41 minutes ago, Cards13 said:

Ridiculous to come back so soon. That era was just full of some much sparkle and sizzle for us but yet still unfulfilled.

 

I still remember an article from the Sun that had him riding a bike and talking about the 'miracle' recovery from the knee injury.  It was ridiculous to come back so soon but 20 years ago they didn't seem to know much better.  It always takes one mistake to change the landscape, and with knee injuries it was what happened with Schwarz that did it.

I remember him running down "the rat" Johnny Platten during a game.

Schwarz was a bit of a freak and the team of '94 was something else!

A fantastic talent, but always a rung below Wayne Carey imo.

9 hours ago, Ted Fidge said:

The game we talked about above was the "comeback" game from the first knee.

First game back, splat, knee blows out again.

Actually 2nd game back. First game was against Collingwood where he kicked a few, and we won nicely in front of a big crowd. That was an outstanding day, and a real high to descend from the following week.

9 hours ago, Diamond said:

The orthopaedic surgeon who did the ridiculous patellar tendon knee repair which fell apart. That operation is never done now for footballers and was never any good.

Actually you have it arse about, Diamond. Patellar tendon repairs were the default standard, and very successful. Hamstring grafts had just begun to become popular because it was felt they could be rehabilitated more quickly and returned to play earlier. If I remember rightly, Schwarta played again less than 6 months from surgery, and ruptured what is now known to be a still avascular graft in his second game back. Hamstring grafts are still the default standard, and nobody plays inside 9 months. That surgeon you ignorantly belittled was obeying the accepted knowledge of the time. Patellar tendon grafts are still used in some circumstances, and have just as good an outcome, btw. 

Would love to have the Ox back at the club in some capacity whether it's part time role working with Hogan or even Watts!

Amazing player, watching him and Lyon dominate through the second half of 1994 was probably the high point of my football watching life. That day against Sydney was probably the low point of my football watching life, including the 2000 GF.

The saddest thing about Schwarz was that he didn't even make All Australian in 1994 with 60 goals, 406 disposals and 173 marks. Carey kicked a couple more goals that year, but Schwarz had more marks and more disposals. How he didn't even get on the interchange bench is still beyond me.

The most exciting player I have ever seen in the Red and Blue and I believe he would have been the all time best for the MFC.  Better than Carey?  Injury free I would like to think so, only if he had the chance to shake that mantle. He was exciting to watch and had that X-factor. Contributed excessively to some of my fondest memories of the MFC.

Loved the Ox.  In my mind something of a paradox.  While he bled red and blue, he did not quite meet the MFC stereotype.  He had a bit of mongrel in him as well.  To me, he was the only one to truly fly the flag for the Dees, when that coward's act was perpetrated on Snake Simmonds in the 2000 GF.  Loved the way he body slammed Hird.

Even if he wasn't quite as good as Carey that's no great insult - Carey was the best the game has ever seen!

I just had a look back at that 95 season, I've got a pretty good memory but most of those games are wiped completely. So many games we lost by 2-3 goals and still only missed out on finals losing to the Bears in the last game (where Smith took his famous mark - I was sitting right behind the goals!) With a bit of luck with injuries that year we would've been a formidable side. Ah, what might have been.

Schwarta was (potentially) the best KPP I've ever seen in 60+ years of avidly watching the game and supporting the mighty Dees.  He was imo, destined to go past Carey, Ablett (snr), Dunstall, and anyone else you care to mention, but sadly, injury robbed him of his rightful place in the history of our game .  We have a couple of youngsters with star 'potential' on our current list.  If one of them could realise the potential that was denied Schwarta, we will be a great team, I promise you!.

11 hours ago, Fork 'em said:

I was at Lavington Oval when he did it during the pre-season.
Couldn't believe the stupidity of it all actually.
He played in the curtain raiser (yes the seconds) came on after half time and was throwing himself around like his life depended on it.
Kicked 3 goals during the 3rd qr and popped it early in the 4th.
Can still feel the blood draining from my face when I realised what had happened.
Pretty sure that was the second time it went.

I was listening on the radio if I remember right.  my heart sank deep, like everyone's, when the news came thru he'd gone down.

This thread is making me feel a little queasy.

This thread is making me feel a little queasy.

3 hours ago, Cards13 said:

Ridiculous to come back so soon. That era was just full of some much sparkle and sizzle for us but yet still unfulfilled.

 

This I think is our past birthmark, identifying mark.

we were great when we got on top (frontrunners) but when we let their mids get away, we would get trounced & be disappointing.  (defensive running & responsible thinking) IMO.

 

this is why I for one am so glad we got Roosy to the club,  to build us with a new culture minus the "clean pair of heels" mentality (frontrunner).

 

I'm looking forward to this new cultured club & its near future.  worried about after Roos & PJ leave us.  worried about the North & those who would be eager for some limelight & enter our board race in the future.

