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Back Pocket Demons

Demons3031
in Melbourne Demons

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Posted

Trying hard to remember the line of back pocket players from early 60's to the present. Anyone like to have a go?
Starting with Beckwith then  Neil Crompton........ 

Beckwith

Crompton

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    Add Johnson, Yeats, Whelan, Jetta - a roll call of my favourite players.

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    Some good ones there '55! Just remembered Matthew Febey too. Trying hard to think of the mid late 60;'s and the 1970's....?

     

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    Laurie Fowler from the 70's .... Another hardnut.
    Will always be remembered for this hit on Big John Nicholls while playing for Richmond.
     

     

    Edited by Fork 'em

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    Yes Laurie Fowler -top Player Fork 'em...From Richmond originally? Did he also ruck rove for a while? Was wondering whether Denis Clark played a short stint there in his later career after his centre line career or is my mind wrong on that one?

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    Barry Bourke,  after his Full Forward days. He was the player who fell across Peter Hudson's knee in the third quarter of a game in about 1970 or 71 where Hudson kicked 12 goals or so by half time...

    Edited by dieter

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    Good one Neil Crompton.  Am I right  in saying he played the first half of his career on a half back flank before moving to the back pocket around the time he was captain? I seem to remember him being knocked out by a stray Justin Madden arm in an Essendon-Melbourne game at the MCG when he was on the HBFlank before becoming a  great back pocket?

     

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    1 minute ago, dieter said:

    Barry Bourke,  after his Full Forward days. He was the player who fell across Peter Hudson's knee in the third quarter of a game in about 1970 or 71 where Hudson kicked 12 golas or so by half time...

    Yes Dieter..a great back pocket--handy up forward before that too. I seem to remember he played some of his early games on a wing before Norm Smith used him in a forward pocket or as a "decoy" full forward before his days in the back pocket.  Norm Smith seemed to like that style of full forward with players like Alan Rowarth.(2)..not all that tall . Was the great Athol Webb similar?.. I remember him playing and kicking heaps of goals-had a feeling he too was not overly tall. From memory they were good leads  or freed up the goal square for talls like big Bob Johnson? Norm Smith did a have a strategy for that from memory. Barry Bourke was a  good goal kicker wasn't he . I have a feeling he also was one of the first Melbourne defenders to take kick outs ( I could be wrong..anyone else remember?)..before that Bernie Massey and Tassie Johnson used to kick long kicks. Tas Johnson would sometimes drop kick the ball from full back to the centre to the likes of Terry Gleeson, John Lord and other talls...a wonderful sight!

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    1 minute ago, Demons3031 said:

    Yes Dieter..a great back pocket--handy up forward before that too. I seem to remember he played some of his early games on a wing before Norm Smith used him in a forward pocket or as a "decoy" full forward before his days in the back pocket.  Norm Smith seemed to like that style of full forward with players like Alan Rowarth.(2)..not all that tall . Was the great Athol Webb similar?.. I remember him playing and kicking heaps of goals-had a feeling he too was not overly tall. From memory they were good leads  or freed up the goal square for talls like big Bob Johnson? Norm Smith did a have a strategy for that from memory. Barry Bourke was a  good goal kicker wasn't he . I have a feeling he also was one of the first Melbourne defenders to take kick outs ( I could be wrong..anyone else remember?)..before that Bernie Massey and Tassie Johnson used to kick long kicks. Tas Johnson would sometimes drop kick the ball from full back to the centre to the likes of Terry Gleeson, John Lord and other talls...a wonderful sight!

    Melbourne was just such a great side in those days. I recall the Tas Johnson kickouts. bernie massey's kick in were just as good.

    Barry Bourke played as a wingman - he represented Victoria - towards the end of his career. He was about 5 ft 10, but a good one grab mark - he marked the ball at full back during the last seconds of the 1964 Grand Final.

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    Just now, dieter said:

    Melbourne was just such a great side in those days. I recall the Tas Johnson kickouts. bernie massey's kick in were just as good.

    Barry Bourke played as a wingman - he represented Victoria - towards the end of his career. He was about 5 ft 10, but a good one grab mark - he marked the ball at full back during the last seconds of the 1964 Grand Final.

