Memorable Kickers

[chook fowler 19,694]

2 hours ago, Deemania since 56 said:

Greg Parke would out-mark anyone, consistently from anywhere in the pack or so often, approaching the pack from left, right, front and back. He was also a notoriously schizenhausen poor kick on most occasions, particularly when it mattered. 

He also played with Number 7 Graeme Osborne who couldn’t hit the side of a barn.

[A Bit Of Biff 26]

The worst kick IMO was Carl Ditterich.

Can still remember him putting it out on the full from the goal line.

[dieter 3,325]

5 hours ago, Deemania since 56 said:

Not Ray Biffen (in his earlier years)? 'Biff could launch them, then. As his back became more troublesome, his distance waned.

No, I remember ray Biffin very well. I loved him as a full back and even more as a full forward

[dieter 3,325]

5 hours ago, Deemania since 56 said:

Greg Parke would out-mark anyone, consistently from anywhere in the pack or so often, approaching the pack from left, right, front and back. He was also a notoriously schizenhausen poor kick on most occasions, particularly when it mattered. 

Greg would struggle to make the distance from 3o metres out....

[MyFavouriteMartian 572]

5 hours ago, Baghdad Bob said:

Jack Watts deserves a mention. 
 

Robert flower of course.

[kallangurdemon 551]

As  a consistently long and reliable kick I would go for Bryan Kenneally .Surprising no one mentioned Magnificent Ron whose kicking was as good as the rest of his game ..

[binman 44,512]

As a kid I loved mark Browning's (of the  swans) kicking style

[4_Kent_Watts 897]

3 hours ago, MyFavouriteMartian said:

Robert flower of course.

Jacky Boy was a great kick and very good decision maker, problem was he didn't get it enough. Sorry for stating the obvious. My Favourite and Top5 kicks for Us in no order were, Adem Yze, Brad Green, Travis Johnson, Aaron Davey and Allen Jakovich. From the other Mobs, Darren Jarman and Nathan Buckley and Gary Ablett Senior were the best kicks I've seen.

[dee-tox 4,835]

Good kicks include Flower, Stretch, Grinter, Lyon, Bennett, Jakovich, Davey, Yze, Watts, Salem, Johnstone, Schwarz, Robbo (latter years), Charles, Farmer and Warren Dean.

[Tarax Club 4,092]

Memorable kicks... well had the extreme good fortune to see Tassie Johnson, Brian Dixon, Don Williams, Johnny Townsend, Bryan Kenneally and Doc Roet, all premiership players from the club’s last golden era still grace the ‘G. Only memory of RDB was at Princess Park, but sadly playing for the all navy blue. Agree that John Tilbrook was a magnificent kick, (a bio-mechanical marvel to behold on the run) but unfortunately his on field performances never matched his almost mythic legendary pre-arrival hype. With the exception of a cameo performance, when he briefly illuminated the ‘G with a what could has been. One Saturday afternoon during his debut season, with three goals from the half-forward flank. Lou Richards mischievously labelled him as ’Topaz Tilly’. The late Max Walker could hoof them too, for a big bloke. Resplendent in the # 1 long sleeved jumper, he kicked a magnificent drop kick towards the Jolimont goal, back in the post-halcyon days. Gary Hardeman was also a penetrating kick of a football from centre-half back. Enjoying the ‘series’ Demons 3031!

[nosoupforme 3,085]

On 1/3/2020 at 11:40 PM, america de cali said:

Phil Rhoden, stalwart reserves player and Gardiner Medal winner who only played a few senior games but arguably one of the best booming drop kicker in the games history. Was a joy to watch him kick out from the goal square 65-70 metres every time. Always worth getting in early to watch our reserves games to watch him. He was a master of such a difficult and rare skill.

Yes that's true Phil Rhoden, not so much his drop kicks but his torpedo's punt kicks were so precise with the days it was like showing off his torpedo skills. It was always the perfect spin in the air as the crowd would sigh in awe almost all the time. Although he never had much of the ball in his games and played.mainly in the reserves. 

[Wrecker45 3,378]

Longest kicks: Bennett, Weatley, Frost and Hunt. Bennett and Weatley did it consistently but the other two did torpedos that defied gravity.

Greatest kicks: TJ, Alan Johnson, Whelan, Davey & Watts. When Whelan took the kick out he never missed, short or long.

Experimental kicks; Stynes, Duke of Earl, Alastair Nicholson and Max Gawn when he is 10 metres out.

[Wrecker45 3,378]

And a special mention to Allen Jackovich for the scissor kick and his 11 goals 8 and a few out in the full.

