, and he said he had it coming all day - snide antics in packs, squirrel gripping, gouging etc. - said he got what he deserved and Geelong were responsible for most of the aggro. No argument with Steven Hocking squaring up - to be expected - but Jacko and Bruns were a disgrace.

Felt no pain for Brun's in fact I agree had it coming. Jacko was a joke that day however I think it was Gary Ayres that sniped him ( Belted him coming in from a less than courageous side angle) a couple of times and Jacko got sick of it and went bananas. Just had a look at the footage...funny to watch but Ayres belted Jacko and somehow it was Jacko's fault..hilarious. Matthews had a brain fart and did not even try and protect himself but just took the hit from Hocking. The umpires once again showed they could not control the game...who would have??? Dark day for AFL but hey it sure was entertaining. Mind you the my brother saw squirrel gripping...gouging etc is a bit hard to believe sounds like tall tales from the legendary..to me. Only squirrel grip I ever SAW was Stan Magro on I think it was John Cassin when he played at NM. I never understood why Matthews did not stand up to Hocking and have a crack and yet happy to snot a player who was not looking...part of his character I guess.

 

[Bestevaer]

Jude Bolton is still one of my favorite Swans ever due to his ridiculous, sometimes stupid courage and hardness at the ball with no regard for his own safety.

Paul Kelly was as courageous a player as i have ever seen.
Gavin Brown and Mark Harvey also.
Those three were hardcore at the ball.

 

[Mofra]

Hawthorn in the 80s had Derm in attack, Dipper in the midfield and Ayres at the back. Fear across every part of the ground from an opposition point of view. And I loved it!

There was a player that could take it as well as dish it out, just because he was big in some ways I think his toughness is actually underrated.

In the modern game it goes unnoticed but I'll say Dale Morris. Cops hits constantly, never reacts or hits back. Played a prelim in 09 with a broken leg, played the 2016 grand final with two broken vertebrae. Never seen anyone play through pain the way he does. Lappin's efforts in a granny with a jumper full of smashed ribs would be close.

 

[Dr Tigris]

Going back in time the great Captain Blood - Jack Dyer.

Played ruck when undersized and was just so hard that he was a great. plus fantastic skills and leadership.

Always hard to compare eras. Tough men back in the day would hit and get hit. Nowadays they wouldn't be bale to catch the players and wouldn't get a kick typically. Guys like Lethal or St Francis were hard and skilled.

 

[Gone Critical]

Paul Kelly was as courageous a player as i have ever seen.
Gavin Brown and Mark Harvey also.
Those three were hardcore at the ball.

Agree when I think of players, not big blokes, who just always went with no regard for themselves, I think Paul Kelly, Gavin Brown, Ken Hunter. Mark Harvey is the same. Glen Archer was the same in attack on the ball but bigger and more likely to attack the man. Kelly, Brown and Hunter just always went the ball at 100% no matter the situation. They are the toughest bravest players I have seen.

 

[JohnHinckleyJr]

Rob gee

 

[WCE_phil]

It's not the guys who are built like brick shithouses who are tough. It's the guys who are smaller or slimmer but no matter what keep on going. You find a bloke who was fairer or harder at the ball than Dean Kemp with that build and you'll have my vote.

 

[CholEstrol]

Plugger
Dyer
Rhys Jones
Neil Kerley
Woosha
Brereton
Balme

 

[Lach72]

I had a lot of time for Roger James.

 

[Engimal v3]

It’s a toss up between Ryan Lonie, Nathan Lonie, Aaron Fiora and Andrew Swallow.

What an odd thing to say.