Obscure Ex-Demons

[pitmaster 3,048]

16 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Robert Walters.  Played about 25 games for the Dees in the late 70s and early 80s.
 

We had been belted by 190 points to the Lions in late season 1979 at VFL Park. It was as dark a day as I can remember.  I sat through it and was gutted after the game for hours if not days.  Then in round 2, we played the Lions again at VFL park. Walters has shown ability as a 6ft tall opportunist full forward. Walters kicked 7 goals as we upset the Lions by a few goals. I think they almost were going to carry him off the ground. I think he was injured shortly thereafter in the season and then always was injured again with a variety of problems. 

Suffered some trouble with the law which was a shame. His injuries, debts all played into it I believe. Nickname: Piggy.

Edited March 30, 2020 by pitmaster

[Every Game in '64 25]

Yeah I remember Sid Caitlin. Shooting star like Walters. Kicked 7 goals in a match!  Not too many have done that.

Rod Owen did out at Waverley one time before vanishing. There was Diamond Jim Tilbrook of course - he kicked 7 on debut but then everyone worked out he was one-sided, could only turn one way. One trick pony. Whatever happened to 'Spoonhead"?

[picket fence 15,040]

Tom Flower, should have played a lot more games than he did ! Silky smooth left footer, evasive skills, Quick and could kick a goal.

Kicked 5 Against the Filth which says a lot. His Demon Wiki stats are very impressive. But Carl Ditterich didn't like him so that was the end at MFC.

Best First year player 1977 Top bloke as well!!

Tom Flower

Born:3-Dec-1957 (Debut:19y 155d Last:21y 209d)

Height:184 cm Weight:72 kg

VFL/AFL: 8897th player to appear, 5649th most games played, 2938th most goals kicked
Melbourne: 968th player to appear, 498th most games played, 236th most goals kicked
 

Year	Team	#	GM	W-D-L	KI	MK	HB	DI	GL	BH	HO	TK	RB	IF	CL	CG	FF	FA	BR	CP	UP	CM	MI	1%	BO	GA
Totals			26	6-0-20	289	64	96	385	28	22							39	41
Averages			8.67	23.08%	11.12	2.46	3.69	14.81	1.08	0.88							1.56	1.64
1977	Melbourne	34	11	3-0-8	127	32	34	161	8	8							11	10
1978	Melbourne	34	9	2-0-7	112	19	37	149	9	4							17	20
1979	Melbourne	34	6	1-0-5	50	13	25	75	11	10							11	11

[Top]

Top 10	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Disposals	24	23	22	22	22	18	18	17	16	16
Kicks	19	19	18	16	15	14	14	13	13	13
Marks	7	5	4	4	4	3	3	3	3	3
Handballs	8	7	6	6	5	5	5	4	4	4
Goals	5	3	3	2	2	2	2	2	2	1
Behinds	3	3	2	2	2	2	2	1	1	1
Frees	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2	2
Frees Against	4	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	2	2

[Deemania since 56 6,119]

14 hours ago, Salems Lot said:

This guy; i thought he was going to be a gun.....sadly not to be

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_O'Sullivan_(footballer)

 

This fella was so unlucky with injuries - and when match fit, so talented. 

[Deemania since 56 6,119]

14 hours ago, dieter said:

He was a smoker. I recall a quarter time break in the Reserves at the Footscray oval on the day  Brian Roet demolished Ray Baxter's claim to be the next Victorian Centre half Forward - I played cricket with Ray in the mid 1970's at Ewing in Central Park .It was probably  Rowarth's his last year, 1963, and like a lot of players, he was lit up, sucking on a Craven A, maybe a Turf, maybe a Capstan, maybe a Rothmans....A bloke I went to school with in the 60's lived in Apollo Bay for years. He knew Alan Rowarth, always spoke highly of him.

Reminds me about how many cigarettes Crackers Keenan puffed at half-time breaks ... 

[Every Game in '64 25]

Alan Rowarth was recruited by Birregurra and coached them for a few years.

There was more money in country footy than VFL at that time and God knows the MCC/MFC weren't paying much.

[pineapple dee 2,892]

Ted Fidge was pretty tough and played some decent footy if I recall correctly. 

He came from Bentleigh. Did he have a brother that played ? 

Fidge never took a backward step.

[dieter 3,325]

Rod Owen played some great footy for Melbourne as well, albeit before injury, 19 goals from 9 games in 1991.

Steven Clark, ex Essendon, played some bloody good footy in his 21 games, 18 of them in 1991.

[Tony Tea 2,784]

Anthony Ingerson.

[Demonstone 19,046]

4 hours ago, pineapple dee said:

Did he have a brother that played ? 

Yep, John Fidge played for us.  We had very high hopes for him, but alas ...

This from Demonwiki:

The 1982 Victorian Teal Cup player and younger brother of Ted Fidge debuted two years later as a 17-year-old, and was a reliable forward in his first two seasons until right foot stress fractures kept him to just six games in 1986. He had been rumoured to be pursued by another league club earlier that season, but for 1987 was cleared to the newly formed Brisbane Bears at the end of that season for $125,000 - their fifth highest transfer fee for a recruit.

Fidge played in the Bears winning first match, and appeared 16 times for them in 1987. After eight matches the next year he was sacked by the Bears three weeks into the 1989 season, apparently after punching Warwick Capper in an intra-club game and abusing coach Peter Knights. He then threatened to take the Bears to court for full payment of his contract.

At the end of the year he was drafted by the Sydney Swans but instead chose to join SANFL side Glenelg where he became their full-forward. In 1990 he booted 124 goals. At the end of that year Essendon picked him with selection 24 in the National Draft, but he did not play a game for them.

