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Obscure Ex-Demons

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Meant to post this around Easter, but have been so flat out doing nothing in COVID-land that I overlooked it. 

Paul O'Brien. A blond-haired half-back type who showed a bit as a youngster coming through. On Easter Monday 1983 his brother Dallas won the Stawell Gift. On the Saturday afternoon in round 2 at the G as Dallas was winning his heat at Stawell, Paul was on show as we knocked off previous year's grand finalist, Richmond. Unfortunately he did his ACL, and it was his last game for us although he did go to North (0 games), and then to Essendon for 3 games in 1988.

A quirky aspect of his career is that he only played 2 games in 1983, and the stats say he had 7 kicks in a loss to Collingwood, and 13 possessions against Richmond (carried off in third quarter?). However he received 3 Brownlow votes for the season. Go figure!

Thanks to the AFL Stats website there's a whole subject on wacky Brownlow voting by umpires, including the 44 possession, no votes game from Diesel when he smashed us in 1993, and not forgetting the very generous 2 votes to Woewoedin for a quiet game in round 22 when we thrashed the Eagles at Subi - Scott West had pulled his Brownlow acceptance speech out of his pocket after the conclusion of round 21 votes, as no-one thought Woey was going to poll.

How many medals would Diesel have won with blond hair?

 

Edited by Tim

  • Quote
    • Like 5
     
    On 4/11/2020 at 8:28 PM, kallangurdemon said:

    graeme osborne (no.7 known as Brylcreem )would be my unbackable nomination for the worst player to ever play 100 senior VFl/AFL games from any club in the history of the competition .

    18 brownlow votes in 1976

    mind you was 18 for his whole career, lol

    Edited by daisycutter

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    Hard to keep up with all the names posted here, but one I was reminded of the other day:-

    Glen Molloy

     

    He looked like the type of bloke you wouldn’t want to run into in a dark alley. 

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    •  

    Mmm, what about Jason Norrish - I was always said he went to Freo... he had rather luxurious hair IIRC.

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    On 4/12/2020 at 11:07 PM, Jumping Jack Clennett said:

    I used to love Bob Miller.

    No. 33, crew cut , reliable defender.

    Became a state labour politician.

    I wonder if he used to have tete-a-tetes with Ray Groom!?

    Probly not!

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    2 hours ago, Tim said:

    How many medals would Diesel have won with blond hair?

    More to the point, how many would he have won if he wasn't a sniper?

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    1 hour ago, dieter said:

    More to the point, how many would he have won if he wasn't a sniper?

    A sniper is far too polite. 

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    • Like 1
    4 hours ago, Tim said:

    Meant to post this around Easter, but have been so flat out doing nothing in COVID-land that I overlooked it. 

    Paul O'Brien. A blond-haired half-back type who showed a bit as a youngster coming through. On Easter Monday 1983 his brother Dallas won the Stawell Gift. On the Saturday afternoon in round 2 at the G as Dallas was winning his heat at Stawell, Paul was on show as we knocked off previous year's grand finalist, Richmond. Unfortunately he did his ACL, and it was his last game for us although he did go to North (0 games), and then to Essendon for 3 games in 1988.

    A quirky aspect of his career is that he only played 2 games in 1983, and the stats say he had 7 kicks in a loss to Collingwood, and 13 possessions against Richmond (carried off in third quarter?). However he received 3 Brownlow votes for the season. Go figure!

    Thanks to the AFL Stats website there's a whole subject on wacky Brownlow voting by umpires, including the 44 possession, no votes game from Diesel when he smashed us in 1993, and not forgetting the very generous 2 votes to Woewoedin for a quiet game in round 22 when we thrashed the Eagles at Subi - Scott West had pulled his Brownlow acceptance speech out of his pocket after the conclusion of round 21 votes, as no-one thought Woey was going to poll.

    How many medals would Diesel have won with blond hair?

     

    Great memory Tim. Paul had a lot going for him until his injury. He and Dallas were East Bentleigh boys from memory. 

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    • Like 1
     
    1 hour ago, hemingway said:

    Great memory Tim. Paul had a lot going for him until his injury. He and Dallas were East Bentleigh boys from memory. 

    I think Paul O ‘BRIEN had a recurrence of his ACL injury at Essendon  when he jumped in the air to celebrate a goal, and landed awkwardly, ending his aaAFL career.

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