What was Chris Connolly like as a player?

[Courtney_Fish 183]

I've heard that till he was injured he was touted as a future captain. Is that true?

[Sir Why You Little 34,653]

Correct.

[iv'a worn smith 1,979]

A good, ordinary player, as the late Jack Dyer would have said. Limited skills, but had a red hot go. A real team man and very vocal. As has been rightly pointed out, knee injuries cruelled him and cut short his career.

[Gorgoroth 12,331]

He was a terrible school teacher who failed at trying to coach our football team until we told him to [censored] off.

[DeeZee 6,779]

He was actually very good, and often in the best.

[loges 6,132]

A good, ordinary player, as the late Jack Dyer would have said. Limited skills, but had a red hot go. A real team man and very vocal. As has been rightly pointed out, knee injuries cruelled him and cut short his career.

Good ordinary player maybe, but from memory he was just coming into his own when cruelled by a knee injury

[Pennant St Dee 11,347]

CC was a good player with good skills and as others said was coming into his own before he was struck down with the knee injury. Without the injury CC would have been a vital part in that side which blossomed under Swooper

[H_T 2,941]

He was a terrible school teacher who failed at trying to coach our football team until we told him to [censored] off.

lol...did you spend time in the vault for that..

[rjay 23,945]

Good player cut down way to early with the knee. We never got to see the best of him unfortunately.

Edited January 15, 2013 by rjay

[Bay Riffin 1,420]

I watched him play and remember him playing left half back and when I saw him he was very good.

Didn't have the classic build of a footballer but he could really read it and looked confident.

Given he was often coming back from injury it was a good sign. But ultimately he couldn't overcome his injuries.

Definitely a good footballer though.

[Bring Back Barassi 532]

i thought he was fairly average myself

[beelzebub 22,244]

A very good reader of the ball and play. Kinda a nuggety disposition and quite a steadying influence . Used it well. Not the fastest man alive and often left the ground glowing red...totally spent.

As a contrast he would have quietly stood toe to toe with Beamer, telling him to stop directing traffic and get on with it ! A leader on the paddock.

Good up and down player.

[Miles from Nowhere 199]

He was an above average footballer - but had a way above average mullet.

[Sir Why You Little 34,653]

Pity that he had to wear that God awful light blue jumper his entire career. I always felt sorry for Connells that he wasn't part of the '87 tilt.

[stingrays 24]

I thought he was very good, and one of my favourites, just couldn't string enough consecutive games together to maintain form and fitness.

Often thought if we had a fit Connolly for that 1987 prelim. we would have won. Think he was back playing, but not deemed fit enough.

[bush demon 1,901]

You guys clearly don't remember him he was a briiant footballer cruelly it down with a knee injury. Number 22 from memory but Thaipantsmanyou will have to correct me on that.

[gsmith12 491]

You guys clearly don't remember him he was a briiant footballer cruelly it down with a knee injury. Number 22 from memory but Thaipantsmanyou will have to correct me on that.

With you there bush demon, I watched a good deal of his footy in the early to mid eighties and considered Chris a classy utility either forward or back. He finished 4th in the Bluey in 1986 after playing only 12 games. He also finished high in the voting in '84 & '85.

He injured both knees which prematurely ended what promised as a great career.

Connolly would have walked into any MFC's starting line up in any year since his retirement IMO.

[John Crow Batty 8,271]

He was a solid, effective and reliable player without doing the superstar stuff. Always in the game and never went missing. Should have become a dentist after his premature retirement.

Edited January 15, 2013 by america de cali

[stinga81 210]

I wasn't old enough to see Connolly play, would have like to but.

The old man shares similar sentiments to G Smith and BD, classy footballer cut down by injury.

Edited January 15, 2013 by stinga81

[monoccular 16,247]

Good though not brilliant: always totally reliable and had a never say die attitude.

One would say a great club man and on field leader - though maybe not captaincy material, but who will ever know.

Sadly recurrent knee injuries killed his career.

[Traja Dee 104]

I was in my teens when he started. I remember that he was the middle player in a trio of fine centre players: 1982 was Brownlow Brian Wilson, 1983 was Chris Connolly and 1984 was Brett Bailey, though each one was not quite as good as the previous according to my memory. I don't remember much of him after that but I do remember that the players gave him a special tribute when they won the night premiership in 1987 when he was recovering from a knee injury. The players' tributes would indicate that he had a special bond with them. Incidentally, Brett Bailey was a mere utility/flanker by that time but he does hold a special place as the player who kicked the goal to give us the lead in the dying moments of that grand final.

One of my last memories of him as a player was in 1991 when they were training at Junction Oval. They had just received a thumping in round 1 at Subiaco and many commentators were ready to write them off after 4 consecutive years in the finals. I walked close to the players on my way to a game of tennis and quite close to Chris who was performing a handball drill. I said "Good Luck Chris" (I know, I'm really kool!) and he respond with a spirited "We'll bounce back" sort of response that indicated strong presence and confidence. They did bounce back with a strong win in round 2.

Hope this helps. Go Dees.

'

Edited January 15, 2013 by Traja Dee

[Courtney_Fish 183]

Thanks for all that guys. I've decided that this guy deserves our support; he was a good player for Dees struck down early, never went missing, i believe he loves the club but the clincher is the mullet. (Love a good mullet.)

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,623]

I agree with the posters above who judged him a top- class player, whose career was wrecked by injury(?shoulder as well as knee).

He was a good left foot kick with accurate and constructive disposal skills. Unlike most left footers , he kicked well on the right,too.

Though short, he was excellent overhead, and was never found wanting for courage.

If we'd had him and Lyon in the 87 Prelim, I have no doubt we'd have won it, and the GF v. Carlton, whom we beat three times in 1988.

Incidentally, as an MC and interviewer at Demon functions over the years, his "sledge-hammer wit" has always been prominent. I think it's perfectly consistent with the sense of humour he has always displayed, that he was tongue in cheek with his comments about Zulus and job threats in the meeting room in 2009.

[angrydee 842]

Very classy, hard and a true leader. We'd have done better in '87 & '88 had he been there. I'm sure of that.

[Bobby McKenzie 2,192]

You guys clearly don't remember him he was a briiant footballer cruelly it down with a knee injury. Number 22 from memory but Thaipantsmanyou will have to correct me on that.

I agree. They must be thinking of someone else. He was a VERY good footballer have no doubt. One of our best in this era. Very cool,calm and collected.