its amazing how agile and athletic he was before the knees. Scary to think what he could have been!

Yeah, he was a freak before his knees went screwy.

Absolute Legend!

He is my favourite player of all time. Robbo seconds that. And I think Liam Jurrah is on the way to be another! Look out!

Great highlights. He was a sensational player prior to the knee injuries. He showed great character to come back from such adversity and win a Bluey in 1999. Twelve months later his body began to give on him and you could see his on field frustation as he increasingly struggled with the tempo of the game in his final 12 months.

Wow. Its been too long since I last saw that.

He was something else...

i was at that game, i think i was about 8

Ox would have been as good as Wayne Carey and better than Gary Lyon if he was not subject by horrible knees.

Breaks my heart that we found a true super star only for this to happen. Don't get it wrong Lyons bad back combined with Ox bad knees cost us Premierships.

You sometimes forget how quick he was for a big guy, until you revisit footage of him in his prime. Some great memories there of him in that package. He was simply getting the best out of his body until he was cut down. One wonders what might have occurred had his body not failed him once, let alone 3 times.

Unbelievable potential lost, but managed to still have a very good career despite terrible injuries.

Do not know how he manages to keep his gig on the tv and radio, his comments seem limited to writing players or teams off or saying that they are fantastic. Relies on clichés and catch phrases - listen out for 'muppet' or 'my word'.

can't believe the wiz didn't win MOTY that year

The number 5 has been on my jumpers for many a year, i love the Ox, and your right if his knees did not go he would have been a true superstar, with him at CHF, Lyon FF and Neitz CHB and a fit Tingay we would have won a flag no doubt.

That blind turn was very nice indeed.

Sean Charles too... nice

The week he retired we won that miraculous game up at the Gabba, testament to how respected he was IMO.

Thanks for the link!

Schwarz was a Melbourne great and he could have been a great of the competition if not for his injuries.

PS. If Watts can be the new Schwarz - sans knee reconstructions - I'll be happy

I'd forgotten what a gun he was. And Farmer's goal on the run at Waverley...superb.

He was a brilliant player to watch. Such as shame about his knees indeed.

That game against Carlton is probably my earliest memory as a Melbourne supporter. I went to primary school in the northern suburbs, surrounded by Collingwood and Carlton supporters. I remember that week we had to dress up in our team colours on the Friday, and I was the only one in the school who was a Melbourne fan. Out of 500 students. I remember getting teased all day by Pies and Blues jumpers.

Winning that game was amazing. 2nd vs. 7th. Absolutely unreal. One of my most memorable moments. Easily one of my top 5 Melbourne wins since I've been supporting. And that very last goal in that video, I remember it vividly. I was sitting in the Southern Stand in the pocket. They replayed it over and over again over the next week. Loved it.

And yeah, the ox was a superstar before he did his knees.

Who was the number 18 at the start of the clip?

Who was the number 18 at the start of the clip?

sean charles

His '94 finals series was something special.

And how about that last clip, great football mind and (back then) a body to execute some breathtaking moves.

Yeah I remember watching him and Nietz when they first started thinking who are these guys theyre gonna be great!!

2 players i saw cut down before they could show us how good they could have been were

Ox and John Greening

We will never know just how good

Edited September 7, 200916 yr by Swampfox

"Don't get it wrong Lyons bad back combined with Ox bad knees cost us Premierships."

Also Lyon's broken leg in round 22,1987 , plus Connolly's unavailability in the finals cost us the premiership.

If only we'd got 300 games from Gazza, 200 from the Ox and Stinga ,Prympke,Glen Lovett and Warren Dean...we'd be up there with Carlton and Essendon in numbers of flags, since they seem to get 300 games from all their stars. I know I'm greedy, but another 28 from Rob Flower would have made it 300. But other teams seem to get huge numbers from their stars! Look at Footscray, Essendon and Carlton.

Perhaps now Liam, the Skull, and Watts will play 300 and be a big part of our glory years of the future!

We weren't in the hunt in 1987 or 1994. If if if does not hide we would not have been good enough against the Premier of that year.

2 players i saw cut down before they could show us how good they could have been were

Ox and John Greening

We will never know just how good

Good post.

I'd add Neale Daniher to that.