How are the Swans doing 2020

[NoWhiners]

7 minutes ago, Bubbeh said:

Greatest game since inception of the AFL in 1987???  Hard to really determine but my money is certainly on the 1992 / 1994 / 2006 /2018 Grand Finals.  

 

I think I see a pattern here...

[NoWhiners]

5 minutes ago, Cruisegroover said:

As the song goes and yes I was there that day.

 

 

Very cool, loved it. I'm convinced!

 

🎵 One Tony Lockett....

[possum52]

Everyone has their own greatest player - I only remember back to the early 1960s, there was the great Polly Farmer from Geelong, Ron Barassi - Melbourne and Carlton, Leigh Matthews - Hawthorn, of course Plugger, Bobby Skilton - triple Bownlow medalist - South Melbourne, Kevin Murray - Fitzroy, Barry Cable - North Melbourne, Perth and East Perth and to me the greatest of all was Dick Reynolds - Essendon - I didn't see him play but have seen footage of him. He was my Dad's all time favourite. 

 

Modern players - many of them. 

 

Greatest games - Essendon v North Melb 2001. The Bombers were down by 69 points at halftime and ended up winning by 12 points. 2000 GF Bombers beat Dees.

 

Although I must say that the GF 2010 draw was exciting and the 2016 GF that the Bulldogs won were both good. 

 

Leigh

Edited March 22, 2020 by possum52

[LittleFish1976]

43 minutes ago, Bubbeh said:

Plugger without a doubt.

 

I can go with Plugger although I did have a small child's crush on Carl Ditterich. Modern day, Nick Riewoldt and Fraser Gehrig.

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, Docker123 said:

We lost time as well, someone wanted to go to the footy. 

And also a Hillsong conference that was on.

[MicCanberra]

56 minutes ago, NoWhiners said:

 

OK, I give up--who is Plugger????

 

Is he the footy equivalent of a drop bear 🤨?

LOL, he was a prolific goal scorer and thug.

[MicCanberra]

24 minutes ago, possum52 said:

Everyone has their own greatest player - I only remember back to the early 1960s, there was the great Polly Farmer from Geelong, Ron Barassi - Melbourne and Carlton, Leigh Matthews - Hawthorn, of course Plugger, Bobby Skilton - triple Bownlow medalist - South Melbourne, Kevin Murray - Fitzroy, Barry Cable - North Melbourne, Perth and East Perth and to me the greatest of all was Dick Reynolds - Essendon - I didn't see him play but have seen footage of him. He was my Dad's all time favourite. 

 

Modern players - many of them. 

 

Greatest games - Essendon v North Melb 2001. The Bombers were down by 69 points at halftime and ended up winning by 12 points. 2000 GF Bombers beat Dees.

 

Although I must say that the GF 2010 draw was exciting and the 2016 GF that the Bulldogs won were both good. 

 

Leigh

I have a football that was signed by Dick Reynolds, Ron Barassi, Bob  Pratt and Jack Dyer.

[possum52]

1 minute ago, MicCanberra said:

I have a football that was signed by Dick Reynolds, Ron Barassi, Bob  Pratt and Jack Dyer.

Could be worth a bit Mic! Somewhere I have a program of a cricket match in country Victoria signed by the last South African team before they were banned from coming to Australia. 
 

[MicCanberra]

1 minute ago, possum52 said:

Could be worth a bit Mic! Somewhere I have a program of a cricket match in country Victoria signed by the last South African team before they were banned from coming to Australia. 
 

I have no idea, it was a prize in a raffle around 24 years ago, I do know that apart from Ron (currently 84), they all died by 2003. 

[MicCanberra]

Richard Sylvannus Reynolds (20 June 1915 – 2 September 2002) was an Australian rules footballer who represented Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL) in the 1930s and 1940s.

https://afllegends.com.au/2019/06/28/dick-reynolds/

John Raymond Dyer Sr. OAM (15 November 1913^[1] – 23 August 2003), nicknamed Captain Blood, was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) between 1931 and 1952. One of the game's most prominent players, he was one of 12 inaugural "Legends" inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. He later turned to coaching and work in the media as a popular broadcaster and journalist.

https://afllegends.com.au/2019/01/04/jack-dyer/

Harold Robert "Bob" Pratt, senior (31 August 1912 – 6 January 2001) was an Australian rules footballer who represented South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and Coburg in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) during the 1930s and 1940s.

https://afllegends.com.au/2019/12/20/bob-pratt/

Ronald Dale Barassi Jr. AM (born 27 February 1936) is a retired Australian rules football player and coach. During a long and decorated career, Barassi has been one of the most important figures in the history of Australian football. His father Ron Barassi Sr., also a prominent Australian rules footballer, was killed at Tobruk during World War II. The young Barassi spent his latter teenage years living with Norm Smith, coach of the Melbourne Football Club and a former teammate of his father.

https://afllegends.com.au/2019/01/04/ron-barassi/

BTW, South Melbourne became the Sydney Swans.

