The Brilliance of Robbie Flower

[Whispering_Jack 28,024]

I came across this YouTube video of the late, great Robbie Flower today. 

A wonderful person, a fantastic player and always a pleasure to watch. This is from his first season -

 

[Whispering_Jack 28,024]

One piece is never enough - you have to see him in colour too.

This is from 1984 -

 

[picket fence 15,408]

18 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

One piece is never enough - you have to see him in colour too.

This is from 1984 -

 

Yep and yep Sad I still think of him quite often, I posted ny Ode on quite a few occasions, As I said to some of his close acquaintances, "Where has 5 + years gone?? Great player!! Better Bloke!! there can be no greater legacy!!

Always remembered! 

Thanks for posting

[JakovichScissorKick 771]

Deserved to play in much  better teams.    We were terrible his whole career.

Then he retires and we make the GF the very next season.

[Demonstone 19,421]

17 minutes ago, JakovichScissorKick said:

We were terrible his whole career.

Except for 1987.   Fond memories of the first two finals at the MCG - still have the VHS tapes from "Name A Game"!

[Dr. Gonzo 22,540]

Such a shame he was born about 5 years too early. His silk could've really helped us during the Northey years, might have helped us pinch a flag in 1990.

[Mazer Rackham 14,970]

It was awesome seeing him in the Big V and showing where he deserved to be -- amongst the very best. Never forget one game against SA where we were down at half time. Robbie was "swung to" (old fashioned term now) centre half forward (!!!) and practically won the game off his own boot.

We hear of Millanes, Bourke/Barrett/Clay, Jezzas ... imagine the reputation RF would have if he'd played for a big 4 club. Stellar player.

 

GO DEMONS!!!!!!

[Mazer Rackham 14,970]

9 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Such a shame he was born about 5 years too early. His silk could've really helped us during the Northey years, might have helped us pinch a flag in 1990.

Agree with the sentiment but there might not have been a club in '90 without Robbie. Remember the "do it for Robbie" fund in '86.

[Grapeviney 8,882]

Check the goal against Richmond at 1.50min of this clip. As I've written previously on here, I reckon it's one of the best I've ever seen.

He's out of position in a marking contest in the centre of the ground, effects the spoil and prevents a certain Tigers mark, keeps his feet and is first to the ball, sharks it over an opponent, streams through CHF and dobs it from outside 50m. 

As Bobby Skilton says in the commentary, it's football at its very best.

 

 

[picket fence 15,408]

51 minutes ago, demonstone said:

Except for 1987.   Fond memories of the first two finals at the MCG - still have the VHS tapes from "Name A Game"!

I have them on DVD

Sensational!

[deebug 1,754]

He was magic?

[dice 566]

As Bernie Quinlan said at Robbie's memorial service at the MCG:
"If we can't have a statue of Robbie Flower here, there's something wrong."

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-10-13/footy-greats-farewell-demon-legend-robbie-flower

 

[Fork 'em 6,558]

Nice clips boys but here's 16 minutes of brilliance.
 

Note he kicked 5goals in the elim including a trade mark hanger and another 4goals in the semi final before getting his collarbone busted in the prelim and then retiring.
If anyone should have been nursed to 300games it should have been this legend.

[Demon Disciple 11,081]

There has been none better for the MFC ever since Robbie. And dare i say only a handful before him.

Dad turned up to every game during the dark 70's and 80's years. The only reason he did was to go and watch Robbie play. Unfortunately i was too young to remember.

God we could do with him in the team now.

[Demon Disciple 11,081]

18 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

Nice clips boys but here's 16 minutes of brilliance.
 

Note he kicked 5goals in the elim including a trade mark hanger and another 4goals in the semi final before getting his collarbone busted in the prelim and then retiring.
If anyone should have been nursed to 300games it should have been this legend.

If we'd have made it through to the granny in 87, he would've played. He was emphatically on record with this.

[Grapeviney 8,882]

2 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

If we'd have made it through to the granny in 87, he would've played. He was emphatically on record with this.

He told Mike Sheahan it would have been ‘doubtful’ on Open Mike. It’s the second or third question of the episode. 

[ding 5,126]

Geez........... who can imagine Robbie on a wing in our 2020 team ?.

I remember so vividly watching Flower carving up a wing the "G" when i was a teenager. I loved how the crowd reacted whenever he got the ball..... "Robbieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee". This is what we miss most nowadays... a player who makes the crowd go nuts when he has the ball.

We were not a great side then, and havent been for a long time, but thinking of that still gives me chills.

Im going to be off my face and full of tears if we win a flag before i die.

GO DEES!!!!!!

 

[Fork 'em 6,558]

2 hours ago, Grapeviney said:

He told Mike Sheahan it would have been ‘doubtful’ on Open Mike. It’s the second or third question of the episode. 

Speaking of which.
2nd question.
 

 

Edited November 12, 2019 by Fork 'em

[Demon Disciple 11,081]

7 hours ago, Grapeviney said:

He told Mike Sheahan it would have been ‘doubtful’ on Open Mike. It’s the second or third question of the episode. 

My old man was good friends with him, told him many a time he would’ve played, nothing would’ve stopped him.

[Dee Dee 1,048]

Flower elevated playing football to an art form. He had the poise and grace of a ballet dancer, the dexterity of a gymnast. He was genuinely a one off!

[iv'a worn smith 1,979]

Sadly missed.  I remember sitting in the old Northern stand, next to the players race.  Robbie was chasing the ball toward the boundary against the filth and had two opponents whacking him from either side.  He still gathered the ball and kicked it into our forward line.  I screamed blue murder at the opposition tactics.  You could clearly see the hits to the ribs.  In fact, from my vantage point, you could hear them.  But no free kick.

Robbie played when footy was hard and physical, yet for a man of his physique he managed to rise above the thuggery and was a star in some very mediocre sides

[Demonland 65,974]

 

 

[Willmoy1947 3,808]

14 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

It was awesome seeing him in the Big V and showing where he deserved to be -- amongst the very best. Never forget one game against SA where we were down at half time. Robbie was "swung to" (old fashioned term now) centre half forward (!!!) and practically won the game off his own boot.

We hear of Millanes, Bourke/Barrett/Clay, Jezzas ... imagine the reputation RF would have if he'd played for a big 4 club. Stellar player.

 

GO DEMONS!!!!!!

I think there is a lot of quiet acknowledgement among a lot of old players that Robbie was poetry in motion on the field. That includes old commentators still alive and other pundits........... His deeds were one thing but his balance could be a little better than Jesaulenko and Baldock in just one player. I really don't think we should be scared to say he was just simply incomparable.....

[Demonised 1,215]

Such a two-sided player, kicking off both right and left, gave him so many options.

[Hot as Hell 465]

These clips genuinely bring a tear to my eyes today, just as they did when No2 flanked the MCG wings most Saturday afternoons.

Robbie was one of the few shining lights in the very dim decades of the 1970s and 1980s for the MFC.

Brilliant from the start of his career, loyal until the end of it. He has few peers in VFL/AFL history.

Thanks for the clips WJ. Timeless and priceless.