Nice article on Steven Smith,

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/new-mcc-chief-steven-smith-has-some-regrets-over-his-200game-football-career-20150323-1m5vz1.html

Terrific player Steve. One of the worst things I've seen on a footy field was Steve being carried off on a stretcher after a smash to the face from Leigh Matthews. Not the only demon to suffer that treatment.

40 minutes ago, Dee-Nee said:

Nice article on Steven Smith,

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/new-mcc-chief-steven-smith-has-some-regrets-over-his-200game-football-career-20150323-1m5vz1.html

Terrific player Steve. One of the worst things I've seen on a footy field was Steve being carried off on a stretcher after a smash to the face from Leigh Matthews. Not the only demon to suffer that treatment.

Leigh Matthews was a coward who very much preferred to attack players who we're looking the other way. How he didn't kill Peter Giles outright is anyone's guess considering he singled him out for treatment every time Hawthorn played Melbourne.

Perhaps he just didn't like people with blond hair ( or annoying little red heads )

As a kid I loved Steve Smith..I've always prefered a tough backman over a flashy forward.

Matthews.... Great player but a thug. He could have won multliple Brownlows but he was a thug. Some of the thing he did should have seen him in jail. I don't mind biff when 2 guys want to go toe to to toe - happy to do it myself if that is what it takes -, but Matthews was never anything more than a king hit coward

Edited December 27, 201510 yr by Uncle Fester
Typing in the dark as the kidlets sleep

Good article on Steve and the third ex Demons player to preside over the running of the MCC.

Now, as for Matthews, I believe he's the only player to have been charged by the police with criminal assault while playing football. A nice little millstone around his neck.

 

 

With the multiple cameras, multiple umpires and the MRP (as inconsistent as it is) Matthews would play very few games a season these days.   

A little off the main thrust of the topic, but I'm sure Matthews not only received as much as he gave, but knew to expect it, too. Which means he wasn't a coward at all. He knew he'd be on the receiving end of retribution and went ahead with the tough stuff anyway.

Unrelated to the above, he's the best player I've ever seen, but not the most enjoyable to watch. That honour goes to Robert Flower.

Leigh Matthews wasn't Tough

Belting someone from behind when the play is up the other end of the ground is disgusting. 

I had the chance to tell him that in a cafe one summer when he was still coaching the Bears. 

I said nothing, but have regretted it ever since. 

Matthews copped heaps, took it, gave it back, won matches, won B&Fs, won premierships. I wish he played for Melbourne.

Fork Matthews.

I loved Smithy though.
Just ironed his name and #35 on to my trusty duffel coat when he changed to #1 so .... Thanks for that mate.

 

Edited December 28, 201510 yr by Fork 'em

It was a very honest self appraisal of a person that never reached the heights a person with so much natural talent should have. That was a problem with VFL football in those days. They weren't fully professional and still had to have a day job. He had a magnificent physique, but often when early on at CHF he used to walk around like superman not really knowing what to do. He improved somewhat when moved to the backline. He had someone to follow. So long as that happened he was able to win most contests. I really think he now regrets not putting 100% into his preparation as a player.

I seem to recall that, for quite some time, he was our great, white hope at CHF, but never quite delivered.  (How that can be said of so many of our players down the years -- Travis & Col being just two others who spring to mind.)

But, when Smithy was moved to the backline, suddenly he excelled as a player in the way we had been hoping.  Hardeman performed a similar transition when he, too, first under-performed at half forward, only to excel when moved back.