14 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Was talking to a 50 year old Essendon supporter today and obviously we got talking about the whole WADA situation. Anyways to cut story short he mentioned that Mlebourne was his 2nd favourite team and he'll buy a membership for us this year and has completely lost faith in his club.

But one thing he raved on about was how good David Schwarz was good back in his hey day when he was in full flight especially in 1994. He said he rated him above Wayne Carey by a length because of his speed and Ariel work in the air.

I started supporting the dees in 1998 when I moved to Australia as an 8 year and so I missed all of his best work, so just wanted to know how good really was the Ox? Is it that true that if it wasn't for injury he would have been on par with Carey?

He was an absolute gun and had he not done his knee 3 [censored] times he would have left Carey in his wake. 

Thats how good he was IMO. 

Just imagine if Lyon, Schwartz and Jakovich had all been healthy through the 90s.

Throw in other injury-riddled players in Tingay, Charles, Lovett, and we'd have most definitely snagged a flag in the 90s. Don't forget we added Farmer to the mix in 95.

There's no doubting that we drafted and recruited superbly in that era, but the problem was around player recovery and fitness. We always seemed to have one of the longest injury lists in the AFL, while the likes of North, Carlton, West Coast, Geelong could get their best star players on the pitch for 99% of the season.

 

Schwadda, love him.

so fked he didnt get a few seasons to fulfil his potential. Was a bittersweet treat watching those highlights.  that team was terrific.  worlds away from what we have been watching over the past decade

like him in the media too

19 minutes ago, praha said:

 

There's no doubting that we drafted and recruited superbly in that era, but the problem was around player recovery and fitness. We always seemed to have one of the longest injury lists in the AFL, while the likes of North, Carlton, West Coast, Geelong could get their best star players on the pitch for 99% of the season.

 

Still have glaring issues in that dept but the rose coloured mob here see otherwise.

Is it that true that if it wasn't for injury he would have been on par with Carey?

 

ABSOLUTELY

2 hours ago, poita said:

The saddest thing about Schwarz was that he didn't even make All Australian in 1994 with 60 goals, 406 disposals and 173 marks. Carey kicked a couple more goals that year, but Schwarz had more marks and more disposals. How he didn't even get on the interchange bench is still beyond me.

You're being very selective.

Schwarz had more marks and possessions because he played 25 games to Carey's 19.

Carey averaged more disposals (18.6 > 16.2), more marks (8.6 > 6.9), more goals (3.3 > 2.4) and more ratings points (100.5 > 88.4)

Schwarz had a great year, but Carey covered him by 10-20% in every statistic.

Schwarz was a truly great player, just to be named in the same sentence as Carey is an honour.  He would have been a super-star and he did a fantastic job to come back after 3 knee recos and win a B&F. FWIW I thought Allen Jakovich had even more raw talent, but wasted it.  Exciting times ahead for us now I think with Hogan, Petracca, Brayshaw. Oliver.

13 hours ago, Fork 'em said:

I was at Lavington Oval when he did it during the pre-season.
Couldn't believe the stupidity of it all actually.
He played in the curtain raiser (yes the seconds) came on after half time and was throwing himself around like his life depended on it.
Kicked 3 goals during the 3rd qr and popped it early in the 4th.
Can still feel the blood draining from my face when I realised what had happened.
Pretty sure that was the second time it went.

 

Lavington was #3.  He was so angry that he punched a wall and broke his hand as well.

#2 was vs Swans at the G.  If my memory serves me Jimma had drilled him a pass which he marked (or didn't) and went down 'bang'!

Pre injury Schwarz was an amazing talent.  He was however, IMHO, a rung below Carey, which, as others have pointed out, is nothing to be ashamed of.  Carey is the best player I have ever seen play the game, Schwarz (for that one year) is the best Melbourne player I've seen.

What may have stood in Schwarz's way was the numerous off field demons he was dealing with.  The fact that he played so well in the '94 finals, despite the turmoil in his off-field life is amazing.  His book is an incredible and terrifying read.

14 minutes ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

Pre injury Schwarz was an amazing talent.  He was however, IMHO, a rung below Carey, which, as others have pointed out, is nothing to be ashamed of.  Carey is the best player I have ever seen play the game, Schwarz (for that one year) is the best Melbourne player I've seen.

What may have stood in Schwarz's way was the numerous off field demons he was dealing with.  The fact that he played so well in the '94 finals, despite the turmoil in his off-field life is amazing.  His book is an incredible and terrifying read.

Yeah I agree he was a rung below Carey. As good as the Ox could have been we are talking about a player that I strongly believe to be the greatest to ever play. Schwarz could have very well been one of the greatest CHF's ever if not for injury but I doubt he would have ever matched Carey. 

In saying that, probably the most talented player to come through our club ever with the possible exception of Flower who is forever underrated (I can't speak for players from earlier eras). A healthy Ox could have eclipsed Kernahan, Brereton, Reiwoldt and others as a CHF I believe, he had more talent and an all-round game than them that's for sure.