[DEE fence 5,045]

On 1/3/2020 at 12:53 PM, Demons3031 said:

Peter Weekes (Number 25) came up in another post where his interesting kicking style was mentioned. It fired up my memories of players over the years who were either superb kickers or were remembered for having unusual styles of kicking. Being an older member of Demonland, my greatest memories were of Don Williams with his wonderful attacking drop kicks as he ran to the centre line from half back. And those exceptional drop kicks of Tassie Johnson from the goal square to the centre line-incredibly long and precise drop kicks that so often ended in the arms of Terry Gleeson, our ruckman at the time. Ian Ridley was another great from memory.

Unusual styles reminded me of the awkward but effective kicking of Brian Dixon- a remarkable player. Ed Burston was another who was only on the scene for a short time late 60's - he  showed so much potential- he was still learning the art of goal kicking when his career was cut short. A unique kicking style. 

I'm interested in your views on some of our kicking greats or unusual kickers.

Ed Burston was my Biology teacher, top bloke, IIRC he decided on a career over footy, dollars wern't so hood i think and he had a long steady career at Peninsula.

[deesrule 104]

No one has mentioned Fred Fannings 116 yard drop kick in 1939  too long ago ?

was in a reserves grand final

Edited January 4, 2020 by deesrule
More info

[tiers 2,875]

For sheer beauty and consistency, Phil Roden's drop kicks from full back in the reserves were without peer. Tassie Johnson and Bernie Massey were next best for drop kicks.

Post the drop kick era, for distance, Darren Bennett and Paul Wheatley were consistently long and good. Flower, Lyon, Hughes, Yze, Davey and many others were long and reliable kicks and Jackovich especially when shooting for goal.

But the greatest of all was Travis Johnstone who had the unique and innate ability to kick the ball so as to draw the player to the ball in the best position to take the mark. Unfortunately his team mates at the time could not adapt to his skill and did not anticipate his kicks and the coaching panel at the time seemingly ignored it. What a waste of a weapon.

[dieter 3,325]

14 hours ago, kallangurdemon said:

As  a consistently long and reliable kick I would go for Bryan Kenneally .Surprising no one mentioned Magnificent Ron whose kicking was as good as the rest of his game ..

He won a VFL long kicking competition in 1962 or 1963....

[Deemania since 56 6,763]

2 hours ago, deesrule said:

No one has mentioned Fred Fannings 116 yard drop kick in 1939  too long ago ?

was in a reserves grand final

Some elder relative told me about this one. He was a knockout in his day - more than just a legend and his exploits really stack up across the years, and years, and years. Not seeing him play is one of the great negatives in life...

[Demons3031 375]

14 hours ago, Tarax Club said:

Memorable kicks... well had the extreme good fortune to see Tassie Johnson, Brian Dixon, Don Williams, Johnny Townsend, Bryan Kenneally and Doc Roet, all premiership players from the club’s last golden era still grace the ‘G. Only memory of RDB was at Princess Park, but sadly playing for the all navy blue. Agree that John Tilbrook was a magnificent kick, (a bio-mechanical marvel to behold on the run) but unfortunately his on field performances never matched his almost mythic legendary pre-arrival hype. With the exception of a cameo performance, when he briefly illuminated the ‘G with a what could has been. One Saturday afternoon during his debut season, with three goals from the half-forward flank. Lou Richards mischievously labelled him as ’Topaz Tilly’. The late Max Walker could hoof them too, for a big bloke. Resplendent in the # 1 long sleeved jumper, he kicked a magnificent drop kick towards the Jolimont goal, back in the post-halcyon days. Gary Hardeman was also a penetrating kick of a football from centre-half back. Enjoying the ‘series’ Demons 3031!

Thx Tarax.. some wonderful contributions from Demonlanders bringing back great memories of players and what they brought to the game and our club. Thanks to everyone who has shared!

 

 

[dl4e 5,851]

Tilbrook and Bennet were the 2 longest at Melbourne I have seen.When it comes to being completly inconsistent then Andrew Obst would win the pill. All over the joint.

[Tony Tea 2,814]

Phil Gilbert kicked like a kid dobbing imaginary goals in his back yard.

[bush demon 2,162]

Graham Molloy and Stan Alves both could roost beautiful torpedoes in the early 70s, before that kick was banned!

[george_on_the_outer 7,843]

On 1/4/2020 at 3:45 AM, John Demonic said:

I remember being at the G as a kid when Darren Bennett kicked a set shot goal from inside the centre square.

This:

 

[george_on_the_outer 7,843]

8.13 and 22.30 for some rippers in terms of distance.....

[dpositive 1,818]

Always suggested Darren should go back out to the fifty metre  line and kick from there even when he marked in the goal square, as he was seemed to be more accurate the further out he was.