[Bubbeh]

2 hours ago, possum52 said:

I must say that the GF 2010 draw was exciting

And the following week such a disappointment.........

[Bubbeh]

Now I know that this is going to be a bit controversial but, I still think that a young Ben Cousins was just brilliant.  Such a sad story that one.

[possum52]

7 minutes ago, Bubbeh said:

And the following week such a disappointment.........

Yes it was! I was there at the G for both games...

4 minutes ago, Bubbeh said:

Now I know that this is going to be a bit controversial but, I still think that a young Ben Cousins was just brilliant.  Such a sad story that one.

No I don't think it is controversial, Ben was a brilliant player. Much better than Chris Judd I think. Drugs, what a horrible blight they are! 

 

My perhaps controversial choice would be James Hird in the more modern era, he was just an amazing player. I loved watching him play and as an Essendon member saw him often. I remember his game against the Eagles at Telstra Stadium in 2004 when he won the game for the Bombers basically off his own boot late into the last quarter.  And both Judd and Cousins were playing as well.

 

Leigh

 

[Bubbeh]

15 hours ago, possum52 said:

My perhaps controversial choice would be James Hird in the more modern era, he was just an amazing player. I loved watching him play and as an Essendon member saw him often. I remember his game against the Eagles at Telstra Stadium in 2004 when he won the game for the Bombers basically off his own boot late into the last quarter.  And both Judd and Cousins were playing as well.

Yes of course, Hirdy.  What an absolute star of the game and how they (whoever they were) hung him out to dry  while systematically throwing him under the bus, was a disgrace.  I understand that he incorporated ballet into his training regime, it helps to explain the amazing strength and flexibility in his lower limbs and how he was able to leap from the ground apparently effortlessly. 

 

But it's all over now baby blue.  Can't say that the AFL / AFLW didn't go down fighting..........

[MicCanberra]

yep gone for the women and for a month or two for the men.

[Vader1111]

1 hour ago, Bubbeh said:

Yes of course, Hirdy.  What an absolute star of the game and how they (whoever they were) hung him out to dry  while systematically throwing him under the bus, was a disgrace.  I understand that he incorporated ballet into his training regime, it helps to explain the amazing strength and flexibility in his lower limbs and how he was able to leap from the ground apparently effortlessly. 

 

But it's all over now baby blue.  Can't say that the AFL / AFLW didn't go down fighting..........

He was hung out to dry because he conducted and orchestrated a systematic doping program involving almost every player on the list, and then got caught red handed.  I have no sympathy whatsoever for him.

 

Great player in his time, but he should have been banned for life and never allowed back into an AFL ground after what he did as coach.

[possum52]

3 minutes ago, Vader1111 said:

He was hung out to dry because he conducted and orchestrated a systematic doping program involving almost every player on the list, and then got caught red handed.  I have no sympathy whatsoever for him.

 

Great player in his time, but he should have been banned for life and never allowed back into an AFL ground after what he did as coach.

Fortunately I am past being caught up in the 'drug saga'. Particularly with what is happening now. This was meant to be a light hearted thread. 

Now tell us who your favourite player/s were and the best games you have seen.

 

Leigh

[Vader1111]

5 minutes ago, possum52 said:

Fortunately I am past being caught up in the 'drug saga'. Particularly with what is happening now. This was meant to be a light hearted thread. 

Now tell us who your favourite player/s were and the best games you have seen.

 

Leigh

Hard to go past the Gary Abletts, junior and senior.  I didn't get to see Leigh Matthews play.  The first VFL/AFL game I saw was the 1989 Grand Final, between Hawthorn & Geelong.  Prior to that my interest was limited to the SANFL.

 

I'd have to say that 1989 Grand Final was & still is one of the greatest games ever played.  I watched it again a couple of weeks ago, after I found it on youtube.  That said, I can't go past the 1997 & 1998 Grand Finals as my all-time favourites, followed by Port giving us 119 reasons to enjoy the 2007 Grand Final.

Edited March 23, 2020 by Vader1111

[NoWhiners]

19 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

yep gone for the women and for a month or two for the men.

 

Do you mean gone for the season or gone forever? I ask because I thought I heard that top dog guy (forget his name, he runs the league??) say that the men were hurting for money and the women were much worse.