    Good memories there Dieter! They were wonderful days to be young and watching a  great side with a coach like Norm and captains in Beckwith and Barassi!

     

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    39 minutes ago, Demons3031 said:

    Good one Neil Crompton.  Am I right  in saying he played the first half of his career on a half back flank before moving to the back pocket around the time he was captain? I seem to remember him being knocked out by a stray Justin Madden arm in an Essendon-Melbourne game at the MCG when he was on the HBFlank before becoming a  great back pocket?

     

    I think #5 Neil, our 1964 hero, was well before the Madderns.  Retired 1966. 
    He was the back pocket successor to #30 John Beckwith 
    I must say I don’t remember much about him until he succeeded JB but I see he kicked 11 goals from 11 games in 1959 so must have been a HFF I guess.   Only 1 goal after 1960 but, hey, that one really counted. 

    Edited by monoccular

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    13 minutes ago, monoccular said:

    I think #5 Neil, our 1964 hero, was well before the Madderns.  Retired 1966. 
    He was the back pocket successor to #30 John Beckwith 
    I must say I don’t remember much about him until he succeeded JB but I see he kicked 11 goals from 11 games in 1959 so must have been a HFF I guess.   Only 1 goal after 1960 but, hey, that one really counted. 

    Methinks he was referring to Il Capitano Frank Davis.

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    Tasmanian Mick Reynolds (#46) occupied the back pocket for a while, Great hands, bung knees

    Tony "Spud" Dullard was another back pocket, minding the resting ruckman. Also had great hands. I think it was Bobby Skilton who said he'd have made a fantastic centre-half forward but they couldn't coax him out of first gear on the training track. Went on to play as a ruck for Williamstown. Bug unit. An old mate of mine played against him and said it was like spending an afternoon repeatedly hurling yourself into a brick wall.

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    Robert Flower himself. I well remember a particular game against Richmond where he gave Kevin Bartlett then stationed in the forward pocket an absolute bath.

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    2 hours ago, Neil Crompton said:

    Frank Davis

    Loved watching Frank Davis play. Whelan so good too. Did Clint Bizzel play back pocket ??

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    Greg Wells

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    33 minutes ago, demonstone said:

    I can only recall Wellsy playing in the centre/onball -  never as a back pocket.

    He did indeed play back pocket. I remember him kicking a great running goal from that position, very similar to that of Woewodin. Was devastated when he defected to Carlscum.

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    1 hour ago, pineapple dee said:

    Loved watching Frank Davis play. Whelan so good too. Did Clint Bizzel play back pocket ??

    Can't recall Clint playing from a BP.  Then again i wasn't in a state to recall much of most matches after half time so i could be wrong.

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    Bernie Massey, Phil Rhoden (briefly) maybe even Alan Johnston later on occasionally, Derek Feldman

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    19 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

    He did indeed play back pocket. I remember him kicking a great running goal from that position, very similar to that of Woewodin. Was devastated when he defected to Carlscum.

    He played back pocket in his early days..

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    Yes Matt Whelan......and   Derek Feldman-Number 28. Solid back pocket. His brother Rick played HFF No 39  Phil Roden( 3 games). Clint Bizzell seemed to be shifted around a bit for us..up forward then down back..but i think did play at full back or in the pocket too on occasions. Bernie  Massey and Tassie Johnson might have been a bit of a conundrum for the selectors. Round 1 in 1964 Had Bernie at full back and Tassie Johnson first ruck.  Oh yes..Spud Dullard..remember  him well..think he also might have worn no 28?

     

    Edited by Demons3031
    spelling

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    6 hours ago, Demons3031 said:

    Trying hard to remember the line of back pocket players from early 60's to the present. Anyone like to have a go?
    Starting with Beckwith then  Neil Crompton........ 

    Beckwith

    Crompton

    Without the years or in order the following have been pretty good 

    Fowler, Connolly and Frank Davis I Think was  a Back pocket not a flanker but could be wrong Alan Johnson played there also for a period.

    Others not so good  Clint Bartram 

     

     

     

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