18 minutes ago, Dee Dubya said:

I was there that day at Princess Park, standing right behind the goals. Happened in the goal square whilst the play was at the other end. To this day it is still the the most cowardly, gutless act I have ever seen (and I've seen quite a few). Yes they were different times, but was still shocking by the standards of the day. As I pass his statue today, the urge to spit will be as strong as ever.

It sickens me how the media and AFL treat this filthy thug as a legend of the game and that the powers that be allowed a statue of him to be erected at such a significant site.

Not sure if my memory serves me right, but does anyone else recall that Smith had just returned from cancer treatment?

I was at the game as well, on the northern wing. I recall a party that night mouthing off at some Hawthorn supporters about their hero...

 

11 minutes ago, Neil Crompton said:

Can't wait for the game to begin. Might give us a break from this. You two should get a private room. 

Just use the ignore function and put me on it.  I have about 20 posters on ignore and it works a treat.  Until, they're quoted.

31 minutes ago, ProDee said:

The degrees are marginal.  I think your views are self-serving because you can identify with Melbourne players.

And I suspect we're a similar age, we just have different views.

No, there is no Melbourne Bias here, except that i saw some of his thuggery live, the rest i saw on Ch7. There was a lot of it

On 8/11/2018 at 12:05 PM, Sir Why You Little said:

Leigh Matthews a street thug who was allowed to kick goals

It is sad that a statue was made to honour him

The worst part about the Leigh Matthews statue is that it's at the MCG. I for one don't want to look at that!

Should be getting shat on by pigeons at Glenferrie.

23 hours ago, Vogon Poetry said:

Matthews, great player, thug.

We had one and he is loved on here.  Rod Grinter.  Saw him at PP one day end a young kids career in the two's by flattening him and as he lay unconscious on the ground high five his teammates as he ran to the backline. The kid never played again and was still unconscious hours later.  Having said that Rod wasn't renowned for hitting players behind the play but the avoidable damage he did to players was significant.

Jack Dyer was a thug as were many others.  It's was a different era with different expectations and standards.  Thankfully we are moving on.

But just because blokes like Matthews and Brereton were thugs doesn't mean their opinions aren't relevant or they don't have great knowledge of the game. In fact, they probably have a better understanding of football violence and it's motives than most.

 

Leigh Matthews was concussed fairly often in the first part of his career.

Its been told to me that after a game when he was feeling unwell, he would leave the club quietly.  Almost shy away.

 

Both Brereton and Matthews copped their fair wack in games.  And never made a big noise about it, when they copped it.

Early 70's there was a lot of roughhouse plays.

 

Balmey was quite the strong man.

Ray Biffen was one who would not take prisoners.

The Tigers had a few,,, as did Carlton.

John Nicholls put many a player to sleep.

The Saints had the Cowboy, Tony Lockett, and Big Carl Ditterich, as we did.

Bummers had the likes of Don McKenzie, Bluey Shelton, Ronny Andrews, Dean Solomon.

Pies had Weideman, Tuddy, Millane, Magro, etc

Dogs had Charlie Sutton, Ted Whitten, and others.

 

The VFL/AFL game is covered with hard ruthless players, since it's early years. 

Another Mathews victim //..Has anyone mentioned  Melbourne midfielder Brian Norsworthy ?  I was there at PP in the early eighties.  Norsworthy was a top draft pick from SA. Mathews almost killed him in an off the play  incident in the middle.  Norsworthy only played a few games  for Melb'ne  before returning to Adelaide.

Mathews wrecked his career.  Mathews was a coward and a thug who hated Melbourne.  Bashed four Melbourne players from behind. Never eyeballed any of his victims. Always came up on the blind side or from the rear.

I dont think Mathews ever got reported for those incidents.  He finally got pinged when he bashed Bruns at PP.  I was there.  Terry Wallace wasnt playing but he was near us in the outer and he was about to jump the fence and join in the fight. Rodney  Grinter king hit Wallace when he moved from Hawthorn to Footscray. Wallace was a dirty player.  He sued Melbourne FC and settled out of court.

Hawthorn got away with murder in the 70 and 80's.  Umps always turned a blind eye except of course when Stynes ran across the mark in the '87 Prelim.  Hawthorn would not have been pinged if a hawk ruckman had done the same.

.

How many Melbourne players have been KO'd in games, behind play...  and by which opposition clubs/ players ???

20 hours ago, jane02 said:

I worked with Neil McMullen - he was a respected paediatric surgeon.

i had no idea about this story and it is interesting he is no longer practicing medicine but has become a player manager.

Yes, he ran into a thuggish orthopaedic surgeon with personal issues wielding angled tying forceps and that was  the end of him.

Mother always said Matthews was a dirty player and never said it about anyone else. 

 

As head of the MCC , I doubt whether Steven Smith will be putting up a statue of Leigh Matthews anywhere near the MCG.

22 minutes ago, DeeZee said:

As head of the MCC , I doubt whether Steven Smith will be putting up a statue of Leigh Matthews anywhere near the MCG.

Now that you're head of the MCC, can you get them to lower the price of chips?

On 8/11/2018 at 9:07 AM, jackaub said:

Could not agree more. Thug who has the gall to comment on current offences What a drongo.Go away in shame Matthews!

I remember that hit on Giles.

Pure thuggery.