[possum52]

19 minutes ago, NoWhiners said:

 

Do you mean gone for the season or gone forever? I ask because I thought I heard that top dog guy (forget his name, he runs the league??) say that the men were hurting for money and the women were much worse.

AFLW has finished for this current season. They play a shortened season during the late summer months. The last few rounds were cut and the first round of finals were played at the weekend. The next round was to be played next weekend and the GF the following weekend. The AFL has been suspended until May 31st if not longer.

Gillon McLachlan? The women's team are supported by their clubs. The AFL holds up some of the less well off clubs with extra grants. This season or lack of will be a disaster for the AFL and their clubs. Most clubs if not all will be laying off staff as I write this or they will be working without pay. The clubs employ thousands.

 

Leigh

Edited March 23, 2020 by possum52

[possum52]

24 minutes ago, Vader1111 said:

Hard to go past the Gary Abletts, junior and senior.  I didn't get to see Leigh Matthews play.  The first VFL/AFL game I saw was the 1989 Grand Final, between Hawthorn & Geelong.  Prior to that my interest was limited to the SANFL.

 

I'd have to say that 1989 Grand Final was & still is one of the greatest games ever played.  I watched it again a couple of weeks ago, after I found it on youtube.  That said, I can't go past the 1997 & 1998 Grand Finals as my all-time favourites, followed by Port giving us 119 reasons to enjoy the 2007 Grand Final.

Leigh Matthews was playing senior football as a 16 year old in our local league and played at the same club my husband did but not at the same time. He was tough and strong.

 

I saw the 1989 grandfinal and everyone since 2000 live up until 2018. The 2007 one was when Gavin Wanganeen was homoured as a etiring player. On the tram into the G we were sitting opposite Gavin's son Tex who was just a little tot and his grandmother who going to see Gavin at the ground. Tex was very proud of his dad.

 

Leigh

[Bubbeh]

4 minutes ago, possum52 said:

The 2007 one was when Gavin Wanganeen was homoured as a etiring player

From memory, Gavin Wanganeen was one of very few defenders to win a Brownlow.  Bloody star but quite enigmatic in his own quiet way.

[possum52]

2 minutes ago, Bubbeh said:

From memory, Gavin Wanganeen was one of very few defenders to win a Brownlow.  Bloody star but quite enigmatic in his own quiet way.

Yes he was Bubbeh. A very quiet man and still is from when you see him on TV. He is now an artist painting indigenous stories. He has designed the artwork on the footballs for indigenous rounds and also the Essendon jumper for the same round in 2016.

 

Leigh

 

[bazshirl2]

59 minutes ago, Vader1111 said:

Hard to go past the Gary Abletts, junior and senior.  I didn't get to see Leigh Matthews play.  The first VFL/AFL game I saw was the 1989 Grand Final, between Hawthorn & Geelong.  Prior to that my interest was limited to the SANFL.

 

I'd have to say that 1989 Grand Final was & still is one of the greatest games ever played.  I watched it again a couple of weeks ago, after I found it on youtube.  That said, I can't go past the 1997 & 1998 Grand Finals as my all-time favourites, followed by Port giving us 119 reasons to enjoy the 2007 Grand Final.

Would agree the 1989 GF was one of the best ever.

Believe I saw the best game  of football by a player that day in Gary Ablett Snr. He kicked 9 goals in a losing GF. 

[NoWhiners]

22 hours ago, possum52 said:

AFLW has finished for this current season. They play a shortened season during the late summer months. The last few rounds were cut and the first round of finals were played at the weekend. The next round was to be played next weekend and the GF the following weekend. The AFL has been suspended until May 31st if not longer.

Gillon McLachlan? The women's team are supported by their clubs. The AFL holds up some of the less well off clubs with extra grants. This season or lack of will be a disaster for the AFL and their clubs. Most clubs if not all will be laying off staff as I write this or they will be working without pay. The clubs employ thousands.

 

Leigh

 

Yes, Gillon McLachlan, that's the guy! I hope the can figure out a way to stay solvent, it would be a shame to lose the AFL.

 

 

And, as I was mulling over the complete failure of my fav American/NFL team to do anythig useful this off-season, I thought of some additional questions for us to discuss:

 

If you owned an AFL team, what change would you work to have the league make and/or what changes to your fav team or club?

 

If I owned the Swans, I would have fan appreciation nights 1/month and give away free food, T-shirts and other team stuff. Maybe they already do this, I only went to 1 game. It was the night the Chinese Ambassador or something was coming, so they had carnival games set up where you could win prizes and were giving away shirts, little footballs, flags, etc. It was lots of fun and we got some great Swans swag 😄