Returning to Glenelg in 1992 he kicked 92 goals out of a total of 316 in 69 games for the Bays, then joined Frankston in 1994.

During his playing career Fidge had 20 operations, and later revealed that he played with spondiolythesis (back injury) throughout his time in the game.

[Demonstone 19,046]

Ted Fidge played 42 games for us, and in last year of 1988 only played the one game ... but what a game!

We were playing Collingwood at Waverley and Fidgey snotted Magpie star and matchwinner Darren Millane hard enough for Pants to have no further impact on the game (may have even been carried off).  Young Ted copped six weeks from the tribunal and we never saw him again.  We won the game by the way!

Edited March 31, 2020 by demonstone
.

[John Crow Batty 8,217]

Bob Gormly, The Tossel brothers, Glen Walley, Nick Pesch, Marty Hore, Graham Hunnibel, Ross Funcke, Peter Dilnot. 15 minutes of fame between them.

[jumbo returns 6,484]

Ezra Poyas

[needafullback 82]

Tom Kavanagh. 

Left the Demons in 1990, after playing in 2 games for 2 wins.  The last of those was against the Eagles at Subiaco, round 8, 1989.  We overcame a 14 point deficit at 3/4 time to win by 2 points.  Kavanagh kicked a goal.

http://demonwiki.org/Tom+Kavanagh

 

[Bendigo Demon 115]

6 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Jeff Hilton was one of my favorites 'had potential' type players for a bit and was good for a bit of bash, crash and snagging a sneaky goal here or there.  He had games where he would really turn it on, get off the chain and play like a champion.

Jeff Hilton ended up playing football at Beaconsfield. He also played basketball at the old stadium in Pakenham, where I had a bit to do with him. He was a really nice, quiet bloke.

[tiers 2,761]

Molloy father and son - Graham and Glenn.

Trevor Korn - played 2 games (?) in the Barassi era.

[Deemania since 56 6,119]

1 hour ago, Tony Tea said:

Anthony Ingerson.

A classic, un-passable CHB - great games, penetrating footballer.

[dieter 3,325]

1 hour ago, america de cali said:

Bob Gormly, The Tossel brothers, Glen Walley, Nick Pesch, Marty Hore, Graham Hunnibel, Ross Funcke, Peter Dilnot. 15 minutes of fame between them.

Add Phil Egan's one and only game...

Phil carman, John Gallus, Craig Ellis, Craig Turley, Nathan Bassett

Edited March 31, 2020 by dieter

[chook fowler 18,164]

2 hours ago, jumbo returns said:

Ezra Poyas

Oy vey!

[The Chazz 4,077]

Not many more obscure for me than Dannie Seow.  Interesting cat that ended up playing a handful of games for us after a short stint at Collingwood.  To top off his obscurity, he now resides in Washington where he is an actor/model/dancer.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Still furious we delisted Shane Valenti.

[Damo 2,969]

I really liked Jay Viney. Not so good as Todd his brother and made quite a few mistakes in his 1st year. But fast and courageous. Well I thought so. i thought he would have a breakout season with us. But then I was a fan of Tom Flower...

Edited March 31, 2020 by Damo

[tiers 2,761]

Ray Groom - premier of Tasmania (was given 31 after RDB left)

Tony Thiessen - played a blinder at CHF at the MCG in one game (I think against Fitzroy) in the early 60s and then no more

Owen Zinko - the great hope of his time

Alastair Clarkson, Antony MacDonald and Stephen Powell - the best front running, left footed goal scorers from 2000 complementing Shane Woewodin (definitely not obscure)

Russell Richards - a true rhino who couldn't conform to RDB disciplined playing style but at his best could be an AVB on steroids

Simon Godfrey - like the duracell bunny who never stopped running to make position but who was constantly ignored (sometimes because he ran to the wrong spot but at least he ran to make position when others merely waved their arms)

Maurie Bartlett - man mountain who was still huge 40 years later but worn down by a labouring life

Doug Koop and Dean Chiron - journeymen footballers who became indispensable members of the 1987 finals campaign 

David Flintoff - Garry's cousin?

 

[hemingway 7,583]

Jeff Chapman, a schoolboy star for Carey Grammar. He played first 2 games in 66 as full forward after starring in preseason. Kicked 8 goals in a club practice match on Tassie Johnson.  Touted as our new Ron Barassi, due to his guts and determination. Alas he only played the 2 matches. Too slow, poor skills and lacked height and spring. Played on Bob Murray of St Kilda and was given a bath. Played out the season in the 2s and was cleared to Hawthorn but never played a game.  Given the hype before the season he was one of the biggest flops of all time. 

His post footy life was the exact opposite.  A highly successful investment manager, owned his own private family company, and a huge philanthropist. Five years ago his wealth was valued at 800 mill. 

[pineapple dee 2,892]

53 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Jeff Chapman, a schoolboy star for Carey Grammar. He played first 2 games in 66 as full forward after starring in preseason. Kicked 8 goals in a club practice match on Tassie Johnson.  Touted as our new Ron Barassi, due to his guts and determination. Alas he only played the 2 matches. Too slow, poor skills and lacked height and spring. Played on Bob Murray of St Kilda and was given a bath. Played out the season in the 2s and was cleared to Hawthorn but never played a game.  Given the hype before the season he was one of the biggest flops of all time. 

His post footy life was the exact opposite.  A highly successful investment manager, owned his own private family company, and a huge philanthropist. Five years ago his wealth was valued at 800 mill. 

$800 mill ???? I might touch him up for a quid.